Spotting the Signs and Triggers of
Substance Abuse During COVID-19
The Pandemic can be a dangerous time for people with Substance Abuse and Addiction issues
"The disruption to daily life due to the COVID-19 pandemic has hit those with substance use disorder hard," said Redfield. "As we continue the fight to end this Pandemic, it's important to not lose sight of different groups being affected in other ways. We need to take care of people suffering from unintended consequences." This past summer (2020), a study of 5400 American adults indicated that 41% reported struggling with mental health or substance use due to the Pandemic. Another 13% admitted to "having started or increased substance use to cope with stress or emotions related to COVID-19."
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Substance Abuse and Stress
During COVID-19, there has been a toxic mix of social and physical isolation, worsening economic conditions, and a steady stream of stressful news. Any of these situations can be dangerous to a person with substance abuse disorder, but they can be deadly when combined.
Increased feelings of worry, anxiety, and stress drive may people to alcohol and/or drugs for what they may expect is some temporary relief. Unfortunately, they can also cause changes in your brain that will make you feel worse – and bring on additional stress.
It is imperative to break this cycle and seek out healthy activities that will help alleviate stress/anxiety/depression. Experts also suggest taking a break from the news and stepping away from social media to help reduce anxiety and other triggers for substance abuse.
If you find yourself or a loved one abusing drugs or alcohol to deal with the stress or anxiety of the Pandemic, get them help before it is too late.
Quarantine and Isolation are Proven Triggers for Substance Abuse
It is said that addiction thrives on secrecy, and the isolation of the Pandemic has provided it with ample cover. While research on the fallout of COVID-19 is in its early stages, clinicians have turned to other similar events as a way to gauge the potential damage we may see.
For example, scientists studied workers in China who were quarantined as high-risk during the 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak. They found that during the quarantine, there was a 25% increase in people who reported at least one or two symptoms of alcohol abuse or addiction. Perhaps more dangerous was that they continued to find “increased alcohol abuse/dependence symptoms” as long as three years after the end of the quarantine.
Another study published in the Journal of Traumatic Stress followed New Yorkers who had been sheltering in place during the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center. Among that group of people, prescription and alcohol abuse and binge drinking were found to be more prevalent and lasted as long as two years after the event.
When you consider the physical, psychological, and emotional isolation that the Pandemic has caused, it isn’t hard to imagine a significant increase in the number of people who have fallen into substance abuse or relapsed during COVID-19. How long that impact will continue is still yet to be seen.
Recognizing Substance Abuse in Yourself or Your Loved Ones.
- Do you feel that you need to drink or use drugs regularly (daily, several times a day)?
- Have you tried to stop or slow down, but you can't or are experiencing withdrawal symptoms?
- Have you noticed that it now takes more drugs or alcohol to get the same effect as it did before?
- Are you consuming larger amounts of drugs or alcohol or using it for a longer period of time than you did previously?
- Have you found yourself worried that you might run out of drugs or alcohol and/or have taken steps to make sure that it doesn't happen?
- Are you spending money on drugs and alcohol when you can't afford them?
- Are you failing to meet obligations, not participating in social activities, or missing work more frequently?
- Do the time you spend getting drugs or alcohol, using, and recovering take up a significant portion of your day?
- Do intense urges for drugs or alcohol ever block out other thoughts and make it difficult to concentrate on anything else?
- Have you done things to get drugs or alcohol that you normally wouldn't do, like stealing?
- Do you find yourself doing risky activities, such as driving or having unprotected sex when you're under the influence?
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If you answered the questions honestly, you have a pretty good idea whether or not you have issues with substance abuse and addiction. A “Yes” answer on any one of them can be an indication that you should consider Substance Abuse Treatment. Now is the time to get help.
There are limited numbers of substance abuse programs in MA, and the ending of the Pandemic will lead to a rush for open spots.
