The Novel Coronavirus has changed the way we look at that world! Words like “quarantine”, “ Lockdown” and “Isolation” have different meanings now. We have learned to live in a world that has a lesser human connection and is more reliant on the virtual world. Work, pleasure, and leisure have become home-centric in so many ways. The overall perspective surrounding personal interactions has undergone a sea change of sorts.
Isolation and Addiction
Not all this change has been for the better. For people suffering from alcohol addiction, for instance, isolation was not a very easy situation to negotiate with. In addition, local AA meetings were called off during the initial phases of lockdown. Members who were connected to these meetings felt stranded and lonely. The lack of a support group declared doom.
Besides, the anxiety sparked by the raging pandemic caused addiction triggers in many. Alcohol drinkers found solace in their addictions and did not feel motivated enough to carry on with their abstinence. This also posed severe challenges for family members who were also thrown into this pool of stress. They had to carry on with their lives and manage their family members who were sinking into the abyss of addiction. Everything appeared quite grim.
Being a Part of AA Still Helped
The best AA meetings in Connecticut have sponsors. And the role of these sponsors became extremely crucial during this pandemic when isolation was our only hope. A sponsor is someone who has been a part of AA gatherings and has successfully weaned themselves of alcohol and stayed sober for over a year. They undertake the role of a counselor in the AA.
With Covid restrictions in place, a telephonic conversation with a sponsor is all many addicts had, to hold on to. The sponsor worked as a one-point contact for emotional anchoring with respect to addiction-related problems. Sponsors are idolized and suitably respected by those suffering from alcoholism. What they say carried weightage.
They played their role by urging addiction fighters to stay on track by checking their progress on an online Sobriety Calculator, every now and then. This made a huge difference in their progress.
Zoom Meetings Came to the Rescue
Although the impact may not have been just the same, Zoom meetings made a difference for many who were used to drawing strength from support groups. Although they did not provide the comfort of actual human interactions, these virtual meetings kind of made up for it by offering some sort of interaction where problems could be shared. Pandemic-related stress points could also be successfully soothed with the help of these interactions.
Games were played and role-play organized for adding that much-needed touch of enthusiasm that each one of us needed to stay sane amid Pandemic fear.
Thankfully Meetings are Back!
With the pandemic situation improving, one can again search for “AA meetings near me”. With restrictions being removed, people can now connect to each other in person. They can share their survival stories through the pandemic years and discuss tips for coping. As is the case, experts believe that the pandemic is here to stay. These tips are likely to be of help in the future too.