Effects of alcohol and cigarettes on Lockdown are uncomfortable for sure, but they are manageable for most, but are beneficial for everyone. Going without alcohol and nicotine during the #Covid19 #21daylockdown may have more positive than negative effects in the long run.
While many people understandably like a couple of drinks now and again to socialise or unwind, some rely on the substance for psychological and emotional reasons. Addicts should be nowhere near alcohol and those developing dependencies on the substance need to rethink the road they are walking down.
“It is Habit, not addiction for most people”, said Mark Lockwood on eNCA news report earlier this week. A habit can be a good or bad thing, even the expensive ones, while an addiction is only a bad thing. The two are worlds apart. Whether addicted or not, many normally functioning and mentally healthy people depend on alcohol for relaxation at the end of the work day and also use alcohol to enhance social events and generally loose their inhibitions. Addiction is a progressive disease that gets worse over time. People who are addicted to alcohol will use more of it with less of the effect they are wanting.
HOW CAN I TELL IF I’M ADDICTED?
Missing alcohol and cigarettes is a normal response to what people are used to. They may enjoy socialising with alcohol, or having a few drinks after a long day at work for example. So going without is going to feel like missing out. But if your life has become less manageable and more chaotic in any area, because of alcohol, you need to start looking at the symptoms of alcoholism fast. If you’re drinking more with less effect, and if you feel guilty or like crap physically, mentally or emotionally but still crave a pick me up to feel normal; the warning signs are there to let you know you need to take a long break from using the substance. It seems that many people benefit from a 20-90 day break from booze and others have who have done 6-12 months of abstinence report amazing benefits across the board. So yes, 21 Day Lockdown on Alcohol and Cigarettes can be a good thing.
ALCOHOL AND NICOTINE MAKE YOU DEPRESSED AND ANXIOUS
Alcohol is well known as a central nervous system depressant. This means that drinking wine, beer and other malt liquors can have an adverse effect on you and in reality can actually make you more stressed and anxious. The more alcohol you drink, the more these negative effects develop. It is much like smoking cigarettes where nicotine increases your blood pressure and heart rate.
HEALTHIER WAYS TO RELAX
Although it is a stressful time during the Covid19 lockdown there are healthy and unhealthy ways to relax. Smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol both carry warning labels in South Africa for good reason, causing more stress than calm at the end of the day. While addiction itself has only negative consequences, there are good and bad habits that we can develop.
Giving up alcohol for 21 days, such as dry January in the UK, can have lasting benefits. It can help you move out of a habitual cycle so that you learn to drink less and save more money. It can also lead to improved relationships, weight loss, better sleep, improved energy and concentration, healthier looking skin and even better sex. 21 Day Lockdown on Alcohol and Cigarettes can be a good thing on many levels.
IT’S GOING TO HELP YOU OR HURT YOU
It is estimated that 400 000 people died from cigarette smoking last year and alcohol has its own host of emotional and mental health issues like depression that include car accidents, heart and liver disease and emphysema. Healthier ways to deal with the lockdown stress are to use mindfulness techniques to create daily schedules, take breaks from work and reading and breathe deeply. Learn how to meditate, do yoga and other relaxation exercises that increase dopamine the way alcohol cannot. Without alcohol you will enjoy improved sleep, and will wake up earlier as time goes on which can help improve your work life, personal relationships and a more balanced state of calmness.
HELP FOR ADDICTIONS IS AVAILABLE
Helping people with Mental Health issues is a direct mandate from our president and the work must continue. Many people have stepped up to offer free counselling online for those who cannot afford, or wait for, a private drug rehab centre intervention. People with addictions have the opportunity to benefit from dozens of daily online meetings hosted by Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous worldwide, most of which run through Zoom Conferencing , Google Hangouts and other social media platforms. Our drug rehab center is also here to help.
For more information on how 21 Day Lockdown on Alcohol and Cigarettes can be a good thing call +27824424779 or email info@pathwaysplettrehab.co.za