Louisiana Sees Uptick in Substance Abuse During Pandemic
Counselors across the nation, including right here in Acadiana, are seeing an increase in substance abuse. The stress from a pandemic year doesn’t help and for so many reasons. According to a study by the New York Times, drug and alcohol related deaths have risen 24% since the pandemic began. The pandemic has posed so many challenges that can knock an addict off their feet. Something many didn’t even think about is that the pandemic also makes it difficult for counselors to help those who need help.
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The Solutions Recovery Center in Lafayette is just one of the resources available for help. Bill Richard, Solutions Recovery Center administrator, told KATC that they’ve seen an increase in relapses. Counselors at the Solutions Recovery Center have seen a 20% increase in returning patients and a 5% increase in new patients.