The article, “Starting the Discussion: A Call to Enhance Care for People with Stimulant Use Disorder,” has been published in SAj.
In this commentary, the authors state stimulant use disorder (StUD) significantly contributes to substance-related morbidity and mortality in the United States. Overshadowed by the country’s focus on opioid-related overdose deaths, stimulant and stimulant/opioid overdose deaths have increased dramatically over the last decade. Many individuals who use stimulants illicitly or have StUD have multiple, intersecting stigmatized characteristics which exacerbate existing barriers and create new obstacles to attaining addiction treatment. Illicit stimulant use, StUD, and stimulant-related overdose disproportionately impact minoritized racial and gender, and sexuality diverse groups.
In the AUTHORS’ OWN WORDS, they relate the importance of their work:
“As with anything in medicine, we strive for progress, not perfection. Improving the care of people with StUD will require a multilevel response, and society, institutions, and individuals must all be open to change. Societally we must address stigma about people who use drugs, specifically those who use stimulants, and change the narrative in the media and public discourse that leads to fear and discrimination. Institutionally, we must commit to changing existing harmful and long-held practices and protocols that do not adequately meet the needs or serve people most likely to have a StUD. Healthcare providers must also commit to adopting evidence-based methods to care for people with StUD to move beyond creating a non-stigmatizing environment to one that is also engaging and responsive. Individually, all of us must re-examine our personal beliefs and stigmas about people with StUD and actively change our thoughts and behaviors. Words matter, but so do actions. Building a more inclusive and responsive addiction treatment environment for people with a StUD will not be easy, but it is necessary and long overdue.”