As the state battles the coronavirus another kind of invisible threat might be festering in social isolation.

“Kicking a substance habit can be hard enough in normal times,” said Jason Beckwith, founder of the Action in Recovery group and a drug addiction reformer in Butler County. “The situation we're in is a breeding ground for relapse.”

With social isolation and restrictions on group gatherings mandated by the government, Beckwith and other recovery specialists are wondering: Is drug and alcohol recovery possible alongside coronavirus precautions? These precautions have closed Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous and other programs that are considered the hallowed pillars of recovery.

“All the things we've built up for opioid epidemic — treatment, support — that's all on pause,” Beckwith said. “The odds of people maintaining sobriety in this climate, the odds are down astronomically. (Intensive outpatient programs) — gone. After cares — gone.

“All of them things are key to recovery. You get that sense of belonging. That's not an option anymore.”

Often, when a person with a substance abuse problem decides to get clean they will undergo a medical treatment at an inpatient program, where they will be continually under medical supervision. This early stage of treatment is still available, but the next stage of recovery, outpatient programs, has been largely halted over the last few weeks as the government attempts to stop the pandemic's spread.

Beckwith said that these closures are hitting people in the early and mid-stages of recovery, when they are at their most vulnerable.

Outpatient treatment centers like the ones offered by Ellen O'Brien Gaiser Addiction Center in Butler and Butler Memorial Hospital are closed for in-person meetings. These outpatient programs have largely switched to remote contact like phone calls and online interaction.

Robert Muntz, coordinator of drug and alcohol services for Butler Memorial Hospital, said there are pros and cons to holding “telehealth” meetings with patients. The hospital staffs nine therapists who work on outpatient treatment for 200 plus patients.“There are drawbacks — you don't get that personal touch,” Muntz said about the move to telehealth. “But the positive is that they don't have to worry about transportation, child care, any other challenges that accompany travel. So in some ways, telehealth is advantageous.”Muntz said that inpatient programs typically are for people who are physically dependent on a substance, requiring a medical process to carefully ween them off that substance to avoid the sometimes-lethal side effects of withdrawal.Afterward, they have the option to continue treatment through outpatient programs, where large groups typically gather to discuss treatment. These kinds of gatherings have been shut down, replaced with one-on-one online and phone communication.Muntz noted that this new system is “more individualized” and that the added barrier of remote communication can help people feel more comfortable about sharing experiences and thoughts that they otherwise might not.Muntz said that the remote contact rate between his staff and patients is high “because people can be reached more easily so there's more contact actually happening.“People I've spoken to personally have said they're doing well with this process,” Muntz said, noting the sample size still is small. “We've been in this process now for two weeks so time will tell how all of that goes.”In the end, Muntz said, “This is a time where people need connection. Everybody is a little scared, a little freaked out so it's nice to have a caring voice on the other end of the line.”Also offering a voice at the end of the line is the Grapevine Drop-In Center, 140 N. Elm St.The center, usually open during the week, seeks to help anyone with drug and alcohol issues, as well as mental health issues. It closed recently over virus precautions. It normally provides a place for people to socialize, educational material, recovery resources and a certified peer specialist, according to Bette Peoples, executive director of Grapevine Center.“People are pretty scared. They want things to go back to normal,” Peoples said. “This is a very difficult time no matter who we're talking about. We just want people to know that even though the drop in center is closed there's still a phone line.”A certified peer specialist can be reached, along with other information, through the center's “warmline” at 724-431-2488.Alcohol, addictionOn April 1, state Drug and Alcohol Programs Secretary Jen Smith also was considering how social isolation would hurt drug recovery.“I absolutely think under the circumstances we're living in we could see more individuals turning to substances to deal with anxiety,” Smith said during a news conference. “It's really isolating.“Make sure you stay in touch with people you love through Skype or FaceTime or whatever mechanism you have. Make sure you go outside and get in the sun.”She urged anyone who might be suffering from alcohol withdrawal to call the state's drug and alcohol treatment hotline at 800-662-HELP. The hotline is staffed at all hours, Smith said.Smith said she also worried that as more employers lay off workers, people who are alcohol dependent will not be able to afford to drink.“We've never been in this kind of circumstance to base it on so we have no data on any of this stuff,” Smith said.Looking for the bright side, Smith said, “It's certainly an opportunity for folks who were previously not interested in treatment. With something like COVID, you question what's really important in life and truly think what they're lives should be like.”Staying strongWith more than eight months of sobriety, Chris Best of Butler is confident he won't relapse — or “going back out” as he calls it.Until recently, he ran a Narcotics Anonymous group at noon for anywhere between 10 to 18 people. He said he stays in contact with most of them.“I've been hearing a lot of people have been going back out,” Best said. “It seems like a lot of them aren't getting high on dope. They're turning to drinking. But no matter what, everything is heroin for us. It will all lead back to that.”Best believes that since he is out of the earliest stages of recovery, he won't succumb to the temptation of relapsing.“I used to have my whole day planned and now everything has been out of whack,” Best said. “It was a good thing I went to all those meetings because I was able to strengthen my recovery. I probably would have relapsed because I wouldn't have been able to start that routine of going to meetings and getting that support.”But he sees the danger.“If I don't start a positive routine, I'll fall into that negativity and hanging out with the wrong crowd and going back out,” he said. “It's happened numerous times to me.”Best remembers that when he got out of Butler County Prison about eight months ago for drug-related charges, he was considering “going back out.”“I was real depressed and I was going to get high and I saw a friend who lived in (Beckwith's) house. I told him I was going to get high. I couldn't find a job. He told me to call (Beckwith). If it wasn't for him a lot of people like myself wouldn't be clean or wouldn't stay clean,” said Best, who found employment at Wise Business Forms in Butler.But Beckwith said that while cybermeetings might help, they do not substitute for the real thing.“It's a huge difference with the fellowship of being in a room with people who help you know you're not alone,” Beckwith said.Seeking alternativesBeckwith stressed that he isn't advocating for the return of AA-like meetings, acceding to the safety precautions being taken by the government. He advises people to continue to socially isolate and reduce the spread of the virus.Best suggested an alternative.“It only takes two people to have a meeting. You don't need a whole thing. If you're having a problem and need to talk to someone you can still do it on a smaller scale,” Best said.“I'm not telling people what to do, but with this going on, there's other solutions,” he said. “Look what's happening. If that's all you were banking on, you have to rethink this thing.”

How those struggling with addiction can reach out for help:Grapevine Center's “warmline” for people who just need to talk: 724-431-2488.People who want to be evaluated for outpatient treatment at Butler Memorial Hospital: 724-284-4759,NA hotline: 888-251-2426; NA website for online meetings: narecovery.orgAA hotline: 724-679-5647; AA website for online meetings: District1aa.Family support in Butler County: 724-284-4016