Don’t Put Off Treatment Due to the Public Health Emergency

Is the public health situation related to COVID-19 preventing you from tackling your problems with drugs or alcohol? Are you tempted to just ignore your issues with drugs until this whole virus situation is resolved? Have you found yourself drinking even more than usual while you have been cooped up at home?

We get it.

This is a challenging time for every one of us—and the current situation may have derailed you even if you had every intention of pursuing addiction treatment.

Maybe you were just on the cusp of seeking help for a substance use disorder but are afraid to pursue it during the current public health emergency.

Or maybe some people in your life have been encouraging you to get help but you’ve been resistant and are now using the COVID-19 situation as an excuse to put it off.

Under the circumstances we find ourselves in at the moment, either of these reasons for putting off addiction treatment are understandable. But we want to be clear:

If you need help for a substance use disorder, the time to seek that help is right now.

Right Now? But Isn’t It Too Dangerous Right Now?

Short answer: No, it isn’t.

We understand why you might be hesitant to enter residential addiction treatment at the moment. No doubt you are currently practicing social distancing and staying at home as much as you possibly can. You are washing your hands more often and perhaps you are wearing a mask when you do have to go out. It might seem like you can’t possibly take those precautions in a residential treatment environment.

You can be confident, however, that The Aviary Recovery Center is, in fact, taking all the necessary precautions to keep you—and ourselves—safe during this time.

Can You Tell Me More About These Precautions?

Of course! We are committed to doing all we can to limit risk of infection at The Aviary Recovery Center. Our medical and hygiene protocols and processes have been reviewed with all staff members, and we are staying up to date on all COVID-19 information, recommendations, and resources.

Because of the current public health emergency, our staff is taking extra care when cleaning public areas and surfaces. Frequent, thorough hand washing is one of the main recommendations for limiting the risk of infection.

Perhaps most importantly, we have begun screening clients when they are admitted to The Aviary Recovery Center. We want to be sure that they are not currently ill or have a high likelihood of having been exposed to COVID-19. Once a person enters our treatment facility, we ask family members to let us know if anyone who has had close contact with the client becomes ill. In that case, we will closely monitor the client’s health.

As an added precaution, we have suspended all family visitation at the facility. We do, of course, encourage clients to stay in contact with their loved ones in other ways as family support is a key component of rehabilitation and recovery.

Well, Sure, It Sounds Like You Are Doing All You Can, But…

Let’s stop you right there. As we noted above, we understand that it might be tempting to use this public health emergency as a reason to put off pursuing addiction treatment for your substance use disorder. Here is why that is a bad idea.

During this period of social distancing, you may be feeling particularly isolated, depressed, or anxious. You might find yourself relying more and more on drugs or alcohol to help you address those difficult emotions. As a result, you may be putting yourself in increased danger of an overdose. Or you may find that you cannot access the drugs you have been taking and therefore enter a dangerous period of withdrawal. Even if you manage to avoid these particular dangers, the odds are that during this time your substance use disorder will worsen rather than improve.

Rather than trying to weather this storm while struggling with drugs or alcohol, you should pursue the help you need. We are committed to keeping you safe from infection and to helping you start a new life of lasting sobriety.

You Know What? I’m Convinced!

We are pleased to hear that! And we are eager for you to reach out to us so that we can provide compassionate, personalized care that will provide a firm foundation for your long term recovery. The right time to get help is always right now—and right now (as always) The Aviary Recovery Center is ready to provide the help you need.