We all know that the pandemic has not been great for either our physical or mental health. One of the strongest indicators of this is that overall alcohol consumption increased by 14 percent among Americans in 2020 and 23 percent of Americans reported drinking more each day to cope with pandemic-induced stress.
Those are startling statistics. Alcohol in any amount is not good either for our mental or physical well-being. The panel that advises the FDA about the food pyramid recommended that adults should have no more than one drink per day.
However, during the pandemic, the routine for many adults included two or three or more drinks each and every day.
Many people recognize that their pandemic-induced drinking behavior has to change, Although Alcoholics Anonymous may not be the right program for many people, there are other options for support, among the most popular being The Naked Mind LLC, Luckiest Club, and Tempest, all of which charge a fee and are on-line.
Alcohol Use Disorder already was an enormous problem for millions of Amercans and it was exacerbated by the pandemic. Sober October is a good place to start to reverse that trend.