Addiction in 2021 has reared its ugly head with the progression of COVID-19 in the past year. There has been a link to the pandemic and substance abuse going on the rise.
“Ever since the pandemic began, I simply do not know what to do anymore. My feelings become too much to bear so I numb them out the best I can. I simply do not know what to do with myself,” a local Huntsville resident said.
In The New York Times, Emma Goldberg wrote about such in her article, “The pandemic has hit addiction recovery hard.”
Golberg states, “addiction is a disease of isolation… in a survey over 165 different facilities (there has been a) 43% reduced patient capacity, 33% reduced patient retention, and 10% of all the facilities shut down. There is an overall decrease of necessary sources needed to help those suffering from substance abuse disorders. That, combined with the amount of mandatory down-time and “stay-at-home” orders, are leading those who (most-likely) also suffer from other mental illnesses, such as depression or anxiety, to self-medicate in order to cope with the added stress of the unknown and chaotic upheaval as life once known.”
“My out-patient recovery center went virtual, and I slipped back into old behaviors because I knew I didn’t have to be seen in person,” one source said.
There are other links to COVID-19 and substance abuse as well. The mandatory social distancing and widespread shutdowns are causing already pre-disposed people to mental defects of loneliness and isolation (D. Ed.). These individuals are suffering on a never ventured ground of social distancing. The simplest of social interactions have been reduced to little or none.
Regular treatment facilities are at reduced capacity or turned totally virtual. This inhibits the recovery program in and of itself due to a lack of accountability on the attempted recovering individual’s part. Lastly, the daily routines that once kept recovering users safe has been torn away and an advanced amount of free time has been made allotted to those who previously did not allow such in their daily lives.
A recently recovering addict delved into the gritty detail of her own addiction. “I was fine until COVID hit. All of the sudden my feelings got the best of me; my fear got the best of me and without the ability to see my regular therapist in person I sort of just gave up… I need the everyday boring stuff to-do: to keep me sane. With my compromised immune system, I was forced into an isolation that made life unbearable on life’s terms.”
Choosing recovery is not an easy decision. It is being made impossible to those who are suffering. It is easy to self-medicate, numb-out, and sleep off the stupor; the hard decision is choosing to find quality of life once again. If you or a loved one is suffering, reach out to the sources available to you. Below are contacts for those in need.
- Alabama Department of Mental Health: 1(800)367-0955
- Addiction/Alcohol Hotline: 1(888) 628- 1798
- Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Hotline: 1(800) 839- 1686