Hi Friend,



With the COVID-19 pandemic we find ourselves living through an experience unprecedented in our lifetimes. Most of us are now at home, either working, caring for our kids who are out of school due to closures, or both. Our normal daily routines are disrupted and many of our typical social supports and coping strategies are less available to us while we deal with a tremendous amount of uncertainty, fear and stress.

We don’t really have a choice but to find new ways to manage these new challenges – and the added stress they bring. That’s why we’ve compiled the below list of resources – to provide guidance on ways to manage that stress in positive, constructive ways.

As we assume new responsibilities, such as remaining indoors and practicing social distancing to help protect the medically vulnerable in our communities, we at Responsibility.org don’t want people to forget about how drinking plays into this, especially as we prepare to enter Alcohol Responsibility Month, this April.

Historical data show that people frequently drink more alcohol during tough times. An important thing to remember is that drinking alcohol is not a coping strategy and shouldn’t be used as such. Drinking to numb anxiety, to temporarily forget stress or to live with frustration is just a form of avoidance. The underlying problem gets ignored, then gets amplified as this pattern repeats. Your mindset when you decide to drink is vitally important. Drinking from a negative mindset is inherently risky, and you don’t want to “cultivate habits” that are unhealthy and counterproductive.

If you are struggling with managing negative emotions, take this opportunity to find coping strategies that will help you. Make a routine that includes adequate self-care. Eat a balanced diet. Get enough sleep. Exercise. While this last point can be difficult given gym closures and directives not to travel about unnecessarily, know that there are options in your home. The YMCA has free workouts <[link removed]> to watch and do from home, and Headspace is offering free access to meditation resources <[link removed]> to help manage stress.

If you choose to drink, drink a responsible amount. Binge drinking <[link removed]>, meaning having four or more drinks for women and five for men within a couple of hours, can temporarily impair your immune system <[link removed]> and make it harder to repel or fight infections, including from COVID-19. Limit your consumption to avoid this, and drink from a positive place, such as to enjoy a meal or to spend special time with your loved ones.

For parents especially, your kids are likely with you a lot more than usual now, and they are watching you closely and learning. Continue modeling good coping strategies and behaviors and talk to them about what you’re doing. Parents are the number one influence on kids’ later drinking decisions and they can’t read your mind. Take the time to educate them on your values and practices.

Lastly, many of us know people who are overcoming alcohol use disorders or other addictions. Recovering from an alcohol or other substance use disorder is always difficult, but there are special challenges presented by the current pandemic. Peer support is a critical component for many people in recovery, and regular patterns of meeting attendance and fellowship can be disrupted as the country tries to contain the spread of COVID-19.  People should be aware that support is still out there, and that technology can connect people who are quarantined or practicing social distancing.

If you know someone who is working to recover, make sure they know about these on-line resources:

- Alcoholics Anonymous <[link removed]>
- Women For Sobriety <[link removed]>
- Smart Recovery <[link removed]>
- LifeRing <[link removed]>

In addition, there are a number of free app-based recovery supports such as:

- [link removed]
- [link removed]

Our team will continue compiling resources as they are made available, and you can find those resources here <[link removed]>.

The one certainty in all of this is that this pandemic will end, even though we can’t know exactly when, we’re going to get through this as families, as communities, and as a country. Let’s all make sure that we come out the other side stronger and more resilient for it.



--The Responsibility.org Team






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Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility - United States
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