Alcoholics: The Risk of Isolation During the Corona Period

Alcohol addiction can affect anyone. Self-help groups and psychotherapy sessions play a significant role in helping alcoholics. Following the coronavirus pandemic, these groups are not permitted to hold meetings. A situation that has raised concerns.

The ban on gatherings in Germany due to the coronavirus pandemic has created problems for alcoholics and their families in the country.

According to estimates, up to two million men and women between the ages of 18 and 64 in Germany are alcohol-dependent, and annually 40,000 people in the country lose their lives due to the consequences of this addiction. Holding group psychotherapy sessions by specialized organizations and associations is one of the ways to help alcoholics overcome their addiction.

Since mid-March (about a month and a half ago), the holding of psychotherapy and self-help meetings in Germany has been halted due to fears of the spread of COVID-19, and alcoholics no longer have the opportunity to physically attend these meetings and communicate with psychologists and others in similar situations.

But how important is the existence of such groups in controlling alcohol addiction? Could the lack of such psychotherapy meetings drive alcoholics back to addiction?

Online Sessions, a “Second-Rate” Alternative

According to Dr. Markus Schimelfennig, an addiction specialist from the city of Kassel, alcohol addiction can only be controlled through self-restraint and abstinence, and even then only for life, and cannot be completely cured.

He tells the news agency “epd” that he does not accept the approach of asking an alcoholic to control their consumption. According to this specialist, in specialized addiction treatment centers, efforts are made to maintain distance from alcohol, or what is called a state of “dryness.” For this reason, Schimelfennig believes that psychotherapy groups play a significant role in helping these individuals maintain this state.

He considers the non-holding of group addiction recovery meetings to be causing “increased psychological burden on alcoholics and an increase in the risk of relapse” and adds that many of these individuals suffer from isolation and struggle with psychological as well as economic problems.

According to him, these people do not have the opportunity to exchange thoughts and ideas with those in similar situations and lose the support and sense of security they have in psychotherapy groups. In psychotherapy groups, alcoholics can talk about their addiction and problems without judgment and criticism, unlike in family gatherings or work environments.

According to this specialist doctor, “alcoholics cannot lie to each other among themselves.” For this reason, the non-holding of these sessions creates a major void in the process of controlling addiction and increases the risk of relapse. Markus Schimelfennig evaluates the holding of group psychotherapy sessions virtually (online) as an inappropriate and “second-rate” alternative.

Emergency Hotline

Nevertheless, a number of self-help groups in Germany have recently tried to maintain contact through telephone conversations or online meetings. The director of one of these groups in the state of Hesse reported good reception from patients and said that if an alcoholic has an urgent need for in-person conversation, this need will be met by implementing health and safety measures.

Meanwhile, from April 1st, an emergency hotline has been launched throughout Germany in this regard, and the launch of a video emergency line is also underway.

There are approximately 2,500 “Alcoholics Anonymous” associations in Germany to help alcoholics. Although these groups have made efforts during quarantine to maintain contact using various methods such as email, video or telephone conferences, the current situation has still created gaps.

For example, family members of addicts who previously had the opportunity to exchange and communicate with each other by attending special groups have been deprived of this opportunity since the ban on gatherings.

Managers of self-help groups hope that with the end of quarantine and restrictions as soon as possible, psychotherapy meetings will resume, and in this way, alcoholics will once again have the opportunity to receive necessary support and assistance.

Source: DW