Alcohol Use and Covid-19
Our Psychologist Ailsa answers your questions below about alcohol use and Covid-19.
1. Are you surprised that alcohol consumption has increased among Australians during the pandemic?
No. According to recent media reports alcohol consumption in Australia due to COVID-19 has increased by approximately 70%. Many Australians are feeling anxious, negative, stressed and unsure about the future since their lives have been turned upside down. As such, self-medicating with alcohol is not a surprise, particularly if people are no longer working, are experiencing financial problems, are self-isolating and have no regular daily routines. Drinking alcohol may help to relieve anxiety in the short term but not in the long term.
2. Why is this dangerous?
Alcohol is a drug on which people can become dependent which means more and more alcohol needs to be consumed in order to achieve a desired effect. Increased alcohol use may lead to a worsening of existing health conditions and increased risk of alcohol poisoning and/or alcohol-related harm.
3. What are some strategies to help lower/take control of consumption?
Make a daily and weekly routine to structure your life which will help to establish a sense of normalcy, reduce the risk of boredom, keep attention focused on something, and offer distractions at times when people might be out and about around other people.
Daily Routine:
Basic - make the bed, take a shower/bath and get dressed for the day
Nutrition - eat regular healthy meals and avoid snacking
Hydration - drink plenty of water
Sleep - go to sleep and wake up at regular times and stick to set sleep routine
Sunshine - get outside in your garden or neighbourhood for some exercise as sun can also help your mood and sleep
Weekly Routine:
Social connection - incorporate contact with friends or family on a regular basis, using phone or video calls when isolation requires it
Health - liaise with health health services and organise regular appointments in the week to maintain physical and mental health needs
Meal planning - write up your meal plan for the week and keep on track with nutrition. Advance planning will reduce the number of times you will need to go out to shop
Fun - get back into an old hobby or pick up a new one you can do from home, watch movies you have always meant to watch, catch up on shows you missed, pick up a book you never finished, get a new eBook online or download an audio book from your local library, play online games, play board games and card games. How about trying creative activities such as creative writing, drawing, painting or making music?
4. When do you know that consumption has become an issue?
There is no safe level of drug use. To reduce the risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury for healthy men and women it is recommended to drink no more than 10 standard drinks per week and no more than 4 standard drinks on any one day. Binge drinking 6 or more standard drinks on any one day can be harmful and 2 alcohol-free days per week is recommended. A standard drink contains 10g of alcohol but many drinks contain more than one standard drink. Check the label on your bottle or container to check how many standard drinks are in it. If you are drinking a lot or finding it hard to control your drinking, needing to drink more to get the same effect, have a physical dependence on alcohol then you may have an issue.
5. Where should one seek help if they have identified they need it?
The National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline 1800 250 015
Alcohol and Drug Foundation 1300 85 85 84
NSW Health Drug and Alcohol Service
Family Drug Support Australia 1300 368 186
Counselling Online 1800 422 599
Druginfo 1300 858 584
6. How does alcohol alter your mental state and why can this cause concern for people’s mental health?
Alcohol is a depressant so regular consumption of alcohol may lead to depression and anxiety, poor memory and brain damage, fluctuations in mood and poor sleep. Long term alcohol use may also result in physical problems such as fertility issues, liver disease, high blood pressure, heart disease, and cancer.
7: Anything else to add?
Why not turn COVID-19 into an opportunity to improve your health and well being, enhance and enrich your life? Why not sign up for Dry July and raise money for your favourite charity?