One business has continued to boom during this current pandemic. No, it’s not toilet paper. No, it’s not bottled water. Yes, it is alcohol consumption. Apparently, Americans continue to stock up on alcohol. In Seattle, Chicago and Boston, sales of wine, beer and liquor saw increases of up to 300 to 500 percent in the first third of 2020. Also,market research firm Nielsen reported off-premises sales of alcoholic beverages across the United States rose 55% in the week ending March 21. Sales increased the most for tequila, gin and premixed cocktails, followed by wine and then beer. So, in times of challenge and stress, it can be attractive to look to alcohol for stress reduction. In a Los Angeles Times article dated 2/8/21 by Eli Cahan titled “Hospitals see rise in alcohol-related illnesses”, the author described numerous negative consequences occurring from alcohol use and abuse in the last year. The author noted increases in alcohol-related hospital admissions for critical diseases such as alcoholic hepatitis and liver failure. Take alcohol-related liver disease as an example. Before the pandemic, there were 15 million persons diagnosed with the condition in this country. However, medical authorities are seeing 30-50% increases in rates of admission in 2020. Specialists believe that isolation, unemployment, and hopelessness are driving these increases. Rates for women also are increasing as noted in the article. Why is all this happening?
People who feel stressed tend to drink more than people who are less stressed. Alcohol use increases when persons experience disasters of all kinds, e.g. natural disasters. Alcohol does result in a feeling of relaxation. However, after drinking you may feel more anxious. Why is that? This is because alcohol releases brain chemicals that block anxiety. However, our brain rebalances after drinking by reducing the chemicals and getting back to equilibrium, resulting in increased feelings of anxiety. So how does alcohol affect us?
As I’ve written about in past posts, our immune system is impacted negatively by stress. For far more detail about how stress impacts your health, please read our book (I Can’t Take It Anymore: How to Manage Stress so It Doesn’t Manage You; Paul G. Longobardi, Ph.D., and Janice B. Longobardi, R.N., B.S.N., P.H.N.), available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/1542458056. For more information about the book, authors, and stress please visit our website at www.manageyourhealthandstress.com. For now, know that Coronavirus also compromises our immune system. Alcohol impacts the immune system, increasing the risk of illness and infections. For example, patients with liver disease die of COVID-19 at rates three times higher than those without it. Even more concerning, it now is occurring that some observers are seeing increased numbers of young adults hospitalized with alcohol-induced liver issues. We know from other virus outbreaks that drinking affects how your immune system works, making you more susceptible to virus infection. So, if you are concerned about the coronavirus, or are at risk of contracting it, you should limit your alcohol intake to give your immune system the best chance of fighting it off. The same applies if you have influenza or the common cold this winter.
What about alcohol and your mood? Drinking can affect your mood, making you prone to symptoms of depression and anxiety. This is because alcohol has a depressant effect on your central nervous system. What about sleep? We know that getting restful sleep assists in stress reduction. However, alcohol can disrupt your sleep. You may fall asleep more quickly from the sedating effects of alcohol. When your body processes alcohol, the sedative effects wear off. You might wake up through the night and find it hard to fall back to sleep. The next day, you can be left feeling increasingly anxious, which can start the process again.
Alcohol reduces the capacity of our brain to monitor and regulate our thoughts and feelings. We can make poor judgments, our inhibitions are reduced. Over time, you can develop a higher tolerance to alcohol leading to the need to drink more alcohol for the same effect. Developing tolerance to alcohol can contribute to the development of alcohol dependence.
How can you manage your alcohol use in this time of pandemic? First, monitor your drinking. American guidelines point to no more than one drink for women and two for men per night. I found the Australian guidelines make sense. This includes having no more than four standard drinks in any one day and no more than ten a week.
As always, the question is how you can manage the stresses of the pandemic without excessive use of alcohol? Consider doing mindfulness meditation or slow your breathing. You can distract yourself with something enjoyable. Try practicing starting your day thinking of three things for which you are grateful. As I’ve noted on many occasions, get as much exercise as you can. Exercise releases brain chemicals that make you feel good. We need exercise even more in times when we are more isolated and staying at home more often. Even if you can’t do your normal exercise routine because the fitness center is closed, go outside for a walk or run (maintaining social distancing and masks as needed). Maintain a good diet. We know good nutrition is important to maintain good mental health. Try to get as much sleep as you can. Worry can disrupt sleep and lack of sleep can worsen mental health. Build in pleasant activities to your day. If you can’t do the normal activities you find enjoyable, seek out something new you can do or try and schedule one each day. It’s good for your brain too as new activities activate brain reward systems.
Change can be disruptive but, as with most things, your mindset determines your reaction. The good part is that you can change what you think. Find ways to deal with the stresses in your life.
Good luck on your journey.
Dr. Paul Longobardi
For information on these and related topics, please see my website at www.successandmindset.com