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“Social isolation and lack of human connection are important factors that lead some people to turn to alcohol”
The isolation, unemployment and disorganized routines caused by the pandemic are causing an increase in alcohol consumption in different parts of the world.
In the UK, the British Liver Trust reported a 500% increase in the number of calls received by its alcohol support center since the quarantine began in March.
In Brazil, a behavioral survey conducted by Fiocruz between April and May identified, at that time, an average increase of 18% in alcohol consumption, between men and women. The age group with the greatest increase (25%) was between 30 and 39 years.
“The increase in alcohol consumption was associated with the frequency of feeling sad or depressed: the higher the frequency, the greater the increase in the use of alcoholic beverages,” the survey said.
“Social isolation and lack of human connection are important factors that explain why some people turn to alcohol. It is therefore clear that the pandemic is still very harsh for many people,” says Laura Bunt, from the British organization for support for. We are with you.
Below, the BBC brings reports from Britons about difficulties coping with alcohol addiction in the midst of a pandemic.
Tracy (not her real name): ‘I got a medical license, so I could drink in quarantine’
“With the lockdown (mandatory quarantine in the UK), I thought we were all going to die, so I was drunk for a whole week.
He protected me from losing my job. I knew I was going to drink so I called work (warning) that I was on sick leave. Covid-19 was a good cover-up: nobody is watching you, you can do everything over the phone.
As an alcoholic, I am very manipulative. And I’m a big liar when I’m drunk.
I bought six bottles of wine, one of vodka and one of cognac. I just wanted to die. I really wanted to kill myself. I felt like a complete failure and that there was no way forward.
Even while drinking, I covered my nose; I didn’t even like the taste of alcohol. I just wanted to drink fast to stay on the road.
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“With the confinement, I thought we were all going to die, so I was drunk for a whole week”
I don’t have a plan B. No one is going to help me. I have nowhere to go; I can’t even go to the church next door.
It is difficult, but once you accept something that you cannot change, you have to work with what you have.
There is so much hope out there, so much life to live without alcohol and drugs. And all that’s left on my list is jail or death, and I don’t want either of them. I already lost my job because of her (alcohol), I lost my children, my house and my dignity.
During the confinement, I lost my mind for a few days. It’s the worst kind of situation for anyone, (but) especially alcoholics, addicts, and people with mental health issues, when it comes to isolating themselves.
But I managed to get back on track. I’ve been sober for two months. The depression still persists. If I don’t drink, I can handle it. But the moment I have a drink, it’s over.
I spend a lot of time at home alone and this is difficult. I’ve had relapses before, but now I’m calling a friend to talk, I read. Thank God the library was reopened, it was my salvation.
Some Alcoholics Anonymous meetings were held, but restricted to 20 people, for health reasons. They have to go against one of their few traditions, which is not to reject (input from) anyone.
At the beginning (of the pandemic), when I relapsed, I had in mind that we were all going to die. Now I have another perspective and I’m back on my way. “
Joseph Harrington: ‘Since the cure for addiction is the human connection, it is very difficult to be isolated’
“People with addictions shouldn’t isolate themselves, (because) healing is connection. When you’re disconnected from everything, it’s hard,” says Joseph Harrington.
My experience with alcoholism and drug addiction started early. And it became a problem in my late teens. I woke up every morning or in the middle of the night already feeling abstinence.
I was constantly sick, itchy, feverish, hallucinating and from there arose a sensation of clear lights around my vision; Before I knew it, I was crazy. When he drank, he was semi-conscious and paralyzed.
At age 29, in treatment, I was diagnosed with a condition called cerebellar ataxia, which is a scar on the back of the brain that affects the cerebral cortex, the part that sends messages from the brain to the spine and the rest of the body. It gave me seizures and I couldn’t walk.
At 31 he was in a wheelchair. The damage I caused is permanent. I have chronic pain and the nerve endings are damaged.
It’s like I’m covered in lava, with a constant burning sensation on my body.
Living alone, the confinement was very isolated and difficult. My mental health was not good. I felt isolated, trapped and alone.
I couldn’t leave the house and at first there wasn’t much support. There were no meetings (support groups, the church was closed. It was very emotional. Not seeing people face to face is a very scary experience.
Addicted people should not isolate themselves, (because) healing is connection. When you are disconnected from everything, it is difficult.
I know a lot of people who want to go back to support meetings. I won’t go back until I think it’s safe. For now, I’m living one day at a time. “
Susan (not her real name): ‘My husband drinks up to six bottles of wine a day’
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“When my husband drinks, he’s like ‘the doctor and the monster’. Sober, he’s kind, generous, loyal, funny, loving. As soon as he drinks, his personality changes.”
“My husband and I have been together for 19 years and he is a good man. I would not choose (to drink) if I had that option.
When he drinks, he is like ‘the doctor and the monster’. Sober, he is kind, generous, loyal, fun, loving. As soon as you have a drink, your personality changes, it becomes the opposite.
He was never physically violent with me, but mentally he is very abusive and very destructive of his surroundings.
He drinks until he vomits, when he obviously cannot drink anymore. It goes from one bottle of wine a day to six bottles a day, if not more, and then we have to call the paramedics and go to the hospital.
When he comes back from the hospital, he doesn’t drink for about a month and a half. And then it starts all over again.
When he’s drunk, I have to keep him away from sharp objects, that kind of thing. It is as if you are taking care of a small child.
We had an episode during the lockdown when the police appeared. I was calling an ambulance on the phone and they had to give me the phone number because I couldn’t even speak. The operator heard him yelling and called the police.
Of course, the reopening of the pubs made it difficult, now he’s drinking. And those who drink a lot don’t remember to maintain social distance.
I know I have no control over his alcoholism, I have already accepted that there is nothing I can do.
It’s my choice Just because I’m sick doesn’t mean I should quit. I enjoy the moments when he is sober, because he is the love of my life. “
With BBC News report from Vicky Carter
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