Being in quarantine can leave you with a lot of free time. It is stressful, and you may feel like you have nothing to do while locked up in your house. A lot of people choose to kill this extra time with alcohol. By learning healthy coping methods, you can identify whether your drinking is getting out of control. More importantly, you will know if it’s time to get help.
Why Do We Drink When We Are Stressed?
People tend to drink alcohol to deal with negative emotions caused by stressful situations, including the COVID-19 pandemic. When you are stressed, you experience new or uncontrollable emotions that you are not used to handling. To adapt to these new changes, you pick up coping mechanisms that seem to keep your emotions under control at first. The truth is that alcohol can make matters worse as you begin to develop a tolerance.
Why Do We Drink Out of Boredom?
It may seem unbearable to be in your house for weeks with nothing to do and nowhere to go. When you have a bottle of beer or wine at your side, you feel like you have company with you. If you feel like you need to turn to alcohol every time you’re bored, you may have a drinking problem.
Instead of letting yourself feel bored, take a walk around your neighborhood or reach out to your friends and family. If you feel like you cannot stop drinking despite the healthy options available for you, you may need to call a treatment specialist.
What Does it Mean If You Cannot Stop Drinking?
If you are having a hard time slowing down your alcohol consumption, it is time to seek help. If you are having trouble coping while you are at home, call your doctor immediately. There are online 12-step meetings that you can join through Zoom.
It is important to remember that this is an uncertain time for many people, and we are all scared. Drinking is never the solution to boredom or depression. If you feel like your drinking is out of control, take back that control and seek alcoholism treatment to learn how to achieve sobriety.
During COVID-19, it can be tough to control your emotions if you live alone with no one to turn to. At Alta Loma, you can learn healthy coping mechanisms that do not involve the use of alcohol. Instead, you will be provided with individualized therapy, recreational activities, nutrition classes, CBT, DBT, MI, and more. For more information, please call us at (866) 457-3843.
