Pandemic vices: The battle against our new bad habits
For many of us, saying no to temptation has not been easy for the past 10 months, said Elaina Patton in NBCNews.com. “Drinking an extra glass of wine here, eating half a birthday cake in one sitting there—whatever it takes to escape the constant strain of life under lockdown.” But the attitude that helped us get through April can be harmful for anyone who’s self-medicating or otherwise indulging to excess as social distancing and lockdowns stretch into the new year. Doctors can explain why such habits are hard to shake: Chronic stress, such as that created by a pandemic, floods the brain with cortisol, a hormone that inhibits function of the prefrontal cortex—the decision-making part of the brain that helps us resist the urge for immediate gratification. Booze, gambling, pornography, even compulsive online shopping are all ways for the brain to score a shot of the feel-good chemical dopamine.
Alcohol abuse by women has been a particular problem, said Alix Strauss in The New York Times. Martha Duke, a New York City mother who’s been sober since 2018, began hearing cries for help months ago. “I know too many women,” she says, “who went from one or two glasses to two bottles of wine to vodka in your coffee cup.” She and others blame a “mommy wine culture” that normalizes unhealthy drinking habits. Psychologists also say that women are more likely than men to turn to alcohol when coping with isolation issues. Fortunately, many women are seeking treatment, and online support groups are multiplying. Loosid, a twoyear-old social and dating network for people living in sobriety, saw a 3,000 percent uptick in messages and posts last year. The Sober Mom Squad, a support network founded in March, offers virtual roundtables for all types of moms, including the “sober curious”—people just beginning to re-evaluate their alcohol use.
Reigning in overuse of alcohol “requires a lot of introspection,” said Katie Way in Vice.com. To get started, “keep track of what triggers the urge to drink.” If you drink to fight anxiety, depression, or loneliness, address the root of the problem—your mental health—by seeking help via teletherapy or telepsychiatry. Free online support groups are also available at Alcoholics Anonymous ( al-anon.org) and the Anxiety and Depression Association of America ( adaa.org). In the meantime, “lean on your loved ones,” satisfying your need for socialization by calling more often or spending quality time with the people you reside with. A regular routine is crucial, too: “Exercising regularly, waking up and going to bed at roughly the same time every day, and sitting down for three square meals will go a long way toward maintaining a healthy mental equilibrium.”