Coronavirus: Social-distancing measures ‘may make drug addicts relapse’

Addiction rehabilitation services are worried that people may relapse due to the social distancing measures introduced to combat Covid-19.

Michael Guerin, senior addiction therapist with Cuan Mhuire, told The Times it had a lot of clients in aftercare, who they would usually see face to face in the community.

Cuan Mhuire is the largest rehabilitation service in the country, and runs several centres across Ireland.

Mr Guerin said: “Anxiety, stress and worry are triggers of relapse and I suppose it would be reasonable to say that we would be concerned about higher relapse rates in the current climate.”

He added: “When you put that alongside the baseline anxiety we are having with Covid-19, it is making recovery that little bit more difficult.

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