By Daniel Lonic
Lucas Da Costa found himself smoking cannabis multiple times a day to add a spark to the bleakness of isolation. It became a quick and minor fix for boredom, stress and detachment.
Not only are drug and liquor stores essential businesses during COVID-19, but their sales are booming. Statistics Canada indicates $244.89 million worth of cannabis sales in Canada for August. The number had doubled since February – a month before isolation
“I feel like people are doing these things to suppress emotions but at the end of the day, once they sober up, they’re going to realize that those problems are still there, they’re just suppressing the underlying issues,” said 19-year-old Lucas, currently in the act of juggling online classes, work and driving school.
Ever since the lockdown began in March, Lucas has been called in for more shifts at his job at one of the Rexall pharmacies in Etobicoke. Occasionally working full weeks, Lucas found coming home to unwind with a joint to be his substitute for recreation with friends and the most efficient way to push all distress to the back of his mind – even if only for a few hours at a time.
“I think everybody has experienced [anxiety] to a degree. Even now, just going outside can make you anxious because you don’t know who you’re around. Somebody could have it [COVID-19] and they might not even show symptoms,” said Lucas.
A survey carried out by Statistics Canada at the end of March shows that those who reported excessive smoking and drinking were more likely to also report their mental health as being fair or poor.
“What seems like a good way of dealing with the stress of your midterms might turn out to be a problem with mental health implications that affect every aspect of your life,” David Gratzer explained, an attending psychiatrist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).
The goal right now is not to shame or guilt substance abusers, but rather provide the needed information, data, and awareness of the implications that are present.
“I had a person the other day who was very functional and at one point, he was vice president of a mutual fund company. [He] made big decisions – trusted with a lot of people’s retirement savings. Here was a person who couldn’t get to work; he was too hung over, too physically unwell, and then we very much crossed the line between ‘I use this to cope’ and ‘I can’t cope with day-to-day stuff,’” David said.
Gratzer remains hopeful that Canadians will be overall resilient during this pandemic but worries more about the aftermath. Though the SARS outbreak in 2003 came to an end, impact lived on in the form of haunting memories.
“When we move past it, there will be a temptation for us to forget some of these problems,” Gratzer said in reference to the ongoing pandemic.
“Instead of saying, ‘Alcohol is everywhere, and I can buy it in grocery stores. What’s the big deal?’ think about whether this is affecting your personal relationships. Has it affected your ability to do your courses? Do other people keep asking about cutting back? Those are good reasons for you to take stock,” Gratzer said.
“Recently I lost my job. I was just feeling anxious staying home all the time,” 19-year-old Mark Anthony said. “I mainly just coped with it by smoking and drinking – more just to kill time and get my mind off of things.”
Placing your reliance on any substance whenever stress or anxiety arises puts you in a corner. When there comes a time where those options are not available, it is crucial that you know other outlets to achieve relaxation – and there are healthier alternatives.
“Aerobic activity – getting your heart rate up for 20 minutes or more three times a week – singing, dancing, listening to music, especially songs that you associate with positive memories of the past … Having those songs play, can take your mind away. A lot of those things result in a release of endorphins,” Professor Steve Joordens said.
He teaches psychology at the University of Toronto Scarborough and is currently offering a free virtual course that teaches how to manage mental health amidst isolation.
Joordens considers substances to be shortcuts to relaxation and cautions that they don’t supply endorphins – particularly with young adults who psychologically require social interaction as a part of growth.
The element of uncertainty has provoked unprecedented levels of stress. The fact is that it is unknown when life will return to normality. Joordens urges everyone to summon optimism and to understand that this pandemic will come to an end. We will emerge from the rubble with a new-found appreciation for life as we once knew it.