Just recently I came across an article and it had great concern to me because it was connecting the changes and the social dynamics because of the Coronavirus and the heightened occurrences of alcoholic and drug addicted relapses. Obviously, as a person of recovery and a life coach this concerns me greatly. It’s not so much as for me, though I have had to pay extra attention. It is more so for the individuals I have an opportunity to work with who aren’t as stable with their personal recovery. This is an excellent article and it is written by Dayry Hulkow, M.S., a primary therapist at areterecovery.com and delphihealthgroup.com group facility.
The article discusses what is a main concern of many in the recovery community. It is regarding isolation aspects of the virus and how it can cause a degree of anxiety, nervousness and distraction in the life of the addicted person. This reaction could very possibly cause a person to relapse. One of the elements that they discuss regarding this virus and the social distancing it has founded is that “social support and active involvement in the program of recovery both play a huge role”. They are connecting isolation and emotional distress as a significant trigger to relapse. They go on to talk about feelings of depression, anxiety, fear, uncertainty, loneliness and the boredom. It is easy to see why the isolation brought on upon the Coronavirus can easily cause these ingredients to independently or jointly cause a person to relapse. One of the things that Hulkow said is that there are still ways to lessen the risk even in the days of social distancing and quarantine.
- Staying virtually engaged
- Reading recovery oriented literature
- Practicing prayer and meditation
- Engaging and healthy hobbies one possible
- The journaling thoughts and feelings
- Completing the arts and crafts projects
- Been created and staying present.
I like these suggestions very much because they tend to keep us grounded in the areas of what we can control instead of focusing on areas that are out of our control. Obviously, this is a challenging time for soul. Our lives have been disrupted in ways that may never return to status quo. While that is a possibility one of the things that we can control is our response or reaction to it. One of the characteristics of addiction is allowing everything outside of us control the inside of us. In recovery, we learn how to take back the things that belong to us and release the things that held us hostage. This social distancing and isolation can hold us hostage if we allow it to. If we go back and do some of the things suggested in this blog, then we stand a good chance of not only preventing relapse, but coming out of it with a greater understanding and resolve. We can get through this. In my 34 years of personal recovery there have been some challenging times that I have had to rely on my higher power and others to get me through. One of the things that I do know is that with every adversity it creates an opportunity. I hope you view this challenging time as an opportunity to overcome the adversity.
Robert Pardon
Robert is the Recovery Guy. Getting clean and sober on April 25, 1986 has given me the insight and practical skill set to not only stay sober, but to also re-invent myself to the person I always wanted to become. Showing others how to do this is my life goal.
All posts by Robert Pardon