Substance Abuse (Alcohol)

Introduction

Sometimes people turn to alcohol to handle the stress of change. For example the pandemic (starting in early 2020) has resulted in an increase in alcohol consumption.
"...retail alcohol sales spiked by 20% during the first six months of the pandemic..."
Janay Kingsberry, 2022

Alcoholism has long been a problem in both society and in the workplace. The pandemic has made it more noticeable.

If you feel that alcohol is a problem, you need to ask

- What are the triggers for your drinking, eg social events (like wedding, funeral, etc), stressful work event (like unacceptable deadline, conflict, etc), trauma, loneliness, etc?

- What do you need to change, eg behaviours,, environment, etc?

- How often do you drink, ie daily, weekly, etc?

- What do you drink, ie spirits, wine, beer, etc?

- What is making you tied to it, ie codependency, peer group pressure, etc?

- Need to document the pros and cons of drinking, ie things you like and don't like about drinking

- Need to find alternatives that are stimulating and/or enjoyable, ie activities that give you a natural high.

It is important to have support, ie buddy system involving collaboration. Support from outside your inner circle is valuable, eg treatment centres
"...the first few weeks of sobriety can be gruelling......to tackle cravings, it is important to find ways to delay, distract or replace alcohol. This way, you start to reattribute other connections to what's soothing you, what's comforting you, what just feels good in general. So it gets to be more of a natural pleasure response to life..."
Sabrina Spotorno as quoted by Janay Kingsberry, 2022

Some people find it is important to incorporate an educational component, ie learning more about their relationship with alcohol; for others who drink to relieve stress, meditation or exercise can be helpful.

Some other techniques to understand the craving include

- HALT (Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired)

- THINK (Are they True? Are they Helpful? Are they Insightful? Do I Need them? Are they Kind?)

If you pursue the path of sobriety. it can be a challenge when re-entering familiar scenes where alcohol is available. It is suggested that you just say something like 'no, I'm not drinking right now'. You don't have to give reasons. It is important not to hesitate as this can allow somebody to try to convince you to have an alcoholic drink.

Also, it is a good idea to start a journal tracking your emotions, stress levels and craving. By doing this, many people notice
"...they are sleeping better, have more energy and feel more clearheaded off alcohol.....these are all the reasons this was good for me..."
Dawn Sugarman as quoted by Janay Kingsberry, 2022

Doing weekly reflection sessions can help.