Marty Walsh opens up about sobriety as nation faces addiction crisis during Covid-19 pandemic

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“I didn’t want to go to rehab. … When I got there, I thought to myself: ‘What am I doing here?’ The Secretary of Labor said in an interview with CNN during National Recovery Month, which has taken on a new level of importance as Covid-19 fuels concerns about an increase in drug addiction in America.

The interview comes as the Biden administration seeks to tackle addiction issues in the United States, which appear to have reached a boiling point amid the coronavirus pandemic. Preliminary figures from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention record more than 93,000 overdose deaths in the United States last year, and alcohol consumption among American adults appears to have increased.

Walsh entered the program in 1995, years before he landed in politics. He said his relationship with alcohol at the time felt like a “love affair” – such was the power of addiction. But “the fun started to fade, and then blackouts started to happen.”

“Then problems arise,” Walsh said.

During the pandemic, there was more stress spurred by job insecurity, occupational hazards, illness and the death of hundreds of thousands of loved ones. There has been less capacity in drug treatment centers. And most commonly, according to Walsh, people felt more isolated.

The spread of the coronavirus “hasn’t called into question my sobriety, but I think the pandemic has forced a lot of people to move away from mainstream Alcoholics Anonymous and away from the traditional supporters they have there.” , Walsh said. “And even I walked away from meetings. I was on Zoom, but I walked away from meetings.”

Overdose deaths have reached an all time high. And alcohol consumption among American adults appears to have increased during the pandemic, with nearly one in four adults reporting drinking more to deal with their stress in an American Psychological Association survey.

“You feel it,” Walsh added. “I didn’t mean to drink on it. But you just feel it inside of you – it’s like you’re pissed off or maybe you don’t feel like yourself. You don’t face situations. and to problems that are happening that are out there. ”

Ultimately, Walsh said, he largely decided to join the program over 20 years ago to examine the impact of his relationship with alcohol on his mental health.

“I felt like I was just sad, depressed… maybe not clinically defined depressed, but I was depressed and had this pit in my stomach,” Walsh said. “And I wanted to get rid of it. I haven’t had this pit in my stomach for over 20 years.”

Break the stigma

Walsh’s recovery has become a central part of his political identity.

Two years after going to rehab, he became a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. While in state house, he said, he decided to open up about his recovery after hearing his mentor Kevin Fitzgerald, a former Massachusetts state lawmaker, speak openly about his own. recovery.

When Walsh rose through the political ranks and became mayor of Boston, he remained candid about his recovery journey, including opening his 2016 speech at the Democratic National Convention by saying, “My name is Marty Walsh and I am alcoholic.”

“I think it’s important to break this stigma and let people know that it’s okay to admit that you are helpless with alcohol, that you are helpless with drugs, and that you can get away with it. help, ”Walsh said.

While Walsh was mayor of Boston, the city launched a number of initiatives to help those facing drug addiction, including the Office of Recovery Services. Boston also launched a 24-hour recovery hotline and demanded that every public safety vehicle in the city be equipped with naloxone, a drug that can bring some people back from an opioid overdose.

Since becoming a workplace secretary, Walsh says he has had conversations with various federal agencies about recovery-related programs inspired by his work as mayor.

Biden administration grapples with US addiction as overdose deaths hit record high
He also stressed the importance of enforcing the 2008 Mental Health Parity and Substance Abuse Equity Act under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Labor. Under the Biden administration, the federal government has shown renewed interest in law enforcement, which requires insurance coverage for mental health disorders, including treatment for use-related disorders. of substances, is not more restrictive than the coverage of medical benefits.

“Obviously, President Biden is focusing on this as well. I’ve had good conversations with President Biden about recovery and the need for more programs,” Walsh added.

But he warned that “we can have all the programs in the world, but if people are not ready to participate, that’s a problem.”

“When someone needs a bed, we have to have a bed for everyone who wants one,” Walsh said.

The pandemic creates a nightmare of addiction

The conditions spurred by the pandemic have apparently created a perfect storm for addiction and relapses, leading to isolation, stress and labor shortages in some sectors of the economy.

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy stated in its Year One Policy Priorities that while there are some protections for people with a history of drug abuse under the United States Persons Act. disabilities of 1990, “employers are often reluctant to hire someone with a history of substance use disorders,” arguing that the federal government should find ways to “remove barriers to employment and create employment programs for people recovering from drug addiction “.

Asked about the role the federal government is playing in reducing stigma on hiring, Walsh said, “I think the federal government can tell the story of the recovery and give people a second chance and maybe a third chance. “

“You are talking to the Secretary of Labor of the United States of America, who is a recovering alcoholic. Someone has given me a second chance,” he added.

If you or someone you know needs help dealing with a drug or alcohol addiction, call the Addiction and Mental Health Administration helpline at 1-800 -662-4357.

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