Our nation is reeling in response to the coronavirus outbreak, and all of us are suffering some sort of loss, confusion, or fear. But as bad as the situation is for many of us, it is only going to get worse for the 2.1 million people in the United States who suffer from opioid addiction. As the COVID-19 pandemic shuts down local economies and keeps people in their homes, it is exacerbating America’s opioid crisis. We need to understand why and how to come together to fight back.
For almost two decades, opioids have been wreaking havoc on our communities. The damage has been enormous. In 2018, opioid overdoses took the lives of 128 people in America every day. Throughout his tenure, President Trump has fought back against this deadly epidemic by increasing funding for treatment options and committing government resources to curtail drug use.
Before the coronavirus outbreak, the number of opioid deaths had been declining significantly. From 2017 to 2018, the number of deaths from opioid overdose fell by 13.5%. But now, after just one month of lockdown, drug overdose deaths are beginning to rise dramatically once again.
The reasons are complex, but the core of the issue is mental health. The coronavirus outbreak is aggravating the underlying drivers of opioid addiction, including depression, anxiety, and fear.
Substance abuse has always been strongly correlated with stress and mental illness. Truly, what could be more stressful or more damaging to peace of mind than a pandemic? Tragically, 36% of people in the country say that the coronavirus has seriously impacted their mental health. And a blow to mental health easily spurs drug use. While we don’t yet have statistics on opioid use during the outbreak, we know that alcohol sales rose by 55% during the first week of lockdowns.
What’s more, unemployment exacts a costly mental and emotional toll and has always fueled opioid addiction.
A 2017 study revealed that the opioid death rate increases by 3.6% for every 1% increase in unemployment. With 22 million new unemployment claims in the last few weeks, the coronavirus outbreak is robbing people of the personal fulfillment and financial security they need to resist drug addiction.
Even the preventative measures we take to combat the spread of the virus can worsen the opioid crisis. Social distancing means that many people suffering from opioid addiction can no longer travel to the clinics or support meetings that are crucial for their long-term recovery. On top of that, social isolation is devastating for people with addictions because it can easily worsen mental health by triggering depression and anxiety. While Trump has already done tremendous work expanding access to telemedicine, it’s unlikely that virtual healthcare can provide the same rich social support that in-person treatment and community gatherings could.
While all our attention is placed on combating the novel coronavirus, millions of Americans are suffering silently from mental illness and addiction. Of course, Trump is doing everything he can to help alleviate the opioid epidemic during these trying times; the recent stimulus package, for example, included over $425 million in aid to mental health and substance abuse care facilities in impacted communities. But I think we will need even more than the most aggressive government efforts to counteract the perfect storm caused by the coronavirus.
The coronavirus outbreak is hurting our families, businesses, and neighborhoods, while stay-at-home orders and social distancing are changing the way we can pursue community together. At a time when we all need mental and emotional healing, we have to find new ways to minister to each other. Whether that means making phone calls, starting prayer chains, or just reaching out to people we know are suffering, only as a community can we bring love and healing to people suffering from isolation and addiction.
No one can deny that we need sound policies, effective legislation, and clear government leadership in protecting our nation’s vulnerable from drug addiction and death. It’s why I can only applaud every step Trump has taken so far to combat the opioid crisis. But when people are hurting and turning to drugs for comfort, what they need most of all is the support of local communities, local outreach programs, and local church ministries.
In these challenging times, we each need to do everything we can to spread the gifts of faith, hope, and love to our friends, families, and neighbors. There is no better antidote to despair, fear, and sadness than the joy that comes from the love of God. Both during and after the outbreak, we need to build the spiritual community with each other that can spread that joy to those suffering from drug addiction and poor mental health.
Timothy Head is the executive director of the Faith and Freedom Coalition.
