The Covid-19 pandemic is hitting us all hard. A close friend tells me she cycles in and out of “existential dread,” which I take to mean that she periodically and bravely confronts the meaning and purpose of her life and, given the virulent nature of the virus, the proximity and ultimate inevitability of death.
Or maybe this dread some of us experience is not about death at all but a different kind of separation—a forced disconnection from the living, breathing, human world and the alienation and despair we experience when we are not “in touch” with each other.
When my children were little and I was away from them for even just a few hours, my hands began to throb and ache. I remember thinking how strange that was, that tender, almost arthritic sensation, until I realized that I was aching to touch them, bring them close, hold them tight, keep them safe.
Even if we are not sick, even if we are lucky enough to avoid this virus through smart masking, hand washing, and social distancing—or just plain dumb luck—we suffer.
And some of us suffer more than others.
People with alcohol and other drug problems—and people in recovery from addiction—are having a hard time of it. As Nora Volkow, MD, head of the National
Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) explains, they are “already marginalized and underserved by health care services, largely because of stigma. This stigma is based on the erroneous but persistent belief—widespread even among health care workers—that addiction is the result of weak character and poor choices, whereas science has clearly shown it to be a disorder arising from alterations in brain circuitry.”
When our hospitals and health care systems are pushed to their limits, Dr. Volkow adds, people with substance use disorders are in danger of being “deprioritized for care.”
Deprioritization basically means you are moved to the back of the line. The emotional consequences of such marginalization would almost certainly include shame, powerlessness, and insignificance.
As the pandemic rages on, studies confirm that millions of us are experiencing alcohol and other drug problems related to emotional distress (depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts) and socio-economic effects (loss of employment, food insecurity, housing instability, social isolation).
Rates of alcohol consumption are up 14% and drinkers consume nearly 30% more than in pre-pandemic months. Admissions for alcoholic liver disease have increased up to 50% since last March.
Opioid overdoses have increased 38.4 percent and cocaine overdoses are up 26.5 percent. Methamphetamine deaths have increased by 34.8 percent.
A recent study in the journal Molecular Psychiatry reports that people with an opioid use disorder are 2.4 times more likely to have COVID-19 than those without, followed by cocaine use disorder (1.6 times), alcohol use disorder (1.4 times) and tobacco use disorder (1.3 times).
Hospitalization and death rates from COVID-19 are higher for patients with substance use disorders, especially among African Americans: 13% in contrast to 8.6% of Caucasians with both diagnoses.
People who are struggling to stay clean and sober during the pandemic face major obstacles. Researcher and recovery advocate William White explains why in his extraordinary blog www.williamwhitepapers.com:
“People in addiction recovery possess multiple vulnerabilities as they face the personal challenges of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Compared to the general population, they are older and have higher rates of co-occurring health conditions. Those in early recovery may have limited capacities for coping with the emotional, relational, and financial distress imposed by the pandemic. And many people in recovery face the loss of the social support that has been central to their recovery—access to regular face-to-face recovery support meetings, meetings with recovery mentors, and socializing with others in recovery.”
Fellowship—being in touch with others, telling your story and listening to other people’s stories, offering help, giving help—is the spiritual mortar that holds together the bricks of life in recovery.
With all the triggers (think scenes from SuperBowl 2021 celebrations) and the fear, isolation, anxiety and stress tsuanmied by the pandemic, where can folks find a life raft of fellowship and support?
Here’s a starting place: In the Rooms (www.intherooms.com) is a free, online social network that offers 130 weekly meetings including 12-step, non 12-step, family support groups, and “niche” groups (Coronavirus, She Recovers, Medically Assisted Recovery, for example).
If you can’t find what you need in those virtual rooms, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration offers a confidential, free, 24/7 helpline in both English and Spanish. 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
And remember—we are all in this together whether or not we struggle with alcohol and other drugs. We all need to reach out, to get help and to give help. Which reminds me of a favorite story.
A monk was asked what he and his fellow monks did with their days.
“We walk, we fall down, someone helps us up,” the monk replied. “We walk some more, someone else falls down. We help them up.
“That’s pretty much what we do.”
