You Are Not Alone - How to Manage Anxieties Over COVID-19

We’re living through an unprecedented pandemic that has already affected millions of people’s lives and livelihoods in only a few months. Major cities and even entire countries have issued lockdowns that have changed their citizens’ way of life. Whether you’re in a community that has already experienced the effects of coronavirus, or are preparing for it to arrive, you’ve probably been keeping a close eye on the news and wondering what’s next.

Even the most mentally resilient people are struggling to cope with the “new normal” in these trying times. If you have anxieties over COVID-19, you are not alone. Here are strategies for dealing with three of the most common coronavirus worries.

1. Uncertainty

For many, not knowing what’s to come has been the most challenging thing about recent events. We have no idea how long this crisis will last, how severe it can get or when medical researchers will discover an effective vaccine. In the meantime, many schools, businesses and entertainment venues are closed indefinitely, disrupting everyone’s lives. It’s become nearly impossible to plan for the weeks and months ahead with any confidence.

In the face of such unpredictability, people with anxiety disorders often default to envisioning the worst-case scenario, which can lead to a spiral of overwhelming dread. If this is the case for you, here are some ways to handle it.

• Limit your news consumption: It’s essential to stay informed, but don’t obsessively check the headlines. Designate one or two specific times each day when you’ll catch up on the news, and only get information from trustworthy sources such as the Centers for Disease Control.
• Know when to take a break: If anxieties over COVID-19 are taking over your life, it’s OK to give yourself a mini vacation from news consumption. Ask a reliable friend or family member to pass on any crucial updates that may arise while you step away from media.
• Control what you can: Being proactive can help ease some of your anxieties. For example, write out a list of specific worries you have about coronavirus, as well as any potential solutions you can imagine.

2. Loneliness

With many communities now under stay-at-home or shelter-in-place orders for the next 30 days, if not longer, isolation has become a source of anxiety for a lot of people. Humans are social animals, and even the most introverted people get lonely when they can’t visit with friends and family members.

Technology can work to your advantage here. If you start feeling depressed or anxious about missing loved ones, organize an online meetup with an app such as Zoom or Skype. When you have these virtual get-togethers, make sure coronavirus concerns don’t dominate the conversation. Instead, keep it lighthearted and focus on other things happening in your lives.

3. Getting Sick

Another common worry people have about coronavirus is that they will become ill and spread the virus to others. Even young, healthy individuals can infect other people without having any obvious symptoms. Though many cases of COVID-19 have proven to be mild, the virus can be fatal to vulnerable people, such as those who are elderly or immunocompromised. To avoid contracting coronavirus, stay home as much as possible, regularly wash your hands with soap and warm water and follow all guidelines for preventing the transmission of the virus.

Finding Healthy Ways to Cope With Anxiety

If you’re struggling to stay upbeat in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, it’s essential to remember we are all in this together. Make sure to dedicate time to your self-care every day, and recognize when you need a mental health day. If you’ve been relying on substance use to get you through this challenging time, take charge of your life and contact us at Hope Academy for a confidential assessment.

Why Does Isolation Impact Your Sobriety?

Addiction is a lonely place to be. Some people living with addiction reach a point where they feel as if their only real relationship is with drugs and alcohol. You may have begun drinking or using drugs in social settings, but as your tolerance and cravings increased, you began driving away those who care most about you through your self-destructive behavior.

It’s also common for people who struggle with substance misuse to have co-occurring disorders like depression, anxiety or PTSD. If that is the case for you, perhaps you began abusing drugs or alcohol to smooth out complicated emotions or to help you numb the pain associated with reliving unpleasant memories. Once addiction takes hold of your life, you start spending more time maintaining the needs of your disease than keeping up with friends and family. If this continues, you may look around one day and realize the people you love are no longer there to support you.

The Problems With Isolation in Recovery

Often, even after getting help and committing to sobriety, overwhelming feelings of isolation may continue. In addition to feeling isolated from others, you have cut drugs and alcohol out of your life as well – substances that may have become a stand-in for a healthy support system. That puts you in a tricky situation, as loneliness can undoubtedly be a powerful relapse trigger. It’s essential for your long-term sobriety to do all you can to combat loneliness – but certainly, that often seems easier to talk about than to act upon.

Loneliness is a common human emotion, and most people experience it every now and again. However, in most cases, it’s a fleeting feeling. If you are having many of the following feelings most of the time, you need to know when to take positive steps to protect your happiness, your mental health and your sobriety – even if that is challenging for you.

Symptoms of intense isolation may include:

• Feeling unable to connect with others
• Being sad when there is no one around to talk to
• Thinking nobody understands you or cares about what you are going through
• Feeling worthless, hopeless or abandoned
• Worrying you will never be able to stop feeling this way

The Hidden Dangers of Staying Isolated in Recovery

For people in recovery, loneliness is something to avoid at all costs. First of all, it is one of the four letters in the acronym HALT, which stands for four emotions that can put people at increased risk of a relapse: hungry, angry, lonely and tired. Each of these feelings will put you in a tough place emotionally, which may represent a challenge to your ability to make healthy decisions.

Also, socially isolated people have nobody to listen to other than the inner voice of their illness, which can be dangerous. In addiction recovery, a lack of accountability is often a recipe for disaster. In general, forming bonds with others makes life easier and helps strengthen our feelings of self-worth. And, according to a recent study, loneliness makes people more vulnerable to mental health challenges like mood disorders.

Ways to Break out of Your Isolation Cycle

If you need help finding ways to stop feeling isolated, try the following.

• Join a club: Connect with peers who share some of the same interests as you, whether they are athletic, artistic or otherwise.
• Volunteer: Volunteer service is an excellent way to give back to your community, and it helps you meet plenty of new people.
• Go to support groups: Surrounding yourself with others who are working on their recovery can be enormously helpful. You will meet people who have faced similar challenges and dealt with some of the same issues.
• Adopt a pet: Bonding with a pet can create one of the purest relationships you will ever have. Pets offer unconditional, non-judgmental love and ask for nothing in return but that you love them back.

Ask for Help When You Need It

If you are a young adult struggling with substance misuse, it’s time to explore your treatment options for getting your life back on a positive path. It is important to admit when you can’t go it alone. At Hope Academy, we specialize in peer-based young adult rehab for young adults. Contact our admissions team to learn more.