Staff Report
With the COVID pandemic, this holiday season may be a particularly challenging time for those with substance use issues.
“Addiction breeds in isolation, and it’s important for people to have the support needed for recovery,” explained Nan Schooley, primary counselor at Cottage Residential Center (CRC), which specializes in the treatment of alcohol and drug addiction.
CRC offers a compassionate and comfortable environment for clients to begin the journey of recovery, with treatment that includes tools for relapse prevention, stress management, coping skills development and continuing recovery planning. The center provides medically supervised care to adults 18 years and older.
“In stressful times, the threat to sobriety increases. It’s important to have support,” said Denny Rea, lead case manager at CRC. “Substance use disorder is a progressive disease. It will keep getting worse if you don’t reach out for help.”
Rea and Schooley, who are both in recovery, emphasize that help is available to those struggling with addiction, even in the middle of a pandemic.
“No one has to struggle alone,” Ms. Schooley said. “At CRC, someone is available to talk by phone 24/7. Make that phone call and let others be there for you.”
Cottage Residential Center offers confidential conversation and assessment at 805-569-7422.
About Cottage Health cottagehealth.org
The not-for-profit Cottage Health is the leader in providing advanced medical care to the Central Coast region. Specialties include the Cottage Children’s Medical Center, Level 1 Trauma Center, Neuroscience Institute, Heart & Vascular Center, Center for Orthopedics, and Rehabilitation Hospital. The Cottage Health medical staff is comprised of more than 700 physicians, many with subspecialties typically found only at university medical centers. Last year, the Cottage Health hospitals in Goleta, Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez Valley provided inpatient care for 21,000 people, treated 80,000 patients through their 24-hour emergency departments and helped deliver 2,100 newborns. Cottage Health also offers Cottage Urgent Care Centers throughout the tri-counties, as well as 24-hour access to providers via Cottage Virtual Care, an online service for common conditions.
