How to Tell if Your Quarantine Drinking Is Veering Toward Alcoholism
Spending habits have changed a lot since the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S. In addition to groceries, cleaning supplies, and toilet paper, Americans are (unsurprisingly) stocking up on booze. In fact, sales of alcoholic beverages rose 55% in the week ending March 21, according to Nielsen data, and online alcohol sales spiked an impressive 243%. Zoom happy hours seem to be the new normal and people are regularly sharing Instagram posts with a glass of wine or “quarantini” in hand.
The reason is pretty obvious: Everyone is really stressed out right now and alcohol, in small doses, can help you relax due to its sedative effects, says Henry Kranzler, M.D., a professor of psychiatry and director of the Penn Center for Studies of Addiction.
Booze is also closely tied to having fun, explains Jed Magen, D.O., chair of the department of psychiatry at Michigan State University. People tend to enjoy drinks while hanging out with friends or watching a big game, so whipping up a cocktail can help stir up those fun memories, even though we can’t be around others in the moment, Dr. Magen says.
But experts are urging people not to overdo it.
The World Health Organization (WHO) actually released a warning in mid-April about the dangers of drinking too much during the pandemic. “At times of lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, alcohol consumption can exacerbate health vulnerability, risk-taking behaviors, mental health issues, and violence,” the warning says, before encouraging governments to “enforce measures which limit alcohol consumption.”
It can be dangerous to start leaning into alcohol during this time because it’s easy to develop a full-blown dependency on it, says Dr. Magen.
“The progression is first, feeling more relaxed and having some elevated mood. This is fine since there is little harm in drinking because you like the taste of beer or wine and find that it relaxes you,” he explains. “Some people however, then begin to deliberately seek out alcohol in order to feel relaxed and to keep their mood up. This is stage two. Now, instead of finding other ways to deal with stress or anxiety, you begin to only rely on alcohol.”
Stage three: Your start to experience withdrawal symptoms if you don’t have alcohol daily. “You have what is known as dependency on the drug and it becomes very difficult to stop,” Dr. Magen says.
How can you tell if you’re drinking too much?
In general, you want to stick with moderate levels of alcohol, Dr. Magen says. For women, that means having up to one drink a day and, for men, two drinks a day, according to the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
But there are certain signs that you might be having more alcohol than you should. “If you can’t fall asleep without a drink, it’s a problem,” says Brad Lander, Ph.D., a psychologist and clinical director of addiction medicine at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “The irony here is alcohol can help you get to sleep but, after a couple hours, it can interfere with staying asleep.”
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) says it’s important to keep these symptoms of alcohol dependency on your radar:
You’re drinking more or longer than you intended.
You try to cut down or stop drinking, but you can’t.
You have to drink more than you once did to get the same effect.
You continue to drink, even though it makes you feel depressed or anxious.
You spend a lot of time drinking or thinking about alcohol.
Your loved ones have made comments about your drinking.
You find that drinking interferes with your daily activities and work.
You have withdrawal symptoms when you don’t drink, including shaking, sweating, having tremors, headaches, anxiety, irritation, and insomnia.
Over time, alcohol can actually make you feel more anxious, Dr. Kranzler says, directly contradicting one of the reasons why you’re probably drinking more right now.
This can be an especially difficult time for people with alcohol dependency issues.
People are experiencing a lot of anxiety around the fear of getting sick, managing career changes, caring for kids 24/7, and not being able to do normal social activities. “Now, add to these issues the need to always have alcohol around and the fear of not getting it. Add that, maybe you were able to conceal your use when you were not with people 24 hours a day, and you have greatly increased stress,” Dr. Magen says.
Those who are in recovery from an alcohol dependency issue can struggle, too, Dr. Lander says. “Social support and activity are important for recovery, and both of these are missing right now,” he says. “There are online 12-step meetings, but most recovering people will tell you they aren’t as helpful.”
So, what can you do if you’ve been drinking more than usual?
Now is actually the “perfect time” to develop and practice healthy ways of coping with stress, Dr. Lander says. There are a few different things you can try to do instead of drinking to take the edge off:
✔️ Exercise: Do yoga or an at-home workout at a time you’d normally drink to distract yourself.
✔️ Meditate: There are plenty of apps out there, like Headspace, that can guide you through a meditation practice.
✔️ Start a new hobby or project: Diving into something new and engaging can help take your mind off of the fact that you’re not drinking. “Take this time as an opportunity to do something for yourself, or do something you’ve been putting off,” Dr. Lander says.
✔️ Talk to loved ones: “As difficult as it is, connecting with people who care about you is terrifically important,” Dr. Magen says. “People who have larger networks of others are better able to buffer stress.”
✔️ Prioritize alone time: If you’re quarantining with family, Dr. Magen suggests working with your partner or loved ones to schedule in alone time.
If you’re really struggling, Dr. Kranzler recommends calling your family doctor or a mental health professional to try to figure out what you can do to lower your stress levels in a healthy way. Of course, if drinking booze is just one of the many things that helps you unwind and you don’t notice any of the effects mentioned above, we won’t judge you for the occasional glass of wine.
If you’re concerned about your drinking and want help, start by calling the free, confidential, always-open hotline of the federal government’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (1-800-662-4357).
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