Real-life issues and medical advice
But lockdown is an ideal time to break our toxic relationship with alcohol
Pouring a glass of wine to melt away the stress and strains of the day has never had so much appeal than over the last eight months while we adjust to a new, less sociable, way of living as the pandemic rages on.
But it seems lockdown may have tipped us over the edge.
New figures show more than 2.6 million Scots admit they are drinking the same or more during lockdown, and 627,000 admit they believe they will emerge from the crisis drinking more than they did before.
“Alcohol has become a way of life,” said Ruari Fairbairns, CEO of One Year No Beer. “I totally understand why people are drinking more.
“In your teens it’s cool, in your 20s it’s fun, and in your 30s and beyond, it’s how you relax, socialise and unwind.
“For decades we’ve been conditioned to believe alcohol helps certain areas of the brain. But the truth is too many people develop a toxic relationship with it.
“And that has very much been the case in lockdown.
“We’re in an age of unprecedented level of low feelings... fear, loneliness and grief. People are missing routines, their mocha lattes and their colleagues being in the same room and the release from social inclusion.
“And they’re looking to alcohol to numb those feelings. Having a drink to relax at the end of the day has become part of the normal routine, with some people drinking every night.
“The pubs might be closed, but people are still drinking, they’re just doing it at home, and possibly more so.”
It’s been seven years since Ruari realised quitting alcohol can lead to better things – and now he’s on a mission to help others do the same.
As an oil broker working in London, Ruari found he was drinking a lot.“i’d be entertaining clients a couple of nights a week, then out with friends at the weekend,” he said. “I didn’t have a problem with alcohol, but I was drinking a few times a week.”
One day he was practising mindfulness and decided it was time to break from the booze.
“It took me six months to pluck up the courage, but when I did, it felt great,” said Ruari.
“I had more energy, I felt better and happier and a decade of problems with IBS
disappeared. It improved my life so much.”
In fact, the benefits were so obvious Ruari wanted to inspire others to try it. Along with co-founder Andy Ramage, he launched Edinburgh-based One Year No Beer in 2016
– and the campaign, which supports people wanting to kick the booze habit, now has 100,000 members in 90 countries..
“People don’t realise the impact alcohol has on their lives until they change their relationship with it – then they wonder why they never tried giving it up before,” said Ruari. “Alcohol is a drug. Studies have shown it is more harmful than heroin or meth. To the body, alcohol is a poison.”
As well as the obvious physical health benefits such as less strain on the liver, heart, and a lower risk of cancer, Ruari says kicking the habit can bring a huge mental and emotional boost, too.
“People say they have gained up to ten hours a week of productive time back,” he said.
“They’ve taken up hobbies they had forgotten about, new sports, become more creative…so whether it’s writing, or building model train sets, there will be more time to get into something you really love. And, you might think I’m crazy for saying this, but lockdown is the perfect time to start. Don’t wait until dry January or put it off until there’s an occasion, just do it.
“If you’re trying to do it by putting a date in the diary you are doing it wrong. You don’t need willpower, just a desire to try going dry.
“Resign yourself to 28 days at first and see how you feel. The chances are you’ll want to continue when that is up once you experience the excitement, clarity and joy that will come.
“Most people start off thinking a year off alcohol is like going from the couch to climbing Everest, but we usually find once people get the bug don’t want to go back to drinking again.
“Life without alcohol is better in so many ways and once you try it, you won’t want to go back.”