I don’t know how many tweets or Facebook posts I’ve seen over the last few weeks saying “I’m gonna lose that 4 pounds I put on during the first lockdown during the second one”.  And, inevitably, hilarious Aunt Mary helpfully posts somewhere in the myriad of supportive comments below “It’s ok love, there’s no calories in gin!” Queue a plethora of dodgy, crying-laughing-face emojis.

But the lockdown weeks were not kind to everyone, especially those who turned to a bottle of wine instead of (or as well as) the biscuit tin for comfort during unsettling times.  National statistics indicate that while we initially all felt like it was an extra long bank holiday where work responsibility had gone out of the window and pouring that G&T at 4pm was vaguely acceptable, we’re now in a position where we’re drinking on average 70% more that we were in February.

People tend to drink more during times of crises.  This is a perfectly normal reaction to shock, and we can all agree that the Coronavirus certainly came as an unpleasant surprise. 

We’re used to the rhetoric of a stiff drink to “steady the nerves” or for “Dutch courage”, but is this the appropriate response for us personally to the rollercoaster of emotions and regulations ahead of us?

Alcohol gives us a quick and easy shot of dopamine, a neurotransmitter which makes us feel a happy glow inside, reduces anxiety and lowers inhibitions.  Basically, dopamine helps us to feel pleasure.

Normally our brain produces dopamine for us, but by feeding ourselves our fast-track glass of whisky or few extra beers, the brain stops producing as much dopamine itself.  This means that the threshold for which we receive the anti-anxiety feeling using alcohol becomes higher.  We need more booze to beat the blues.

This explains why we feel pretty rubbish the next day, too – lack of a natural reward system boost creates emotional lows.

So, what can you do if you’re among the thousands of people nationwide who find themselves concerned about their alcohol intake in 2020?

Firstly, give yourself a break.  Whether it’s too many Proseccos on a Tuesday evening or the whole packets of biscuits for elevenses, not getting out of your pyjamas for three days or lying in the bath for hours, we’re all just finding ways of coping with a new normal that none of us saw coming.  That’s ok.  But keeping it up for weeks on end is not ok. 

Here are a few tips to break a bad habit before it becomes a problem:

Get into a routine

You may be furloughed or working from home, and while that means you technically could have a cheeky drink at lunchtime and probably get away with it, it’s a slippery slope.  How about getting up at your regular time in the morning, getting washed and dressed and making yourself a nice breakfast, instead?  When alcohol starts to interrupt our routines then it’s a sign that things need to change.

Call a friend and let them know

Oftentimes we drink out of boredom or loneliness, so facing dark months with restricted movement and smaller social bubbles means that we may need to keep our dull-time drinking in check.  If you have that one friend that you know you can confide in, then tell them that you’re concerned about your drinking habits.  Saying it out loud to someone else will affirm the change needed and it’ll give you someone to talk to if you’re finding making a change during isolated times more difficult.

Get outside

Yep, it is winter in Wales, but whether you’re in the middle of Milford or up on the secluded Poppit Sands, fresh air is fresh air! Dopamine and its happy hormone buddy serotonin are produced when we’re walking outside, and when the sun is shining, we get an additional boost from Vitamin D.  And I’m fairly sure that walking with your best dog buddy is good for the soul, too!  We’ll probably find that we don’t need that second glass after all those natural highs…

Get to bed early

Contrary to what we believe, alcohol increases anxiety in the brain as it loses the capacity to create its own dopamine, making us feel low, anxious, aggressive, and restless.  One sign that we’ve overdone it is if our sleep is disrupted.  So why not give the gin a miss, put clean sheets on the bed, have a warm bath and get to bed early tonight?  Our mental health and our livers will thank us for it.

Giving our health a helping hand

While pubs and bars are closed or access is restricted, there’s less peer pressure to pop down the pub.  Let’s try to see this as a chance to give our liver a break!  Alcohol is known to impact our immune system negatively, leaving us susceptible to viruses, so in this time of health worry, giving booze a break and allowing our immune systems a chance to be robust really is worth considering.

When to get help

Having a few drinks alone of an evening is not in itself an issue.  The only time that alcohol becomes problematic is when we feel that it’s problematic for us.  There’s no such thing as making a fuss if whatever it is that’s bothering us (gambling, diet, online shopping) is playing on our minds.  If we think that we’ve gone beyond going for a jog and can’t go through the day without resorting to problematic drinking, then help is available.

Where to get help

Dyfed Drug and Alcohol Service (DDAS) is a free, invaluable service which covers the counties of Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion and support people who are concerned about their drinking or the alcohol use of someone close to them.  During these difficult times, DDAS are offering confidential support by a single point of contact number that is available between the hours of 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday, or web chat between 9am and 9pm on their website, www.barod.cymru.

The free out-of-hours Wales drug and alcohol support line, DAN 24/7, is 0808 808 2234 – this is an excellent resource for anyone looking for immediate support in a crisis.

Club Soda are hosting a free How to Change Your Drinking Course – visit their website for more details.