What is an overdose?

International Overdose Awareness Day is observed on August 31st and is the world’s largest annual campaign aimed at ending overdose. It seeks to honour those who have lost their lives without stigma and to acknowledge the grief experienced by their families and friends.

An overdose occurs when a person consumes a toxic amount of a substance, be it drugs (prescription, over the counter, or illegal), alcohol, or other chemicals. This can lead to severe medical complications, including death. Overdoses can happen accidentally or intentionally, and the risk varies based on the substance involved and individual factors.

In this blog, we look at the causes of an overdose, the signs and symptoms of an overdose, preventing an overdose and ways to respond to an overdose.

Causes of Overdose can be:

  1. Prescription Medications: Taking more than the prescribed dose, mixing medications without doctor approval, or using someone else’s prescription.
  2. Over-the-Counter Drugs: Exceeding recommended doses or using multiple OTC medications with the same active ingredient.
  3. Illegal Drugs: Variability in potency, contamination, and lack of quality control.
  4. Alcohol: Consuming large quantities in a short time or mixing with other depressants.
  5. Mixing Substances: Combining drugs, especially depressants like opioids, alcohol, and benzodiazepines.

Signs and Symptoms of an Overdose

  • Opioids: Slow or stopped breathing, unconsciousness, pinpoint pupils, cold and clammy skin, blue lips or nails.
  • Stimulants: Agitation, high body temperature, rapid heartbeat, hallucinations, seizures.
  • Alcohol: Vomiting, confusion, seizures, slow breathing, hypothermia, unconsciousness.
  • Sedatives: Drowsiness, confusion, poor coordination, slow breathing.

Prevention Strategies

  1. Education and Awareness: Informing individuals about the risks of drug misuse and the signs of an overdose.
  2. Proper Use of Medications: Following prescription guidelines, not sharing medications, and consulting healthcare providers before combining substances.
  3. Safe Storage: Keeping medications out of reach of children and others who might misuse them.
  4. Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs: Tracking prescriptions to prevent overprescribing and doctor shopping.
  5. Availability of Naloxone: This medication can reverse opioid overdoses and should be readily accessible to those at risk and their caregivers.
  6. Harm Reduction Programs: Supervised injection sites, needle exchange programs, and providing clean equipment to reduce risks associated with drug use.
  7. Mental Health Support: Providing access to mental health services to address issues that might lead to substance misuse.
  8. Regulation and Control: Ensuring drugs are safely manufactured, prescribed, and dispensed.

Responding to an Overdose

  1. Call Emergency Services: Immediately call 999.
  2. Administer Naloxone: If an opioid overdose is suspected and naloxone is available, administer it as directed.
  3. Provide First Aid: Follow instructions from emergency responders, which may include CPR or positioning the person to prevent choking.
  4. Stay with the Person: Until help arrives, monitor their condition and provide reassurance.

By taking these steps, we can significantly reduce the risk of overdoses and improve outcomes for those who experience them.

If you suspect someone has taken an overdose, it is important to immediately seek medical attention.

At BNSHE Consultancy, we provide Mental Health First Aid Training Courses designed to equip you with a fundamental understanding of mental health and practical strategies for maintaining your own mental well-being.

Our courses also empower you to confidently support individuals in distress or experiencing mental health issues. You will gain valuable skills in engaging with someone who suffers from mental health challenges.

For more information about this and other courses, click here or email us at info@bnshe.co.uk today.

 

 

 

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