Quarantine can cause decompensation in people who use alcohol and drugs.

It is a reality that the world before the coronavirus pandemic, until today, undergoes changes that did not exist before, and for which no one was ready, such as fact locked at home and with little chance to leave.

The procedure was dramatically changed, each person had to use the first resources that he found in order to be able to adapt minimally and avoid getting into the picture of suffering. We should not forget that the routine, which is reflected in repetitions, is one of the main means by which a person should defend himself from suffering by inventing cyclic time for this, he explains. Director of the Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Annelise Dörr.

Thus, Covid-19 is a pandemic that has put us in a new and unexpected situation: imprisonment and ignorance or little control over our future.

In this regard, Dörr notes that our entire routine has been changed, and we do not know how long it will last. “Without routine, shut up and not knowing about our future, The likelihood of suffering from suffering is very high. For those people who previously suffered from a mental disorder and who managed to maintain a certain balance with adequate help, this is certainly not a problem to decompensate, ”he warns.

Studies conducted after imprisonment in Asian countries suggest that imprisonment will be “Catalyst” in the appearance of pre-existing pathologies related to mental health. Prestigious magazine Lancet published a review of past epidemics such as Merce, Sars, Ebola or influenza A in which subjects were quarantined, noting that this has an effect A psychological phenomenon, which in most cases is expressed in a bad mood (73%), irritability (57%) and depressive symptoms in general.

However, if you analyze more research, you can see a wide range of symptoms, from depression to nervousness, boredom, and risky behavior. Those items that represent risky behavior, such as Alcohol and drug use are those that suffer the least from boredom, mainly because their dopamine system is not balanced by consumption, explains the expert.

In this regard, Dörr, who also unites the Medical Prevention Association (AMP), warns: “We could say that quarantines that change our routine and contribute to irritability, fatigue or boredom these are high-risk decompensation situations among drug users“.

In this line, he adds that those young people with problem consumption and who have been treated need to continue this. “Perhaps the personality traits of a young drug user are largely the cause difficulties associated with the need to withstand situations such as quarantine. These characteristics, in general, are: the search for transient experiences; they usually come from relatives, structured differently; difficulties in making important decisions and fulfilling their obligations; search for pleasant feelings with an immediate reward; a tendency to live without limits and often low self-esteem. ”

Given this, experts recommend families to help them rebuild their time in the routine associated with each individual subject, also includes physical activity that promotes the release of endorphins, such as serotonin, dopamine, and other substances that contribute to mood stability and the reconciliation of sleep.

“The young drug addict fears boredom more than anything else, although he does not know that this condition is a source of creativity. This boredom can be humble, helping the young man give her another meaning, or do not enter into discussions when he complains about demotivation“notes Dörr.

Neuroscience tells us that when the brain does nothing deep down, it works hard, the network at rest connects areas that have not been communicated. “When a young consumer suffers from dysthymic feelings, whether it is anxiety, irritability or lack of motivation, he turns to a medicine that will act as a“ safety measure ”that will temporarily relieve him of his symptoms. However, these measures are only illusions, because anxiety slowly appears with more force.“Emphasizes Dörr.