Indiana has been strongly affected by COVID-19 compared with many other states, ranking among the top 15 states with the highest rate of COVID-19 deaths. As a result, many Indiana healthcare workers are experiencing or are on the verge of experiencing problems with mental health and addiction to cope with daily trauma surrounding COVID-19. Fortunately, drug rehab treatment is still available during COVID-19 to accommodate doctors, nurses, first responders, and other healthcare workers who need help fighting addiction and mental illness as the pandemic continues.
How COVID-19 Is Affecting Indiana Healthcare Workers
According to an analytics website called Statista, Indiana ranks #12 in US COVID-19 deaths. As of May 4, 2020, 19 in 100,000 people in Indiana have died from COVID-19. New York has the highest COVID-19 death rate of 126 per 100,000 people. The CDC reports that as of May 6, 2020, Indiana has seen 21,033 cases of COVID-19 and a total of 1,326 deaths.
Drug rehab professionals in Indiana are saying that many Indiana healthcare workers on the front lines of COVID-19 are suffering from high stress levels and feel uncertain about the future. Treating patients for COVID-19 and witnessing their deaths are triggering PTSD symptoms and substance abuse in many healthcare workers. Treatment professionals in Indiana are warning other drug rehab centers around the US to keep their doors open for healthcare workers in need of recovery services during the COVID-19 pandemic, and after the spread of the virus has slowed in their local areas.
Self-Care Tips for Indiana Healthcare Workers During COVID-19
Healthcare workers in Indiana are at risk for direct PTSD or secondary traumatic stress as a result of being exposed to other people’s trauma, such as witnessing families grieve after losing their loved ones to COVID-19. In order to avoid getting caught up in addiction during COVID-19, healthcare workers on the front lines can practice a series of self-care behaviors to stay as healthy as possible.
Self-care tips for healthcare workers during COVID-19 include:
- Making sleep a top priority to mentally and physically refresh
- Eating plenty of healthy foods like fruits and vegetables that strengthen the immune system
- Drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated
- Finding time to exercise and improve cardiovascular and respiratory health
- Connecting with friends and relatives as much as possible when not working
- Managing stress without the use of drugs and alcohol
- Making time for favorite activities
The CDC also recommends that healthcare workers acknowledge that secondary traumatic stress can impact anyone helping families after a traumatic event, and stresses that these individuals should learn the symptoms of secondary traumatic stress and recognize it as a normal reaction. Responders can also take a break from the media coverage surrounding COVID-19 to reduce additional exposure to negative and stressful news.
How Are Healthcare Workers Treated for Addiction?
Many drug rehab centers in Indiana are still open to local healthcare workers serving on the front lines of COVID-19 who may be struggling with addiction and mental health disorders. Indiana healthcare workers who are ready to seek addiction treatment can receive drug or alcohol detox, at Bridges of Hope Treatment Center followed by behavioral therapy in an inpatient residential rehab program. Patients with co-occurring disorders such as PTSD may also receive dual-diagnosis therapy to treat both the addiction and mental health disorders at the same time.
If you are a healthcare worker in Indiana who is struggling with a substance use disorder along with stress, trauma, PTSD, depression, or another mental health disorder, Bridges of Hope Treatment Center is ready to help. Call us at 765-358-7320 to confirm your insurance benefits.