Coping With Alcoholism During the COVID-19 Pandemic

If you struggle with drinking, there are several ways in which the pandemic makes life more difficult:

• Social isolation. Social distancing has been the main strategy for slowing or preventing the spread of this disease, but it is causing a lot of people to become isolated. Being unable to go out and be with friends and family can be bad for anyone’s mental health. But if you struggle with addiction, it may be a major trigger to start using or to overindulge in alcohol. Addiction is often referred to as a disease of isolation. When you feel alone, you are more likely to drink. When surrounded by supportive people, you are less likely to drink.
• Mental health crises. The pandemic is a perfect storm of conditions to worsen or trigger mental health issues. Being isolated, out of work, anxious, afraid, and depressed take a toll on stress and mental health. Mental illness and addiction often exist in a cycle. They co-occur because one can be a cause of the other or make the other worse.
• Limited health care. The health care system has been stressed by the pandemic. In-person, non-essential services were halted, and unfortunately that included mental health and addiction care in many places. If you could not access your usual therapy sessions or AA meetings, you may have been tempted to use again.
• Boredom. A common complaint during this public health situation has been simple boredom. People stuck at home have found that having nothing to do is novel for a time, and then it gets tedious. Distraction is an important addiction coping mechanism. Without the ability to do the activities that normally distract you from drinking, you risk having a relapse.

Even while many restrictions caused by the pandemic loosen, the difficulties are not over for anyone with an alcohol use disorder. The quarantine may be back, and the fear and anxiety may persist. There are things you can do, for yourself or for a loved one who’s struggling, to cope in healthy ways in the face of this public health crisis.

The term social distancing is misleading. It is the physical distance that is important for stopping the spread of the disease. With modern technologies there is no need to be socially distant. If you have been stuck at home, if normal places of socializing are shut right now, find other ways to reach out to loved ones.

Boredom is a great trigger for creativity. Many of the things you used to do to distract from an urge to drink may be off limits now: the movie theater, eating out with friends, concerts. This is a great time to find new activities you enjoy and that provide a distraction.

Believe it or not, some good things have come out of the pandemic, including for addiction. You may have had to readjust how you interact with mental health care providers, but you may also have easier access. Instead of driving to a session, you can work with your counselor online. To cope with the ongoing pandemic, keep those virtual appointments regularly.

Many people have even found it easier to get needed medications for addiction because of the pandemic. The federal government quickly changed rules to increase access to appropriate healthcare and medication. In many cases, you can get online and interact with a doctor and get a prescription right away. If you take medication for alcoholism, this is a benefit.

COVID-19 is still a largely unknown entity. Initially thought to be no worse than the yearly flu, it has proven to be a much worse disease for some people and to cause no symptoms for others. What health experts do know is that drinking makes you more susceptible to contracting the disease and having a worse outcome.

Alcohol interferes with how the immune system responds to viral and bacterial infections. In other words, it weakens your immune system, putting you at a greater risk of getting sick. Drinking can also make your body’s response to the disease worse. Alcohol irritates cells in the lungs and has been associated with respiratory distress. Use this knowledge as additional motivation to avoid drinking now.