The Narrative

Over the past few weeks, it has been my honor and privilege to be a bridge by which other creators of advocacy related content can share their voice and be heard by others. No problem deserves as much attention as possible, however, than the ongoing opioid crisis.

As we have established in earlier posts, there is a definite relationship between substance use disorders and suicidality, being that many who have underlying poor mental health experience a level of escapism. This desire to escape is a driving factor in increased substance use, which thereby decreases levels of risk assessment and increases risk taking, increasing suicidality.

However, the lethality of this cycle only increases when you bring highly dangerous substances into the the equation, such as synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Presently, initial feelings of escapism that lead one to engage in substance abuse do not even have the chance to fully reveal themselves, as fentanyl’s hyper-potency leaves many to overdose.

This unfortunately is not the only factor at play, many fentanyl related overdoses are accidental, as the majority of street bought drugs are cut with fentanyl, making them fatal to individuals who have no preexisting tolerance to opioids.

A Crisis that Touches Home

To bring this crisis into perspective, here are some statistics from last year disclosing the rate of overdoses in Colorado published by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

As one can see, this problem has touched our communities, families, friends, and loved ones. The fentanyl crisis is here and continues to dwell not only within Colorado but throughout the nation as well, as the U.S. is the world leader in opioid related deaths.

The Film

The Culmination

The issue of fentanyl means that individuals who are engaged in substance abuse based on poor mental health and or suicidal ideation are more likely to die due to the heightened lethality of street bought drugs.

For an individual that may have been merely experimenting with drugs as a means of coping/ escapist self destructive behavior, buying and using street bought drugs is now a dance with death. This may not be directly an issue of suicide, but rather, an issue of self destructive means of coping turning into lethal means of coping. What once was a road that could ruin ones life is now one that can surely end it.

Local Initiatives and Involvements

Mental Health and Suicide Prevention 2025 EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES IN MESA COUNTY Register Here!

Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST): September 18-19, November 6-7 This two-day workshop(16 hours) helps participants learn how to prevent suicide by recognizing signs, providing a skilled intervention, and developing a safety plan to keep someone alive.

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA): September 26, October 17, December 5 This eight (8) hour training teaches people how to recognize signs of mental health or substance use challenges in adults, how to offer and provide initial help, and how to guide a person toward appropriate care.

Youth Mental Health First Aid (Youth MHFA): August 29 This Six and half (6.5) hour training for adults who regularly interact with people ages 12-18. It introduces common mental health challenges, typical adolescent development, and plan for how to help in crisis and non-crisis situations

Soul Shop™: October 2 This 90-minute workshop equips faith community leaders and other people of faith to train their congregations to minister to those impacted by suicidal desperation.

If you or someone you know is feeling suicidal, call or text 988. The National Suicide Hotline is staffed around the clock with certified members of the American Association of Suicidology. Or the Crisis Text Line, text CO to 741741 from anywhere in the United States, anytime. A live, trained Crisis Counselor receives the text and responds, all from a secure online platform.