'I was the king of reasons': Why the pandemic has been so hard on addicts
COVID-19 has been a tragedy for people across the world, but one group has suffered perhaps more than any other. It is sad, but it also helps us understand a bigger problem that cries out for our constant attention.
According to a study by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) published this winter in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the number of Americans who have died of alcohol-related causes increased dramatically during the pandemic.
In Arizona, according to information derived from death certificates, alcohol-related deaths increased from 2,355 in 2019 to 2,933 in 2020, a 24.5% jump. This number tracks closely to the national average, according to the NIAAA study.
Dr. Aaron White, PhD and chief of epidemiology at the institute, adds that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention attribute 24% of suicides and 32% of deaths from falls to intoxicating levels of alcohol, which substantially increases the overall number.
Addicts are great at reasoning away problems
This sad state of affairs is no surprise.
The pandemic for many people in every walk of life created stress, anxiety and isolation, a lethal combination that leads to loneliness and depression – the things that drive people to substance abuse. It is a trend we have seen clearly at Crossroads at our drug and alcohol recovery centers here in the Valley.
The recent deaths of two high-profile individuals – former Maricopa County attorney Allister Adel and country singer Naomi Judd – were at least partly related to a history of struggles with alcohol.
Instead of seeking help, addicts try to reason away their troubles.
Another view: We need a recovery system to stem rise in substance abuse
They reason with themselves, reason with others, whatever it takes to allow the inertia of addiction to continue pushing them down a destructive path rendered more deadly by COVID-19.
In my earlier days, I was the king of reasons. I had all the reasons in the world why I needed to continue using, reasons why my friends and family were overreacting to my behavior, reasons that I could stop whenever I wanted. I could reason my way out of help until the cows came home – which, as for all addicts, they eventually did.
It's a dangerous time to be alone
The pandemic has exacerbated this line of reasoning.
It provided the perfect reason to avoid treatment.
Of course, this is exactly the wrong kind of reasoning, as the national study so starkly shows. Alcohol, drug deaths and suicides are on the rise, and the stress of the pandemic has weighed on addicts even more heavily than others. This is a silent pandemic spreading beneath the surface of our culture, one that has claimed too many lives.
The reality is that today is the best time for someone to start treatment.
A treatment center offers safe haven from the factors that have made COVID-19 so much worse for addicts. Whether it’s the toll of social isolation or the lifestyle factors that would usually put an addict’s health at risk, this is one of the most dangerous times in recent memory to be an addict, alone and unsupported.
Help is available. Here's how to get it
Recovery centers like Crossroads provide safe spaces that mitigate those risk factors.
Treatment centers can serve as a turning point for people struggling with addiction. A small step today can make all the difference in the world.
As the pandemic winds down, I encourage anyone who struggles with addiction or knows somebody who struggles to call a local treatment provider and learn what we can do to help addicts regain control of their lives.
Reach us at Crossroads by calling 602-263-5242. To find other Arizona-based resources for alcohol abuse, dial 211 and select Option 9 and ask for assistance with substance abuse – or call the Maricopa County Crisis Line at 602-222-9444.
Lee Pioske is executive director of Crossroads, a drug and alcohol recovery residential facility. Reach him at lee.pioske@thecrossroadsinc.org.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Pandemic is a dangerous time for those with alcohol addiction
