Faith-based seminar addresses substance use during COVID-19

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The COVID-19 pandemic is having an impact on behavioral health around the region, and mental health professionals hope the local faith community can help in advising residents on treatment options.

As part of this year’s Faith-Based Symposium hosted by the Northwestern Prevention Collaborative, speaker Christa Shifflett, executive director of the Warren Coalition, asked attendees to consider the needs of their communities during the coronavirus pandemic — a stressful, scary time when people can feel isolated from loved ones and the community’s resources.

“Stress is a huge cause of relapse for people,” she told listeners Thursday in a free seminar on video-conferencing app Zoom.

“We’re often taught that it’s not OK to ask for help and it’s weak,” Shifflett said. “They just aren’t willing to reach out to anyone … and basically suffer alone.”

It’s undeniable that the pandemic has affected alcohol and drug use around the Northern Shenandoah Valley, she said.

In 2019, Warren Memorial Hospital in Front Royal reported 85 alcohol-related Emergency Room admissions for the year, said Shifflett.

By mid-May of 2020, the ER had already reported 101 alcohol-related admissions.

“This is happening, it’s real,” Shifflett said.

Nationwide, alcohol use has increased by 88% during the COVID-19 pandemic, she said, citing information from a survey by The Recovery Village, a drug rehab program with locations around the country.

Marijuana use has increased by 37%, prescription opioids by 15%, benzodiazepines like Xanax by 11%, prescription stimulants like Adderall by 10% and cocaine by 9%, her presentation said.

Of those surveyed, 55% reported an increase in alcohol consumption over the previous month (18% reporting a significant increase), and 36% reported an increase of illicit drug use.

Asked why they were prompted to use substances during that time, 53% of respondents said they were trying to cope with stress, 39% said they were relieving boredom and 32% were trying to cope with mental health symptoms such as anxiety or depression.

The increase of alcohol sales and drug use around the region in recent months has led to a variety of concerns for the behavioral health community, Shifflett said.

For one, Shifflett said she’s been hearing from more people drinking in the middle of their workday while teleworking during the pandemic.

Other concerning trends she mentioned are people increasing their use of addictive substances and others starting a habit of using alcohol and drugs.

The Northwestern Prevention Collaborative usually focuses its education on the region’s opiate epidemic but lately has also turned its attention to the prevalence of other substances that people might misuse in an attempt to cope with loss, trauma or fear.

Shifflett advised listeners to check in on people in their faith communities who might be struggling with feelings of anxiety, depression, fear or loneliness.

Using some of the tenets of mindfulness and 12-Step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous, she said people can help manage stress and anxiety through:

• Seeking a higher power

• Deep breathing

• Visualization

• Muscle relaxation

• Acts of kindness

She said seeking a power greater than themselves during times of stress and frustration can help people let go of things that are beyond their control and cannot fix.

Ways to help someone experiencing difficulty include:

• Learning more about the disease of addiction

• Suspending judgment

• Providing a listening ear

• Giving out information about online meetings

• Helping relieve stress — run errands, provide meals, etc.

“You could make the difference in their life and not even know it,” she said.

Though some community resources like 12-Step meetings haven’t been meeting in person during the pandemic, many have moved meetings online, Shifflett said.

Information about phone and online AA meetings can be found at aa-intergroup.org.

Online and phone meetings are also available for other 12-Step groups like Narcotics Anonymous (NA), Al-Anon/Alateen (for families and friends living with the disease of addiction), Overeaters Anonymous (OA) and Internet and Technology Addicts Anonymous (ITAA).

Attendees to Thursday’s meeting typed questions in a chat during the Zoom seminar and also offered services they recommended, including youthresourcealliance.org and a confidential 24-hour peer service at 833-626-1490.

Thursday’s seminar was the first of three that the collaborative is planning to help educate faith leaders on the resources available to their communities.

The next one will be at 10 a.m. July 1.

For more information, visit nwprevention.org/category/events or call 540-636-6385.