Is This Pandemic Turning You or Your Loved Ones Into Alcoholics? (And What You Can Do About It!)

Or might I say... Is this pandemic turning you or your loved ones into “worse alcoholics”? A close relative of mine has been drinking wine everyday for as long as I can remember. It helps her get to sleep and deal with stress I suppose? I don't judge, but I do feel that she has an alcohol problem. It doesn't help that she gets very angry, aggressive and abusive when she drinks. This makes being around her quite unpleasant... when she's drinking ofcourse. She's just fine when sober. However, talking on the phone with her when she has been drinking is very uncomfortable. She'll start screaming and cursing at me, at which point I must hang up the phone to save myself. I am particularly sensitive to energy... especially negative alcohol energy. So I've been doing my best to help her quit, although it appears we are not on the same page with that agenda!

I was excited when I found out that she was having a difficult time purchasing alcohol in a small town in Pennsylvania where she currently resides. This was excellent news to me... Until I found out that she took a long drive to another city to buy alcohol...When I called her up on the phone the other day, after 3pm eastern time, I was met with an even more belligerent and offensive screaming and yelling than usual. When I asked her boyfriend what was going on... He told me that she had mixed white zinfandel with gin! I don't recall this relative ever drinking gin...or any hard liquor really. I was deeply saddened... but had to remember that I cannot live her life for her. She is an adult and she makes her own decisions. I just cannot call her after 3pm eastern time anymore! It used to be 6pm eastern time, but unfortunately it appears that she is now starting her daily drinking 3 hours earlier...because of the pandemic!

A good friend of mine recently watched a video whereby a well-dressed white/ caucasian gentleman decided to dig through trash cans and recycle bins of an upscale white/ caucasian Beverly Hills neighborhood. He wanted to see what's really going on right now during this pandemic. What he discovered was shocking! He found tons of empty liquor bottles at every house he went to for a whole block. He stated that the neighborhood's garbages looked like what he would expect to find in a black urban neighborhood... wrought with alcoholism, drugs and crime... not an upscale white neighborhood! It's appalling really... but I suppose people are quite beside themselves right now (not that alcohol will help- it is afterall a depressant)... and perhaps people are very bored right now as well? Or trying to tolerate spending time with people that they don't enjoy being around? So perhaps drinking alcohol appears to be the solution?

The courts have been closed for a while now... however, individuals are still able to file for divorces and restraining orders online. My good friend has a friend who works at a court house who basically told my friend how amazed he was at how many people have filed for divorces and restraining orders during this crisis. He told my friend that it's not just women filing restraining orders on men anymore. Now there's tons of men filing restraining orders on women! So it appears that domestic violence (and even murders as we've seen on the news) have gone up since the stay at home order has been put into place. So how are families supposed to deal with an abusive family member if they're all stuck together in one home? Or even worse, how can families protect themselves from an abusive alcoholic?

Also, now that the courts have been closed, many fathers (and perhaps even mothers) have not been able to see their children. I have a good friend who had a restraining order placed on him a few years ago. It's a long story... My friend didn't actually do anything. But regardless, my friend started receiving court ordered visitations with his daughter... until ofcourse all this covid-19/ corona virus stuff started happening. Now he hasn't been able to see his daughter in a few months! I also know another gentleman who is unable to see his children because they are in another country right now and he is unable to fly out of the U.S. He actually almost got caught drinking and driving the other day. I do hope next time he decides to stay off the road when drinking.

Could you imagine how many parents are not seeing their children right now because of this pandemic? And how about all the fathers (or even mothers) who have fraudulent restraining orders placed on them and therefore cannot see their children? Court is not even in session right now, so all legal issues are currently in limbo until perhaps May? It's easy to see how this pandemic could drive an individual to start drinking.

I am a bit of a hermit myself so I don't feel very affected by this pandemic personally, but many people are social beings and thrive on socializing with other people. For these particular people, the isolation of social distancing and stay at home orders can be detrimental to their mental health and well being. Individuals may start feeling down, stressed out and/or lonely which is completely understandable. This could lead to alcoholism. Many individuals are suffering tremendously having been separated from family members and/or friends. Some are just terrified and caught up in the fear of getting sick or fear of their loved ones getting sick. Perhaps some fears may be alleviated by taking a few drinks of alcohol? Many are stressed out over the loss of employment. As the bills pile up, this could easily trigger alcohol use or abuse. There's countless roads of variables going on right now that may lead to drinking alcohol or more aggressive drinking of alcohol.

So while I am not here to judge or tell anyone what to do, I do not believe drinking alcohol is the answer right now! I do not believe alcohol is ever the answer really. It is not going to boost your immune system during a time when boosting one's immune system is crucial... and it is not going to help create any real happiness... afterall... alcohol is a depressant! It will ultimately just make you feel worse and lower your immune system making it easier for you to get sick! This is not helpful during a time of crisis.... even if it appears to be the solution to one's pain and suffering!

Now I have never actually had an alcohol addiction so I cannot advise from my own personal experience. I do however have experience with abusive alcoholic family members. I have also personally dealt with mood disorders and immune system issues. I do believe that many or all addictive tendencies can be attributed to mood disorders. Oftentimes the MTHFR gene mutation is an underlying issue. So while I know that this article may not really convince anyone, particularly an alcoholic, not to drink... there are some supplements an individual may take to help reduce or eliminate alcohol cravings as well as detox the liver. These supplements are the amino acid N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC), the trace mineral molybdenum, the amino acid L-Tyrosine, Dandelion Herb, Curcumin and the amino acid L-theanine just to name a few!

Alcoholism can also cause many nutrient deficiencies so I recommend taking a B complex vitamin with methyl-cobalamin (not synthetic cyanocobalamin) and folate (not synthetic folic acid). Synthetic cyanocobalamin and folic acid create deficiencies in those with the MTHFR gene mutation. Other important vitamins to take are Vitamin C, Vitamin D3, Magnesium, Calcium, Zinc, Iron, Manganese, Potassium, Chromium and Omega 3. Besides taking vitamins... Eating a healthy balanced diet is also quite helpful!

Now, as I've stated, I've never actually had an alcohol addiction issue... I personally do not drink any alcohol at all, yet I still take all of these supplements daily. So regardless if you are a drinker or not I highly recommend taking these supplements just to stay healthy! So in summary, drinking alcohol is not optimal (especially right now during a viral pandemic), however if you feel you must do so, you might as well take the supplements I just recommended in order to protect your body from the harmful effects of alcohol... and perhaps even reduce or eliminate the cravings! And if you have a friend or family member who drinks, instead of harassing them to quit drinking, try being patient with them, supportive, loving and accepting... Then recommend some or all of these supplements to them! It may just be the remedy that you've been seeking all along! Okay... Stay safe and healthy!

Disclaimer: I am not a licensed doctor, nutritionist or medical professional, nor am I providing you with any medical or nutritional advice. This article is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any health issues or diseases. You as the reader assume all responsibility and risk associated with reading this article and the choices you make based on the opinions presented in this article. If you have a medical emergency please seek the advice of a licensed doctor or medical professional. Blessings!

Jennie H is a Reiki Master Energy Healer, Co-Founder of Self Saviorz Society California Non-Profit 501(c)(3), Poet, Author and Entertainer with goals to help raise the vibration and consciousness of humanity!