Quarantine Tips While Battling an Opioid Addiction

Fighting opioid addiction is difficult in the best of times. Now, with quarantine, stay-at-home orders and social distancing, battling an addiction to opioids has become amplified. The more isolated and cut off you feel, the greater your risk of relapse. However, it’s still possible to fight addiction and forge connections with others. Here are some tips on how to quarantine with an addiction to opioids.

Keep in Touch With Your Support System

Whether it’s your family, friends or others who have strengthened your recovery journey, make an effort to keep in touch instead of waiting around for them to call you. Schedule a time at least once or twice a week where you reach out. Open up about cravings, triggers and temptations and they can encourage you to avoid relapsing at home.

Attend Online Counseling Sessions or Virtual Group Meetings

There are ample apps that allow you to connect with others face to face, even while social distancing. If you’re in quarantine, be sure to find and attend Zoom or Skype support groups so that you can share your struggles and triumphs. Also, if you were doing one-on-one counseling before the pandemic, see if your therapist is offering telehealth services so that you can meet with them online.

Stay Busy With a Daily To-Do List

Boredom can be a dangerous trigger during quarantine. To prevent relapse, try filling your day so that you don’t have time to daydream about using opioids. A daily to-do list is a great way to stay organized with concrete activities you can turn to at any moment.

Your to-do list should include a healthy mix of tasks that need to be completed around the house and fun things you usually don’t have time for. For example, after vacuuming, take a break and finish a novel or play video games for an hour.

Eat, Sleep and Exercise

As you’ve probably learned during opioid addiction treatment, recovery is a holistic process that involves your body, mind and emotions. Staying healthy is one of the best ways to stave off opioid cravings. If you have to stay home, use this time to focus on the three essentials of good health:

1. Eat three nutritious meals and regular snacks every day.
2. Get a full night’s sleep and avoid staying up late.
3. Exercise and take advantage of those endorphins.

Find a Stress Relieving Activity or Hobby

Now, more than ever, a hobby or activity can help relieve built-up stress. Stress is a dangerous trigger for relapse when left unchecked. If quarantine provides you with some unprecedented free time, try learning a new craft or skill. Some popular quarantine hobbies include:

• Learning a musical instrument
• Journaling
• Indoor and outdoor gardening
• Baking
• Yoga
• Painting

Learn More About Outpatient Medication-Assisted Treatment

Even amid a pandemic, it’s essential to find the support you need to fight opioid addiction. Medication-assisted treatment (MAT), combined with counseling, is considered one of the most effective ways to combat opioid use disorder. BAART Programs continues to provide opioid treatment during this time so that you can get the help you need.

Contact a BAART location near you for more information.