I’m as responsible as anyone for perpetuating the stigma around drug dependency that has seen the incidence of overdoses spiral in Australia over the last 20 years. We’ve all been guilty of making assumptions and judgements that perpetuate it. And we can all help break the stigma-dependency-overdose cycle.
As a former emergency nurse, I’ve seen the ugly frontline.
The stomach pumps. The administering of opiate reversal medications. The aggression and abuse healthcare teams receive after saving someone’s life. The dismissive judgementalism that follows – knee-jerk assumptions by hospital staff about who is dependent on alcohol and drugs and why.
It’s another cycle perpetuating the stigma that prevents people from getting the support they need to break their dependency.
I’ve also seen the personal stories behind the stereotyping and statistics. I know that alcohol and drug dependency and overdoses affect people across the socioeconomic spectrum, from high-functioning professionals to low-income parents, from pensioners to children.
I know illicit drugs are only part of the problem. While ‘overdose’ might evoke images of backstreet heroin use, it’s as likely that alcohol, pain medications and antidepressants are behind an overdose. And I know that the shame, guilt and grief experienced by families who are often forgotten in the aftermath of an overdose death can mean the stigma-dependency-overdose cycle echoes from generation to generation.
How do we break the stigma and cycle? Education.
It’s a complex subject and there’s no silver bullet but if we educate ourselves about the realities of drug dependency, we can destigmatise it. And if we can remove the stigma – a barrier to people asking for help – we can start turning Australia’s overdose statistics around.
1. Educate healthcare professionals
From GPs to emergency departments, we must equip healthcare professionals to see beyond common stereotypes or assumptions. It’s not easy, particularly in a highly stressful life-or-death overdose scenario. What’s more, most people won’t be open to accepting support in a time of crisis. But there’s always a human story behind the crisis – a cause for the effect.
2. Educate students and teachers in schools
All too often, drug and particularly alcohol dependency are normalised in everyday life. By parents. By friends. By popular culture. We need to show young people the reality of dependency in all its forms, the health implications of non-fatal overdoses and the consequences of unintended overdose deaths.
3. Educate the family members and friends who are left behind
Loved ones can experience an overwhelming mixture of emotions in the wake of a fatal overdose: shame, guilt, anger, grief. We need to raise the profile of support groups, counselling and therapy for family members and friends. We need to make it OK to talk about their experience, honour their loved one’s memory and, in doing so, destigmatise the conversation around drug dependency and overdoses.
Find out more about International Overdose Awareness Day at overdoseday.com
