How To Manage That Increased Alcohol Consumption From Pandemic Isolation
As society slowly reopens and social calendars once again begin to fill, some may find it hard to manage their boundaries with alcohol.
By Times of San Diego, News Partner
August 15, 2021
During the COVID-19 pandemic, alcohol consumption rose — one study reported a 29% increase — as people were asked to stay home, didn’t have to drive and had less to do. And now, as society slowly reopens and social calendars once again begin to fill, some may find it hard to manage their boundaries with alcohol.
Problems can arise as restrictions ease and people may still be drinking larger amounts of alcohol, but are now doing so in public. The celebratory spirit of a waning pandemic can also result in increased alcohol use.
It’s important to cautiously resume normal social activities. Try to gauge your readiness for a return to socializing and identify how your personal alcohol use might be affecting your overall health and wellness. You should also consider factors such as driving, maintaining COVID-19 vigilance and personal safety as you begin to make plans.
Anxiety in Social Settings
While feeling anxious about socializing is normal as we come back to social events, many people use alcohol as a way to “take the edge off.” It’s helpful to remember that too much alcohol consumption can reduce anxiety initially, but can also result in embarrassing behaviors or speech that can increase anxiety in the long run.
Along with those behaviors, it is also vital to consider the next-day consequence of binge drinking, such as a hangover, which increases anxiety and decreases the practice of healthy habits. Try instead to reduce anxiety before an event with other self-soothing behaviors, and take steps to create boundaries around your alcohol use.
Tips for Creating Boundaries with Social Drinking
Make a plan before a social event. Decide how many drinks you want to have while you are there. Try limiting consumption to one drink per hour, eating before drinking anything, hydrating and having a plan for safe transportation. When you have met your limit, grab a mocktail or nonalcoholic drink of choice to continue the act of “drinking” without consuming more alcohol. If anxiety gets too intense, plan to leave the event instead of increasing alcohol consumption.
Recruit a friend. Ask a loved one to join you in the journey of decreasing or abstaining from alcohol use. Having someone to share the ups and downs with you not only serves as a means of accountability, but also can be a bonding experience. If you notice you are still struggling to manage your alcohol consumption and believe complete abstinence is needed, there are many treatment programs that can equip you with tools to break the cycle of alcohol dependency.
Store or discard your booze. Rather than displaying your liquor stash in your fridge or cupboard, put bottles of alcohol in a place that is less obvious. Another option is to give your collection to a friend to hold onto, or pour it down the drain, if you’d prefer. There’s less temptation to indulge when you don’t have constant reminders.
Change the setting. If you want to decrease the possibility of alcohol consumption when spending time with certain friends, try suggesting a different activity, such as going for a walk, making a new recipe or taking a workout class.
Be kind to yourself. If you falter in your boundaries, do not allow this to throw off your entire plan. Take extra precautions the next time you go to an event where alcohol is present, and try again.
The benefits of abstaining from alcohol can improve not just your physical health, but also your mental well-being. Depending on alcohol to cope with life stressors can be dangerous.
If you start noticing certain physical or emotional feelings of discomfort when trying to decrease your consumption of alcohol, it may be time to seek professional support.
Austin Slade is a clinical psychologist for the intensive outpatient program at Sharp McDonald Center.