Monday 16-11-2020 - 12:11

Hey everyone, Cal here. 

 

How are we all doing? I mean really doing. 

 

I think it’s fair to say the current climate has made all of us look for comfort through a great many things. That could be through Netflix, artistic pursuits and hobbies, and it might also be through having a drink to wind down.

 

Through the government lockdown, we’ve all had our fair share of zoom quizzes and zoom drinks and this blog is not about that: it’s about when the occasional drink becomes a necessity. 

 

 

 

My Relationship with Alcohol

 

I’m no stranger to this and, in the spirit of being completely transparent with you all, I’d like to share my story in the hope that it might help someone identify similar behaviours in their own life.

 

Years ago, I was an engineering apprentice and I was deeply unhappy with where I had ended up in my life. I didn’t enjoy my job and it felt like I had nothing to look forward to: it felt like my life had effectively reached its potential which really impacted me.

 

It was at that point I had discovered that if I drank enough I didn’t feel all that bad about my current situation and it became more bearable. Fast forward a few months and I was living solely for the weekend and the next time I could get blackout drunk.

 

I’m not going to lie to you, these times were fraught with challenges.

 

Because I insisted on drinking a lot, a lot of the time, I was perpetually hungover which made me upset and irritable and I started to damage a lot of my relationships, both personally and professionally.

 

The final straw came when I met with an old friend for lunch and she expressed great concern over my safety and health. It then occurred to me that I had become someone that my immediate circle worries about. I was sat down and was given what could essentially be described as an intervention, which in all honestly I needed.

 

Looking back it was super necessary and I’m so glad that it happened at the point that it did. 

 

 

Never Be Afraid to Check-In

 

I think the main takeaway from my experience is to check in on your friends.

 

If you feel like your friends are acting differently and they may be drinking more than normal, try and approach the situation with a delicate demeanour and a listening ear.

 

Unfortunately, there is no quick fix and there is no magic set of words that instantly make everything better. It’s important that we can be there for each other, it’s all we can do. 

 

Look after yourselves and each other.

 

 

 

Alcohol Awareness Week

 

Between the 16-22 November, Alcohol Change UK are encouraging people to get involved with their Alcohol Awareness Week campaign.

 

This year, the theme for Alcohol Awareness Week is alcohol and mental health. Now, more than ever, that link needs to be explored:

 

• Over half of drinkers (53%) said they have drunk alcohol for a mental health reason
• 1 in 3 drinkers (29%) have been drinking at increasing or high-risk levels
• Drinking worsened mental wellbeing for 4 in 10 drinkers (44%)

 

Whether it’s reading their recent blog post on controlling alcohol intake during Coronavirus lockdowns, or their resource for checking if you are drinking too much and tips for cutting down, the Alcohol UK website is a great place to find resources.

 

Here on Edge Hill campus, you can reach out to the EHSU Wellbeing Team if you’re concerned about your own health, or the health of a friend.

 

Our SU Bar, while closed, has also been awarded 100% Gold Standard by Best Bar None which, among other things, means our staff our responsible when it comes to protecting the safety of our customers.