Fox 13 Salt Lake City hosted our Clinical Director, Rich McDonald, CMHC, to discuss rising pandemic-related addiction rates and the opportunity for sobriety in the new year. Watch the entire segment below.
More than 1 in 5 Americans are avoiding alcohol to start the new year. During the pandemic, the number of fatal overdoses have risen in 40 out of the 50 states. A lot of this is due to the lack of structure on a daily basis and people spending more time at home because they are either working or have lost their jobs. McDonald says that Dry January is a great way to gauge how much alcohol you’ve been consuming and if it’s actually a problem.
“For somebody that can stay sober for the entire month of January, versus someone who thinks they can and two weeks in they’re unable to or they’re having withdrawal systems, those are the people who should be reaching out for help.” McDonald said.
McDonald wants you to know that if you are a daily drinker, it can be dangerous to stop drinking altogether on your own and you should reach out to your doctor for help with the process. If you do have a problem and realize that you need help, McDonald says there are a lot of community resources you can reach out to like Utah Support Advocates for Recovery Awareness and Wasatch Crest.
About Clinical Director, Rich McDonald, CMHC
As the leader of Wasatch Crest’s clinical program, Rich has created a clinical culture that empowers clients to rewrite their stories and develop meaningful lives. Rich brings over 25 years of leadership experience and ten years working in the recovery community.
Leading with respect, accountability, and acceptance, Rich embodies Wasatch Crest’s human-centric treatment approach. He’s passionate about incorporating nature into recovery and is dedicated to helping clients build lives worth staying sober for.
Rich is an avid trail runner, and has successfully competed in many marathons, ultra marathons, and 100-mile trail races.
