As the nation gets more stringent about non-essential travel and bans on group gatherings to slow the spread of coronavirus, one expert says the pandemic may result in an unintended rise in drug and alcohol relapses among those who are in recovery.
“Yes, we are already starting to see an increase in relapses,” Dayry Hulkow, M.S., a primary therapist at Arete Recovery, a Delphi Behavioral Health Group facility, told Fox News.
Hulkow did not indicate how many relapses she had seen among clients, but according to the American Addiction Center, over 19.7 million Americans aged 12 and older battled a substance use disorder in 2017. About 74 percent of those individuals reported an alcohol use disorder, while 38 percent reported an illicit drug use disorder. Of those individuals, 8.5 million reported a mental health disorder in addition to a substance use disorder.
Mental health professionals have recently been speaking out about different ways to cope with isolation and anxiety regarding COVID-19, which can also act as triggers for those in recovery, especially when coupled with canceled Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meetings.
“Social support and active involvement in the program both play a huge role in recovery,” Hulkow said. “In the absence of these, ‘isolation’ and ‘emotional distress’ can be significant ‘triggers’ to relapse. Feelings of depression, anxiety, fear, uncertainty, loneliness and boredom can easily escalate particularly during this time.”
But, Hulkow said, there are still ways to lessen the risk, even in the days of social distancing and quarantine.
“Recovering individuals can utilize different ‘tools’ to cope during this time such as: staying virtually engaged in the program, reading recovery-oriented literature, practicing prayer and meditation, engaging in healthy hobbies when possible, journaling thoughts and feelings, completing arts and crafts projects, being creative and staying present,” she said. – READ MORE
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