Administration
Drugs, Alcohol and COVID-Crisis Counseling
By: Melanie Martin
When you think about a recovering addict or alcoholic, what type of person comes to mind? We have thoughts of the stereotypical “druggie,” who may look homeless, malnourished and acts crazy. But you will be surprised to know that drug addiction and alcoholism affects all ages, regardless of economic status, ethnicity or lifestyle. Drug and alcohol use have increased exponentially during the pandemic. The problem is so prevalent that some refer to this crisis as a pandemic in and of itself.
A lot of us don’t want to talk about drugs, alcohol or related mental health issues because of the existing stigma attached to it. Some believe that someone with a mental health issue can merely “shake it off.”
Recently, KHON 2 aired a two-part documentary series called, “A Pandemic in a Pandemic.” The documentary described how dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic has caused many of our residents to resort to drugs and alcohol to cope with the anxiety, stress, depression and isolation brought on or exacerbated by the pandemic.
Truth is mental health should be treated like any other disease. If someone has cancer, would we tell that person to “shake off” that cancer? Of course not. It is awesome that the tide is changing, and prominent people such as actors and professional athletes are speaking up via mental health campaigns about eliminating the stigma.
Suicides have skyrocketed, and the sad truth is that people of all ages are taking their own lives.
If you or anyone in your household are feeling stressed or anxious, there is help.
Just the other day, an alleged murder-suicide was reported at The Plaza retirement home in Waikiki.
Hawaii CARES launched a new COVID Crisis Counseling Program called Ku Makani.
A 92-year old man and 86-year old woman were found dead in the parking garage apparently from gunshot wounds.
In addition to crisis counseling, they also have virtual group sessions on various topics such as yoga, cooking, health and wellness, and much more.
Could their deaths have been prevented if they got help to cope with whatever they were dealing with?
They can be reached on O’ahu at (808) 8323100 or neighbor islands can call Toll-Free (800) 753-6879. PAGE 4
