It is no secret that alcohol consumption has been rising since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fueled and fanned mainly by a combination of isolation, stress, and lockdown, COVID-19 became the perfect storm for alcohol abuse. Even though it has been about two years since the beginning of the pandemic, heavy drinking habits still have not been broken. Keep reading to learn more about rising alcohol and the pandemic, and when it is time to consider alcohol recovery help from alcohol abuse rehab centers.
How Have Alcoholism Numbers Risen Since The Pandemic?
Statistics surrounding how alcoholism numbers have risen since the pandemic, according to the US National Library of Medicine, include:
- Participants reported consuming 26.8 alcoholic drinks on 12.2 of the past 30 days
- One-third of participants (34.1%) reported binge drinking
- 7.0% reported extreme binge drinking
- Participants who experienced COVID-19-related stress (versus not) reported consuming more drinks and a greater number of days of drinking
- 60% reported increased drinking
- Only 13% reported decreased drinking, compared to pre-COVID-19
- Reasons for increased drinking included increased stress (45.7%), increased alcohol availability (34.4%), and boredom (30.1%)
- Participants who reported being stressed by the pandemic consumed more drinks over a greater number of days
In addition, a recent article by USA Today states that, although more than 18 months into the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S., nearly 1 in 5 Americans is consuming an unhealthy amount of alcohol. About 17% of respondents reported “heavy drinking” in the past 30 days, according to the survey conducted by analytics firm The Harris Poll and commissioned by Alkermes, an Ireland-based biopharmaceutical company. The survey was conducted online from March 30 to April 7 among 6,006 U.S. adults ages 21 and older. Of those, 1,003 adults reported “heavy drinking.”
“Heavy drinking” was defined as having had two heavy drinking days in a single week at least twice in the previous 30 days. A “heavy drinking day” was defined as four or more drinks containing alcohol for women and five or more drinks containing alcohol for men.
How to Dial Back Pandemic Drinking
If you have found yourself with increased drinking habits since the start of the pandemic, you are not alone. Luckily, you can do things to dial back your drinking habits and get back on track. These include:
- Change your nightly routine. For many people, the evening time is a trigger to drink. Once work is over, the kids are in bed, and you finally get to have some “me time,” the first action for many is to reach for a drink. Instead, set an earlier bedtime and change your nightly routine.
- Fill your schedule with alcohol-free activities. Staying busy is the key to sobriety or cutting back on drinking. Keep your schedule busy, and find things to do with friends and family that don’t involve drinking.
- Set a goal. Need a reset? Set a goal for Sober April or Dry March and use apps to help motivate you through this time. Taking a long break from drinking can help change and rewire your drinking habits.
- Seek help from alcohol abuse rehab centers. Sometimes, no matter how much you try to cut back on drinking, it just isn’t possible. In that case, it might be time to find professional help for alcohol recovery at alcohol abuse rehab centers.
How Do I Know If I Need Help From Alcohol Rehab Centers?
How do you know if your new pandemic habit is something that can be helped alone or if you need help from alcohol rehab centers? Some of the signs that it is time for professional help include:
- Inability to stop or slow use
- Feeling withdrawal symptoms
- Spending too much time drinking or time thinking about drinking
- Spending too much time recovering from drinking
- Frequent hangovers
- Drinking at inappropriate times of the day
- Isolation from friends and family in favor of drinking
- Hiding or lying about how much you’re drinking
- Poor performance at work or school
- Frequent memory blackouts
Alcohol Recovery at Seasons in Malibu
If you have had an issue stopping or slowing your use of alcohol since the beginning of the pandemic, we can help. The alcohol rehab programs at Seasons In Malibu, an alcohol abuse rehab center, start with detox and carry through to aftercare. The alcohol treatment centers on our philosophy of systemic treatment. Treatment at Seasons in Malibu is systemic, integrative, and client-centered.
Upon arrival at the best alcohol treatment centers programs, you will be seen immediately by an MD that specializes in addiction medicine and alcohol detox with many years of experience in this process. They will carefully assess your risk and closely monitor your detox process.
The “shakes” and “DTs” (Delirium Tremens) will be managed with specialized medication on a short-term basis, and staff will keep your vitals under constant supervision through the first days of the alcohol recovery programs. Within a week, you will likely feel better than you have since you started drinking. Then you will begin to recover the sharpness of mind and bodily energy that you may have lost to your drinking. Your body will no longer be required to process the extraordinary amount of toxins.
Our exceptional team of clinicians can succinctly pinpoint those areas of focus that will give the client the most advanced opportunity for success. Our approach towards healing is collaborative, comprehensive, and committed.
For more information, visit seasonsmalibu.com.
