Pittsburgh-area recovery center sounding alarm about alcohol addiction spike
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A drug and alcohol recovery center in Western Pennsylvania is sounding the alarm about alcohol use disorder in hopes of reaching people before it's too late.
Inside the Recovery Centers of America at Monroeville, there's been an upsetting spike in the number of people, young and old, struggling with alcohol.
Before the pandemic, recovery centers in the area were seeing a great deal of people with opioid addiction. The pandemic led to a lot of isolation.
"We're seeing a lot more patients come in with alcohol use disorder, and we expect that trend to continue unfortunately," said Dr. Scott Cook, medical director at Recovery Centers of America at Monroeville, which is an inpatient and outpatient drug and alcohol facility.
Dr. Cook said what's most concerning is how the severity of the disease has worsened.
"We're seeing a lot of people who have more in stage liver disease than we saw in previous years. So, people come in where their livers are actually failing because of alcohol use. And that's a tough discussion to have with patients and families when people have such an advanced disease, but we're here to try to help stop things in their tracks and get people back on the right track," Dr. Cook said.
RCA's clinical director, Rebecca Trout, is seeing more polysubstance use disorders, especially people using opioids and alcohol at the same time.
Trout said one of the troubling things she's noticed recently is more people who are "functioning alcoholics." She said as the individual is functioning, it's harder for an individual to see the consequences and damage drinking is causing.
"That is one of the most dangerous places to be. That is the individual who is still going to work every day, that is the individual who is still maintaining a relationship and taking care of their children and cleaning the house and taking care of their duties every day. Meanwhile, they're doing this all with a drink in their hand," Trout said.
Dr. Cook said professionals are seeing alcohol addiction in people young and old.
At the same time, Trout said more young people are coming in, and oftentimes, they also have more severe levels of the disorder.
"Very rarely prior to a couple of years ago would I see someone in their early 20s who come into treatment and they're coming into treatment for alcohol use disorder. Now we're seeing it quite often," Trout said.
They said it's important to look for signs in yourself and loved ones, including daily drinking or feeling sick, shaky, or dizzy when stopping use.
"If a family member or loved one who is very close to the patient, spouse, children thinks that you have a problem, you most likely have a problem. So, I think denial is part of the disease process. But listening to people who love you is super important," Dr. Cook said.
Trust your gut and have the difficult conversations because it will be worth it in the end.
"Just be open with yourself, your family members, your loved ones. If something feels off, something probably is off. No matter how alone you're feeling in that moment, I can guarantee you're not going to be alone," Trout said.
They have seen a positive trend in all this: more access to treatment.
Recovery Centers of America in Monroeville provides a wide range of treatment and care options, including detox, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient services. It has robust clinical and psychiatric teams. It also has different family programs, support groups and treatment advocates in recovery who are just a phone call away.
If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, you can call 1-800-RECOVERY. Somebody will be there to answer questions and figure out what's best for you.