Addicted in America: A look at addiction during the coronavirus pandemic
While the pandemic has proven difficult, in one way or another, for everyone, it has posed special challenges to those who struggle with a substance use disorder.
As anxiety, uncertainty, isolation, unemployment and scant resources have risen, so have the rates of substance abuse and overdose.
In a special video report by ABC7 Washington DC, hear addiction specialists as they detail the extent of the problem as well as the real-life stories of those who are suffering in their own words.
As one young woman recounted her story, “My dad lost his job. We lost our place. We lost everything. I sent my son away. It put me back on the streets again…trying to survive every day.” In the course of this downward spiral, she ended up relapsing and incarcerated.
Such stories are as heartbreaking as they are common, but there is hope yet.
As Recovery Centers of America Chief Science Officer Dr. Deni Carise explains, “A number of programs in the country closed with Covid, and a larger number stopped taking new admissions. Recovery Centers of America didn’t have to do that.”
The reason is twofold. RCA pivoted immediately to virtual care for outpatient treatment, removing the physical and geographic barriers to treatment during the pandemic. At the same time, all inpatient treatment facilities implemented additional health and safety measures in accordance with CDC guidelines, including regular Covid testing for both patients and staff.
Watch the full video at ABC7 to learn more about the challenge to recovery during the pandemic and the solution offered by RCA. And for more information on local drug and alcohol addiction treatment click here or call Recovery Centers of America now 1-800-RECOVERY, where affordable and accessible care is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
