COVID-19, Coping, and Support
May is mental health awareness month, and it is more important than ever before. As we face the unprecedented effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, many people are struggling with anxiety, depression, substance use disorder, and other mental health concerns.
This year, the theme for mental health awareness month is “You Are Not Alone.” At Decision Point Center, we cannot emphasize this enough. With stay-at-home orders and social distancing protocol, it is easy to feel the negative effects of stress and isolation. In fact, 45% of adults in the United States report that their mental health has been negatively impacted by the virus, and a preliminary study saw that U.S. citizens were 8 times more likely to screen positive for serious mental illness than they were in 2018.
People with pre-existing mental health conditions are particularly vulnerable. Depressive episodes have increased, drug and alcohol relapses have gone up, and anxiety and trauma are creating serious problems for many Americans.
Coping Mechanisms and Co-Occurring Disorders
Although organizations like the National Alliance for Mental Health (NAMI), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and even The White House are providing support and resources to those with mental health concerns, unhealthy coping mechanisms have been widespread.
Many people are self-medicating with drugs and/or alcohol, which may feel good at the time, but will actually make most problems worse. Dual diagnoses or co-occurring disorders are all too common. Almost half the people who suffer from a mental disorder will also have a substance use disorder at some point in their lives, and COVID-19 creates the perfect storm.
Our Advice
At Decision Point Center, we encourage you to take advantage of the many resources and stories available during mental health awareness month. We also want to remind you that quitting drugs and/or alcohol and overcoming a dual diagnosis may require medical supervision. If you need a safe place to focus on your addiction and mental health, our facility remains open for our residential program and telehealth IOP.
Our unique, “you-based” programs can give you the support you need to get and stay sober while equipping you with tools to avoid relapse.
If you are interested in getting help at Discovery Point Center, click here to learn more about admissions – or just contact us at (844) 292-5010 or online.
If you are in crisis or facing an emergency, please dial 911 or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255).
For more COVID-19 articles and resources, you can always visit our blog.