Frequent attendance of meetings is key to recovery

To The Daily Sun,

The best way to achieve successful recovery from substance use is to maintain 100% abstinence and to frequently attend community self-help meetings. These days self-help programs such as AA and NA is accessed mostly online because of COVID-19. Recently the state has reported a 14% increase in liquor sales, which could mean that those who are isolating may be drinking more or that some are going back to using alcohol. This could lead to an increase in family problems such as domestic violence.

Some people are in recovery from opioid use disorder through medication assisted therapy, which happens under the care and supervision of qualified physicians. Some doctors issue medical marijuana cards for anxiety instead of other prescription anti-anxiety medicines. It can be challenging for those who are in recovery from alcohol or other substances to remain fully abstinent with so much alcohol and drugs available, particularly during COVID-19, but even self-medication with marijuana can be very risky without a medical doctor’s approval.

Hopefully, those who have been successful in long-term recovery will not revert back to substances that have been self destructive in their past. Eventually COVID-19 will be gone and "in person" community support groups will be back. I pray that we will not lose many or any of those who have been doing well in successful, full abstinence-based recovery before the rug was so abruptly pulled out from under the most effective means of treatment, which is community self-help. The sooner that all forms of support groups are able to be back together with supportive hugs, handshakes and pats on the back, the better for us all. So far, it has been a long two months for a segment of the population that really needs each other’s mutual, visible support.

Michael Tensel, 

A&D Recovery Counseling

Laconia