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Problematic doctors consume much more alcohol than normal because they are so stressed out by being isolated and deprived of support under the shutdown, the doctors revealed. However, they are struggling to get help because the NHS is very busy dealing with patients with Covid-19, and because specialized treatment services for addicts have been reduced, they said.
“Alcohol services across the UK are seeing some of their clients drink much more and become even more chaotic in their lifestyles,” said Dr Emily Finch, NHS addiction psychiatrist and vice president of the faculty of addictions of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
Annoyed at not being able to see family and friends, people in their 40s, 50s and 60s drink even greater amounts of cheap alcohol, such as white cider, strong beer and wine, than they consumed in pre-Covid times, she added. . Immersing yourself in such dangerous habits runs the risk of damaging both your physical and mental health.
There is an estimate 587,000 dependent drinkers in England.
“More than half of the people referred to my team in the past few weeks have been for alcohol and drug problems, but mostly for alcohol-related, closure-related problems,” said Dr. Tony Rao, a psychiatrist. South London consultant and the Maudsley Hospital Group, which is the NHS’s largest mental health trust. “Their problems have worsened because they are socially isolated.
“People who have less support and direct face-to-face contact with family and friends, and the fear that they may have Covid, are fueling anxiety, which is leading people to drink more than they used to.”
Her clients, all over the age of 65, include people who had successfully stopped drinking above recommended levels, but who have recently relapsed under the psychological pressures of not being able to mix under the rules of social distancing. “Self-isolation has been such a powerful life event that it has pushed people back to dangerous drinking again because they feel stressed by the lack of immediate family support with whom to talk about their mental and emotional health issues.
“Covid himself is acting as a relapse trigger in [problem] Drinking. If everyone is listening on TV and radio it’s Covid, an inherently terrifying event, that’s not surprising, “added Rao.
Alcohol sales in Britain were 30% higher than usual in March as people prepared and got used to living under the running of the bulls, which started on the 23rd of the month. One in five Britons who drink, about 8.6 million people, have started drinking more frequently since then, according to recent research by the charity Alcohol Change UK, which represents alcohol service providers.
If everyone is listening on TV and radio is Covid, a terrifying event, it is not surprising that they are drinking more.
However, its survey of more than 2,000 people also found that 35% of those who regularly consume alcohol have decreased and 6% have given up: this includes around 1.4 million people.
The number of people seeking help from Alcohol Change UK for alcohol problems is on the rise. While 4,089 looked for advice in the “Get Help Now” section of its website between March 23 and April 30 last year, it had 20,067 visits in the same period this year.
Dr Richard Piper, Executive Director of Alcohol Change UK, said: “Covid-19 and the resulting blockade are having a broad impact on people facing alcohol damage, across the spectrum of severity. [They include] heavy drinkers with complex needs, such as homelessness and mental health problems, who often make heavy use of emergency services for support. “
He added: “Services across the country reported that this group of people faces new or worsened challenges as a result of Covid-19. They are at risk of a fatal unplanned withdrawal if they have an interrupted alcohol supply during closure; they may be vulnerable to exploitation if they depend on others to buy alcohol from them; and while temporarily housing homeless drinkers in hotels is a positive step, it could further increase the risk of unobserved withdrawal and exploitation. ”
