The ugly underbelly of the coronavirus

It’s a crisis within another.

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, opioid abuse was one of the top topics in the news headlines.

Now we’re finding out in one way, the stay-at-home orders prevented some drug trafficking, while in other ways, it put people’s lives on the line for other risks.

"The reality is the human mind is extremely fragile, and if people aren’t taking care of their mental health, these kinds of things can destroy a person’s mindset and subsequently their well-being," said Dr. David Henderson, a psychiatrist with Vertava Health and Addiction Campuses.

The pandemic is being met with harsh realities -- job losses, increased financial stress, boredom, lost sense of self-worth are all things playing into human fears.

"The pandemic has done a number of things: It has generated a tremendous amount of fear, which is one of the reasons why people turn to drugs and alcohol to medicate," Henderson said.

"When people are dealing with these kinds of issues, which are underlying mental health issues, the easiest route to go is to turn to drugs and alcohol to mask underlying emotions."

Opioids, alcohol and benzodiazepines are some of the main drugs people who are on the streets get their hands on most often.

Molly McGovern, director of the Friendship Room in Steubenville, is seeing first-hand the additional results of the pandemic.

"Our needs have quadrupled 400 percent, so many working-class people coming for food, toiletries, groceries – it’s startling the increase," she said.

But not only on working-class, but on the marginalized, homeless, and addicted people as well.

"The drugs have dried up a lot on the streets, which is a wonderful thing, but we have a lot of women who are forced to work in prostitution, and they’re living in abandoned houses, sick, and not able to get the drugs,” McGovern said.

The reality is many people who cannot get to rehab facilities are facing dangerous detoxes without medical support.

"You have individuals who have been dependent on these substances suddenly not being able to access them, and they’re going through these very severe withdraws. These are life-threatening situations," Henderson said.

"This is decimating the sex industry, and that’s good -- these are good things -- but we need to have the underbelly covered, where these people are able to get these assistances," McGovern said.

The pandemic is leaving communities with many more layers of need. Some say even more than before.

Henderson said the best to take care of your mental health is by treating it like our physical health. If you’re really serious about getting your mind in shape, you should seek a professional for help.