, FOR PEOPLE WHO STRUGGLE WITH
ALCOHOL ADDICTION AND OTHER
SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS THIS
COVID-19 OUTBREAK CAN PRESENT
MANY CHALLENGES.
WE WANTED TO BRING IN WILLIAM
MOYERS FROM HAZELTON BETTY FORD
FOUNDATION TWO JOINS US LIVE
THROUGH SKYPE.
THANKS FOR BEING WITH US.
THIS IS SUCH A CHALLENGING TIME
FOR EVERYONE.
WHEN YOU LAYER THAT ON TOP OF
TRYING TO WORK THROUGH
ADDICTION, IT'S GOT TO JUST BE
OVERWHELMING FOR SOME.
VERY TRUE.
THANKS FOR HAVING ME ON.
WE KNOW THAT ADDICTION IS AN
ILLNESS OF ISOLATION.
THE ANTIDOTE IS COMMUNITY.
PEOPLE BEING TOGETHER.
YET IN THESE UNPRECEDENTED
TIMES WE AS A COMMUNITY ARE
BEING ASKED TO DO THINGS
DIFFERENTLY.
SOCIAL DISTANCING AS WE'RE
LEARNING NOW.
THAT PRESENTS PARTICULAR SET OF
CHALLENGES.
SELL OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE
IN RECOVERY.
WE CAN'T GET TOGETHER AROUND A
TABLE AT A COFFEE SHOP.
WE CAN'T DO THOSE THINGS THAT
ARE SO IMPORTANT TO BEING
TOGETHER AS RECOVERING PEOPLE.
THERE ARE MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO
GET CONNECTED AND TO STAY
CONNECTED WITH ONLINE MEETINGS,
ONLINE CHATS, FACEBOOK AND
OTHER WAYS.
I KNOW YOU WROTE A NEW YORK
TIMES BEST SELLER ABOUT YOUR
OWN JOURNEY THROUGH RECOVERY.
THIS, KEY TO YOUR STORY WAS
BEING ABLE TO CONNECT WITH
PEOPLE IN PERSON AND HAVE THAT
SUPPORT SYSTEM.
DOES THE ONLINE WAY OF DOING
THIS, WHAT IS THE RESEARCH
SHOW?
IS IT AS EFFECTIVE?
THERE'S NOTHING BETTER THAN
TWO PEOPLE BEING TOGETHER OR
PEOPLE BEING TOGETHER IN IT A
GROUP THE WAY WE WOULD DEFINE
IT.
THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO ABANDON
RECOVERY.
WE HAVE A LOT OF ONLINE
RESOURCES.
WHAT WE HAVE DISCOVERED IN THE
LAST 10 DAYS AS THIS PANDEMIC
HAS TAKEN HOLD ACROSS MINNESOTA
AND PARTICULARLY NOW AS WE KNOW
WITH THE GOVERNOR DECLARING
EVERYBODY TO STAY AT HOME
STARTING TOMORROW.
WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IS A SURGE IN
A NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE
COMING TO OUR WEBSITE AND
CONNECTING TO US IN WAYS THAT
THEY MIGHT NOT NEED TO DO
NORMALLY OR HAVEN'T DONE IN THE
PAST TO GET MORE VIRTUAL
INTENSIVE OUTPATIENT PROGRAMS
WHICH ARE DONE VIRTUALLY.
WE'VE SEEN A SPIKE IN PEOPLE
COMING TO US.
IN THIS CHALLENGING TIME THERE
ARE NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR
PEOPLE TO REACH OUT AND GET
CONNECTED AND THEY'RE DOING
THAT.
I WANT TO ALSO EMPHASIZE TO
YOUR LISTENERS ON CCO THAT IF
YOU ARE STRUGGLING WITH
SUBSTANCES, NOW IS NOT THE TIME
TO TURN AWAY FROM ASKING FOR
HELP.
YOU MAY NEED TO ASK FOR HELP A
LITTLE DIFFERENTLY THAN YOU
MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT SO A FEW
WEEKS AGO.
HOW SO?
WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?
HOW SHOULD YOU DIFFERENTLY ASK
FOR HELP?
WELL REACH OUT TO HAZEL AND
BETTY FORD THROUGH THE WEBSITES
AND OUR OTHER GOOD TREATMENT
PROVIDERS.
HYPOTHESIS ARE MANY WAYS TO GET
INTO RECOVERY TO FIND
TREATMENT.
PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL.
THE PHONE IS STILL A GOOD WAY
TO STAY CONNECTED.
PHONE THOSE CLINICAL EXPERTS
OUT THERE, AND SAY HEY, YOU
KNOW WHAT, I'M STRUGGLING WITH
SUBSTANCES.
I NEED HELP.
THE ALTERNATIVE IS IF YOU DON'T
ASK FOR HELP TODAY TOMORROW IT
MIGHT BE TOO LATE.
FOR SURE.
TELL US ABOUT THIS NEW RESOURCE
THAT YOU GUYS JUST LAUNCHED
CALLED RECOVERY GO.
THIS IS PART OF CONNECTING
PEOPLE VIRTUALLY; RIGHT?
YES, EXACTLY.
THIS IS WHERE PEOPLE WHO ARE
STRUGGLING, PEOPLE WHO NEED TO
ACCESS OUR CLINICAL CARE DON'T
HAVE TO WALK THROUGH THE FRONT
DOOR OF ONE OF OUR FACILITIES
IN ST. PAUL OR PLYMOUTH.
THEY CAN JUST REACH OUT TO US
VIRTUALLY THROUGH THE WEBSITE.
CONNECT.
GET AN ASSESSMENT.
GET THAT CLINICAL EXPERTISE
THAT HAS BEEN A CORNER STONE OF
OUR CARE FOR 70 YEARS IN
MINNESOTA AND START TO GET ON
THAT ROAD TO RECOVERY.
IT'S VIRTUAL BUT IT WORKS AND
WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF PEOPLE
COME TO US AND SAY HEY NOW IS
THE TIME FOR ME TO GET HELP.
I WANT TO QUICKLY ASK ONE
MORE QUESTION.
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT PEOPLE WHO
ARE NOT ALREADY IN TREATMENT
WHO MAY BE TURNING TO
SUBSTANCES, WHETHER IT'S
TURNING TO BOOZE OR DRUGS
BECAUSE THEY ARE HOME, THEY ARE
FEELING ANXIOUS.
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR THE
SUPPORT SYSTEM, FOR THE FAMILY,
FRIENDS, WHERE MAYBE WE'RE
CONCERNED ABOUT ONE OF OUR
FRIENDS WHO MIGHT BE ON THE
EDGE.
GREAT QUESTION.
WE KNOW THAT ADDICTION IS NOT
ONLY A DISEASE OF ISOLATION BUT
AFFECTS THE FAMILY AND THE
COMMUNITY.
IF YOU'RE A FAMILY MEMBER AND
YOU HAVE A LOVED ONE WHO IS
STRUGGLING, REACH OUT.
IF YOU'RE AN EMPLOYER WHO HAS A
PERSON SUGGEST STRUGGLING,
REACH OUT.
OR BETTER YET, GO TO THE PERSON
YOU THINK IS STRUGGLING AND SAY
HEY, I'M YOUR MOTHER, I'M YOUR
SPOUSE, I'M YOUR BROTHER,
SISTER, I'M HERE TO HELP YOU.
LET'S GET SOME HELP WHILE WE
STILL CAN.
GOOD.
THAT DIRECT APPEAL IMPORTANT.
IMPORTANT ADVICE AT ALL TIMES
BUT ESPECIALLY AT THIS TIME.