12 Dec Isolation Leading to Relapse During Covid-19 in Calgary, Alberta
Many of us are isolating or have to quarantine due to the pandemic. The problem is for many Albertans who have a substance abuse problem when you feel alone or anxious and have little accountability, you are more tempted to drink or take drugs. For this reason, relapse is common with people All Postswho are stuck at home alone in Calgary during the pandemic. If you are in recovery, you may be feeling especially vulnerable to relapse during quarantine. Not being able to see counsellors in person, be social or go to meetings can be especially hard for those who have come to count on these tools in their recovery.
You can still use many of the things you learned in your substance abuse treatment program to avoid falling back into addiction. There are also remote services available to help you stay connected to your therapist and meetings available on Zoom if you are in quarantine.
What to Do If You Relapse in Calgary
If you do relapse, it does not mean that you give up on your recovery or wait for the pandemic to end before you go to a private drug and alcohol detox centre. These facilities are still open and taking clients. Andy Bhatti Interventions and Addiction Services in Calgary is here for you and can get you back on track. We can connect you with programs and services in Calgary that you can attend safely.
Get Connected
If you relapse, the first thing you should do is contact us and get connected with an addictions specialist or if you already have one contact your therapist. Getting connected right away is a good way to get back up and keep trying after a relapse. At Andy Bhatti Interventions and Addiction Services we can help you review what you have learned previously in treatment and give you tips on restarting your addiction recovery in Calgary. If you need to detox or just start fresh at recovery; we can help facilitate your entry into an accredited private detox and rehab centre in Calgary or elsewhere.
Identify What Led to Your Relapse
When you relapse, try to retrace the circumstances that led to you drinking or retaking drugs. There are a variety of factors that lead to relapse:
- Emotional triggers
- Conflict at home
- Stress over work or finances
- Too much isolation
- Not having enough alone time
- Poor diet or lack of exercise
- Alcohol or drugs in the home
- Lack of routine and structure
- Feeling trapped
Instability, loneliness, or a break in your daily routine can cause you to feel off-balance emotionally. Try to figure out what triggers led to your addiction and talk about it during your next therapy session.
Assess Your Mental Health
There is a correlation between mental health issues and addiction. These co-occurring disorders can trigger each other in a challenging situation, such as quarantine. Assessing your mental health condition daily can help you become more aware of your emotions and triggers. If you are experiencing loneliness or anxiety, try to evaluate what is causing it and what you can do about it.
If a symptom of a mental disorder is what triggered your relapse during quarantine, then you may need to seek further treatment or determine if your current medication is working. Also, talk to your doctor about your condition and try to get a professional assessment. Anxiety and depression are common during quarantine. However, you can prevent them from triggering a relapse. We specialise in dual-diagnosis and co-occurring disorders so if you need assistance finding the right program in Calgary that takes this into account along with substance abuse don’t hesitate to get in touch and let us devise an individualized treatment plan for you.
Get Back to Your Routine
You may be tempted to sit around or give up after your relapse after attending treatment. While it is important to reflect and address the problem, there is no point in dwelling on it. The best way to get your mind off your addiction and avoid a further relapse during quarantine is to get back on your daily schedule. If you do not have a routine, now is a good time to establish one.
Think about all the activities you need to get done during your day: work, meals, exercise, therapy, time with family, chores, and personal time. Prioritize your activities and create a schedule that works for you. Try to create space for personal relaxing and add eight hours a sleep per night to your schedule.
Learn More about Relapse Prevention in Calgary
At Andy Bhatti Interventions and Addiction Services, we know relapse is not the end of recovery. Many people relapse and it’s not uncommon. You have not failed. You can still get up and keep going. To find out more about preventing relapse during quarantine, contact Andy Bhatti Interventions and Addiction Services at 1-888-960-3209. We work with clients who relapse in Calgary and all over Alberta. We offer a variety of addiction treatment option recommendations that can help you get back on the road to recovery.
Covid-19 Should Not Stop You from Seeking Detox and Rehab Help in Alberta
You might feel that now is the time to stay home and worry about your addiction later, but today is always the best day to start recovery. In fact, isolation and loneliness may worsen and escalate your substance abuse. If you’re already stuck at home, why not take this pandemic as an opportunity to improve yourself and get better? After all, before the pandemic started, you may not have been able to take time off from your job, classes, or social life to get treatment, but now you can.
Despite fears of coronavirus, it is important to continue your addiction treatment even through this difficult time. Many people in Alberta might think that they should postpone or cancel rehab for alcohol or drug addiction until the crisis subsides. But unless you are actively experiencing the symptoms of COVID-19, it is highly recommended that you continue receiving treatment.
The risks of alcohol poisoning or drug overdose far outweigh the risk of contracting the coronavirus. According to the CDC, opioid overdoses alone continue to claim hundreds of lives every month in Canada. Alcohol remains one of the most prodigious killers in the country.
For those who are dealing with addiction, you still need help. Contact a dedicated treatment specialist in Calgary today to learn more about your private detox and rehab options.
Drug Abuse Increases Risk for Covid-19
Individuals who are most vulnerable to COVID-19 are those with low immune systems, particularly people with nicotine addiction. This is because the coronavirus affects the respiratory system. Studies in China have found that the virus affects men significantly more than women, which is because men are more likely to smoke cigarettes than women. COVID-19 impairs breathing, which means smoking may increase the risk of coronavirus complications.
Similarly, smoking marijuana can increase the risk of contracting coronavirus. Inhaling hot smoke of any kind can be damaging to your lungs, which increases the risk of COVID-19 complications.
The use of other illicit drugs such as cocaine, meth, heroin, and hallucinogens can put a person at risk for coronavirus because these substances alter the body’s immune functions. Calgary drug users can also have unhealthy habits such as sharing contaminated needles or having unprotected sex which are social practices that can increase their exposure to infectious pathogens other than COVID-19.
Prioritizing Your Health in Calgary
COVID-19 is spread from person to person through respiratory droplets and bodily fluids. To avoid the virus in Calgary, you need to follow standard sanitary procedures. Washing your hands regularly, using alcohol-based hand sanitizer, covering your mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, and avoiding close contact with anyone who shows symptoms of respiratory illness all of these can go a long way in preventing the spread of coronavirus.
Make sure to clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces. Thoroughly cook meat and eggs before serving them. Lastly, try to avoid incessantly touching your eyes, nose, and mouth, as this could allow the virus to enter your system.
These are all effective ways to avoid the coronavirus. With proper social distancing and sanitary procedures, it should be safe to go to rehab during the coronavirus outbreak. Your addiction is a much deadlier problem than the coronavirus, which has a relatively low mortality rate in Alberta, unlike drug overdose.
Do keep in mind that if you have the symptoms of COVID-19, you need to go to the hospital and have it tested, for your safety and the safety of other people. Call your healthcare professional in Calgary first to get tested. If you don’t have the symptoms, you may resume your addiction treatment. At the end of the day, it’s all about prioritizing your health and recovery.
Approximately 6 million Canadians will meet the criteria for addiction services over the course of their lives, while one-in-five Canadians will experience symptoms of depression. The impact on the mental health of Canadians is more than ever. We see this with the panic-buying, self-isolation, and financial instability that comes along with a pandemic of this proportion.
While many of us are doing our part by physical distancing, unfortunately, many people are second-guessing their decisions to get residential (inpatient) addiction treatment.
Alberta Detox and Treatment Centres Are Open
Addiction services are considered among ‘essential health services’ during the COVID-19 pandemic. For that reason, our residential treatment centres remain open and are accepting new clients into the centre after they have been carefully screened for the Coronavirus. We have ensured any treatment centres in Calgary we work with have multiplied their cleaning and sanitation efforts, as well as put a COVID-19 management plan into play. Our drug and alcohol support staff and interventionists remain vigilant and strictly follow all health and safety protocols for physical distancing.
Addiction services are just not available at hospitals during this pandemic. We have fully functional medical detox units available in private settings in Calgary. Our clients attending inpatient treatment and rehab have access to complete medical care without having to be in an emergency room full of people who are potentially infected with COVID-19.
Private Detox and Rehab in Alberta Is Your Best Chance
Addiction stops for nothing, not even Coronavirus. Rehabs are still open. Get the help you need today. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has forced most of the country into lockdown, rehab centres in Alberta are still open. The virus may be on everyone’s mind, but drug and alcohol abuse continue to cause overdoses and destroy families. If you or your loved one struggles with addiction, it is possible to begin recovery today.
Treatment is an addicted individualʼs best option if they want to recover. Beating an addiction not only requires eliminating the physical dependence, but also addressing the behavioral factors that prevent them from wanting to get better. Simply quitting may not change the psychological aspect of addiction. Some people quit for a while, and then take drugs again, only to overdose because they did not detox properly. Recovery involves changing the way the patient feels, thinks, and behaves.
After your intake into our drug and alcohol detox centres we will stabilize your condition through medically supervised detox and withdrawal which may include medication to make the detox process more comfortable. After that, private inpatient treatment will begin. That treatment will be designed by our addiction specialists based on your individual needs. It will involve a combination of evidence-based clinical practices and holistic approaches that aim at healing the whole person. Among the treatment modalities we offer in our drug addiction treatment program are:
- Expressive therapy
- Group therapy
- Trauma-focused treatment
- Motivational interviewing
- Family therapy
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy
- Co-occurring diagnosis (if you are suffering from mental issues that fuel your addiction)
During the rehab admissions process, your interventionist or addictions specialist will also be present. They are there to help guide you with any legal or employment issues related to your addiction issues and going to treatment in Calgary.
Our Calgary drug and alcohol treatment centres follow the best practices for Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) and have a 24/7 medical and support staff onsite. Private detox and treatment centres can be one the safest places for you during the COVID-19 pandemic;
We hear from our addiction services staff that many of our clients have shared that they feel safer from COVID-19 at our facilities than they would feel elsewhere. Private residential addiction treatment is a place for self-care and learning lifelong recovery skills while leaning on a supportive community during the pandemic or at any time.
Reach out to Andy Bhatti Interventions and Addiction Services Today
When you are ready to take your life back from drugs, help is just a phone call away. The detox center team in our drug addiction treatment program in GA has seen cases like yours before and are prepared to give you the help you need. Contact us online today or call us at 1-888-960-3209. You can live your best life by giving yourself the drug-free future that you deserve.