Bartlett Regional | House Calls | Winter 2021

Coping with addiction while socially distancing The isolation brought on by social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic can be hard on anyone. But it may be especially tough for people in recovery from a substance use disorder. Face-to-face support groups like Alcoholics Anony- mous (AA) may be canceled. And the isolation you may feel from social distancing can stoke feelings of loneli- ness, depression and anxiety. All of these things can make it harder to stay away from alcohol and drugs. But there is some good news. For example, groups like AA and Narcotics Anonymous are offering virtual support online. These other steps may also help. You’re not far from support Remember that you’re not in this alone. Many people are struggling with the confines of stay-at-home orders. You also are just a few computer clicks away from online support. Call your local recovery support group’s office to find out how to connect with a virtual meeting. Here are some other ways that can help you con- tinue with a successful recovery: X Call your health care provider’s office. Ask if they offer telemedicine appointments. You might be able to talk with your doctor using an app like Skype or FaceTime. X Work with your provider to be sure you have any medicines you need. X Are you in recovery for opioid use? Find out if your treatment program can be more flexible about take- home medicine during the pandemic. X Stay connected to family, friends or your sponsor by phone, email or social media. X Be open with loved ones about how you’re feeling and what you need to stay on track. Would it be helpful if they brought you books? Movies? Newspapers? X Use healthy coping tactics. Practice deep breathing. Pray. Do things you enjoy. Keep a journal and write down things you’re grateful for. If you do relapse, it doesn’t mean you’ve failed. Work with your doctor to find out why you relapsed. You may need to revise your treatment program. DEMAND IS WAY UP The demand for mental health and substance abuse services has skyrocketed during the pandemic. “We are seeing people who have never experienced a behavioral health crisis to this degree reach out for help,” says Chief Behavioral Health Officer Bradley Grigg. In a presentation to the City and Borough of Juneau Assembly, Bradley noted a sharp increase in depression, anxiety and substance misuse due to the stressors of employment, housing and family. Stressors for youth include difficulty with school, isolation from their social support networks, and the absence of group sports and other extracurricular activities. As of November 2020, Bartlett Outpatient Behavioral Health staff were seeing an average of 25 new patients per month, the majority under 18 (16 youth and 9 adults), along with a significant uptick in kids attempting suicide, more than half under the age of 14. “When you’ve got kids who are not going to school or not engaged in the music or the sport or the dance that they are used to, they need alternatives,” says Bradley. Behavioral health update The COVID-19 pandemic has hit kids especially hard. Fears about the virus, uncertainty about their future and the challenges of social distancing can take a toll on kids’ mental health. At Bartlett Regional Hospital, we’ve seen the effects of this struggle firsthand. The numbers of psychiatric visits and suicide attempts by children in our community have climbed dramatically since the pandemic began. Kids’ mental health matters more than