Welcome to Alcohol Awareness Week 2020
The theme this year is alcohol and mental health
It is a timely theme with the world in the grip of a pandemic and more people feeling isolated, anxious and stressed, it is a difficult time for all of us.
A CIPD employee survey published this year reported that 27% of employees said their alcohol consumption had increased during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Alcohol has been described as ‘the UK’s favourite coping mechanism’ but alcohol can contribute to the worsening of symptoms of many mental health problems.
How to get help
East Riding: Phone 01482 336675
ADS work with Humber NHS Trust providing The East Riding Partnership.
Doncaster: Phone 01302 730956
ADS work with Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Trust providing Aspire.
So what are the recommended drinking limits?
Men and women are advised not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis (6 pints of normal strength beer or 1.5 bottles of wine).
Spread your drinking over 3 or more days if you regularly drink as much as 14 units a week
How can I check if I’m drinking too much?
Complete the survey to find out more about your drinking here
Why should I stop or cut down?
There are many positive reasons to cut down or stop.
Sarah
Sarah didn’t really drink through the week but enjoyed a drink at the weekend, went to the gym and generally had a healthy lifestyle. Then she decided to take an alcohol holiday as a challenge. Sarah tells us what happened click here
Nick
Nick a successful web designer working from home had been thinking about cutting back on the booze for a while. Read Nicks take on why he did and what happened click here
For some of us it can be a very serious problem
Drinking heavily can lead to major problems with your life and health and it can happen to anyone. However, there is a way out.
Laurens Story
Alison’s story
If you are a heavy drinker stopping without specialist help could be dangerous to your health
If you drink more than 30 units a day you should not try to stop drinking without help from a specialist alcohol and drug treatment service or your doctor.
- 30 units a day is one bottle of spirits, 3 bottles of wine, 12 pints of normal strength beer, 7 cans of 9% super lager or 4 litres of strong cider
Instead, try to drink steadily (without binges or days without alcohol) and contact your local alcohol and drug treatment service for advice and support.
If you drink less than 30 units a day, but above 15 units a day and have not had serious withdrawal complications it may be possible to cut down gradually and manage withdrawal symptoms
- less than 30 units but more than 15 units is roughly half a bottle of spirits, one and a half bottles of wine, 6 pints of regular strength beer, 3 cans super lager or 2 litres of strong cider.) (for example seizures or delirium tremens) in the past
It is best if you contact your local specialist service (click here to find your closest service), but you can plan to cut down gradually to manage withdrawal symptoms (Click here to find out how).
Our short 20 second film shows some of the dangers to watch for
Published 11th November 2020
