Who is Still Drinking Too Much Post-Lockdown?

I feel you.

When I was drinking everyday the one thing I hated was feeling like shit afterwards not to mention my looks started fading.

Also the feeling of not being in control left me feeling vulnerable and lost.

When I looked in the mirror at myself and saw what I’ve become, right at that moment I fought hard to change and finally gave up alcohol for good.

You can do this too if you really want to change. It’s not easy by no means for sure. But it’s definitely achievable.

It’s a small sacrifice yet it’s worth it. Best wishes.

I went through drinking cycles in the past year. About a week ago, stopped drinking. I was just sick of it and knew I was using it to chase boredom. It dawned on me that, perhaps, I could take up a new hobby instead. So I’m relearning how to play chess. I feel great and no longer bored! I like to drink and will do so again...but only when it’s fun.

Once you’ve made it through 3 nights of not drinking, it’s easy, OP. You just need a new distraction.

I wish I could. Before chemo 11 years ago I was concerned about my drinking. Now, I open a beer, and find it maybe half drunk a few hours later. That's getting loaded for me.

With extra money from unemployment and the stimulus, I started going out way too much when the New York City bars reopened. That's ending so I will have to force myself to not go out so much even though I have decent savings. I'm getting some major dental work done so after that is over, I'll start looking for work again. 2 1/2 years until early retirement so I am hoping for my last job.

You made it through the best way you could. If I read that Medieval villagers during the plague drank too much or gained 20 lbs, I’d be like “big whoop.”

I have stopped drinking completely actually, though I don't recommend this method.

I woke up at 2am on Boxing Day 2020 after a dizzying dream about rollercoasters. I was feeling dizzy and nauseated (I had not been drinking the night before) and rushed to the bathroom to throw up. I fell down several times on the way, and after vomiting I couldn't get back up. I slept for a few hours on the floor of the bathroom, before dragging myself back to bed, falling down several times on the way there.

I spent the next three days barely able to walk. Down was in the middle of whatever wall was to the left of me, and I had to hold onto things to get from the bedroom to the kitchen to feed the dog and give him his meds. It's 20 feet, but I had to rest when I got there, and several times I threw up in the kitchen sink while crushing his meds.

When I could sit up I started researching vertigo, and found the Epley Maneuvers. I started doing them, and within 24 hours I was able to stand unsupported, but had to walk slowly. I have a cane from when I partially ruptured my Achilles tendon a few years ago, so I got that out and started using it again. It took a month to fully recover.

It felt like being extremely drunk for three days, and since then, I have no desire for alcohol whatsoever.

I don't drink booze at all so therefore I do not have this problem/issue.

It doesn't occur to me to drink except socially, so lockdowns and curfews and restaurant closings saw me going very long stretches without wine at a restaurant or drinks with friends Eventually during the curfew period I arrived at a pattern of an overnight party once a week or two among a very small circle of friends. There was not much to door but drink, so I could see that people inclined to drink could find themselves doing a lot of it during Covid.

I missed the situational aspect of a friend calling and saying he's around the corner having drinks with some friends, asking you to join or other impromptu social life. The process of knowing in advance exactly who the invitees and the program would be, stocking up on drinks to bring, or extra ice, etc. was less appealing than just saying "let's take a drink at the end of the street."

Yes. I've replaced a lot of eating with drinking. Not always but enough for me to be aware of it. I'll give it up for a month or two and then it will re-cycle. COVID depression.

I've been in a self-destructive cycle for years of nightly drinking and daily hangovers. Alcohol has become my treatment for anxiety and my companion for loneliness. I'm quitting today. I have to get my shit together. I'm on a road to nowhere. It's finally time for a Zoom AA meeting.

I'm 68, I drink.

R10 hang in there! Think of it as breaking a bad habit and don't beat yourself up over it.

Not booze but these fuckers..

R10 - well I tell myself that and try to do it but other than my roommate and calls with folks and a few exes back home, I feel like the booze has been all I can look forward to. I am onmy 43, told I am a pretty good looking guy.I do need a new distraction because I now hate myself. Also, it's amazing how hard it is to go back to pre-pandemic "normal" and, despite my job and that I managed to save and invest, I feel very ashamed.

I've been more or less permanently stoned since March 2020

R15 - we need to get out of it. It really changes you for the worse.

How are you guys doing? Did you try to get back your six pack?

I'm trying to get a six pack too

Hang tough guys

R17 - not too good. My job is in peril despite them offering me more money to stay a few months more. I am mentally exhausted after having a parent fall seriously ill, being sent to flipping Romania of all places and stuck here since August 2019, toxic work environment, and, now the country is ravaged by COVID. I am actively looking for a new job and want to go back home....don't know when and hardly up to a new job. I got some good running shoes and all but tbh at night I just wanna hide and drink to forget.

Me. Chardonnay only.

I drink at least a bottle of wine a day. I've stopped caring, which I know is not good. I was doing that well before the pandemic, and the pandemic didn't increase it at least.

I have never been a big drinker, and can easily go weeks without a drop of alcohol, but for part of the first period of lockdown I was definitely drinking more - never problem-drinking or getting blasted, but having a couple on weeknights, I think just to take the edge off.

However, I am trying to think of what I've been drinking more recently and I think I've only had one alcoholic drink in the past 2 or so months. It's clearly not an issue for me so I can't really advise from that perspective, but it's great you have identified that you have an issue with this and want to do something about it. All I can suggest really is that you find a better/healthier coping mechanism. You say you lost your six pack, which implies you were fit before so I would always advise exercise as an option - I am a big gamer which is one of my main ways to decompress, and I am also pretty good at just generally taking time-out for self care, in whatever way feels best (could be some at-home pampering, retail therapy, binge watching a show or movies, having a chocolate and sweets binge, sex too of course).

Don't be too hard on yourself. Life has changed massively for most people, sometimes you just need to do whatever it takes to get you through the days with some shred of sanity remaining, and even just you identifying that this isn't healthy for you now and wanting to do something about it, is a big positive - a lot of people don't have that self awareness or motivation to improve.

R21 - thanks for that. I was a big exercise and social activity guy before the pandemic. Essentially, I am unrecognizable now and also under huge stress. I think you nailed it when you said life has changed dramatically and yes, I am trying to get through the day. Well, the gym is off for now due to the upswing (400+ dead a day) out here. I am trying to get back to the gym though and yes, I absolutely think I have a problem and it definitely needs to change.

raises hand

I hardly drink but I’ve definitely been eating more (even bingeing at times). Happily, I’ve also been swimming like a maniac since my pool re-opened, so at least some of the calories are going somewhere.

I hope R10 is doing ok.

It’s interesting - totally opposite effect. Because my drinking was always at gay bars, I went from 25 drinks week to none. I’ve gone out 3-4x since March 2020 and it seems to have lost all appeal. I debated before Covid how bad my drinking problem was - and am shocked how specific it was to going out to gay bars. My “social life” is almost non existent and I lead a boring, stay at home life but I don’t drink.

I’m honestly ambivalent about it. In a way I look forward to normal life gain and socializing in gay bars - even though it leads to drinking too much (by US standards if not UK)

I used to drink a lot, then I got my MMD card. Spent the entire 2021 buzzed, but not using alcohol. I know it is switching one vice for another, but physically I feel better and more able to function. We're getting there, but I don't feel as bad, right now.

Op I am - and alone too. Not good.

Same here although I was hitting the bottle hard before Covid. I have 3 or more LARGE vodka martinis each night. I would probably need a medical detox at this point.

I quit drinking about 6 months before Covid because it didn’t mix well with medication. Thank God the State of Illinois legalized cannabis. I take one gummy about an hour before bed and the effect is amazing. It reduces inflammation, neuropathy, and I sleep much better than any sleeping pill did for me.

I cut out the booze, discovered gummies, and am much better for it.

I was always in the habit of having one or two cocktails every evening however last year's quarantine isolation gradually upped that to three or four drinks some evenings. But then I developed severe heart palpitations which forced me to see a cardiologist who said that without anything else to pin it on (I'm healthy otherwise), the heart issues had to be the result it had to be the volume of alcohol I was consuming. So this time last year I stopped drinking.

Like everywhere else, my gym had closed during that time and I was working from home. When I realized I was going days without ever leaving the house due to covid, I began taking a walk in the park every day. Each week I walked a little farther. (Or is it "further"? I need the "Oh dear" DL language maven to advise.) In the last 12 months I lost 18 pounds and a couple of inches around my waist. Is it due to walking or cutting out alcohol? I now walk every other day, work out at home with some light weights I bought online and do some stretches and floor exercises.

I use edibles now (It's legal where I am) and found that those with an equal ratio of THC and CBD are just enough to take the edge off at the end of the day. Interestingly, my doctor said he saw no problems when I told them I was using cannabis.

I quit drinking 3 months ago, after drinking 1-2 bottles of wine nightly (sometimes with vodka mixed in). I feel much better, and have lost 8 pounds even though I eat too much sugar. The terrible anxiety that I had has almost disappeared. I started taking nightly thc gummies to help with sleep last month. I sleep so much better, but I hate that fact that I’m probably now addicted to them. They really don’t seem to have any negative side effects, so I’m not too worried.

I don't think you can be addicted to THC gummies.

Same R27 and there aren't gummies out here either. Gyms are closed and I am all by myself (except the lady I live with who is too distracted by work and her health problems to care).

I cut down after year 1. Year 1 was Feb 2020-Feb 2021. When they said we had to teach another semester this year, I started to taper down. Then in August I dropped down again. I went to my wine cellar with fresh eyes last week and realised I bought so much fucking alcohol. I must have been out of my mind buying online. Cases of champagne and pretty good to great wine. I should get some young friends over to drink it for the next years. I don't think mature men drink like fishes. None of my friends over 50 are lushes. I opened an excellent Bordeaux tonight and had 1 glass and didn't want another.

I was but recently my hubby and I made a concerted decision to only drink when we socialize -and considering our hesitancy to do that now, we just don't drink that much anymore.

But I did experience a few withdrawal symptoms which actually felt like covid in a vaccinated person.

I was drinking a huge amount for most of covid. I quit 6 months ago. First few days were really tough, but it got much better fast. I started having an occasional gummy, about 5 mg, and its fun. I lost about 20 lbs by not drinking and have not gained it back despite my new addiction...... frozen m&m's :)

I don't get it why people still drink akcohol like water these days; it's bad from your brain, heart, gut, liver, and kidneys. And it tastes bitter.

R37 It's a drug, pure and simple. That's why people drink, to alter things.

I quit drinking during the height of the pandemic. I was simply drinking way, way, way too much. Like three bottles of wine a night. This was July 2020. Didn't think it would be forever. Just wanted a month to detox. But it stuck. Now? A year plus later? I can't imagine drinking.

It's just no longer a part of my life. I can't believe how easy it was to abandon, after 20 years (on and off) of abusing it.

Give yourshelvesh breaksh! We all need shomeshing to eashe the pain of living!

Shtill drinking too musch?

I jush drink to chase my pillsh, shweetie...

Jush try that...