The last time I discussed Recovery in the pandemic was in Blog 24, near the beginning of the outbreak. A lot has happened. These are some of my observations on this topic since then, with an emphasis on health care workers in Recovery.
These have been extremely difficult times. Not being able to leave home and see friends and family has been very difficult for everyone, but especially for the vulnerable populations; increased rates of depression, anxiety, drug overdoses and deaths, and an increased sense of hopelessness have been noted by the health professions treating the mentally ill and the addicted. The pandemic in a very real sense has exposed the already fragile state of our health care system, especially mental health and addiction treatment.
Health care workers have also been under an incalculable amount of stress. Depression, panic attacks, posttraumatic stress disorder are all being reported with increasing frequency in this group. Health care professionals fear bringing Covid home with them. They must deal with “non-maskers” and “non-vaccinators”. When they cannot work because of illness (recovering from substance dependency, for example), they feel guilty for not being at work and for not helping out. We should all feel grateful to the doctors, nurses, epidemiologists, health care workers, and the scientists who brought us the vaccines so quickly and who saved so many lives. Many of these front-line workers will suffer from PTSD for years to come and should be given access to and be provided with the best health care possible.
So much for the bad news. The good news is that solid Recovery from addiction has allowed many health care professionals to deal with the pandemic better than they would have without the principles of Recovery. Nurses and physicians, using the principles of Recovery, have reported that they can now handle patient anger and frustration more effectively than ever before. These health professionals are supportive to their patients, but they can establish boundaries. They know how to manage stress better. They can take better care of themselves. They practise the well-known principle exemplified by the sudden depressurization of an airplane cabin, when the oxygen mask is first used by the caregiver: look after yourself first if you’re going to be of use to anyone else. This is called healthy “selfishness”, although it is not really selfishness at all.
The pandemic has forced those of us who are not computer-savvy (myself included) to improve our computer skills. Emails, texting, 12-Step Zoom meetings, chatlines, etc… became necessary in order to counteract the isolation that occurred as Covid set in. Enduring friendships and Recovery networks were established, often without a single live meeting having taken place! Internet technology has also helped expand the Recovery community beyond exclusively 12-Step fellowships and meetings. The internet brought together people in Recovery who never thought they would even want to know each other! This has been my personal experience as well.
The pandemic pitted petty “individualism”, ignorance and selfishness against the sense of community – the notion that we should look after one another in order to survive as a species. I believe the latter philosophy is gradually prevailing, but time will tell. Whether good science will prevail over ignorance is also an unresolved matter.
The pandemic has also forced those of us in Recovery to adopt a more structured daily routine (which was recommended pre-pandemically anyway for recovering alcoholics/addicts). Many of us in Recovery, and especially those of us who are retired or unemployed, need this structure to combat addiction, isolation and loneliness. During the pandemic, many successful addicts and alcoholics in Recovery have discovered new hobbies: cycling, painting, music, botany – to name only a few pastimes and interests.
While the pandemic has sorely tested our health care resources (and we’re not out of it yet) and while we have witnessed an increased rate of suicides, overdoses and mental health morbidities, new opportunities to connect with one another have emerged as well. The Recovery community has found that the principles practiced (before the pandemic set in) are now more applicable and valid than ever before.
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