In a year of divided ideas and constant conflicts, there seems to be one thing everyone can agree on, and that is that COVID-19 has affected every single one of us in some way. I was lucky enough to speak with a young woman who lives here in Charleston, SC about her experiences thus far. As a woman in recovery, who also works in a local recovery center, COVID-19, a possibly fatal illness that can strike at any time, ready to ruin families, never knowing when it is coming for yours, was something to fear. She briefly describes how she soon felt as though she was “facing two crises, alcoholism and an unknown virus.”

She mentions how when we first heard of this “foreign” virus back in the earliest months of 2020, she felt as though it was casual and not that big of a deal. Like many others, she continued on with her daily routine, which at the time consisted of going to different recovery meetings, building relationships with other sober people, working full time at a drug and alcohol recovery center, and really enjoying all that life had to offer. Being a part of Alcoholics Anonymous relies heavily on human connection. There is power in relating to another person in a very uncommon way that brings people together, helps them listen, and learn, and keep going. You lean on your fellowship, and they lean on you. A big part of getting sober is cleaning up your side of the street, and one of the biggest necessities of staying sober is helping another addict or alcoholic get better.

By March, she was struck with fear, as many others were. The recovery center had an average of 60-70 residents and with the lockdown, left about 3 full time staff members to take care of everyone. The owner was high risk and often not there. Toilet paper was gone and she vividly recalled “having no toilet paper for residents was a huge fear.” People were leaving treatment early, and residents were split off and locked down in smaller homes and apartments. Her duties were doubled and left little to no room for her own wellness. The news brought too much negativity, and she decided to delete her news apps and stay away from news channels. She recalls feeling as though there was no end in sight. It’s as though “life was cancelled, right after getting sober.”

When Arthur Frank says “The body, whether still diseased or recovered, is simultaneously cause, topic, and instrument of whatever new stories are told” (Frank 2), he talks about how illness changes a person’s story, then often becomes a person’s story. The body and purpose seem to meld together, making it even more important to tell stories, not necessarily so others can understand but so they too can find and recreate their own stories. Frank’s type of quest narrative very much applies in this woman’s life. Recovery means there was once chaos: grave challenges that not many can comprehend, unless experiencing it themselves. As mentioned earlier, working a 12 step program is often built around an individual’s quest narrative. You end up there because of this life altering thing that has now consumed the life you once had, then you get better from the current struggle you face, after you can see clearly you go back and help others do the same by repeating your narrative to another. What was once a disruption of life soon became an identity, then became her life. Having been equipped with this knowledge and experience seems to be an experience that has carried over to her experience thus far with COVID-19.

Being a young woman, coming from a good family, who faced some major hurdles all before the age of 19, who then overcame them and made it her mission to help others do the same while still struggling with her balance holds weight in itself. There are factors that are not always on her side, and there are many hardships that have been faced throughout, but similar to addiction, COVID-19 did not start out terrifying. It seemed as though it was something horrible happening but it could not reach here, wouldn’t directly disturb our lives. Then once it was here it was like a whirlwind, bringing the country, the world to a complete halt, shaking up the foundations we have built for ourselves. For her it shook her recovery, her sanity, which was now her identity. It was financial insecurity, well being, mental health, relationships with her loved ones. As things evolved, and politics began to seep into the fibers of this virus, her relationships with her family became different. Once something that was being beautifully rebuilt from the ashes of her addiction became a battle of what’s right and wrong when it comes to the safety of others. She mentions that certain family members do not believe that things are as serious as they seem, and masks are not necessary, yet she takes a completely different stance.

Although this year has been chaos, it has molded the ideas, beliefs, and identities that shape us. Even though she was not affected by the virus invading her body, it has changed her views on so much. Politics were not something she was interested in prior to this pandemic, but with the shutdown came a broader sense of doing what is right in her eyes. Doing right by others. With that came topics like political views, and how someone can do their part. Being 20 years old, trying to survive, there never seemed to be room for these larger questions, like “what do I believe in?” or “What do I stand for?”.

Like many of us, she has turned her life in a different direction since the beginning of this, starting a new job, leaving the recovery center, finding new paths to help others, pursuing things that make her happy, and growing in life as well as recovery. She chose to use this opportunity to grow, as she has used other hardships in the past. She took something that turned all of our lives upside down and changed, adapted, and flourished with it.

**No author’s name on this one, please**

In a year of divided ideas and constant conflicts, there seems to be one thing everyone can agree on, and that is that COVID-19 has affected every single one of us in some way. I was lucky enough to speak with a young woman who lives here in Charleston, SC about her experiences thus far. As a woman in recovery, who also works in a local recovery center, COVID-19, a possibly fatal illness that can strike at any time, ready to ruin families, never knowing when it is coming for yours, was something to fear. She briefly describes how she soon felt as though she was “facing two crises, alcoholism and an unknown virus.”

She mentions how when we first heard of this “foreign” virus back in the earliest months of 2020, she felt as though it was casual and not that big of a deal. Like many others, she continued on with her daily routine, which at the time consisted of going to different recovery meetings, building relationships with other sober people, working full time at a drug and alcohol recovery center, and really enjoying all that life had to offer. Being a part of Alcoholics Anonymous relies heavily on human connection. There is power in relating to another person in a very uncommon way that brings people together, helps them listen, and learn, and keep going. You lean on your fellowship, and they lean on you. A big part of getting sober is cleaning up your side of the street, and one of the biggest necessities of staying sober is helping another addict or alcoholic get better.

By March, she was struck with fear, as many others were. The recovery center had an average of 60-70 residents and with the lockdown, left about 3 full time staff members to take care of everyone. The owner was high risk and often not there. Toilet paper was gone and she vividly recalled “having no toilet paper for residents was a huge fear.” People were leaving treatment early, and residents were split off and locked down in smaller homes and apartments. Her duties were doubled and left little to no room for her own wellness. The news brought too much negativity, and she decided to delete her news apps and stay away from news channels. She recalls feeling as though there was no end in sight. It’s as though “life was cancelled, right after getting sober.”

When Arthur Frank says “The body, whether still diseased or recovered, is simultaneously cause, topic, and instrument of whatever new stories are told” (Frank 2), he talks about how illness changes a person’s story, then often becomes a person’s story. The body and purpose seem to meld together, making it even more important to tell stories, not necessarily so others can understand but so they too can find and recreate their own stories. Frank’s type of quest narrative very much applies in this woman’s life. Recovery means there was once chaos: grave challenges that not many can comprehend, unless experiencing it themselves. As mentioned earlier, working a 12 step program is often built around an individual’s quest narrative. You end up there because of this life altering thing that has now consumed the life you once had, then you get better from the current struggle you face, after you can see clearly you go back and help others do the same by repeating your narrative to another. What was once a disruption of life soon became an identity, then became her life. Having been equipped with this knowledge and experience seems to be an experience that has carried over to her experience thus far with COVID-19.

Being a young woman, coming from a good family, who faced some major hurdles all before the age of 19, who then overcame them and made it her mission to help others do the same while still struggling with her balance holds weight in itself. There are factors that are not always on her side, and there are many hardships that have been faced throughout, but similar to addiction, COVID-19 did not start out terrifying. It seemed as though it was something horrible happening but it could not reach here, wouldn’t directly disturb our lives. Then once it was here it was like a whirlwind, bringing the country, the world to a complete halt, shaking up the foundations we have built for ourselves. For her it shook her recovery, her sanity, which was now her identity. It was financial insecurity, well being, mental health, relationships with her loved ones. As things evolved, and politics began to seep into the fibers of this virus, her relationships with her family became different. Once something that was being beautifully rebuilt from the ashes of her addiction became a battle of what’s right and wrong when it comes to the safety of others. She mentions that certain family members do not believe that things are as serious as they seem, and masks are not necessary, yet she takes a completely different stance.

Although this year has been chaos, it has molded the ideas, beliefs, and identities that shape us. Even though she was not affected by the virus invading her body, it has changed her views on so much. Politics were not something she was interested in prior to this pandemic, but with the shutdown came a broader sense of doing what is right in her eyes. Doing right by others. With that came topics like political views, and how someone can do their part. Being 20 years old, trying to survive, there never seemed to be room for these larger questions, like “what do I believe in?” or “What do I stand for?”.

Like many of us, she has turned her life in a different direction since the beginning of this, starting a new job, leaving the recovery center, finding new paths to help others, pursuing things that make her happy, and growing in life as well as recovery. She chose to use this opportunity to grow, as she has used other hardships in the past. She took something that turned all of our lives upside down and changed, adapted, and flourished with it.

Work Cited-

Arthur W. Frank, The Wounded Storyteller: Body, Illness, and Ethics, Second Edition (University of Chicago Press, 2013)