Be a lifeline for us lockdown addicts
THIS difficult year, we were told children were being taught by ‘day drinkers’, a consequence of the stress of home schooling, and some treated it as a big joke. I was shocked that a local radio station host laughed at research showing a spike in the intake of alcohol. I was angry — and jealous. It turns out I hit rock bottom one year too early to participate with everyone else in the rampant drinking that accompanied isolation during the pandemic. Instead, I listened to men in recovery meetings describe the temptation to relapse, with Covid providing the perfect excuse to drink. Who would blame us? Recovery meetings were cancelled, loved ones were dying, the economy was headed towards collapse. Some of us expected a statement from an imaginary board of directors of addiction declaring it OK to use drugs and drink alcohol this year because these circumstances are extra special. Just a few years ago, I drank to excess when my own circumstances seemed extra special. Maybe my boss was being harsh or I couldn’t face checking my work emails in the morning without something to take the edge off. However, in this special year, for many this behaviour has become a joke that permeated social media for everyone to chuckle at. Most of those adults who drank like students at the start of lockdown returned to normal after a few months. However, those who did not return to drinking in moderation are no longer laughing. An alcoholic or drug addict in recovery is not mourning the loss of fun and partying or the pleasure of ordering an expensive wine with dinner. The party ended long ago. They are mourning the best friend they have depended on for years to calm the noise in their head and tell them it’s all going to be OK. This comfort seemed even more necessary over the past nine months. For an alcoholic or drug addict, there is anger at the unfairness of it, the bargaining deals with God to just let us have one more chance, and depression that can be amplified by physical withdrawal symptoms. This stage can’t be traversed alone. It requires support from those who have been there. Family and friends can give all the love in the world, but the most important thing they can provide is the phone number of someone they know who has been an addict. If you know someone who is struggling with alcohol or drug addiction, be that intermediary. There are enough of us recovering alcoholics and drug addicts in the world to be their lifeline.