How Alcoholics In Recovery Can Handle The Quarantine Period

Approximately 1,700 New Yorkers experience alcohol-related injuries or illnesses every year, according to NYC Health. Alcohol often has a role to play when it comes to chronic diseases, injuries, as well as violence. Facilities such as Foundations Recovery was recently opened to get the help they need. The goal was to create a non-clinical atmosphere for people who need guidance in curbing their addiction. 

Unfortunately, countries under lockdown due to Covid-19, public meetings are no longer allowed for fear of spreading the dreaded virus. For those who are recovering alcoholics, this proves to be a trying time for them. 

Are In-Patient Treatment Facilities Still Running? 

For those who are struggling with their sobriety and need to be with their therapy group, being isolated can be painful. Having access to treatment facilities help them cope with their attempt in distancing themselves from their addiction. The social distancing guidelines rolled out made it difficult for those in recovery to get the help they need. Fortunately, there are steps to address this situation with residential drug rehab centers being given new guidelines on how to handle newcomers in need of assistance with their addiction. 

How Online Apps Help Those In Recovery 

Individuals in recovery need to have constant therapy sessions to help them correct their reliance on alcohol and other substances. With people being asked to stay at home, the government, healthcare workers, and volunteers are looking for ways to make the lockdown more bearable for these groups. Alcoholics Anonymous recommends using the internet can help volunteers and treatment facilities still stay connected with their group via video chats. There are also applications that offer meditations, counselling, and others that seem to ease the feeling of loneliness. 

Health Workers Attempt to Balance Safety in their Community 

Health workers who are not included in the shelter in place orders of the state still roam around assisting those who are homeless during this crisis. According to Kristen Marshall, manager of DOPE Project in San Francisco, closing the support programs and facilities that aim to help those in recovery can cause an increase in relapse as well as alcohol- and drug-related deaths. Marshall further stated that for some, the rehabilitation programs are the only social means for others to stay in touch with other people. 

A Silver Lining 

Despite the lockdown, doctors are seeing the value of using online platforms to help facilitate their patients’ recovery. Patients who are having a hard time reaching treatment facilities can go online instead for consultation and guidance on how to cope with their situation to avoid relapse. As a bonus, doctors who treat patients can get more valuable information through video chats as they can view their patient’s surroundings. This helps them provide better consultations and recommendations now and in the future, too.

In these troubled times, people are still seeing silver linings wherever they look as they strive to help those who are recovering from an addiction.