The Covid-19 pandemic has obviously been very difficult for the medical field. But an area that people possibly didn’t expect was Addiction Clinics. Reports have shown nearly 8.5 million adults are now at a high risk of alcohol addiction. But the number of people seeking help has steadily dropped since 2015.
Many professionals believe one of the main reasons in the decline of people seeking help, is English addiction clinics not being equipped to deal with the elevated number of people drinking to dangerous levels during the pandemic; whilst government funding is at an all time low.
Alcohol has been the crutch for over half of surveyed adults in the United Kingdom. With 29% of people saying their alcohol consumption has severely increased during the pandemic, particularly the first 6 months.
The Link Between Mental Health & Alcohol Consumption
The main reason the surveyed adults gave for drinking is to elevate the negative mental health issues. Mental health has been at the forefront of most people’s minds because everyone is dealing with higher levels of stress, anxiety, worry, insomnia and above all else everyone is dealing with increased levels of boredom during the national lockdowns.
Stress and anxiety is the most common mental health issues people have been drinking to decrease. The survey asked the participants which symptom of poor mental health they have experienced. Here are the results:
- Anxiety, stress or worry (30%)
- Issues falling asleep (29%)
- Disrupted sleep (35%)
- Loss of memory (22%)
- Feelings of sadness, or feeling low (29%)
- Increased irritability and anger (28%)
This link between mental health and alcohol consumption and the increased pressures brought on by the pandemic is another reason addiction clinics have an increased need.
But we have been stuck in national lockdowns so many have been worried to leave their homes and home area to access addiction treatment.
The Need For Private Addiction Clinics
The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the national need for funding to the NHS and this is true for NHS addiction clinics. There are currently only 5 NHS funded impatient units in the United Kingdom.
And with drug deaths at an all time high the need for inpatient clinics has never been higher. This lack of facilities but higher demand may be why there are now a lot of great private facilities with highly trained staff, doctors and nurses.
A lot of these facilities are very reasonably priced with payment options in place so even if you are reluctant to get treatment from a private addiction clinic reach out, it may be easier to get help than you think.
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