Stress and anxiety. They’ve been simmering below the surface for weeks. Small responsibilities are beginning to feel enormous, and the weight of the unknown becomes crushing if we sit with it for too long. It's natural to crave relief.
However, it’s important for us to reflect on whether it’s relief we are chasing, or escape. Relief is what we feel when we take a deep breath, practice mindfulness, or share a belly laugh with a loved one. Escape is when we run haphazardly from our feelings, or when we numb them with unhealthy distractions or behaviors. In a recent blog article on conquering anxiety, Erin Goodhart, Clinical Director of Women’s Treatment, reminds us that finding relief in substances is temporary:
“You might feel relieved of stress initially, but when you self-medicate with alcohol regularly, it can develop an addiction, which makes depression and anxiety worse… Drinking alcohol or taking prescribed medicines incorrectly, like benzodiazepines for example, won’t treat the underlying issue and can have a negative impact on your mental health.”
Addiction hasn’t stopped or slowed down as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; if anything, it is growing, bubbling beneath the surface of jokes about mommy juice and it being five o’clock somewhere.
If you or someone you know is on the fence about whether it’s the right time to get help, we want you to know that Caron is here. Our caring alumni coordinators and admissions staff are trained to help you discern whether a higher level of care is needed and how to guide you through the front doors. And, if you know that you or someone in your life needs help now, Caron is here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 800-678-2332.
Our mission is Recovery for Life – and because of that, we’re doing whatever is necessary to keep our campuses open for those who need help. Thanks to implementing rigorous screening, testing, cleaning, prevention, and safety measures, we have no known cases of community transfer on our campuses. While many establishments are closing their doors, Caron is working tirelessly to keep ours open. In addition to our contracts with several national insurance providers, Caron can provide additional financial assistance to individuals and families in need through the use of financial aid.
With all of the stresses you are enduring amid the pandemic, concerns about finances and coming to treatment safely should not be among them. We are doing all that we can to tear down the barriers that are keeping people from accessing the help they need – all you need to do is ask.
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