Ok, so this might not be the actual apocalypse, but this week feels like things with this coronavirus have escalated quickly. Unilateral mass travel bans, national emergencies, testing shortages, mask donations, all large events cancelled and countries on lockdown, all in the span of just a few days. It’s enough to make anybody’s head spin.
And sadly, it’s enough to make a lot of people think, “Screw it. I might as well get drunk.” After all, if there’s no tomorrow, then might as well live it up in the present, right?
So for those people, we thought we’d share just a few reasons to still hold off, and stick with your original goals, even when things seem a little bleak out there.
Here are 10 really good reasons not to drink during this coronavirus apocalypse:
Drinking weakens your immune system. In fact, there’s an association between heavy drinking and susceptibility to pneumonia in particular. As this is a virus that is most dangerous to the elderly and those with other medical conditions, you want your immune system as strong as it can be to fight it off.
It may make your feelings of despair worse. Depression can be worsened by drinking. These times are bleak enough without adding to the problem by making it hard to get pleasure from activities other than drinking.
It may increase your anxiety level. We’re all freaking out right now (see empty grocery shelves). Do you really need to consume something that’s likely to make you worry even more?
Binge drinking compromises your judgment. Do you think Contagion would have worked out better if the CDC leadership had been drunk the whole time? Probably not. You need to make a lot of judgment calls right now about how to deal with the possible ways this crisis impacts you. Keep your wits about you the old-fashioned way: stay sober.
The money for that $15 cocktail or $30 bottle of wine could be better spent on food. (Yes, food like canned goods or dried beans, not toilet paper. What in God’s name is going on with the damn toilet paper?). If you have enough food, consider donating to a food bank. A lot of people (restaurant staff, physical retail store staff) are going to be out of work in the near term and need help.
That brings us to #6: other people need your support. Are you at your best, personality-wise, when you’re hungover? What about when you’re drunk? Other people (whether it’s your family members, your partner, or your friends) need you functioning at 100%. Keep it together for them.
This is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s likely some level of disruption to ordinary life will go on for at least a month (there are talks about even hosting the Olympics without a live audience, and that’s in July). You might be ok with one night of heavy drinking, but what about 30? Drinking can’t be your go-to coping strategy.
The crutch theory. It’s this: if you cope with tough emotions by drinking, you won’t build the skills needed to control those emotions in healthier ways. Now is the time to invest in learning to meditate, practice mindfulness, try radical acceptance. Try as many approaches as you can to manage anxiety that do not involve ingesting toxins like alcohol.
If you spend your time doing something more productive, you’ll come out of this thorny period with a new skill, a new achievement, or some progress on an important life goal. If you spend your time drinking, you may come out of it with a drinking problem. Now is a great time to invest in your hobbies and interests.
Last but not least, there will be a tomorrow, not too far away (a year?), when this thing is either preventable or treatable, and you will have to live with the consequences of what you do now. Most people live through the disease caused by this virus. So live in a way you’ll be proud of when tomorrow comes.
If you’re looking to cut back or quit drinking, we’d love to help. Drinker’s Helper is an app that provides motivational exercises, drink tracking and insights into why you drink, and a personalized support group of your peers to help you make needed changes. You can try it out for free for a week before joining.
