Why Addiction May Have Increased During the Pandemic

Source: Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

In the past year, my caseload and that of other colleagues has jumped significantly during the pandemic. Is it merely a coincidence? I don’t think so. Unfortunately, the pandemic has brought about the perfect storm for addiction: isolation, secrecy, and a desire for escapism.

Addiction thrives in isolation and secrecy. New clients have reported that physical isolation from friends, family members, and co-workers has only added to that sense of loneliness. In addition, those who were in the initial stages of addiction recovery but had yet to develop a strong connection or community of mentors, sponsors, 12-step programs or others avenues of help found themselves suffering in silence.

In addition, people faced financial stress, relational stress, and the stress or fear of catching a life-threatening virus. This all took a toll on the psyche. Short of worrying about dying from the virus is the daily stress of being attuned to the ever-changing guidelines of safety: where to mask, when to mask, and worrying about social distancing all play a role in using up headspace.

This combined with other factors has made unhealthy behaviors such as anger, domestic violence, and impatience soar during these trying times. As a specialist in addiction and multicultural issues, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the impact of race relations and the concerns among certain ethnic minorities such as the Asian-American and African-American communities.

Regardless of race, compulsive behaviors have offered a tempting respite for those who want to escape whatever mental, physical, financial, or relational purgatory they feel they’re trapped in. Addiction and compulsive behaviors can give people a sense of control. Their “drug of choice” provides a predictable outcome that they may be craving. Whether it’s the jolt of electricity that accompanies gambling, or a need to self-medicate the pain of grief or loss through drinking, all give the illusion that we can manipulate our circumstances for the better.

Nevertheless, one encouraging sign I’ve seen in my practice is a heartfelt desire for wellness and healing. People are calling and sincerely wanting help. The pandemic was the tipping point that some people describe as leading to their “rock-bottom” or getting them to finally acknowledge their struggles and break their denial.

Clinicians have also responded by finding ways to be more creative during Covid. Online sessions have replaced traditional in-person sessions. This has made counseling less intimidating as clients can get therapy within the psychological safety of their own homes. No longer do they have to drive to my office, wonder who will see them in the hallway, or worry about what they are thinking of them. In other words, some of the barriers that have prevented clients from considering therapy have been eliminated.

Finally, this pandemic has forced us to think about our mortality whether we like it or not. In past years, we could have mindlessly preoccupied ourselves with consumption, materialism, and other daily distractions. But Covid has smacked the existential crisis back in our lives. People are reconsidering the meaning of their lives and their vocational or spiritual purpose, and perhaps the unhealthy or addictive ways they’ve dealt with challenges in the past.