HOW TO STAY SOBER IN HOLIDAY SEASON
Experts offer advice on how you can avoid drinking alcohol altogether or perhaps just not binge at festive parties and get-togethers
The holiday season brings a lot of joy, stress and for some, an unhealthy temptation to drink – a lot.
While some people drink to celebrate, others drink because it helps them feel less depressed, less alone or less bored, says Thomas Britton, CEO and board member at American Addiction Centres, a US network of rehab facilities.
Holidays can also lead to increases in stress, isolation and depression, he says, causing more alcohol poisonings, binge drinking, car accidents and other adverse effects of large amounts of drinking.
But Britton and other experts say there are healthy ways to handle these stressors during the holiday season, including inviting a buddy along to celebrate with you and having an exit strategy in case things get too tempting.
First, what’s a standard drink?
George Koob, director of the US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, recommends people familiarise themselves with standard drinks.
Typically, a standard drink is 355ml of beer with 5 per cent alcohol; 148ml of wine with 12 per cent alcohol; or 44ml of a distilled beverage. (A 750ml bottle of wine contains about five standard glasses.)
How much alcohol is too much?
Koob says the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) recommends no more than two alcoholic drinks per day for men and one per day for women. That’s about 14 or seven per week.
“That doesn’t mean you have them all at the party and in a two-hour period,” he says.
Drinking is the leading cause of substance abuse in the US, Britton says. One-sixth of the US population binge drinks and about 25 per cent of binge drinkers do it weekly, he adds.
The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines binge drinking as consuming five or more drinks on an occasion for men or four or more drinks for women.
Heavy drinking equals eight or more drinks per week for women and 15 or more drinks per week for men, the CDC says.
And while most people who binge drink do not have a severe alcohol use disorder, binge drinking is associated with a higher risk of alcohol use disorder, the CDC says.
“There’s significant medical risk and safety risks to binge drinking,” Britton says. “Holiday times, both in parties or in isolation, can trigger that.”
Don’t want to drink? Have an escape plan
The most important thing a person can do if they want to stop drinking alcohol is reach out for help or treatment, Britton says. The second thing they can do is plan where they’ll spend the holidays.
If there’s a New Year’s
Eve party where friends plan to drink lots of alcohol, it’s probably not the best choice, Britton says.
“I can either ask my family not to drink and see if they would honour that or I can choose to go somewhere with other people that are trying not to drink,” he says. It also helps to take a friend or someone else who is in recovery.
You can also take a walk or leave the event, Koob says. And while people shouldn’t need an excuse to leave, they can say they’re not feeling well.
“You have to have an escape plan,” Koob says.
The average person doesn’t have a problem with alcohol
THOMAS BRITTON,
CEO, AMERICAN ADDICTION CENTRES
Drinking may trigger holiday heart syndrome
In addition to car crashes and DUIs, excessive alcohol consumption can also lead to a condition called holiday heart syndrome, researchers say.
The term “holiday heart syndrome” was coined in 1978. It occurs when healthy people without heart disease experience arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat after binge drinking.
The researchers who coined the term said the irregularities subsided once those involved stopped drinking.
While the palpitations were also more frequent after weekends or holidays like Christmas or New Year’s Eve, later studies showed the association between irregular heartbeat and recent alcohol intake wasn’t always significant.
Researchers say complications of holiday heart syndrome include new or worsening heart failure, life-threatening arrhythmias, community-acquired pneumonia and death.
How to support sober loved ones during the holidays
Experts say there are ways to help loved ones who don’t drink, like having non-alcoholic drink options.
“The average person doesn’t have a problem with alcohol, so the average person won’t miss having alcohol,” Britton says.
And there’s a movement of sorts among people in the 18-to-30 age group that’s moving purposely to not drinking. The movement has led to the creation of more non-alcoholic drinks such as mocktinis or mocktails.
And when in doubt, it never hurts to simply ask loved ones how to support them, Britton says.
And it’s OK to keep an eye on them and be “socially acute”, Koob says.
“You don’t want to leave them in the corner by themselves where everybody else is toasting,” he says. “They should be included in the celebration but they don’t have to drink.”
For those struggling with drinking, experts say there are virtual communities, secular groups and groups within churches to check out for support.