Transcription:

Melanie Cole (Host): Statistics are showing that alcohol consumption has increased during the pandemic. Today, we're going to learn the signs of alcohol or substance abuse and what steps that you can take to help someone's struggling with substance use disorder. Welcome to It's Your Health Radio with Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital. I'm Melanie Cole. And joining me is Melissa Flowers. She's a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor with Aspire Counseling Service, working with Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital. Melissa, I'm so glad to have you with us. This is such a really great topic. So, tell us first, before we get into the topic, about the work that you're doing, as it relates to addiction, tell us how you're working with Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital.

Melissa Flowers (Guest): So, we've joined forces with Henry Mayo Hospital in the hopes of helping people with mental health and substance use disorder find treatment. We've found that a lot of people that end up at Henry Mayo don't have the resources that they need to find the proper treatment for intensive outpatient, residential, or even detox facilities. So, we've teamed up with them to help people make it easier for them to find the resources that they need.

Host: That's really great work that you're doing. Such an important need. Now, as far as the pandemic, Melissa, we've heard that the pandemic, especially when we were in lockdown and isolation caused this rise in addiction and substance use disorder. People were worried, maybe they couldn't pay bills. They were scared of this pandemic. Talk to us about this intersection of COVID and substance use disorder and what you've seen in the last couple of years.

Melissa: I had read a study when the pandemic first happened, that there was 54% surge in national alcohol sales in that first week of the pandemic. And what we attribute that to is exactly what you just said. Fear, confusion, lack of coping skills and people just going out and buying liquor and staying home. And then in September, 2020, alcohol consumption increased by 14% overall. And so what we've come to the conclusion is that people that hadn't crossed the line into addiction, maybe that had a simple beer after work or a glass of wine are now implementing that on a daily basis and crossing that line into addiction and not knowing it.

And before they know it, in this pandemic, you know, a year, a year and a half, two years later, we're finding out that people who are able to go back to work, aren't able to function. They're not able to stop consuming the alcohol and they're realizing that they do have an addiction.

Host: Well, I think in this country, even before the pandemic, we've had this normalization of binge drinking and alcohol in society, especially like at colleges and social media obviously also paints this rosy picture of it. Tell us a little bit about how people are using and you can cover things besides just alcohol, because you've seen a rise in other drugs as well. Yes? So, tell us a little bit about what we're looking for, what those red flags are that have been happening since the pandemic and even before.

Melissa: Well, so there's a common misconception with the disease of alcoholism or addiction, people tend to look at how much, or how often people are drinking, it's absolutely healthy for normal consumption of alcohol. The sign that you would be looking for yes, excessive drinking, drinking every day, those are signs, but they're not necessarily finger pointers to the fact that you're an alcoholic. Continued use despite negative consequences, people that continue to get in trouble. So, like for instance, you were mentioning college students or even social media showing an excess of drinking. If someone is drinking and having marital discord or family discord or getting in fights with people, getting arrested, not being able to attend work, not being able to show up for school. Those are all signs that you might have a problem with alcohol. Increased use, increased tolerance, inability to quit when you say you will, maybe telling yourself, I'll just have one more and not being able to follow through with that. Those are signs and indicators that someone might have a problem with alcohol consumption.

As far as other drugs, illicit drugs or even marijuana, same thing, looking for continued use, despite it negatively affecting your life. Those are the signs that you should be looking for if someone was drinking and I'll give you an example. If I go to a bar with somebody and I'm a normal drinker and they're not, I'll be able to say at the end of the night, you know what I have to go to work tomorrow. I'm going to call it quits and head home. The alcoholic will convince themselves that they can have one more. And before you know it, they're not showing up for work. They're not able to leave. They're making poor choices based on lack of impulse control. So, those are some of the signs if you're around somebody that you might want to look for.

Host: Well, that's a really good point. And I'm glad you brought up the point about you might be just a normal social drinker and you're with somebody who really is taking shots, doing that. In a marriage, in a household, what if one person does have an issue and the other person, I'm not talking necessarily about me, listeners.

I mean, you never know. What if one person has an issue and the other person doesn't really, they can moderate, they can stop when they want. What does that mean for the other partner? As an addiction counselor, Melissa, what do you counsel patients on? As far as like, does that partner then have to stop drinking because it could trigger the other person? When people are starting to get involved in treatment, what do you tell the other family members?

Melissa: So that's an interesting question because I, I'm going to answer that with each family is individualized. So, I don't have a general, this is what you should do in your house. My suggestion would be, if you don't have a problem drinking, then when your significant other is attempting to get sober, not having it in the house, wouldn't be a problem.

So, I don't know that everybody has to quit drinking. I don't know that forever and ever, the alcoholic won't be able to be around it, right? Because when you come to treatment, the hope is that you gain the tools and the coping skills to inevitably be able to be in any situation and not want to pick up a drink.

Now in the beginning, that's a little bit harder, but as we go along, we have to put ourselves in social situations where that might be especially alcohol, where that might be present. But what I would tell the family member is if you want to support them, and you don't have an issue, then maybe right now in the beginning, you don't have it in the house.

You don't have that glass of wine at dinner with them, just as a support system. But everybody and every family is different. So, a lot of family members come in and they think, well, this isn't my problem. This is their problem. Fix them. And you know, I'll sit back here and do nothing. And what I tell every single family that walks in here, is you are here for you. You're not here for them. You're here for you. And everybody has to work on themselves individually to bring this relationship back to a place where it's healthy. And so we're all working on ourselves when we're here in treatment.

Host: What a great point. And I mean, families have to be involved in that recovery and treatment, right? Because mental health issues can go along with this aspect of addiction, but that's a whole nother episode that you and I will do together. But tell us a little bit about some of the treatment options, which we hear have been grossly underutilized, Melissa. How can we get more people to look into them? I mean, podcasts like this, right? How do we get more people into programs? Tell us about your outreach.

Melissa: It's also interesting because there is a stigma. There is a stigma on addiction. There's a stigma on treatment. There's this idea or concept of not wanting to go into treatment because you can do it yourself. And what would that look like if I had to go away from my family and the most common thing I tell people, and it might just sound so simple when I say it out loud is when they tell me they can't be treatment because they can't be away from their family or their job. I tend to tell them, well, it's not gonna matter if you die. It's not going to matter if you lose your job or your family. And so putting treatment first when you absolutely cannot maintain abstinence is going to be the primary thing that I would suggest, because you will lose all of that if not your life.

So there are different levels. There are different levels of treatment. There's detox. Detox is usually monitored medically, for people who are having serious withdrawal symptoms. They're monitored and in a closed setting where they can be either given medication or watched and followed by a psychiatrist or a doctor. Then there's residential or inpatient, which is typically a 30-day program.

And that's based on after you've kind of come through those withdrawals. You have this closed place where you're living, where you don't have access to the substance. And so it's a place where you can get that foundation, that abstinence, that you need to start building off of. A lot of them have therapy, psychiatry, yoga classes.

And then you step down from that. Now you have abstinence because you've been in a lockdown facility and now you come to a place like us, which is intensive outpatient. Intensive outpatient is a setting where hopefully you're abstinent and you're coming to implement healthy coping skills, maybe gain an understanding of the disease of addiction, how it functions in the brain.

It's a place where you can come face your daily stressors in a safe space but yet still have to go back to your life. So, you're kind of facing those stressors you would normally drink or use over and having a safe place a couple of times a week to come and share that with another group of individuals, come and share that with an addiction counselor and implement those healthy coping skills you're learning. So, that would be the next step. And that's what we offer.

Host: Wow, what a need you are addressing here and how difficult for people that are struggling with substance use disorder. Tell us, cause you and I talked a little bit off the air and you said you've been using more Telehealth. Tell us a little bit about how during the pandemic specifically, and as we've seen this rise in addiction, how you're able to use Telehealth and even to see the home environment of the person, if you're doing it on Zoom or FaceTime, you know that you can see what their home life looks like.

Melissa: Well, what we found well, early on when it was only a Telehealth option, it was really difficult to maintain people's attention, right? Because you went from in-person and accountability and peer support. So, it was actually a hard transition at first because people newly sober, they build off that foundation and that fellowship and having to be somewhere and be accountable to a group of people.

I commend anybody who's getting sober in the pandemic because all those communities, support resources, everything went to Telehealth. And so what we saw was it was really difficult for people in the beginning to do that. And as time has gone on, a lot of people are utilizing it who wouldn't be able to get treatment before. So people who maybe before were sick or had issues where they couldn't get to a treatment facility or don't drive because maybe their license was revoked. A lot of people who were unable to get the resources to be able to attend treatment are now able to do that from home. People who work and their schedule doesn't fit can now, right after work, jump on a Telehealth appointment and be part of that. So, we found that as time went on and people have adjusted to using Telehealth for more things, that they're able to get the resources that they need, that they weren't able to access before. So, I do find it beneficial. I still think in-person is really, really helpful because you get that accountability and that peer support. But I think people that otherwise wouldn't be able to do it are now gaining access to that.

Host: Certainly, I don't personally think it's going anywhere. I think that it has increased access and everything you've said is so important. I'd love it if you gave us some final thoughts about addiction during and not during COVID-19 pandemic. And what you would like listeners to know about that stigma about seeking help, red flags for themselves or their loved ones. And really just kind of wrap it up with all of your best advice, Melissa.

Melissa: I am so passionate about recovery and I'm so passionate about the idea and concept that there's hope. And I genuinely believe that you are never too far gone to get hope. It's the simplest thing is my biggest advice. If you, or someone, you know, even thinks that they are suffering with the disease of alcoholism or addiction, please ask for help. It doesn't mean you have to come to treatment. It doesn't mean that you're an alcoholic. It just means that you're going to come talk to someone who understands you. I have people walk in here day in and day out and leave here crying because they've never had anybody who can relate to what they're going through.

Yes, the pandemic has upped alcohol sales and has kind of pushed people over the line of addiction, but you don't have to lose everything to get help. And I think that's the biggest thing. There's this stigma and there's a whole world of recovery here in Santa Clarita. And I think people don't realize that. There's a whole world of different community resources and outpatients and treatment centers and people who are sober, who want to help you. If you think you have an issue, reach out to somebody. If you think a loved one has an issue, don't be afraid to say something. You could save their life. And I want people to be aware of that.

Host: Wow beautifully said. And thank you so much, Melissa, for joining us today and sharing really your incredible expertise. And if you have questions or wish to speak to a counselor, you can call Aspire Counseling Services at (888) 585-7373. You can also visit our website at henrymayo.com for more information, and to get connected with one of our providers.

That concludes this episode of It's Your Health Radio with Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital. I'm Melanie Cole and please share this show with your friends and family, on your social channels. We're learning from the experts at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital together, and we can all spread a little love and help each other through this. Thanks for listening.