Combating addiction in San Francisco has been a hot topic as more people than ever are suffering from drug addiction and mental illness in the state of California. In order to deal with the issue and introduce the idea dual diagnosis to people who may not know about its benefits like the homeless, San Francisco is introducing new within the city’s most dense areas. They hope to combat addiction and substance abuse in the city by educating low income areas that tend to show higher rates of drug violence, abuse, and other related crimes. By providing free of charge medications, family counseling, and withdrawal effect management help, the city has big plans for the new few years and are eager to improve their condition. Let’s walk through how San Francisco is planning to introduce dual diagnosis and how it’s following the chain of other large metropolitan areas who are establishing similar programs.
Introducing Dual Diagnosis Treatment
To help people who have a hard time overcoming drug addiction and mental illness, dual diagnosis treatment addresses both issues at once so they can sustainably switch to a healthier lifestyle. Experts describe dual diagnosis as a term that describesa person who has a mood disorder such as depression or bipolar disorder and a problem with alcohol or drugs. As a result, the person who has a dual diagnosis will have to deal with two separate illnesses which need two separate treatment plans so they don’t relapse to their old habits. Any combination of mental illnesses like anxiety, depression, PTSD, and drug or alcohol addictions can qualify someone as a dual diagnosis patient. Since it’s hard to pinpoint where someone’s symptoms are coming from, normal drug rehab facilities may not be completely equipped to deal with their problems and provide no “quick fix”. Treatment could take a few months to even a year depending on the situation. The good news that integrated treatment is highly successful when medication and thorough counseling is provided to a patient.
Addiction in San Francisco has been getting worse in the past decade, which is why San Francisco’s mayor is introducing a first-of-its-kind plan to bring treatment for drug addiction directly to neighborhoods. The program aims to help drug addicts with buprenorphine, a medication regularly used to help patients quit their opiate addiction and stop cravings. Buprenorphine is usually taken as a film placed on the tongue or in pill form generally dispensed by doctors or other providers. Doses are provided in bunches so patients don’t need to keep returning throughout the month. The program is a follow-up strategy to a 2016 pilot program where city workers stopped into homeless shelters to hand out buprenorphine to people in need. They reported that at least 60% people who got the medication stayed clean after use. The new program will commit $3 million and 10 new employees in the medication team to being offering people buprenorphine. Mayor Farrell said the huge amount of money needed for the program would be resourced from the city’s general fund, while at least a third of the funds will be carried about by Medi-Cal. Over the next two months, the program is expected to be rolled out and Farrell has high hopes that it will leave a major difference in the community.
Homelessness And Addiction
Although the new San Francisco program is expensive and will require a lot of labor, it has already treated nearly 100 people who are staying with treatments in the long run. and labor-intensive. Twenty-two percent of those people also kept taking the medications and reported having less withdrawal symptoms than before treatment started. By the next spring, the addiction in San Francisco should be improved with a goal of over 250 people in treatment. Since patients can have withdrawal effects nearly every 12 hours, having that medication on hand is crucial so they don’t fall back into drug addiction. San Francisco is among a handful of large U.S. cities making plans to open supervised drug consumption sites so users are given the help they need. Monitors will be equipped with tools and medication to quickly administer the drug naloxone, which helps combat overdose symptoms in case any emergencies arrive to the scene. Such programs like the one in San Francisco are now widespread in Canada but have been having trouble gaining as quick traction in the U.S. With enough political support and success stories from the community, there’s a hope for our country to get a grip on our opioid epidemic and treat more people directly on the home front.
Future Dual Diagnosis Treatment
The future of addiction in San Francisco is looking bright as the program will be continued into this year. With the high amount of success stories from past patients, more people who are low income and are dealing with drug addiction, drug related crimes, and withdrawal symptoms can get the help they need. It’s rare to be able to receive free healthcare in this country, so even being able to fund and manage a program like this successfully is a huge feat.
Any person struggling with a drug addiction and mental illness will not be able to afford his or her substance of choice over the long run. The time and money spent to support their habit can quickly spiral out of control, so it’s essential that they have close access to treatment tents to demolish the pull they have towards the substance of their choice. If you know someone in the San Francisco area who might benefit from the program, let them know about it so they can measure how far they are form a treatment center. Time is of the essence when it comes to dealing with drug addiction so should take action as soon as possible.
