Maybe you cheered with your friends when liquor stores were deemed essential and kept open for the Covid-19 lock down. Or maybe you rolled your eyes at the hypocrisy of deeming alcohol essential, when just a few months ago, statistics were published showing that alcohol related deaths have increased 100% since the turn of the century. At least 88,000 alcohol related deaths annually in the US and 3,00,000 world wide.
Maybe you were relieved to have the governments encouraging us to drink, when 100 years ago, at the time of the Spanish flu, it was illegal to drink at all in the United States, parts of Canada and Australia. Or maybe you are a bit more cynical and think that this Covid19 era mirror opposite to the last century’s Prohibition, is all about keeping the tax revenue on booze flowing.
In an obvious allusion to the deadly downside of Prohibition times, the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America urged governors – to keep wine and spirits retailers open as to not encourage bad actors to pop-up black market liquor operation. The argument has also been made that the liqour stores are kept open to protect us from the unpleasant—and potentially deadly—symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. But…
… does anyone other than me see the irony in that? It sends this message: “Booze is what’s killing you, but it’s also what’ll keep you alive and out of hospitals needed for coronavirus sufferers. We think it’s better you stay at home drunk and not go to the hospital with delirium tremers.”
Opinion: Alcohol Has Shifted From Sin To Essential To ‘Essintial’
It’s pretty common, although arguably counter-productive, for people to suggest that you drink yourself numb in times of stress. It’s also common, although arguably counter-productive, for people to suggest that the more time you spend home alone with your kids the more you may need to drink yourself numb. There has never been a time when tweets like this one – were more normalized.
You cannot close the schools and also close the liquor stores. Please. Please have mercy on the parents
During this unprecedented health crisis our governments are enforcing extreme policies at a huge cost to protect us from infection and to ease the load on our health care systems – yet alcohol, wine, and spirits – which kill over 88, 000 people annually in the US and 3 million world wide – are deemed as essential as food and medication.
There are a lot of things that many of us do not have a choice about right now. We may have to continue to stay at home until mid- May or June. We may have to wear masks when we go out. We may not be able to work in our chosen field anymore.
Not having control of how long the Covid19 lock down may last is hard. Not having choices about our daily lives is putting many of us in a sort of dull, standstill. But there is one choice that you can definitely make for yourself. There is one thing that you definitely have control over. If you are finding that you are drinking too much and it’s deepening your sense of isolation, Alcohol is NOT essential. You do Not have to drink.
It is not easy to stop in a world where people question you for not drinking , where alcohol is deemed essential, but if you are finding that drinking is increasing your sense of isolation come talk to us. That sounds like a sales pitch but it is not. We are quite simply a community of peers using technology to connect and support each other in making a challenging but rewarding choice.
Come join us for a Marvelous May! Call it My May because if you commit to a month alcohol free you will OWN that month. It’s not about giving something up as much as it is about getting something back. We are talking about taking back your freedom of choice. Breaking the status quo. Putting down the booze not because you are weak and cannot handle it, but because we have found that we are STRONGER if we do not get sucked into the inevitability of drinking in a culture that promotes drinking as essential.
How do you go Sober? ( more reading in blue titles)
B Be accountable Talk to Us We Understand
A Avoid alcohol like the plague Ideas Here
L Let yourself enjoy regular sober treats Ideas Here
A Allow yourself to cry when needed Ideas Here
N Nourish your body with good food Ideas Here
C Create happy & fun memories Ideas Here
E Enjoy the precious moments in your day Ideas Here
W Work hard to get what you want Ideas Here
O Organise things for less stress Ideas Here
R Realise you can’t control it all Ideas Here
K Keep going & prepare for success Ideas Here
S Sleep enough for body & mind rest Sleep Solutions
#boomrethinkthedrink
Our world has come to a stop to protect our health care systems from overloading. Our lives have changed and are currently restricted because we are fighting for our lives. According to the World Health Organization, drinking alcohol may increase your COVID-19 risk and drinking alcohol can make the corona virus worse. So although it’s common for people to suggest that you splash some whiskey into your hot tea with honey and lemon when you are fighting off a cough – in these times of Covid-19 that idea that whiskey will cure what ails you, is counterproductive to every single other thing that we are doing.
According to the Guardian, many moderate drinkers in the UK at least, are actually choosing NOT to drink! It appears that nearly one in five (18%) of daily drinkers are drinking more but moderate drinkers (drinking once a week) have now stopped drinking. But those who often drink at home, daily drinkers, are drinking more, as is apparent in that study and this also from Scotland.
In the United States- from Newsweek – U.S. ALCOHOL SALES INCREASE 55 PERCENT IN ONE WEEK AMID CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
and again the UK
from the Guardian – UK lockdown sends retail sales to record low, but alcohol sales rise
Come join us for a 31 day challenge with lots of group support and great ideas to keep you inspired and focused. My May- Marvelous May! May day!
Think of staying alcohol free or going sober during Covid19 as putting your oxygen mask on first- Start Today with May – There has never been a better time to go alcohol- free.
If you’re “sober curious” … If you are drinking too much too often and want to stop or take a break…or if you have stopped drinking and are trying to stick to sober! Talk to Us.
We are an independent, anonymous and private community who share resources, support and talk it through every day. It helps to have a community behind you in a world where alcohol is the only addictive drug that people will question you for NOT using
You can read more about us Here And join Here
community support 24-7 or sign up and sign in here
Don’t let the shame of the stigma keep you from saying
“I think I have a problem with drinking”
Mayday?—Mayday is the word used around the world to make a distress call via radio communications. Mayday signals a life-threatening emergency, usually on a ship or a plane, although it may be used in a variety of other situations. Procedure calls for the mayday distress signal to be said three times in a row — Mayday!
May Day is a public holiday celebrated on May 1 in many different cultures around the world. It is a day of unity, togetherness, and rebirth; a day for everyone to come together and celebrate life as we know it!
