Hey all you steemians,
After over a year of hard work I have finally embarked on one of the final semesters of becoming a nurse practitioner with a specialty in psych/mental health. I am so happy to be reading about psychopathology, conducting therapy, and being able to assess, diagnose, and prescribe psychiatric medication for clients. Literally I am ecstatic.
This semester, for me, will largely be about something that has both been in the news and is one of the major problems that affect those with mental illness. This something is substance use, and more specifically the opiate crisis that we as humans are facing. The societal, biological, and ethnographic factors that create a world where those turn to substances as escapism or for other reasons really speaks to the need for clinicians to educate and actively engage with their patients to create preventive and rehabilitative measures. With the kick off of the semester our entire school was invited to a conference on compassionate care for opiate dependency.
I'm super proud to be part of a school that priorities such an important topic for their nurses, physician assistants, speech language pathologists, and and occupational therapists. It is here that the journey begins for me in dealing with dual diagnosis patients, but it is not where it ends. My clinical this semester will be working at one of MGH's addiction consultation team where I will be interacting with many local patients and investigating both the resources and medications that are available to help these individuals. One of the important take aways from the conference that I can share with you is that there are people out there that are trying to understand and work with patients in order to be able to build communities of wellness and opportunity. If you or anyone you know is struggling with mental illness or substance abuse please pass them along SAMHSA's number for treatment referral (1-800-622-4357).
Keep it real out there,
-Peace and Love