Healthy Living Muskogee Summer 2020 Edition | Page 22

Drug usage
increases amid
coronavirus
pandemic
Story by Austin Headlee
Green Country Behavioral
Health Services noticed a
few months into the pandemic
an increase in assistance requests
for their mental health, including drug
and alcohol related help. Experts in
behavioral health and drug addiction
predicted that the coronavirus pandemic
would cause a spike in drug and alcohol
related relapses across the United States.
Among their new clients, GCBHS
has observed an increase in opioid and
meth usage. They also saw an increase in
Xanax usage, according to urine analysis
results.
The uncertainty and self-isolation
surrounding the virus can provoke mental
health issues that are already present
in people, causing their symptoms to
become more severe. Many people are
turning to self medication during the
pandemic as a coping mechanism.
“I think people who may have had
some life concerns before COVID, some
of those things can get exacerbated,"
said Joy Sloan, GCBHS chief executive
officer. "Everyone’s anxiety is a little bit
higher as we’re living through something
that we have absolutely never seen before
and we don’t really know how it’s going
to end. Uncertainty and the unknown
causes fear and anxiety anyway, so add
that on top of, if I have some kind of
problem, it just exacerbates that problem
more.”
Clients in the early stages of recovery
are at a higher risk of having a relapse.
Most recovery programs are based
around a social support network with
an emphasis in face-to-face interactions
and finding health coping mechanisms.
So, people in the early stage of recovery
who do not have access to their support
network or lack coping mechanisms are
more likely to experience a relapse.
Individuals who are about to relapse
or try hard drugs for the first time to
combat stress sometimes display warning
signs beforehand. Typically, the warning
signs include isolation from friends and
family, a lack of communication and
worsening depression, anxiety or anger.
Dan Curtis, GCBHS addictions supervisor,
wants the public to know that
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Summer Edition 2020