The coronavirus is causing so much stress that virtually no one seems immune from reaching for less-than-healthy ways to cope, which is why substance abuse has been on the rise since lockdown.
Even highly functional, community-minded professionals are showing signs of stress, as symbolized on prime-time TV: On a recent NCIS: New Orleans episode “We All Fall … “, Dr. Loretta Wade (CCH Pounder), the exemplary, seemingly indefatigable medical examiner, becomes so overwhelmed by the deaths during the pandemic that she starts leaning on after-work glasses of wine.
Her son mentions it, which angers her. Then her friend, the mayor, expresses concern, which is met with denial and rationalization.
So imagine how hard this pandemic has been for those with a history of addiction and substance abuse, as well as addicts and substance abusers just fresh into recovery.
Recovery is Possible
But it’s not impossible to get and stay on the right track: On the episode, the mayor follows up with a visit apologizing for coming on too strong, Loretta realizes she’s abusing alcohol, the mayor suggests therapy, and Loretta follows through.
The rise in substance abuse, coupled with substance use disorders (SUDs) being linked to an increase in COVID-19 susceptibility and complications, makes it more important than ever to take the steps to the path to recovery.
The path is real and it’s manageable, and it leads to a much better life. When you get sober, you’ll sleep better, you’ll look better, and you’ll feel better. And you can get back on track with your loved ones, from mending relationships to securing their future by getting life insurance for alcoholics.
Here’s how to start.
Step 1: Know the Symptoms and Signs of Addiction
While no two people are the same, and while everyone doesn’t exhibit all of the physical and psychological changes that come with addiction and substance abuse, there are a lot of red-flag similarities.
Symptoms of Addiction and Substance Abuse
Symptoms are what the addict and substance abuser experiences. These include:
- Pupils of the eyes seeming smaller or larger than usual
- Seeming unwell at certain times and better at other times
- Unexpected and persistent coughs or sniffles
- Weight loss or gain
- Unexpected tiredness or loss of energy
- Sleeping a lot more or less than usual, and at different times
- Extreme mood changes
- Building up a tolerance, so needing to engage in addictive behavior more and more to get the desired effect
- Difficulty cutting down or controlling the addictive behavior
- Focusing social, occupational, and recreational activities on the addiction
- Experiencing withdrawal when not taking the substance or engaging in the addictive activity
Signs of Addiction and Substance Abuse
The signs are what others observe, so pay attention when coworkers, friends, neighbors, and family share to you. Signs include:
- Being secretive
- Lying
- Stealing
- Financial unpredictability
- Social group changes, such as new and unusual friends and odd phone conversations
- Unexplained, urgent outings
- Drug paraphernalia
- Drug stashes
Step 2: Get Help for Your Addiction
If you’re experiencing a cluster of those symptoms and people who care about you are expressing their concerns, it’s time to figure out how you can control your life again.
Addiction, clinically referred to as substance use disorder, is a disease. Willpower alone cannot cure a disease. Once you’ve made a commitment to overcome addiction and substance abuse, you need help to move forward.
Substance Abuse Recovery Programs
Quality, evidence-based care is essential, and there are many options from which to choose, depending on the severity of your addiction.
There are traditional in-patient rehab programs that last from 30 to 90 days. There are also medication-assisted programs, which offer medications such as naltrexone, acamprosate, methadone, and buprenorphine to reduce cravings, deter use, and help prevent relapse.
And there are well-known 12-step recovery programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA). These take a spiritual approach to recovery, in which you recognize that a higher power can restore your sobriety.
But there are other popular outpatient addiction recovery programs. They include motivational techniques, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and SMART Recovery.
The latter is a support-group model using a four-point program that helps participants find their strengths and use them. It involves building and maintaining the motivation to change; coping with urges to use; managing thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in an effective way without addictive behaviors; and living a balanced, positive, and healthy life.
Holistic Counseling
The alternative methods work from different principles of individuality and empower the individual to create control of their recovery from addiction. And they don’t just target substance abuse.
For example, Wisdom Within Counseling, which provides counseling in Southeastern Connecticut, offers holistic therapy that delves into the root cause of addiction to find out what pain an addict is avoiding, such as childhood abuse and neglect that are leading to alcoholism and drug use.
Your therapist will show you ways to successfully overcome negative behavior and patterns, using talk therapy as well as creative outlets such as painting and music, movement such as yoga, nature such as outdoor walks, and animal therapies.
Step 3: Stay Committed and Supported
Learning new outlets of expression are useful for improving your mood and decreasing your amount of idle time. Two factors that will help keep those negative behaviors from creeping back into your mind and sabotaging your progress.
For example, work out to balance the production of serotonin and dopamine. These are neurotransmitters commonly affected by drugs and alcohol. Play a sport for physical activity as well as a social aspect. Develop a hobby to boost your motivation and self-esteem.
Volunteer to meet new people and elevate your mood, doing both without any worry of cost. If you do have funds, take classes either to work on a professional goal that addiction sidetracked or to improve a hobby.
There’s also meditation, which produces important changes to your brain’s structure and function. Meditation helps to repair any damage that may have been caused by the use of alcohol or drugs. It also helps reduce depression and anxiety, which are common triggers for relapse.
And hold on to the resources you find that work for you. Despite the pandemic curtailing or eliminating in-person support, you can stay focused on recovery through social media. You can find remote AA meetings to sober Facebook groups to looking up #soberlife, #cleanandsober, #soberliving, and #AArecovery on Instagram.
Family Therapy Can Help
Addiction and substance use affect not only you but those around you. A therapist can make a commitment to work with your family as well.
For example, marriage counseling in Mystic, Connecticut, can help you and your partner better communicate to improve your journey to recovery as well as your relationship.
And if your partner or other members of your family have their own issues they wish to explore, Wisdom Within Counseling also provides anxiety counseling in East Lyme, Ct.
Staying committed and supported will help you break free of a negative, chaotic life of addiction and substance abuse and create a life filled with loving relationships, healthy friendships, meaning, purpose, and joy.
Karen Condor writes and researches for the life insurance comparison site, EffortlessInsurance.com. She studied communications and has successfully participated in anxiety counseling.
