homeless – DSM (Defeating Stigma Mindfully)

COVID And Crack

The coronavirus has no brain, heart or emotions; imagine a rocket-proof tank endlessly plowing through society destroying everything in its path. COVID is like an unleashed demon who is smiling 24/7 as it continuously kills humans during the day and night. But when COVID encounters mental health, it stops for a second and thinks to itself, “You know what . . . this sounds and looks interesting!”

Mental health patients who suffer from depression, psychosis or addiction are very vulnerable to acquiring the coronavirus. This is because these patients’ judgment are impaired to begin with, especially if they are under-medicated or noncompliant with their medications. COVID senses this and has fun not only torturing their mind but their body as well.

Drug addicts do not care if public enemy number one is the coronavirus; drugs have already hijacked their brain. They will literally go missing from their nursing home somewhere in Queens, NY and make their way to Manhattan only to end up at a crack house. They may even develop a cough or shortness of breath while they continue to inhale from their crack pipe, but they can care less; the high always saves the day.

Until their physical symptoms worsen. Not only are they addicts, but they’re also likely suffering from another mental illness such as schizoaffective disorder or depression. When the virus begins to destroy their body, their mental health also declines, reinforcing the effect of the high provided by the drugs as compensation.

So what COVID does all along is stir up a crackpot full of physical, mental and spiritual symptoms. Did we mention that these folks are often homeless as well? At this point, they either succumb to their fate which is often death in the streets or they luckily end up in a hospital. In the hospital, some will malinger in order to prolong their stay while others will quickly return back to the streets to chase the dragon; in this case, there’s already a Chinese dragon destroying humanity.

When COVID meets mental health? Consider it a potential recipe for disaster.

Are you Ready? (This is Defeating Stigma Mindfully)

Depression And Drug Use

If you think depression and drug use don’t go hand in hand, think again. Depression seeks drugs and drugs feed off depression; they’re the best combination to keep you suffering and to lose hope for the future. Uncontrolled depression whispers in your mind to alleviate your suffering with drugs and drugs whisper back, “I’ll take care of the rest.” But when drugs and depression gain too much power, suicidal ideations begin to make an appearance.

Suicidal ideations in the context of drug use and depression is a very bad situation. The problem is worsened by a low socioeconomic status, poor family support and bad friendships. The problem is that patients in these situations do not see the light at the end of the tunnel; their minds are too clouded by mental illness and substance addiction.

Many of these patients do not use soft drugs such as marijuana or psychedelics. When you are facing homelessness, unemployment and a past psychiatric history of depression or schizophrenia, soft drugs have no place on one’s plate. Drugs such as crack-cocaine and heroin better fit the picture.

The problem is when hard drugs are used on top of psychiatric symptoms such as depression, suicidal ideations or auditory hallucinations, judgment, impulse and insight become impaired. When these mental processes become impaired, so does one’s view on suicidal ideations.

Suicidal ideations unfortunately become the only sparkling light at the end of the tunnel. And sometimes this sparkling light is intensified by the track gleaming lights of passing trains. Patients in these severely depressed and addicted mindsets see an opportunity to end their living nightmares by jumping in front of a train.

And jumping is what they sometimes do . . . some survive while some lose their leg. This is never the solution but when living under such cloudy and foggy mental conditions, your decision-making becomes greatly impaired. That’s why it’s so important that we advocate for mental health and substance abuse support worldwide; these people depend on us and are thankful for our desire to help them once again live a life full of happiness and love!

Are you Ready? (This is Defeating Stigma Mindfully)