People all around the world are practicing social distancing, including staff members at Pinelands Recovery.
Living through COVID-19 is an especially difficult time to navigate for those in recovery.
The stress causes anxiety, anxiety causes more stress, and the two together can trigger people to want to resume unhealthy habits.
If you are struggling with this cycle, try not to worry. You already know to focus on meditation, exercise, diet and sleep (MEDS).
These tips may help as well. Consider them as you look for ways to push through and find hope on the other side.
1. Attend Virtual Support Groups
The need for social distancing caused by COVID-19 means that most in-person support meetings are canceled until further notice.
However, many chapters of Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous are holding virtual meetings. Other groups are available as well, including ones specifically for mothers or members of the LGBTQ community.
Those who don’t feel comfortable with structured groups but still need support can also find it in subreddit pages, which work like a message board that you browse at your own leisure.
2. Catch Up With Old Friends
While there isn’t necessarily a silver lining to the stay-at-home orders, there is an opportunity.
Because more people are staying home, many of them have more time.
Do you have friends or family members who you haven’t had time to catch up with lately?
You may not be able to visit in physical proximity, but you can have a long phone call or even a video chat to catch up on what’s going on in each other’s lives and provide a bit of support.
If you or your friends aren’t fond of long phone or video chats, you might even consider sending a letter through snail mail.
Handwriting a letter could boost your mood and bring a smile to the recipient as well. Plus, buying stamps is an excellent way to support the U.S. Postal Service!
3. Limit the Time You Spend on the Internet
This one may seem difficult in a time when everyone is home and everything is connected to WiFi, but limiting time on the internet is often essential for people who are struggling through anxiety, depression, and fear of relapse right now.
Bad news elevates stress and cortisol, which in turn raises your blood pressure and causes you to feel even more anxious.
Yes, checking in with friends and even reading the latest updates about the virus are important, but avoid making them your entire day.
Read a local news website or even a national one, but avoid seeking out international news or clicking on links to any sad headline or scare tactic you see.
Spend more of your time offline and doing things like reading, working on art, exercising, or even sleeping.
4. Write in a Journal
Sometimes the urge to relapse hits when everybody is sleeping or otherwise unavailable to talk right away.
If this happens to you, try writing in a journal instead. If you aren’t a fan of the “Dear Diary” format, try making lists of reasons you like your sobriety, writing as if it’s a letter to a friend, or even just doodling things until the urge eases up and you can focus on something else.
Writing down your experiences can be quite therapeutic and may help you process when you can meet with your therapist in person again.
You might even find that journaling becomes a hobby for you. In fact, there are hundreds of websites, Facebook groups, and even fill-in-the-blank journals that you can use to inspire your creativity and help you write about other topics.
Navigating this new way of life is difficult and you may feel alone, but you are not.
If you feel that relapse is inevitable, please reach out to a recovery or rehabilitation center in your area.
Even if they cannot physically meet with you, staff professionals can talk with you on the phone to help you find solutions and provide the support you need.