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As we continue to weather the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic,\u00a0relaxation can seem like an impossibility. While things like sheet masks, baths, or daily walks can be helpful, it\u2019s easy to reach for a glass of wine or a beer to help calm down nerves instead. While there\u2019s nothing wrong with having a drink after a long day if you\u2019re not sober or in recovery,\u00a0the degree to which you are relying on alcohol for relaxation is something to be mindful of\u2014especially since, with the way things are right now, being home constantly without any sense of routine can make the temptation to drink stronger than usual.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n But how do you know if\u00a0your drinking habits\u00a0are becoming a problem? HelloGiggles talked to several mental health experts to unpack how drinking can turn into an issue when you start relying on it as a coping mechanism to deal with the stress of social isolation.<\/strong><\/p>\n According to clinical psychologist\u00a0Dr. Joshua Klapow,\u00a0the isolating nature of social distancing can exacerbate anxiety and leave us feeling powerless in our current circumstances. As a result, it can be difficult to practice healthy habits (like honing a meditation practice, for instance) when we know that we can instead opt for simpler, quicker fixes like drinking.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cUnlike other \u2018disasters\u2019 where the damage occurs quickly and then there is the aftermath, we have entered a disaster that is slow moving, invisible for some, and growing,\u201d Dr. Klapow tells HelloGiggles. \u201cInstead of producing intense anxiety for a short period of time, it produces\u2014for many people\u2014moderate levels of anxiety with spikes\u00a0(when new numbers come out, when new restrictions are placed, when someone they know falls ill).\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n And when anxiety is coupled with our current limited range of freedom, Dr. Klapow adds, \u201cthe feasibility of drinking more frequently increases. We are anxious, bored, can\u2019t leave the house, don\u2019t need to be in at work at a certain time. All of these will prompt some to turn weekend drinking into weekday drinking.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Ruby Mehta, clinical advisor at\u00a0Tempest, a modern and digital sobriety program, adds that our lack of in-person connection with others can also lead to increased drinking. \u201cHumans are social creatures, and feelings of loneliness can increase stress hormones throughout your body. This is only exacerbated in the current environment where we are asked to stay at home,\u201d Mehta tells HelloGiggles.<\/strong><\/p>\n If your usual method of unwinding from stress is taking an exercise class or dining with friends at a restaurant, the lack of access to those options can leave you straining to find new ways to deal with heightened anxiety. And since we can still obtain alcohol relatively easily, despite tight restrictions around non-essential businesses throughout the country, it can seem like a viable replacement for our previous strategies.<\/strong><\/p>\n It can be hard to tell since, for many people, becoming dependent on alcohol isn\u2019t always a dramatic turn from a cocktail or two a day to frequent binge drinking. And with the\u00a0loose, undefined nature of our days right now, potentially problematic habits can become even more difficult to decipher. Experts say that there\u00a0are<\/em>\u00a0some things to look out for, though, if you\u2019re worried that you\u2019re slipping into uncharted territory.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cIf you feel that you are being controlled in any way by the alcohol use (rather than feeling as if you are in control), you\u2019ve entered the realm where alcohol use is a problem,\u201d says\u00a0Dr. Carla Manly, clinical psychologist and author of\u00a0Joy<\/em>\u00a0From Fear:\u00a0Create the Life of Your Dreams by Making Fear Your Friend<\/i><\/em>. If you can still consume alcohol in moderation\u2014meaning one or two drinks a day, at most\u2014Dr. Manly says you\u2019re more than likely not dependent on it.\u00a0But, the key is being objective when analyzing your alcohol use rather than making excuses for an increase in drinking.<\/strong><\/p>\n A simple way to evaluate your habit is to examine the emotions and associations you have surrounding alcohol. \u201cIf you feel anxiety and are automatically reaching for a drink, this is already a sign that you are in dangerous territory,\u201d Dr. Jud Brewer, a neuroscientist, addiction psychiatrist, and director of research and innovation at the\u00a0Mindfulness Center at Brown University, tells HelloGiggles. \u201cAnother sign is when you feel that you can\u2019t relax unless you have a drink.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Still, \u201cpeople can become physically dependent on alcohol and manage their day-to-day activities for a period of time,\u201d notes Dr. Klapow. Being cognizant of any changes in your mood and behavior is essential; he adds that\u00a0experiencing certain physical sensations like nervousness, headaches, muscle aches, increased stress, and irritability\u00a0when you\u2019re not drinking can be a clue that your alcohol consumption is teetering on dependence.<\/strong><\/p>\n If you haven\u2019t spotted any notable changes, though, try to determine if you are handling circumstances differently because of the stress caused by the pandemic. Ask yourself: Have social distancing and fears surrounding the pandemic created an an anxiety that\u2019s hard to cope with, which may be prompting you to drink more?\u00a0From there, evaluate if your relationship to alcohol has become cyclical.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cAnxiety [can] trigger someone to drink, which gives their brain the \u2018reward\u2019 of not only feeling intoxicated but also feeling less anxious,\u201d Dr. Brewer explains. \u201cThe problem is that this doesn\u2019t fix the underlying issue that caused the anxiety in the first place, which is often exacerbated by the drinking and avoidance. The brief relief fades and another habit loop is triggered as soon as the anxiety comes back.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n According to Dr. Klapow, if social distancing is driving your anxiety\u2014and thus your drinking\u2014there are a few things you can do to address your stress while still abiding by mandates made by the government\u00a0and the CDC\u00a0to stay inside. \u201cSocial distance but don\u2019t isolate yourself,\u201d he says. \u201cMake sure you are connecting with others daily, even if that is remotely. Don\u2019t spend all day, every day alone.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Similarly, Mehta says that finding ways to contact those you love is crucial in this time. \u201cBy chatting with a supportive friend on the phone or virtually, our stress levels are naturally lowered as we feel human connection,\u201d she says.<\/strong><\/p>\n Additionally, exercise\u2014even just a daily walk in an uncrowded area\u2014can help to \u201cto regulate your autonomic nervous system, which will reduce anxiety,\u201d Dr. Klapow says. If you\u2019re not comfortable going outside, online exercises courses or apps offering free workouts like\u00a0Down Dog,\u00a0Orangetheory,\u00a0or\u00a0Obe Fitness\u00a0are great alternatives to get yourself moving.<\/strong><\/p>\n Most importantly, recognize when your anxiety may be getting too difficult to handle, even if it\u2019s not manifesting as drinking too much. \u201cBe brave enough to acknowledge that anxiety is taking control, and seek mental health care,\u201d Dr. Klapow says. \u201cAnxiety is one of the top presenting symptoms for mental health professionals. It can be treated and managed, but you need to listen to yourself or others around you and be willing to go get help.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Virtual therapy is a great option that many mental health practitioners are utilizing right now to get in touch with patients and do sessions remotely. Apps like\u00a0Talkspace,\u00a0BetterHelp, and the\u00a0Crisis Text Hotline\u00a0can also be of use if you are seeking help but don\u2019t know where to start.\u00a0Tempest\u00a0can also be a resource as it offers virtual support groups that are easily accessible at home. And if you live in New York, Governor Cuomo recently announced that 6,000 mental health practitioners have\u00a0volunteered to offer free online services;\u00a0you can call 844-863-9314 to schedule an appointment.<\/strong><\/p>\n Drinking doesn\u2019t have to be your main method of dealing with stress right now. If you\u2019re concerned about your habit, know that you are not alone in your struggle or your fear\u2014there are plenty of people and resources ready to help you. You just need to take the first step and reach out.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As we continue to weather the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic,\u00a0relaxation can seem like an impossibility. While things like sheet masks, baths, or daily walks … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":537,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[14],"class_list":["post-534","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-psychology","tag-drinking"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tipsforahealthylife.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/534","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tipsforahealthylife.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tipsforahealthylife.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tipsforahealthylife.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tipsforahealthylife.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=534"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tipsforahealthylife.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/534\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":538,"href":"https:\/\/tipsforahealthylife.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/534\/revisions\/538"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tipsforahealthylife.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/537"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tipsforahealthylife.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=534"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tipsforahealthylife.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=534"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tipsforahealthylife.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=534"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Why so many people are drinking more than usual these days?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nWhen does drinking become a problem?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
What to do to cope with stress instead of drinking:<\/strong><\/h2>\n