Starting in March of 2020, the coronavirus pandemic upended our world – from educational norms to traditional lifestyle habits. Society had to respond to new childcare and medical needs. The pandemic laid bare existing, under-prioritized issues, such as health equity gaps, the high number of families with food and housing insecurity and entrenched racial tensions.
After more than a year of front page headlines about the pandemic, what about the nation’s other public health crisis: the opioid epidemic? Millions of Americans still suffer from substance abuse and the lack of effective systems to treat it.
For those on the path to recovery, a strong, comprehensive network of support systems is vit…
Those who help treat addiction, including Erie County’s Opiate Epidemic Task Force, and organizations such as the nonprofit Save the Michaels, are challenged by the new factors, as well as ongoing cultural misunderstanding about the disease of addiction, our dysfunctional healthcare, legal and insurance systems, and the devastating tenacity of the disease.
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Despite positive news earlier this year of court decisions against Purdue, the pharmaceutical company that lied about how addictive OxyContin is and as a result was found to have contributed to “hundreds of thousands of opioid-related overdoses and deaths.” As a result, the company agreed to pay a $4.5 billion settlement – but the drug abuse and addiction crisis has not gone away.
If anything, experts say, the pandemic exacerbated it, especially since social isolation was key to mitigating the spread of Covid-19. That wreaked havoc on those already in recovery from addictions, and those trying to get help to begin their recovery.
Avi and Julie Israel founded Save the Michaels in 2011, after their 20-year-old son, Michael, died by suicide while addicted to opioids, along with other debilitating health conditions. “Until we experienced it with Michael, Julie and I never realized how serious opiate addiction could be,” Avi Israel said.
Their organization assists people seeking help in navigating the recovery process and the system; educates in general about the issue; and advocates for policy and systemic change.
“We’ve always had a problem with addiction in this country,” Israel continued. “And the medical community’s answer to any disease or condition has always been pills. After only briefly hearing a patient’s issues (like) ‘You’re lonely; you have anxiety; you can’t sleep; you’re in pain,’ the first thing many doctors say is, ‘Take this and let me know how it works.’”
Joseph Lapi, Save the Michaels’ director of recovery programming, referring to substance use disorders, said, “The pandemic within pandemic put people that we serve at greater risk. The disease of addiction festers in isolation – stripping away the usual supports for people in recovery, like not being able to see their counselor, go to a self-help or community group. And being forced to stay home creates a negative situation.”
Israel added that pill usage and other substance abuse – and addiction-related deaths – rose during the pandemic. During the pandemic year of 2020, Erie County confirmed 232 opioid-related overdose deaths. Not including pending cases, that number is still 49% higher than the number of opioid-related overdose deaths in the county during 2019; it also follows a three-year decline in those deaths, from a peak in 2016. And the CDC has shown that, for the 12 months ending in May 2020, the country recorded the highest number ever of overdose deaths in a 12-month period. The numbers, according to the CDC, suggest an acceleration of overdose deaths during the pandemic.
State policy changes, such as an online database tracking opioid prescriptions, are part of the efforts to reduce over-prescribing and doctor-shopping for pills, but, Israel said, “there are more illicit and deadlier drugs available; fentanyl is cheaper and not as complex to ‘cook’ as heroin is. It can be done by anyone, anywhere. People think they’re buying cocaine, but it’s actually fentanyl.”
The lack of traditional recovery resources left many to fend for themselves, said Lindsey Bochacki, who in addition to being a licensed social worker at Save the Michaels is in recovery herself, and as such is also a “recovery coach.”
“During the pandemic, we didn’t know what was going to happen,” Bochacki said. “Clients genuinely didn’t know if they were going to make it. Everything was so out of our control; there was nothing we could do. On the positive side, we saw clients be resourceful, pull together and help each other.”
As “normalcy” returns, and more people are vaccinated against the coronavirus, Lapi said inpatient and outpatient programs are still low on space, due to both Covid-19 protocols, and the reduction in beds and programs because of the pandemic.
“Now, following guidelines, we can see people for in-person coaching sessions and groups. Self-help–style community meetings can resume, and people can get out and do enjoyable things, which helps them feel more grounded,” Lapi said. “When you can see people, go to the gym, go bowling, the brain produces a positive, healthy chemical reaction.”
Israel feels that, because people isolated or quarantined with their families during the pandemic, it’s made more people realize they need help, and become more willing to ask for it. Frequently, he added, substance use issues are complicated by individuals having other medical issues, including mental health problems.
What can be done? How can the average person avoid a situation where they are vulnerable to this disorder?
First, “know if you might be genetically predisposed to addiction – for example, if there were alcoholics in your family, then you might be more susceptible. This disease can and does affect everyone: poor, rich, Black, white, men, women, even children,” Israel said.
Second, advocate for yourself. “People need to ask questions about any medication a doctor prescribes, like: ‘What is it going to do to me?’ ‘Is it addictive?’ ‘How long do I have to take it? ‘Are there any non- or less-addictive substitutes?’” Israel said.
If you think you might have a problem, or are feeling isolated, reach out to a hotline, an organization or a trusted friend or family member.
Different treatment methods work for different people. In-patient hospitalization is one, though it can be cost-prohibitive for people if their health insurance doesn’t cover it (and many plans don’t). Outpatient treatment can work well for people who need to be able to work, go to school or care for family.
At the heart, says Lapi, maintaining sobriety requires support and socialization – two things that have been in short supply during the pandemic.
Resources for recovery
One of the most difficult steps for many is asking for help with substance abuse. It’s important to realize that there are organizations and people who want to and can help. See below for just a few phone numbers and websites that serve as resources for both people experiencing addiction and their families.
24-hour phone services
Addiction Open Access Hotline: 716-831-7007
Crisis Services 24 Hour Crisis Hotline: 716-834-3131
Spectrum CARES Team (for families and children in crisis): 716-882-4357
Save the Michaels
Buffalo: 716-984-8375
Lockport: 716-302-3960
In-patient programs
716-898-5710
Outpatient programs
716-883-4517
More resources:
