The pandemic that we all know forces us to stay at home to safeguard our health and that of other people in our society; acts of social responsibility in favor of the health of all.
This situation is difficult and strange for everyone, and especially for certain groups of the population. One of them is that of people with addiction problems
When faced with a crisis situation, we all develop different coping strategies: most of these coping strategies are not good or bad in and of themselves, but we can distinguish between useful or less useful, adaptive or maladaptive.
For a situation as extreme and new as a global pandemic, no person is prepared Nobody, absolutely nobody has had the opportunity to learn to face a situation like this, it is the first time for everyone.
Some people, when faced with stressful situations, learn to feel better by exercising, listening to music or spending time with their loved ones, to give a few examples.
But when we must stay home to protect ourselves and the rest of society, we can’t feel good in the ways we’re used to
In a situation of prolonged confinement, many people may develop substance use problems or other types of addictions, while people who already had histories of problematic use may worsen and have more relapses than usual.
This is a stressful situation in itself, for many, many obvious reasons. Some people can develop problems of many types:
1. Alcohol abuse
For many people, this is the easiest way to access, since they only have to go down to the supermarket. Many people already had risky consumption, but this was limited to weekends or the “party” environment.
When you cross that limit and start drinking at home, the chances of losing control multiply especially if there are coexistence problems at home, or confinement is spent alone.
A clear example of this is the reaction that has been observed in the population upon learning that they will be confined at home for a long period of time: massive purchases of alcohol in supermarkets, empty shelves; the impulse to go out and applaud the balconies with drinks, to simulate a weekend outing.
2. Smoke more joints (cannabis and derivatives)
In the privacy and intimacy of home, many people are taking the opportunity to consume more cannabis than before, seeking relaxation.
Unfortunately, There is a lot of ignorance about the long-term effects of continued cannabis use There is very little awareness of risk, and it is possible that people who previously only used very sporadic consumption increase their frequency to problematic levels.
We may see spikes in problems with this substance when the lockdown ends.
3. Online betting
Unfortunately, in addition to a health crisis we are facing an economic crisis.
Many humble people who are threatened financially may see an opportunity in the world of online gambling, and the chances of developing gambling problems are multiplied.
Of course, the big betting houses take advantage of this need and make the most of all the advertising channels available to them, by whatever means.
4. Video games
People who already used to take refuge in video games in times of stress now have the risk of it getting out of hand, unless they manage to limit their daily gaming time and combine it with other activities.
People who already had addiction problems before confinement
These people can do two things: there are people with addictions who will use this situation as an excuse to use, and others as an opportunity to take care of themselves and recover.
Many people have had to interrupt their psychological treatments for addictions Not in all cases it has been possible to continue treatment through online therapy, for various reasons (sometimes due to technophobia, sometimes due to lack of electronic means, sometimes due to economic difficulties).
Many of these people are at great risk of relapsing into use because they do not have time to work on more maintenance and relapse prevention strategies, or because the exceptional situation of confinement has to be worked on separately in therapy. So, there are many people at risk and without the most appropriate tools to survive this situation.
Let us not forget those who supply drugs either: the “dealers” are also self-employed, with the difference that they do not pay taxes for their activity or do not receive financial aid for ceasing their activity.
Those people who profit from drug trafficking don’t stop working. They continue trying to communicate with their regular customers to sell them their product even at the risk of skipping the quarantine.
There are people who risk their health and that of others to continue using, others who use the context of confinement to isolate themselves from the drug and give themselves the time to overcome any withdrawal syndrome and “get clean.”
Online therapy for addictions
If you or a family member are suffering from an addiction problem (both chemical and technological), do not hesitate, contact a specialist.
Addictions are very complex problems that cannot usually be solved solely through willpower or good intentions Contact a specialist. You can visit my website www.luismiguelreal.es or access my contact information here.
