COVID-19 anxiety and isolation stress is driving more and more people to drink alcohol at dangerous levels! You need to be aware that this is a very real problem right now. Are you one of those people affected?
Drinking increasing amounts of alcohol since the initial lockdown in March, 2020, has led to some people adopting dangerous habits that risk damaging both their physical and mental health.
People in their 40s, 50s and 60s, particularly, are drinking even larger quantities of cheap alcohol (such as strong lager, wine and cider) than they consumed in pre-COVID-19 times, because they are suffering from various sources of anxiety and isolation stress, which is made worse, because they are no longer able to see relatives and friends, as they used to do.
Stress, anxiety and depression levels have soared under the COVID-19 restrictions and now we find that these are to continue, possibly, for a further 6 months.
Understandably, Covid-19, itself, is acting as a trigger for those people who previously may have had drinking problems to relapse into problem drinking again. We are constantly fed information about COVID-19 all day, via TV, radio and on social media sites, so, it is hardly surprising that people are fearful and anxious about their future.
Alcohol is a depressant and it affects your mood quite quickly. Whilst it will give you a temporary, quick lift, it will then take you further down into deeper depression in the long run. Using alcohol as a coping mechanism when you are struggling with any aspect of your life is (a) NOT effective and (b) it is self-harming/self-defeating.
If you are drinking every day (regardless of the amount) you are becoming alcohol dependent and you should seek professional help to break the habit, before matters become very much more serious in terms of alcohol addiction.
Alcohol interferes with your ability to make good decisions, and that is a more serious problem, if you are already feeling stressed. Alcohol increases the risk of conflict and domestic violence – which has, sadly, increased ever since lockdown in March..
In addition, alcohol interferes with your sleep. It may make you sleepy intially, but it inhibits REM sleep, therefore, people will often wake up at 2am or 3am in the morning – and they cannot get back to sleep. This leads to lying awake for hours, feeling even more anxious and stressed!
Since the initial lockdown in March, many mental health services were pared back and in some cases moved online.
Online services work well for some people, but not for others. Online doesn’t do a good job when someone is in crisis. There’s something about face-to-face contact, the experience of someone in the room with you hearing and understanding, that makes a real difference.
If you are in need of professional help with alcohol issues, or with other aspects of coping with COVID-19 anxiety or stress, please call me (07913 979561) or contact me via the Appointment Form here.
I offer both remote counselling sessions (for those clients who feel safer using this method) and face-to-face consultations, with full safety measures in place..
I am also a qualified and experienced clinical hypnotherapist and you may wish to consider hypnotherapy to help you to overcome any alcohol issues.
I am here to help you in any way that I can, as a counsellor/psychotherapist and a clinical hypnotherapist.
Speaking to a professional counsellor who will listen and understand is your first step to breaking destructive habits – and learning new, more effective, ways of coping!
Call me now on 07913 979561 or fill in a request an appointment form.
Diane Wade