At the moment, many parts of the world are experiencing two health crises at once: the deadly epidemic of opiate and opioid abuse, and the Covid-19 pandemic. While the coronavirus is dominating the headlines and fueling anxieties around the globe, the death toll caused by addiction, and the suffering of those whose lives it tears apart, should not be ignored. In fact, the virus is compounding the dangers to addicts, destroying their mental and physical health, and shattering the fragile equilibrium that many people prone to substance misuse have established in their lives. Let’s take a look at the combined effect of these two threats to the health of millions around the globe.
A Tale Of Two Epidemics
The Harvard Health Blog recently published an impassioned essay by Dr. Peter Grinspoon, a primary care physician in Massachusetts and recovered opiate addict, attempting to bring to light the horrendous health effects that Covid-19 has had on the addicted. As Dr. Grinspoon notes: “for someone struggling with addiction, virtually all of the services and treatments available to them have been disrupted” by the pandemic. Dr. Grinspoon goes on to mention that even though the government has taken steps to maintain supplies of life-saving clean needles, naloxone, and opiate replacement drugs, the reality is that an overtaxed health-care system and terrified and over-burdened medical workers are making it difficult or even impossible for addicts to access the services they need.
In fact, there are reports of police forces refusing to administer Narcan to those suffering from overdoses, over concerns of infection through droplets. Lawrence, Indiana Police Chief Dan Hofmann ordered that his officers suspend the administration of the substance because of concern for their safety. Hofmann told the media “When an officer administers Narcan to someone, that requires, just by the very nature of the experience, a very up-close and personal physical contact between the officer and the person experiencing an overdose. And what often happens when someone wakes up after a Narcan administration is they are coughing or sneezing or expelling microscopic particulate matter into the air. And that is right where an officer[‘s] face might be.” It is an uncomfortable truth that the lives of addicts are deemed more expendable than many others in modern society.
Grinspoon also notes the harm caused by isolation, invoking the old quote “addiction is a disease of isolation.” The support systems that enable those in recovery to function are threatened by society’s need to physically distance individuals, and a necessary precaution has become, in some cases, the source of pain, anxiety, and even relapse. Maintaining contact with friends and loved ones via digital channels is more important than ever, as is the role of online meetings. Whether you choose a 12 Step model, SMART Recovery or a treatment provider’s after-care program (like Tabula Rasa’s online Ibogaine Recovery Movement), connecting with your peers in the recovery community is vitally important at this moment. Isolation leads to heightened levels of anxiety, and multiple studies have shown that increased anxiety leads to increased risk of substance abuse.
Greater Risks And The Need For Outreach
Working from home and drastically reducing social contact can lead many substance users to spiral out of control. All of a sudden, many of the natural checks on substance abuse have disappeared. Without the need to show up to the office, drive, or interact with colleagues and friends, it’s easy to let your addiction take over your life. Heightened fear and anxiety also prey on the minds of those at risk for addiction, providing a need for temporary relief, no matter the cost. With global unemployment soaring, many substance users are also dealing with financial instability, and the loss of structure in their lives, creating a dangerous set of circumstances where lives teetering on the precipice can topple into the abyss.
And for those in recovery, the threat of relapse is compounded by the stresses and anxieties caused by the pandemic. Many people currently in treatment express doubt as to whether they could successfully manage the emotional minefield of life during the Covid-19 outbreak. “If I were to go home now, into the craziness, I couldn’t guarantee that I would still be clean and sober…I’m right where I need to be at the right time”, said one woman in residential treatment. “With everything going on, it is so important to be in treatment with supportive people.” said another. Some recovery professionals even speculate that economic stimulus payments or increased rates of unemployment compensation could trigger relapses, by giving those in early recovery the financial means to buy a large supply of whichever substance tempts them. For those who’d fallen into the “prescription trap”, and became addicted to opioids in response to chronic pain, the lack of effective treatment options stemming from the strained health-care system and an inability to access holistic treatments could push many to the brink of relapse.
A Terrifying New World
Those suffering from addiction lead difficult and painful lives, and the virus has managed to make them even bleaker. We already know that the circumstances of a person’s life can dramatically affect their health outcomes and that addicts are particularly at risk for a host of reasons, ranging from poor nutrition to homelessness and auto-immune diseases. The Covid-19 outbreak has laid bare just how fragile the lives of the addicted are, while also exposing the inherent frailty of our health-care systems. The simple fact is that addiction makes you more susceptible to the virus, and, if you’re an addict, the health-care system in your country is likely to prioritize many others ahead of you. At Tabula Rasa Retreat we will continue to fight for the fundamental rights of drug addicts, but if the two health crises ravaging the world have told us one thing, it’s that the best thing you can do for your health is to seek treatment immediately. If you’re interested in reclaiming your life with ibogaine therapy, get in touch with us today!
For further information visit www.tabularasaretreat.com or call PT +351 965 751 649 UK +44 7961 355 530