At Pacific Shores Recovery, we continue to provide help to those struggling with addiction and co-occurring mental illness in the wake of a global pandemic. The nation cannot forget that we are still dealing with a national addiction epidemic that steals hundreds of thousands of lives each year.
Again, we want to remind every member of the recovery community to continue working their program from home. Attending video conference 12 Step meetings and calling your sponsor and support network regularly. Protecting your hard work and progress must be a top priority while sheltering in place. A relapse will only complicate an already challenging time in your life.
Please also take the time to get some fresh air every day. Sadly, California Governor Gavin Newsom declared there would be a “hard close” of state and local beaches in Orange County, which is home to Pacific Shores recovery. Fortunately, many state parks and hiking trails are still open for your enjoyment.
The great outdoors is essential to maintaining serenity and is an excellent place to pray and meditate. It’s vital to keep a spiritual connection with your higher power during these trying times. Spirituality is the glue that holds one’s program together.
Concerns About Alcohol and Overdose During the Pandemic
Stay at home orders and other restrictions have led to an exponential uptick in alcohol sales.
Aside from the risk of developing an alcohol use disorder, the World Health Organization (WHO) warns that alcohol may put people at a higher risk of contracting the coronavirus. WHO said in a statement:
“In particular, alcohol compromises the body’s immune system and increases the risk of adverse health outcomes. Therefore, people should minimize their alcohol consumption at any time, and particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Tighter border crossing rules have led to a massive reduction in the amount of heroin and meth entering the country. We could see an increase in overdoses due to dealers stretching their products with fentanyl, after seeing a welcome four percent decrease recently.
“What we’re really seeing right now are supply-chain disruptions of nearly all illicit drugs,” said Uttam Dhillon, the acting administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration. “You’ve got traffickers who just can’t move as freely as they could before without being quite obvious that they’re moving.”
What’s more, the stress of social distancing and sheltering and place may lead many people who are in recovery down a dangerous path. It will not come as a surprise if treatment centers across the country start receiving more phone calls from people who need to return to rehab.
Last month, we wrote at length about protecting your recovery from a relapse. We shared about the impact that isolation can have on people in recovery and those living with mental illness. Please take a moment to read that article if you haven’t already; you may find some valuable advice that will help you stay clean and sober.
Southern California Recovery Center
We invite anyone who is battling an alcohol or substance use disorder to reach out to Pacific Shores to learn more about our treatment programs and transitional living services. For more than twenty years, we have been helping men and women from all walks of life embark on journeys of lasting recovery.
