People Suffering From Addictions Face Different Struggle When Self-Isolating During Pandemic

It's a constant battle for those with addiction, but that fight got even tougher during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Chance to Change is an outpatient counseling clinic that helps people with addiction and substance abuse.

The director of the clinic said the toughest thing for people with addictions during these times is the feeling of isolation.

“Community is such a big part in the addiction world, having people who care about you, having loved ones around, having people in meetings. And without that, it’s really, really tough," said Travis Ernst, A Chance to Change clinical director.

A recent study by a Tulsa addiction organization estimated that 13,000 Oklahomans will develop substance abuse disorders during the pandemic.

Jerod Tate is a musician who got help for alcohol addiction at A Chance to Change.

As someone who’s been there before, Tate said he’s most worried about people who haven’t sought help yet, as opposed to recovered addicts possibly relapsing.

“I’m actually a little concerned about a different demographic, who hasn’t gone through this or hasn’t actively committed to build these kind of tools, to help themselves deal with feelings of isolation and loneliness," Tate said. "People that are in recovery programs right now are actively working on those kind of things.”

While A Chance to Change is not physically seeing patients now, they have numerous online resources whether you’re a client or not, including free online and Facebook support groups so people don’t feel isolated even though they’re at a distance.

For more information on A Chance to Change's program, you can find a link to their website here.