Home Alone - Staying Sane (and Sober) During Lockdown

HOME ALONE

Saving Your Sobriety in a Time of Social Distancing

By Alexandra Guadagno

While your favorite Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous meetings may be closed because of social distancing, there is a world of resources available during the COVID-19 pandemic to help you stay sober. We’ve been social distancing for nearly two months now, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. For many individuals in recovery from opiates and other drugs, fear, anxiety, loneliness and mandatory stay-at-home orders can feel like a recipe for a relapse. Without the ability to attend in-person Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous meetings for support in their recovery, people are relapsing at alarming rates. Even some sober living homes, where tenants are required to go to regular meetings, have not been holding meetings or making their residents attend during shelter-in-place orders. Without being provided an alternative to regular meetings, entire sober living houses have reportedly relapsed. Regularly attending meetings provides connection and accountability to others. How does someone — whether struggling or strong in their recovery — stay on track during all the loneliness and social upheaval of COVID-19 and quarantine?“A common truism in recovery culture is that ‘addiction is a disease of isolation,’ so it stands to reason that social distancing — in every possible way — is counter to most efforts to engage in a recovery community,” according to Peter Grinspoon, MD in a Harvard Health Blog.

Image credit: Pixabay

Image credit: Pixabay

home alone surviving sobriety in lockdown

Image credit: Pixabay

Dr. Grinspoon is a primary care doctor who has recovered from — and who treats — opiate addiction. “It is important to remember that experts distinguish between physical distancing and social distancing, and actually emphasize that we keep physical distance, but make extra efforts to maintain social bonds during this time of enormous stress and dislocation.” Idle hands can be the devil’s playground when it comes to getting and staying sober during shelter-in-place orders. When our usual structures and support systems aren’t accessible, we may feel like there are no repercussions to our actions because “no one is watching,” and it’s very easy to slip up. Couple that with the fact that this is taking place during a time of worldwide panic and fear, and many people are feeling massively depressed with no one to reach out to — or so they may think.The fact is there are plenty of resources available to support your recovery right now, and many people are staying the course while staying at home. AA and NA are still available for those who need it, though it may take a little more effort and personal accountability for some to keep up with these meetings.“AA and NA have become a Zoom culture,” says Henry*, who has been sober and working the program for 2 years. Henry regularly attends virtual meetings since selfquarantine began in order to preserve his sobriety during quarantine. He says he enjoys the online meetings because it allows him to go anywhere in the world.

home alone surviving sobriety in lockdown

Image credit: Pixabay

On the downside, a lot of people are using this as an excuse to not go to meetings and haven’t given it a chance. ”Initially there were a lot of problems with the Zoom meetings that likely turned off a lot of people after their first or second attempt at trying the online meetings. When this all started, punk kids were hacking the Zoom meetings and Zoombombing swastikas, racial slurs, porn and other offensive material by screen sharing.” This caused a lot of people to feel unsafe and stop attending the Zoom meetings. Henry says many people would attend a meeting or two by Zoom and then he wouldn’t see them come back again.Plenty of individuals are relying on sober friends for support right now, in place of or in addition to Zoom meetings. “I just have two good friends that are in recovery and on Kratom,” says Chelsea*. “We Zoom together anytime one of us feels a little weak. We also send each other tea if one of us runs short or if we just want to share a new blend. Lean on those close to you. If NA or AA is your thing, Zoom a meeting,” she says.

STAYING SOBER WITHOUT 12 STEP SUPPORT GROUPS Others choose to stay sober without using a 12-step program and have found ways to connect and support each other using technology since long before shelterin-place began. “AA and NA didn’t work for me personally. I use Facebook groups as my support group,” says Plant Medicine Advocate Jacob Ringstad, who has created Facebook groups to reach those individuals that AA and NA cannot.It doesn’t matter how you are coping, as long as you ARE coping and maintaining the sobriety you worked so hard to achieve.

home alone surviving sobriety in lockdown

Image credit: Pixabay

Check out the meetings, if that speaks to you, or organize group check-ins with your AA/NA friends. Make dates to FaceTime with your sober friends and ask how they are doing. Support each other and don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it. “You gotta adapt,” concludes Henry. “There are a lot of old timers who have been going to meetings since the 80s, and they’ve had to change along with the program.” What it comes down to, according to Henry, is dedication: If you want recovery, it’s still there for you.”Please check out some of these resources available to you during the Coronavirus crisis, and remember not to beat yourself up if you feel triggered or have slipped up in your recovery. Heed the advice of those who have managed to stay sober and reach out for a helpful connection if you’re struggling. Crush cravings with “positive addictions,” or hobbies like exercising, meditating, crafting, enjoying music, cooking, gardening, etc. This is a difficult time for all of us; an unprecedented era in which we should all be taking it “one day at a time.”

*not the interviewees’ real names