The year 2020 is likely to be one of the most remembered years in human history. This is the year that has shown many people their insignificance and loneliness. In the face of coronavirus, people are made to look and feel like nothing. Many people feel powerless when facing this virus. Any language seems pale when it comes to life and death situations.

Many people are experiencing the pain and cruelty of being separated from family and friends. This pandemic has made many people experience desperation, as well as, the touch of the life and death of loved ones. Essentially, the coronavirus pandemic has affected everybody and made humans come to terms with the fragility of life.

Self-quarantine is making life harder for most people. People are being asked to stay at home and avoid public places. This is not easy, especially for artists that are used to having people around all the time. This makes quarantine a dangerous time for artists in different genres. For such people, it’s easy to turn to addictive substances or alcohol for solace.

Unfortunately, indulging in alcohol and drugs during quarantine will only lead to addiction. Thus, artists that succumb to the temptation might have to call the national addiction hotline (check at https://addictionresource.com/addiction-and-rehab-hotlines/) after quarantine. This is the number that people call to get help with addiction issues. It is manned by addiction experts that know how to help callers with the information they need to seek treatment. Nevertheless, artists can avoid succumbing to the temptation to use addictive substances and alcohol during quarantine so that they won’t have to call this number. Here are some of the ways they can do this.

Being Isolated Together
During a lockdown necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic, only healthcare professionals and providers of essential services are allowed to go outside. Even when it’s extremely important to go outside, people are urged to practice social-distancing. That’s the only way humans can starve the coronavirus of the new hosts it needs to keep spreading. Essentially, social-distancing is an important practice at this time. And, it’s a basic social solidarity act.

Preliminary research has shown that people should stay at least 3 feet away from a patient to avoid catching the virus. And, because most people take up to 14 days to show symptoms of COVID19, social-distancing proves to be a very important practice in the fight against the disease.

But, human beings are gregarious creatures. People are defined by social interactions. That’s why many people see solitary confinement as a cruel punishment. Artists that are particularly used to having people around can find quarantine unbearable. To deal with the difficulties of quarantine, they may turn to drugs or alcohol, or both. And, by the time this pandemic ends, some of them might have to call rehab for assistance.

Nevertheless, artists can do several things to ensure that they are isolated together and avoid succumbing to the temptation to use addictive substances. For instance, some artists are spending this time composing new content and sharing it with their producers. Such content can include music or content for their YouTube videos.

Some artists are also taking this time plan for their future ventures while others are taking virtual tours. In some cases, artists are sharing ideas that may lead to future collaborations. Essentially, artists are doing things that keep them occupied to avoid boredom and loneliness that can tempt them to use addictive substances.

Using Technology during Quarantine
When people were asked to self-quarantine, the thought that struck many was that life won’t have much difference as long as they can enjoy the technology they are used to. But, the reality dawned on them when they realized how boring watching television, playing video games, and surfing the internet the whole day can get.

Research has shown that loneliness is among the psychological variables that are associated with drug use and addiction. Many people succumb to the temptation to use drugs or alcohol when looking for ways to deal with loneliness. Nevertheless, artists can use technology during quarantine to avoid succumbing to the temptation to use addictive substances.

For instance, artists can use technology to learn more about what their peers have been producing. Some artists have busy lives that leave them no time to study the works of others. As such, they can use quarantine as a time to learn about the work of others. And, they can do this by attending online exhibitions. Others are evening buying artwork online.

What’s more, they can use technology to create and share their content. An artist can use the internet to research and come up with content and send it to an editor. This can work on it and channel the edited work to the relevant person that will upload or air it. Doing this can be time-consuming but it will keep the artist busy with no time to think about drugs or alcohol. Thus, they will avoid the need to call an addiction help hotline after the pandemic seeking assistance from addiction recovery centers.

What’s more, some artists are composing content that conveys the message that we’re all isolated and we should stay at home to beat the coronavirus.

Reaching Out During Quarantine
Artists know some of their peers that may have been fighting addiction. Some have even called rehab numbers to request emergency help for their friends. The quarantine can be a particularly dangerous time for artists that have been battling addiction. That’s because they may not have access to professional services. Some may not even attend physical group meetings that might have supported their decisions to quit all alone.

But, this doesn’t mean they have to give up or relapse. Some artists are reaching out to such friends via phone, email, and social media chats. Others are still attending meetings via Google Hangout and Zoom. Even calling a friend that is struggling with addiction to find out how they are doing can help them significantly. It shows that they are not in isolation alone.

The Bottom Line
Quarantine is a dangerous time for artists because they are used to being in social places. However, people are being urged to avoid social gatherings. But, this doesn’t mean artists are allowed to succumb to the temptation to use addictive substances and end up in addiction. Doing this will require them to call the drug helpline at some point seeking assistance. And, this can end up ruining their careers. To avoid this, artists can spend their quarantine time reaching out to friends, colleagues, and family members, using technology creatively, and planning for future projects.