This article comes from the WeChat public account: nut shell (ID: Guokr42) , author: Sarah Keating, translation: Porco Rosso, editor: travel knowledge initiatives, compile source: BBC, head Figure from: unsplash
With the arrival of the new coronavirus, the world has been thrown into a vortex of uncertainty. Governments in various countries have urged people to stay at home to stop the spread of the epidemic. In the next few months, many places will still implement varying degrees of “closing cities”, and most people are trying to help themselves cope with this “new normal.”
According to reports, The recent surge in alcohol sales shows that many people are using alcohol to deal with this weird reality . Compared with the same period in previous years, alcohol sales in the United Kingdom increased by 22% in March, and the United States increased by 55% .
There is a joke on social media: “ When the global epidemic is over, I will either become a super chef or an alcoholic. “American star chef Ina Garton (Ina Garten) uploaded a video on the Internet, in which she adjusted a large can Metropolis Cocktail said: “It was tuned for the guests … no, no guests, only me.” She laughed a lot and made a “you know” look, then poured the cocktail into an oversized In the martini glass.
In order to fill the vacancy in the social life where you ca n’t go to the pub, many people join the happy hour online and clink with each other in the virtual space. They feel that they are safe. Anyway, they drink too much and go to bed.
People who are isolated at home have “remote gatherings”, toasting and drinking together | Twitter @JeremyDyson Screenshot
But in the face of this crisis, Did some people drink too much?
Drinking alcohol because of anxiety, even more anxious after drinking
In addition to jokes and jokes, there is a more depressing reason for people to raise their bottles: We are in a collective anxiety and no one knows when it will end . People are sick all over the world, and many people are dying. Medical services and frontline workers are under tremendous pressure, and many people are forced to separate from their loved ones. People felt real fear, frustration and worry.
In many countries, alcohol sales have peaked in the weeks after the closure of the city. Many drinkers are out of stress. | unsplash
People use alcohol to relieve stress for a variety of reasons-working in the front line, working at home, and teaching children at home while working, living alone, losing loved ones, and losing work. But to be honest, no matter physical or psychological, the soothing effect of alcohol is very short-lived, especially under stress .
“I do feel relaxed and comfortable while drinking alcohol.” (This Naked Mind: Control Alcohol) The author of the book, Anne Grace, (Annie Grace) said, “The alcohol content in our blood rises, the world seems to slow down, our The mind feels relaxed, and feels dizzy and ecstatic at the same time. “
But she pointed out that this relaxation is temporary. “After 20 to 30 minutes, the body begins to remove alcohol because alcohol is a toxin, and the body will remove all toxins. When the alcohol in the blood drops, we I feel more uncomfortable and even more stressed than before drinking. “
The brain gets drunk because of a complex neural network. Alcohol can affect some messenger molecules in the brain-also known as “neurotransmitters”, including the inhibitory gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamic acid which plays an exciting role. When we drink alcohol, alcohol will hinder the secretion of glutamic acid and prevent it from increasing nerve activity; alcohol will also promote the secretion of γ-aminobutyric acid, thereby reducing the activity of neurons. In short, the more we drink, the slower the body and brain turn , causing us to lose our sense of direction and our limbs become uncoordinated.
In addition to hijacking nerves like this, Alcohol also affects the brain ’s happiness and feedback center, stimulating dopamine secretion . Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that makes us “crave more”. This is why it is difficult for us to “stop after a sip”.
Michael Farrell (Michael Farrell) is the director of the National Drug and Alcohol Research Center at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. He said: “People often alleviate short-term anxiety by drinking alcohol … but the paradox is that if you drink for this, drinking alcohol in the long run will not reduce anxiety, but it will make people feel worse, like there is The rebound effect is similar . “
Break the “rules” and drink alcohol every dayDay
In addition to drinking for anxiety, there are other reasons for drinking.
“Actually, many people think of alcohol as a useful social coping strategy.” Farrell said, “Most of us feel comfortable if we drink a little alcohol in advance when we enter a strange room Some. “
But the new crown has caused an unprecedented crisis, and may also increase the temptation of alcoholism.
After the normal social life is interrupted, many people can only stay at home and go online to have a drink with others.
@ TomDare7 on Twitter said that his dad and friends watched the game while drinking together | Twitter @ TomDare7
Many people in the world are being isolated in a limited space, and there are reports of panic buying everywhere. Farrell explained that this reflects people’s “hoarding psychology”, in addition to hoarding toilet paper and food that can be stored for a long time, it is hoarding alcohol. If you have wine at home, you can reach it more easily.
Another reason for increased drinking is that our daily routine has collapsed. Many people now work from home without having to commute or sit in the office. Weekdays and weekends are also blurred, there is no longer a clear social mark to distinguish them. As a result, the drinking rules that people originally made for themselves were also disrupted .
Stephanie (pseudonym) is a civil servant in central England. She said: “I originally thought I was a fairly calm and responsible adult. I usually try to be modest and only drink one or two glasses on the weekend.”
But like many people, she stipulates that she should watch lessNews, but still feel overwhelmed by the news, the rules set for themselves have been loosened. “After working for 12 hours a day, I would involuntarily reach for a can of refreshing ice beer, both to quench my thirst and to help myself relax-although that was on Tuesday night,” she said.
These “drinking rules” vary from person to person. Some people stipulate that they only drink on weekends, some people do not drink when alone, or at home. “It’s the same as stipulating that you don’t pour vodka on tortilla chips.” Farrell said, “because you know that once you do this, it is likely that you should go to the local distillery.” >
See others drinking, but also want to drink
In Anne Grace ’s opinion, people should start questioning their drinking habits at an earlier stage. “We can always find a reason to convince ourselves that the problem is not serious.” She said, “We always compare ourselves to someone who drinks more.”
Grace pointed out that social media bears a lot of responsibility on this issue. “This is a typical example of” confirmation bias “ (confirmation bias) , which is We will look for evidence around us to prove us It ’s normal to do things . “
“If part of the brain is already telling us that a drink will make us happy, then we see on Facebook that our neighbors are publishing their own” isolated wine “and live broadcast their own” Happy Hour “on Zoom ‘, Then we can easily forget the danger of drinking and defend it. “
Watching photos and videos of drinking during the quarantine of neighbors on the Internet may justify our potentially harmful behavior. | Twitter @RhysInspiredBM
Grace urges everyone to be honest with themselves, to explore their motivation to drink, and to confess the true feelings of drinking. Taking her own personal experience as an example, she revealed the possible confusion caused by drinking.
Grace developed postpartum depression after the birth of her second son, and then began to “self-treat” with alcohol. “ Stress caused me to drink, and drinking caused stress .” She said, “In addition, I also developed a severe cognitive disorder because I do n’t like to drink so much alcohol, and this inner conflict Increased my stress, which made me drink more. “
Alcohol reduces the ability to fight infections
The health risks of excessive drinking are often mentioned, but in this health crisis, drinking may have an additional hazard: Alcohol intake will reduce the body ’s immune system’s ability to fight infections.
A recent study by Italian researchers shows that even moderate drinking may increase the risk of infection with the new coronavirus, which can also increase infection.
Gianni Testino (Gianni Testino) Alcohol Regional Research Center from Genoa, Italy (Alcohological Regional Centre) , a study he directed believes that alcohol intake” will increase the risk of viral infection and double infection of respiratory bacteria. “
“The lung infections of drinkers are more serious, and they also need assisted ventilation.” Testino said.
In a study yet to be published, he and his colleagues pointed out that alcohol may increase the content of ACE-2 protein, and New Coronavirus uses this protein to enter human cells.
Because of fear of people consuming alcohol during the global epidemic, and the untrue word that alcoholism can protect you from viruses, the World Health Organization issued a two-page statement on this issue .
“Drink alcohol during the epidemic so as not to weaken your immune system and health, or endanger the health of others. A large intake of alcohol can cause acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is one of the risk factors, which is a very serious complication of new coronary pneumonia. “
The Royal College of Psychiatrists in London also warns that more than 14 units of alcohol are consumed per week , Wanting to “free from the uninterrupted news of the new crown epidemic situation” may increase your risk of contracting new crown virus.
The global spread of the new coronavirus has caused a degree of collective anxiety. | unsplash
Acute drunkenness is also a hassle for those who are isolated in a small home environment. Farrell pointed out that in addition to the high incidence of alcohol-related accidents, drinking also increases the likelihood of conflict. “If a person is already grumpy and not getting along well with his family, then in this situation, drinking tends to burn Oil. “
The United Nations has warned of the surge in domestic violence during quarantine. For example, the number of domestic violence hotlines in China has tripled the same period last year. In Lebanon and Malaysia, the number of domestic violence hotline calls doubled the same period last year, and France increased by 32%. During the closure of the city, Britain, France, Spain, Japan and Italy all reported deaths caused by domestic violence.
Others worry that this change in drinking behavior will have a more profound impact. “Abrupt social changes are always accompanied by unstable behavior,” Farrell said. When our lives are so disturbed and impacted economically, socially, psychologically, and physically, will we develop the habit of drinking from this and will it be hard to quit in the future?
Refuse alcohol, choose to grow
Some countries, such as South Africa, India, Sri Lanka and Greenland, are very concerned about alcohol intake during the seclusion, and even banned the sale of alcohol. But this approach is not once and for all. Those with severe alcohol addiction will experience withdrawal symptoms, including tremors, hallucinations, cramps, and even death . In India, serious alcohol addicts have died, or have committed suicide because they have no alcohol to drink, or they have become intolerant to drinking toxic methanol-the industrial alcohol used in antifreeze and paint thinner.
Some details are worth noting where alcohol can be sold. Matt Parker, a senior lecturer in neuroscience at the University of Portsmouth, UK (Matt Parker) is hosting a research group on stress and drinking, he Introduced a new study, which shows that one-third of people actually consume less alcohol, only one-fifth of people drink more. “But this is particularly alarming because it shows that the surge in alcohol sales is driven by a small number of people.” He said.
For those who are recovering from alcohol dependence or are still struggling with it, this is also a time when they can cause alcohol addiction.
Parker ’s research shows that people with certain traits who are particularly addicted (especially the “impulsive”, that is, they do n’t think much Those who travel later “ are more likely to consume alcohol under stress. “Particularly worth worrying about are those who have struggled with alcohol addiction now or in the past, because their alcohol addiction is likely to” relapse. “He said.
The good news is that those who need help can still get help.
Farrell stated that there are many more traditional alcohol cessation services (such as the anonymous alcohol cessation association [Alcoholics Anonymous]) is providing assistance online . He hopes that more people will use this online service without having to attend offline meetings. Because some help seekers have difficulty participating in face-to-face talks, especially in this era of the new crown epidemic.
“A person will experience more than 15 years from a significant drinking problem to asking for help,” Farrell said. He hopes moreAdding convenient online interventions can help people change their drinking habits faster.
With luck, most of us can find ways to cope with life changes in addition to alcohol. Anne Grace clearly believed that this would be an opportunity to improve ourselves.
“Suffering will improve people.” She said, “ Stress and tension can force us to grow, and growth is a beautiful thing. ”
This article comes from the WeChat public account: nut shell (ID: Guokr42) , author: Sarah Keating