The Coronavirus outbreak is something that most of us can say we have never experienced before. This is an extremely unique and unusual situation that most of the world was not prepared for. Compared to other viral outbreaks that took the nation by storm (Ebola, Swine Flu, etc.), this COVID-19 virus seems to be a whole other monster … one much scarier and dangerous. Due to the fact that there is currently no cure for this virus, nations across the world have issued “stay at home” orders and social distancing regulations. Though these orders and regulations are put into place for good reason, there have been some unforeseen and unavoidable consequences.
Aside from unemployment rates skyrocketing, social distancing and stay at home orders have caused a serious issue for people that are going through addiction recovery. People looking to kick addiction, people fresh out of rehab, and people who have been in recovery for years are now forced to stay home, making it more difficult for them to get the treatment they need. Despite everything that has been going on, people have been able to find resources and get the treatment they need. Today, we’re going to discuss how people have managed to overcome the struggles they have been facing in terms of addiction recovery treatment while at home.
Recovery During Coronavirus
Despite the inability to get in-person recovery treatment, many recovery centers have adapted to the current regulations around social gatherings. Many recovery centers across the country have started to implement more telehealth services for their patients that are being secluded at home. Some recovery centers have even seen a massive increase in patient admission during the coronavirus outbreaks. Because this is such a new issue to all of us, there are a lot of uncertainties floating around which can cause a lot of anxiety and depression. These two things alone can be some of the worst issues for former addicts to deal with. Anxiety and depression are two major causes of relapse in recovering addicts.
When these feelings of anxiety and depression start to sink into an addict’s mind, they can be hard to get rid of without some sort of assistance. Oftentimes, they seek out therapists or some kind of support group to help them through their internal struggles. Therapists help people look deeper into themselves and figure out what they’re feeling, why they feel it, and how they can stop or at least diminish those feelings. Support groups can also give them a sense of community and relief in the fact that they are not alone in their struggles. Without people to turn to in your struggles, what can you do? Well, oftentimes, with no community or supportive peers to turn to, recovering addicts relapse.
Why Do Addicts Relapse?
It can be hard to understand why addicts relapse, but you’ll need to have a better understanding of addiction to answer that kind of question. Substance abuse disorders (SUDs) are mental health disorders that cannot be solved with sheer will power. If you start to develop a bad habit, you may notice and try to take measures to stop yourself from performing that action. Many people think addiction is a matter of willpower, but it isn’t. Yes, it plays a role in it, but it is not simply a matter of abusing or not abusing a substance.
People that struggle with addiction have developed more than just a bad habit; they’ve developed a strong mental fixation on a substance. Drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling, etc. can all have severe impacts on the way a person’s brain functions. If a person starts to abuse these kinds of things with no self-regulation, they will start to feel as though they need these things in order to function properly. This is how substance abuse disorders form. This can be an extremely difficult thing to get rid of even after rehabilitation. So, in order to fight against the residual desires to abuse substances or engage in addictive behaviors, recovering addicts are encouraged to attend regular therapy, counseling, or support groups. Without these, addicts can easily give in to their desires.
What Are Recovery Centers Doing To Help During Coronavirus
Because we know exactly how the brain of an addict works, recovery centers across the nation have been serious about providing methods of recovery at home for the people who are stuck at home. Thanks to the beauty of the internet, we have telehealth. Telehealth services are a beautiful thing because they can provide most of the care a normal recovery center would otherwise be able to provide outside of situations like this current outbreak.
Recovery centers are still able to offer services that can greatly help an isolated person in recovery. There are also tons of free online resources that could offer some assistance in a person’s journey through recovery. These services are sometimes significantly less personal when compared to recovery center telehealth services, but they could definitely add a little extra.
If you are one of the many people who are recovering at home during this epidemic, we strongly encourage you to consider telehealth services from your local rehabilitation center. In order to continue down the road of recovery, you’ll need to nurture your own mental health through therapy and group counseling. One-on-one therapy sessions are a great way to dive deeper into your own psyche and understand what caused your addiction in the first place. When you get to the root of the issue, you’re able to better understand what caused the addiction in the first place. When you understand this, you can start to fight off the desires to use. Group counseling is also encouraged for those in recovery because it’s important to get rid of those feelings of loneliness. Not just physical loneliness, but loneliness in personal struggles. When you surround yourself with people who have or have had the same struggles as you, it can create a sense of community. Your family may not be able to relate to your struggles with substance abuse, but other former addicts can.
