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Rates of alcohol and drug overdose have been on the rise year over year throughout the country. According to the figures released by the CDC, as many as 70,630 Americans died of a drug overdose in 2019 alone. Unfortunately, 2020 only made the problem worse. As the Covid-19 crisis swept across the world, people were forced to stay locked inside their homes for extended periods of time.
The impact of the pandemic was far more than physical. Increased levels of stress and anxiety tend to drive people to seek relief through substance and alcohol use. Several reports confirmed that trend during the peak of the pandemic.
The ongoing uncertainty and stress triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in a rising demand for addiction treatments and mental health services from clinical psychologists around the nation. In addition to depression and anxiety, misuse of stimulants and opioids has also risen.
According to the CDC, 13% of Americans reported increasing or beginning substance use as a way of coping with stress related to the pandemic as of June 2020. The question is, do we have an effective addiction treatment to address this situation?
Fortunately, it has become easier for people to access healthcare and addiction treatment for substance use disorders, thanks to the advances in telemedicine. It’s true that the pandemic initially caused many primary care physicians to shut down their clinics. However, telehealth options for mental and physical health issues have become increasingly available as providers have recognized the need.
CheckUp & Choices is a part of this web-based, wellness care movement. Our evidence-based program is a pioneer in the field of digital self-help and wellness, and is designed to help people change their relationship with alcohol, opioids, stimulants, and even gambling.
Reid K. Hester, Ph.D., co-founded this innovative program in 2015 after decades of research and randomized trials, to provide comprehensive support for individuals dealing with substance misuse.
If you want to reduce your use of alcohol and/or drugs, and are willing to make positive changes in your life, the CheckUp & Choices program will give you the tools and strategies you need to do that. Our team of esteemed clinical psychologists have used the latest research and analytics to create a program that will help you evaluate your drinking or drug use and find the most effective solutions to address them.
The program was devised after conducting 6 randomized clinical trials, all funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with over $4.8 million in competitive grants. An overall 55% reduction in drinking frequency, quantity, and intensity was reported by the participants.
We recommend taking this free 10-question screening test first to receive feedback about your drinking and determine whether it’s an issue you would like to change. After the quiz, if you think you want a more comprehensive evaluation of your situation, you can take the CheckUp that takes about 30-40 minutes to complete.
This program includes questions about alcohol consumption, related problems, your mood (depression and/or anxiety), risk factors for further health issues, and odds of success with moderation (if you choose ‘moderation’ as your goal). If you are not sure where to start, or have any other questions about the program, leave us a message here and we will get back to you.
