It’s a positive sign that you are aware of your increased alcohol use during these stressful times, and I can assure you that you are not alone.
As you know, we are all going through a time of great uncertainty, anxiety, and fear. Our routines have been disrupted, with many of us having experienced isolation, job losses, and financial stress. So it is not surprising that you and others are looking for a release from their anxieties, and alcohol use is just one method among many. In fact, national alcohol sales for the third week of March—when stay-at-home orders were put in place—increased an astounding 55%.
It is true that alcohol can provide short-term stress relief and make you feel more relaxed. However, long-term excessive alcohol use can be disruptive to a person’s mental and physical health. Damaged relationships, job loss, mood swings, isolation, and blackouts are just some of the potential consequences of excessive drinking.
Here are some questions to ask yourself and tips to help you determine whether your drinking is becoming a dependency:
- Keep a mental note of how many drinks you are having each day. Also take note of when you begin drinking and the amount of time between drinks.
- Are you increasing your alcohol intake each day? If you are steadily increasing your alcohol intake, this should be considered a warning sign.
- Are you consuming different types of alcohol with higher alcohol content? For example, are you now drinking bourbon, whiskey, or scotch when you only previously consumed beer or wine?
- According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, women should have no more than three drinks per day or a total of seven drinks in a week. Men should have no more than four drinks per day or a total of 14 drinks in a week. If you are exceeding this amount, this is a definite warning sign.
- If you had trouble controlling your alcohol intake prior to the pandemic and it has increased, this is a definite warning sign.
Oftentimes, alcohol misuse is a sign of an underlying mental health issue, like depression or anxiety, that may have existed prior to the pandemic or that the pandemic may have created. Fortunately, there are many counseling and recovery programs for substance misuse.
If you believe that you are becoming dependent on alcohol, please seek out expert help. Ignoring your increased drinking can lead to dependence, so it is important to be honest with yourself and be proactive in seeking help.
