It’s no secret that 2020 was difficult for everyone. We were stuck inside, devoid of regular social contact and deprived of the regular freedoms that we are afforded as proud Americans. Mortality rates and issues arising from alcohol abuse that may lead to mortality rose by over 25% in 2020 – arguably a result of all the extra time on our hands.
The residual effects are much less spoken of – when you develop a learned routine, it may become an addiction. So when the circumstances that led to that routine change, you’re still left to pick up the pieces of your newfound problem.
For New Englanders, the problem has hit incredibly close to home, but options exist for addiction treatment in Massachusetts. Whether you are searching for help for an addiction to alcohol, alcoholism during COVID, or drug rehab in Massachusetts, there are options – some that may be considered “luxury.”
When it comes to alcohol-related deaths during COVID, 2020 and 2021 were outliers. In fact, a majority of the deaths weren’t directly caused by drinking and driving. They were the result of alcohol poisoning and liver or kidney damage.
Boredom can be a heck of a killer.
Addiction Treatment in Massachusetts
Regardless of your substance of choice, there are options for addiction treatment in Massachusetts.
Before we dive into the solutions, let’s examine the difference between the need for alcohol rehab in Massachusetts, the need for drug rehab in Massachusetts, and why luxury detox in Massachusetts might be a good option for you if you developed alcoholism during COVID.
Addiction to Alcohol
Alcohol Use Disorder, also known (in extreme forms) as Alcoholism, is the need or urge to consume alcohol, even at inappropriate times and places, to feel normal.
Often, those who need to seek addiction treatment in Massachusetts (or anywhere, really) won’t be able to realize that there is a problem unless someone else points it out to them – even if it has cost them dearly in terms of their freedoms.
It is essential to understand that this disorder is an illness. Likely, the person experiencing the issue can simply not control the problem without help.
The onset of COVID-19 gave new meaning to the old saying that “idle hands are the devil’s playground.” Americans had a lot more time on their hands and were constantly being inundated with negative news. Unfortunately, but equally realistically, the quickest and easiest fix was alcohol consumption.
While human weakness and mental defects can be pointed to as contributing factors, another fact looms. During the onset of the pandemic, Americans didn’t have access to proper mental health care.
Sure, teleconferencing services sprang up like weeds, but not before everyone was bored so far out of their minds with Golden Girls reruns that a bottle of expired Prosecco sounded like heaven!
Alcohol Rehab in Massachusetts
To the uninitiated, an alcohol rehab center invokes thoughts not much better than prison – cinder block walls and stiff beds. Hollywood doesn’t help the image, either. Contrary to popular belief, however, there are luxury detox options in Massachusetts that are not as bleak.
Drug Rehab in Massachusetts
Often vilified as a “step up” from alcohol rehab, that is not the case. Drug addiction tackles many of the same nerve endings as alcohol addiction and should also be considered a mental illness.
The good news is the same as above – if you are looking for detox center options, luxury detox options are available. Again, you tried to mitigate the boredom, and you are human – it’s understandable. But now it’s time to fix it.
The Real Toll of COVID-19
Most epidemiologists and doctors agree – we are far from learning the real toll that COVID-19 has taken on our country. The damage is not acute but broad in range and social implication.
Among the innumerable current and future variants and mutations of the virus, we must also worry about the gap in education that our children have experienced, the immense global economic repercussions, and for the sake of our current subject, the mental health of the citizens of Earth.
Alcohol-Related Deaths in Massachusetts and the U.S. in 2020
If the above numbers are not grim enough, Massachusetts General Hospital states the following numbers:
By the year 2040, the increase in alcohol consumption in 2020 alone will cause the following:
- 8,000 deaths from alcohol-related liver disease
- 18,700 cases of liver failure
- 1,000 cases of liver cancer
They also shared, “A sustained increase in alcohol consumption for more than one year could result in 19–35% additional mortality.”
Those are some gruesome numbers to blame for a year or two of being too bored.
So What Do I Do Now?
If you need addiction treatment in Massachusetts, there is less than zero to be ashamed of. You won’t have to stay in some rotting college-dorm-style brick room. The focus isn’t on punishment – it’s on recovery. 
So we’ve had a real bummer of a time over the last couple of years – but now it’s time to pick up the pieces and get back to the land of the living. Quarantines and barking politicians are enough to drive anyone half nuts, but we’re on the back half of the problem now (knock on wood).
Contact a luxury addiction treatment facility to begin your recovery journey as soon as possible. Don’t let a little cabin fever turn into a full-blown case of liver failure.
