For many people, the thought of returning to work after the coronavirus pandemic can be intimidating, especially when most have been working from home for more than a year.

Experts say the remedies some people use to cope with COVID-19 related anxiety could be adding to the problem.

Nicolas Torrez is a counselor and owner of New Wine Counseling and specializes in substance abuse.

He says he’s noticed a trend in his clients from the beginning of the pandemic to now.

“The spike that I saw was alcohol abuse use,” Torrez said. “We started getting a lot more alcohol use-related cases.”

Torrez said many of his older clients were struggling with sobriety, leading to feelings of depression.

“There’s a lot of people that self-medicate,” Torrez said. “Depression, anxiety— a lot of people [are] not diagnosed.”

According to Torrez, lack of mental health education and assistance among the Hispanic community is another prevalent issue; often, addictive behavior, like drinking and drug use, is normalized.

Torrez says people suffering from mental issues are taught to ‘toughen up’ instead of admitting to a problem and seeking help, leading to a vicious cycle.

Now, the anxiousness about the idea of having to return to the workplace may be making things worse for those struggling.

“It’s hard to come out because now they’ve built a pattern and routine at home,” Torrez said. “They use to deal with whatever is going on at home, so coming out and becoming a productive member of society again, kind of, becomes an issue now.”

Torrez says drugs like Xanax and cocaine are popular among people in the Valley. He says if you find yourself feeling anxious, worried, or are unsure of your behaviors, seek help from a professional.