It doesn’t look like flakka is going away, and that’s bad news for South Florida, and Broward County in particular. In response, local Broward officials recently held a meeting regarding the benefits of mobilizing mental health awareness campaigns to help combat the influx of flakka use (which of course, come fully equipped with strange stories and awkward injuries), according to the Sun Sentinel. The meeting took place this Wednesday, and those in attendance assert addressing mental health issues around the county will reduce use of addictive substances like flakka. But, what does mental health have to do with substance use? A lot, actually.
Unfortunately, I think I can claim with some certainty among many, it’s not widely known substance abuse is a response to mental unrest- as opposed to being the cause of it (and yes, there’s an aspect of that at play too). Let’s back up a bit: even though addiction to drugs and alcohol is largely governed by a predisposition to addiction from genetics, not knowing how to cope with everyday stressors is also a factor in addiction; compounded by depression, anxiety, or other troublesome emotional burdens, those who engage in substance use are often attempting to self medicate- or in other words, make their burdens less by taking drugs as a means of escape and relief. It’s like having a drink after a stressful day, or eating cookies for comfort. The only problem is some substances, like flakka, are dangerous to both mental and physical health. And let’s face it, the crazy stories buzzing around about flakka and South Florida are scary. Hence the recent meeting.
Broward county’s officials are trying to combat flakka usage by attacking the underlying problem of usage, and that’s addressing the quality of life for those who are engaged in using the drug, along with allaying mental unrest. Whether it’s offering treatment for depression, or public counseling services for rage, domestic violence, sexual assault, or other ugly truths we all have to manage at some point in our lives. When we begin to examine addition as a “cookie complex” or as a way of coping, we can empathize more readily with addicts struggling with the disorder. Whereas we may gain weight from our manner of combating stress, others can endanger their lives and others. Why not have some sympathy?
Broward Court Judge, Ginger Lerner-Wren is quoted by the Sun Sentinel, “People cannot succeed the way they want to and realize their potential and have a quality of life if they aren’t healthy from a mental health vantage point, so it really becomes essential to overall health.” What does this mean for us? We’re not quite sure how Broward county intends to tackle mental health in terms of social services, but we’re keeping an eye out for new county developments.
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The post Mental Health Awareness in Broward County May Help Slow Down the Flakka Epidemic appeared first on Harbor Village Florida.
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