COVID-19 Pandemic Has Taken A Toll On Mental Health, Led To More Drug Abuse, CDC Says
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - The COVID-19 pandemic has been so hard on so many people, leading some to drug use.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports last year was the deadliest year on record for drug overdoses.
Robin Williams spoke with CBS 11 about her ordeal during the pandemic last year and stressed the importance of getting help before it's too late.
"Everything shut down and my life kind of shut down because I lost my job, I lost my house and we were going from whoever let us lay our heads until we couldn't lay there anymore," she said. "We went to more places and more places.."
For this mother of three young girls, it became incredibly overwhelming and she turned to drugs.
"My addiction got entirely too out of control," she said. "For me and my kids I would say.. because if my addition was out of control, I wasn't being the best mom to them."
She vividly remembers the moment she decided to regain control.
"I fell to my hands and knees and I prayed to God be and I told him I was tired and I wanted help," she said.
It led her to Nexus Recovery Center in Dallas.
"The demand has definitely increased during the pandemic and as we're looking forward to moving post-pandemic we still have seen an influx, an increase of women with children, single women needing substance abuse services," Nexus Recovery Center's Lindsay Malhotra said.
From her first day back in July, Williams knew this is exactly where she needed to be.
"Nexus gave me the chance to save my life and my kids," she said.
She points out there she was offered a safe place to stay and has access to services like counseling, group therapy and child care which have made all the difference.
As part of National Recovery Month, today she's celebrating the accomplishments she and other women have made by participating in a fun photo shoot together.
"We reassure each other we can do it," she said. "The support is what's got me through."
If you find yourself struggling with addiction and looking for support, click here.