Agencies offer hope for those struggling with addiction during COVID-19 pandemic Albany, Georgia (Albany Herald) — Disruptive events such as a natural disaster or loss of a job can affect individuals, as well as their families, even when the circumstances are short in duration. In the midst of a global pandemic that has disrupted the lives of nearly everyone in myriad ways — from being shut off from loved ones to long periods spent in isolation — and has lasted for a year the impact has been massive. For many, the stress and depression brought about by this unprecedented event has led to them turning to the use of substances, from the legal such as alcohol to street drugs such as methamphetamine and in particular opioids.