How to Stay Sober During Times of Crisis | COVID-19

The past several months have been challenging for just about everyone. If you are struggling with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, you are not alone. As someone in recovery from an addiction to drugs or alcohol, you may be facing additional issues in dealing with the stress. There are many ways to stay sober during times of crisis, though, even during the very trying era of COVID-19.

Don’t Use the Crisis as an Excuse

The isolation and restrictions that have been put in place as a result of COVID-19 have caused many people to change their lifestyles and their work habits. Some have found that they are gaining weight as a result of having to stay home and some are drinking more, as evidenced by the increase in alcohol sales.

However, when you are in recovery from an addiction to alcohol, you cannot use the crisis as an excuse to drink again. There are more positive steps you can take to not only stay sober during times of crisis, but to stay strong in your resolve to continue your recovery. 

Attend a Virtual Meeting

While you may not have the option to attend an in-person support group near you during COVID-19, many organizations have put their meetings online. You need this support more than ever now, to maintain your sobriety, so check out options that allow you to participate virtually. The new platform actually enables you to attend support groups that are not in your area, so you will also have the opportunity to meet some new people who are going through the same challenges.

Focus on Positive Possibilities

As one addict in recovery put it, “People need to sit down in a chair and quietly think, ‘What do I believe?’ Get to the root cause (of addiction) and give yourself a break. Try to come up with some answers for yourself. What’s the point of being sober? It’s about purpose and usefulness and being able to sit with all this. Why don’t you use the time to reconnect with the people who mean something to you?”

Stay focused on your recovery goals. Look toward the future of positive possibilities. Reach out to those people in your life who have been positive in their support and talk with them about what you are going through. They will appreciate the opportunity to speak with you again too!

You might even want to try a new hobby or a new project to help you stay sober during times of crisis, especially during COVID-19. A new exercise routine can be a great way to help you feel better, physically and mentally. Exercise releases brain chemicals called endorphins, which are designed to make you feel good. 

Find Healthy Ways to Manage the Stress

When you get stressed, you may find that you have an urge to drink again. First you will need to manage your urge, which typically lasts about 15 to 30 minutes. You can try chewing gum as a substitute or repeat a personal mantra to strengthen your resistance, such as “I am stronger than this, and it will pass.”

This would be a good time to start a journal too. When you feel stressed and have the urge to drink, take out your journal and write down your thoughts. Be sure to also write about the things that bring you happiness, the things that you are grateful for, and then take the time later to review what you’ve written, to remind yourself about the good things in your life.

Spend some time in prayer and meditation to help you stay sober during times of crisis. Meditation can help you relax as you focus your attention and eliminate the stream of jumbled thoughts that may be crowding your mind and causing stress. This process can help enhance your physical and emotional well-being. As described in Step Eleven of the 12-Step Program, “when we turn away from meditation and prayer, we likewise deprive our minds, our emotions, and our intuitions of vitally needed support.”

Stay Sober with Faith-Based Addiction Treatment

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a stressful crisis and many people have turned to drugs and alcohol to cope. However, there is another way. Please contact Celebrate Hope if you are struggling with addiction. We are available around the clock to answer any questions you may have. Our team relies on evidence-based therapies along with the teachings of Jesus Christ to help men and women achieve long-term recovery.

Navigating Thanksgiving in Isolation

Thanksgiving is less than a week away, and it looks like it could be a more challenging holiday than usual for people in recovery. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that Americans avoid flying. California’s governor has issued a temporary curfew that stops gatherings and non-essential work between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. throughout most of the state. 

 

If you have been following the news, then you know that the spread of coronavirus is rampant right now. Nearly 2,000 Americans died from COVID-19 yesterday and there were close to 200,000 new cases. The risks of contracting the virus are extremely high right now, which means Thanksgiving gatherings could be dangerous. 

 

Holidays are always trying times for people in recovery. Having to spend time around others who are drinking can be extremely difficult, especially in early recovery. What’s more, many people new to working a program are estranged from their families. Normally, such individuals would get together with other people in recovery to keep their recovery intact. 

 

This year, it may not be possible for people in recovery to join forces in-person to navigate Thanksgiving. Moreover, isolation isn’t good for one’s recovery. Members of the fellowship will have to be particularly vigilant next Thursday. 

 

A Different Kind of Thanksgiving in Recovery

 

If you are unable to get together with family or members of a support group next week, do not be discouraged. You may feel like you are alone, but millions of other people in recovery are facing the same obstacle. 

 

Computers and smartphones will be vital tools in the coming days. Utilize video conferencing platforms to connect with others in recovery. You can find thousands of meetings each day online. If you are alone this Thanksgiving, then attend several meetings from your home. Share about your struggles or what you are grateful for today, thanks to recovery. 

 

Prayer and meditation will be vital as well; you may need to utilize such practices many times next Thursday. You can also benefit from journaling and writing gratitude lists to clear your mind and ground yourself. Thinking about what you are grateful for is highly beneficial. 

 

Talk to your support network, maybe there are virtual Thanksgiving events you can attend. Just because you are not with others doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate the holiday. It’s important to remember to give thanks; that’s what Thanksgiving is all about. Men and women in recovery have so much to be thankful for today. Every day clean and sober is a blessing. 

 

Pick up the phone if you find yourself wanting to drink or drug and connect with your support network. You are not alone, and you have the power to abstain during this likely challenging holiday. Reaching out for support will help you prevent relapse and protect your progress. 

 

Faith-Based Addiction Treatment

 

2020 has been an arduous year and many people have turned to drugs and alcohol to cope. However, there is another way. Please contact Celebrate Hope if you are struggling with addiction. We are available around the clock to answer any questions you may have. Our team relies on evidence-based therapies along with the teachings of Jesus Christ to help men and women achieve long-term recovery.

Addiction Recovery and "The Hounds of Heaven"

Weeks of social distancing and sheltering in place have had a significant impact on all of us. The human being is social in nature; we are communal and rely on one another for support. Being cut off from our friends and family is challenging, but necessary for contending with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over the last couple of weeks, we have seen confirmed cases of coronavirus grow exponentially. Nearly 700,000 Americans have tested positive for COVID-19, and almost 37,000 have died from complications related to the virus.

While there is rambling on the television that “stay at home” orders may be lifted soon, experts warn that such a move is premature. A severe lack of testing means that we don’t fully know how many Americans have the virus. With that in mind, there is a high likelihood that sheltering in place protocols will continue indefinitely.

People working programs of addiction recovery are doing their best to maintain their sobriety despite the stress, anxiety, depression, isolation, and unemployment. Members of the community are able to connect online via video conferencing platforms, which is helpful.

Still, there are significant chunks of one’s day that need to be filled in order to keep from entertaining thoughts of drugs and alcohol. Praying throughout the day is one way to keep your spirituality alive and well. Reading and writing are beneficial too.

Indeed, millions are binge-watching television shows and streaming movies, but there comes a time when that ideal behavior is exhausting. Do your best to find a balance in your daily activities and do things that stimulate your mind and spirit.

National Poetry Month

Aside from reading books and magazines, you may want to consider poetry. For those working programs of faith-based addiction recovery, you will be pleased to know that there is a lot of poetry that incorporates elements of Christianity. Since April is National Poetry Month, we thought you would find it interesting to learn about a truly gifted Victorian Era poet.

Many poets were devoutly religious, and some were also plagued by addiction during their lifetime. One such poet was Francis Thompson (December 16, 1859–November 13, 1907). He was an English poet who had both a short and remarkable life; he left behind some of the most beautiful poetic verses when he died from tuberculosis at the age of 46.

Thompson was expected to become a priest despite the fact that he wished to be a writer. When priesthood was no longer an option, he tried his hand at medicine, but that was not his calling either. After leaving school, he moved back to his parents' home in Northern England.

One morning his sister woke up to find a note, which indicated Francis had run off to London. Once there, he fell on hard times; Thompson would eventually become homeless and addicted to the opioid tincture laudanum. He was down and out to be sure but was still writing. One day he dropped off a manuscript and some poems to a publisher, and the man instantly knew that there was something special in Thompson.

The publisher convinced Francis to seek medical help for his laudanum addiction and then stay at a monastery in the country to recover and prevent the risk of relapse. While under the care of monks, and no longer in the yoke of opium addiction, Thompson healed and reconnected with God. He began to write with a new sense of purpose. At the monastery, he wrote one of the most beautiful poems about redemption and finding the embrace of God, titled “The Hound of Heaven.” Please watch a fascinating video about Francis Thompson’s life:

If you are having trouble watching, please click here.

 

"The Hounds of Heaven"

I fled Him, down the nights and down the days; 

I fled Him, down the arches of the years; 

I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways 

Of my own mind; and in the midst of tears 

I hid from Him, and under running laughter. 

Up vistaed hopes I sped; 

And shot, precipitated, 

Adown Titanic glooms of chasmed fears, 

From those strong Feet that followed, followed after.

But with unhurrying chase,

And unperturbed pace, Deliberate speed, majestic instancy,

They beat - and a Voice beat 

More instant than the Feet -'All things betray thee, who betrayest Me'.

I pleaded, outlaw-wise, 

By many a hearted casement, curtained red, 

Trellised with intertwining charities; 

(For, though I knew His love Who followed, 

Yet was I sore adread 

Lest, having Him, I must have naught beside.) 

But, if one little casement parted wide, 

The gust of His approach would clash it to: 

Fear wist not to evade, as Love wist to pursue. 

Across the margent of the world I fled, 

And troubled the gold gateway of the stars, 

Smiting for shelter on their clanged bars; 

Fretted to dulcet jars 

And silvern chatter the pale ports o' the moon.

I said to Dawn: Be sudden - to Eve: Be soon; 

With thy young skiey blossom heap me over

From this tremendous Lover - 

Float thy vague veil about me, lest He see! 

I tempted all His servitors, but to find 

My own betrayal in their constancy, 

In faith to Him their fickleness to me, 

Their traitorous trueness, and their loyal deceit. 

To all swift things for swiftness did I sue; 

Clung to the whistling mane of every wind. 

But whether they swept, smoothly fleet, 

The long savannahs of the blue; 

Or, whether, Thunder-driven, 

They clanged his chariot 'thwart a heaven, 

Plashy with flying lightnings round the spurn o' their feet:- 

Fear wist not to evade as Love wist to pursue. 

Still with unhurrying chase, 

And unperturbed pace, 

Deliberate speed, majestic instancy, 

Came on the following Feet, 

And a Voice above their beat - 

'Naught shelters thee, who wilt not shelter Me.'

I sought not more after that which I strayed 

In face of man or maid; 

But still within the little children's eyes 

Seems something, something that replies, 

They at least are for me, surely for me! 

I turned me to them very wistfully; 

But just as their young eyes grew sudden fair 

With dawning answers there, 

Their angel plucked them from me by the hair.

Come then, ye other children, Nature's - share 

With me (said I) 'your delicate fellowship; 

Let me greet you lip to lip, 

Let me twine with you caresses, 

Wantoning 

With our Lady-Mother's vagrant tresses, 

Banqueting 

With her in her wind-walled palace, 

Underneath her azured dais, 

Quaffing, as your taintless way is, 

From a chalice Lucent-weeping out of the dayspring'. 

So it was done: 

I in their delicate fellowship was one - 

Drew the bolt of Nature's secrecies. 

I knew all the swift importings 

On the wilful face of skies; 

I knew how the clouds arise 

Spumed of the wild sea-snortings; 

All that's born or dies 

Rose and dropped with; made them shapers 

Of mine own moods, or wailful divine; 

With them joyed and was bereaven. 

I was heavy with the even, 

When she lit her glimmering tapers 

Round the day's dead sanctities. 

I laughed in the morning's eyes. 

I triumphed and I saddened with all weather, 

Heaven and I wept together, 

And its sweet tears were salt with mortal mine: 

Against the red throb of its sunset-heart 

I laid my own to beat, 

And share commingling heat; 

But not by that, by that, was eased my human smart. 

In vain my tears were wet on Heaven's grey cheek. 

For ah! we know not what each other says, 

These things and I; in sound I speak - 

Their sound is but their stir, they speak by silences. 

Nature, poor stepdame, cannot slake my drouth; 

Let her, if she would owe me, 

Drop yon blue bosom-veil of sky, and show me 

The breasts of her tenderness: 

Never did any milk of hers once bless 

My thirsting mouth. 

Nigh and nigh draws the chase, 

With unperturbed pace, 

Deliberate speed, majestic instancy; 

And past those noised Feet 

A voice comes yet more fleet - 

'Lo! naught contents thee, who content'st not Me.'

Naked I wait Thy love's uplifted stroke! 

My harness piece by piece Thou has hewn from me, 

And smitten me to my knee; 

I am defenceless utterly. 

I slept, methinks, and woke, 

And, slowly gazing, find me stripped in sleep. 

In the rash lustihead of my young powers, 

I shook the pillaring hours 

And pulled my life upon me; grimed with smears, 

I stand amidst the dust o' the mounded years - 

My mangled youth lies dead beneath the heap. 

My days have cracked and gone up in smoke, 

Have puffed and burst as sun-starts on a stream. 

Yea, faileth now even dream 

The dreamer, and the lute the lutanist; 

Even the linked fantasies, in whose blossomy twist 

I swung the earth a trinket at my wrist, 

Are yielding; cords of all too weak account 

For earth with heavy griefs so overplussed. 

Ah! is Thy love indeed 

A weed, albeit an amarinthine weed, 

Suffering no flowers except its own to mount? 

Ah! must - 

Designer infinite! - 

Ah! must Thou char the wood ere Thou canst limn with it? 

My freshness spent its wavering shower i' the dust; 

And now my heart is as a broken fount, 

Wherein tear-drippins stagnate, spilt down ever 

From the dank thoughts that shiver 

Upon the sighful branches of my mind. 

Such is; what is to be? 

The pulp so bitter, how shall taste the rind? 

I dimly guess what Time in mists confounds; 

Yet ever and anon a trumpet sounds 

From the hid battlements of Eternity; 

Those shaken mists a space unsettle, then 

Round the half-glimpsed turrets slowly wash again. 

But not ere him who summoneth 

I first have seen, enwound 

With glooming robes purpureal, cypress-crowned; 

His name I know and what his trumpet saith. 

Whether man's heart or life it be which yields 

Thee harvest, must Thy harvest-fields 

Be dunged with rotten death? 

Now of that long pursuit 

Comes on at hand the bruit; 

That Voice is round me like a bursting sea: 

'And is thy earth so marred, 

Shattered in shard on shard? 

Lo, all things fly thee, for thou fliest Me! 

Strange, piteous, futile thing! 

Wherefore should any set thee love apart? 

Seeing none but I makes much of naught' (He said), 

'And human love needs human meriting: 

How hast thou merited - 

Of all man's clotted clay the dingiest clot? 

Alack, thou knowest not 

How little worthy of any love thou art! 

Whom wilt thou find to love ignoble thee, 

Save Me, save only Me? 

All which I took from thee I did but take, 

Not for thy harms, 

But just that thou might'st seek it in My arms. 

All which thy child's mistake 

Fancies as lost, I have stored for thee at home: 

Rise, clasp My hand, and come!' 

Halts by me that footfall: 

Is my gloom, after all, 

Shade of His hand, outstretched caressingly? 

'Ah, fondest, blindest, weakest, 

I am He Whom thou seekest! 

Thou dravest love from thee, who dravest Me.'

 

Faith-Based Addiction Treatment

Celebrate Hope at Hope By The Sea is a faith-based addiction treatment program that incorporates the 12 Steps and the teaching of Jesus Christ. If you're struggling with an alcohol or substance use disorder, then please know that a life in recovery awaits you. Please contact us today to learn how we can help you break the disease cycle of addiction and reconnect with God.

Losing Your Job In Recovery

As was predicted, the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise around the globe. Yesterday, we learned that over a million people have tested positive, and more than 50,000 individuals have passed away. America has the most cases, 245,658, and Italy continues to have the highest death toll (13,915). So far, 6,069 Americans have succumbed to COVID-19.

The world is far from containing the spread of the virus despite adopting new practices, such as sheltering in place and social distancing. Hopefully, such methods will lead to a flattening of the curve in the near future. Still, the projections for the United States do not look favorable; it’s possible that more Americans will die from the coronavirus than any other nationality.

All of us must continue to heed the advice from public health experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Those include the two methods mentioned above, and also wearing face masks, washing your hands for at least twenty seconds, and self-quarantining if you have come into contact with a person who contracted the virus or has flu-like symptoms. Following CDC guidelines will decrease the chance of disease transmission and contraction.

The unprecedented event we are facing has changed the world in a myriad of ways. The pandemic has had a profound impact on the economy, and the number of jobs lost in such a short period is staggering. If you do not work in a field deemed an essential service or are self-employed, then there is a good chance you are currently out of work.

For those in recovery, being laid-off or temporarily suspended could affect your mental health and potentially derail your program. We hope that everyone who has lost work continues to make recovery their primary focus.

Unemployment and Recovery

It’s almost hard to fathom that 10 million workers have sought unemployment benefits in the last two weeks, USA Today reports. To put that into perspective, nearly 9 million people were laid off during the Great Recession of 2008.

Many people who complete an addiction treatment program do not have employment. Such individuals are instructed to get what is called a “get well job.” A position that is relatively stress-free, and often part-time. Early recovery is a challenging time and taking on too much work can negatively impact one’s ability to focus on their program.

Naturally, many people in early recovery seek work in the service industry, which is the sector hit hardest by the pandemic. So, it stands to reason that a significant number of individuals in recovery were among the 10 million who filed for unemployment recently.

It is a significant blow to be laid off for something out of one’s control. Such an experience can be hard to cope with for anyone, but especially for men and women who are still strengthening their coping skills. Those who are now unemployed will benefit from doubling their efforts in recovery.

Attend more virtual 12 step meetings, call members of your support network frequently, and pray every day. Such actions will help you cope with your negative feelings and prevent you from making decisions that could lead to a relapse. Rely on the Fellowship to help carry you through this challenging time of isolation and uncertainty.

We are all struggling with our new realities together, and help is always one phone call away.

California Faith-Based Addiction Treatment

Celebrate Hope is a faith-based addiction treatment center located in Southern California. Our team of addiction professionals utilizes evidence-based therapies and the teachings of Jesus Christ to help men and women break the cycle of addiction. Please contact us today to begin the journey of recovery.

Keeping Your Faith in Recovery During a Pandemic

At Celebrate Hope, tonight our thoughts and prayers go out to the 17,000 people with confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States and the 223 people who have died. This pandemic is testing the faith of billions of people, and the public health crisis is far from being contained.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), along with other local, state, and federal public health agencies are advising everyone to stay home and limit interactions with other people. For many men and women, such advice is not challenging to adhere to, but that is not the case for most people. This is especially true for people working programs of recovery.

If you are currently working a program, then you grasp the importance of 12 Step meetings. You also know that working with others is the key to long-term recovery. Lasting sobriety is achieved together.

Still, it isn’t safe to be gathering in large groups, shaking hands, and physically embracing one another. Naturally, the above list is a 12 Step meeting to a T. The global pandemic has forced many 12 Step groups to close their doors to the public. Some peoples' homegroups are now utilizing digital platforms for conducting meetings and carrying the message, according to the General Service Office of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or GSO.

The AA resource center has published a statement online with information and advice for members of the recovery community. We hope you will take the time to read it at length.

The General Service of Alcoholics Anonymous U.S./Canada functions as a repository for AA members and groups who are looking for the shared experience of the Fellowship. As the global situation related to Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to develop, we are fully committed to continue to serve as a resource center of shared experience to help navigate this unprecedented public health emergency.

Keeping Your Faith and Recovery Intact

We hope you are keeping yourself up to date regarding pandemic developments and on proper protocols for avoiding disease contraction. Washing your hands, avoiding crowds, and staying indoors are three sound recommendations for safeguarding your health.

Those of you in recovery must continue being vigilant about your program, even if you are unable to attend in-person meetings. It’s vital that you continue staying in close contact with your support network and sponsor. Utilize the resources available online for attending digital meetings.

What’s more, sticking to your recovery routine – as best you can – will help you protect your progress. Continue to pray and ask for guidance from your higher power to help you navigate these challenging times. People in recovery cannot lose their faith!

Prayer and constant contact with a God of your understanding are often all that stands between you and a relapse. You might find that you need to pray more during this unprecedented public health disaster.

In the coming days, many people in recovery will be spending a lot of time alone, which isn’t suitable for one’s program. However, online resources are available, and you have the tools to cope with the stressful days to come. If you begin to struggle, reach out for support immediately to prevent matters from worsening.

Faith-Based Addiction Recovery Program

At Celebrate Hope, our dedicated staff is adhering to the CDC guidelines regarding COVID-19. Our faith-based addiction treatment center is determined to protect the health and safety of our clients while also providing effective, evidence-based therapies. Please contact us today to learn more about our program.