Loneliness And Alcohol: How To Cope

Almost everyone knows how loneliness feels, and hardly anyone likes it. Yet, even before the pandemic, Americans had more of it in their lives than ever before. With the separation that COVID-19 required, the feeling of disconnection from others increased dramatically, which also meant an increase in the consumption of alcohol.

Understanding Loneliness

Anyone who experiences loneliness knows that emotional suffering comes along with the pain of feeling isolated and apart. Most people share a fear of insecure attachment that creates challenges to bonding. A disturbing sense of impending doom in the form of insecurity seems to plague everyone who feels lonely.

Psychology Today states that loneliness stems from your mind’s desire to resist separation. When you understand why do alcoholics isolate themselves, you can see an obvious reason. Sometimes, it seems easier to remain alone instead of letting others know about a problem.

Expecting Consequences

Some disorders that may occur along with loneliness can further complicate things. For example, NCBI points out that loneliness can lead to many physical, mental, and autoimmune disorders.

Alzheimer’s disease
Alcohol dependence
Cancer
Child abuse
Coronary heart disease
Depression
Diabetes
High blood pressure
Lupus
Obesity
Personality disorders
Physiological aging
Rheumatoid arthritis
Sleep problems

With visual impacts on the body, loneliness deserves recognition as a condition that needs both respect and treatment. When left unattended, it can produce unintended consequences. When loneliness and alcohol combine, the duo creates a powerful force that makes combating it exceedingly difficult to stop drinking or avoid relapse.

Coping With An Epidemic

The wide occurrence of loneliness affects far more people than anyone knew until surveys started showing results. A Harvard study found that loneliness affects up to 60 percent of Americans over 50, almost like obesity. With a serious impact that harms health, it ranks about the same as smoking 15 cigarettes per day.

Not surprisingly, it can shorten a life span by as much as eight years. Some people wonder why do alcoholics isolate themselves when it only causes more harm. Still, each person must find a place and a pace that makes progress possible. A trend in the United States toward an increase in choosing to live alone increases isolation. As the average household size got smaller, a 10 percent increase occurred in people living alone.

Creating A Huge Impact On Youth

While some people may expect loneliness to affect older people, the statistics show a surprising number of young people have it also. Harvard’s report shows 36 percent of all Americans experience serious loneliness. The surprising number reveals the condition in 61 percent of young adults. Sadly, it includes 51 percent of young mothers.

Facing Challenges As Young Mothers

While many may go unnoticed, mothers of small children can feel quite lonely during the day. Apart from other mothers and without daily contact with family members, young mothers bear a difficult burden. During the pandemic, young moms lacked access to daycare centers, making matters worse. When extreme loneliness leads to alcohol dependence, how to cope with alcoholism becomes an important issue.

Accepting The Facts About The Pandemic

The researchers think that the global pandemic created an epidemic of loneliness. Therefore, they understand the need to find ways to help the groups who face the problem every day.

While it may seem acceptable to think of young people as the happiest, the facts show otherwise. Researchers at Harvard cite young adults as the loneliest group of Americans. The findings show that more than 60 percent of adults aged 18 to 25 feel lonely frequently.

Some people in the survey reported feeling lonely all the time or almost all the time. The potential influence of the pandemic created signs of depression among almost half of the young adults. Reports show that one out of four of them considered suicide.

Finding A Connection Between Addiction And Loneliness

The discomfort of loneliness that often leads to depression may cause people to use alcohol to ease the pain. With a mask that covers feelings, anyone who wants to avoid feeling alone can hide behind it. Feeling unloved can become a powerful force that leads to addiction.

As an escape from the pain of reality, alcohol may provide the numbness that brings relief. But, unfortunately, the cycle of using alcohol to avoid facing problems almost always leads to nowhere. When the sense of security that it falsely creates disappears, the problems return with more power than before.

When loneliness leads to dependence, the question of how to cope with alcoholism often arises. Treatment can create a start, but continuing support can provide hope for the long term.

Coping With Difficult Situations

While pain can prove too hard to bear, nothing can get better on its own. The original causes remain and continue to gain strength. Many people choose denial to avoid coping with anxiety and stress, but it cannot conceal the truth.

Loneliness can hide behind feelings of guilt and fear until they become too painful to tolerate. A feeling of entrapment can cause people to hurt others’ feelings when anger controls emotions. When no escape path seems possible, alcohol can offer a false sense of security. The addiction that follows can greatly increase the feeling of entrapment.

Looking For A Bright Outcome

Life’s events often bring great happiness, but they can create depression too. It may help to think of the plight of others who recently became an empty nester or went through a divorce. Quite often, people whose family surrounds them can still have deep sadness. Unfortunately, loneliness does not always find relief by having other people nearby.

Anyone can feel lonely, and an extended hand can make a huge difference. When loneliness and alcohol occur together, the support of others can make the biggest difference of all. If you have someone who can laugh with you or remember good times, you can share thank yous.

Finding Tips To Protect Yourself

While it may seem difficult to avoid feeling lonely, many options give you a chance to protect yourself from its effects. When you value taking care of yourself, doing so becomes a lot easier. No doubt you know that good habits can give you a head start on maintaining your well-being.

Good health starts with exercising every day and eating healthy food that gives you energy. The next thing to consider involves getting enough rest with at least seven hours of sleep. Following the basic steps helps you manage stress. A proper balance can keep you in good shape both mentally and physically. A connection with others gives you a sense of meaning in your life, an essential element in avoiding feeling lonely.

Starting A Hobby Or Participating In Activities

Learning how to do something or shopping for supplies can put you in touch with like-minded people.

Taking A Class

The explosion of information in technology lets you learn anything that interests you.

Staying In Touch

Set a daily time to contact a friend, neighbor, or family member on your phone, email, social media, or text. Share your feelings.

Using Technology

Keep your electronic equipment up to date and use it for a video chat or a Zoom meeting. Learning how to use new technology can give you a chance to compete and grow.

Participating In Sports

No one expects you to join the Lakers, but you can play a casual game of basketball or softball. The activity helps keep you healthy, and it gives you something in common with old friends or new acquaintances. In addition, a group bowling event can provide plenty of entertainment.

Getting To Know Your Neighbors

Your neighbor next door may want to know you, and you can find a new friend by reaching out.

Going To Church

Whether you have a religious bent or not, a faith-based organization can enrich your life.

Implementing Helpful Tips

For many people who receive treatment for alcohol, the temptation to continue to drink remains extremely strong. With a previous life based on drinking, a new life without it can seem hard.

A good alternative relies on taking on fun things to do while sober. Life without a cloud of alcohol that fogs everything can produce a strong appeal. A sober home gives you an ideal environment for learning to live without alcohol after rehab.

When you can avoid situations that let you revert to old habits, it makes sense that you can change your life. In an environment that lets you make a transition from rehab to the real world, you can succeed.

As you find your way back to the real world with new coping skills, you can learn about aftercare treatment. Support group meetings can provide guidance, and you can seek more help through group or individual therapy.

Finding A Sober Home

The work you have done to improve your life deserves some well-earned rewards. So, with admiration for your courage, we can assist your transition to the real world. At Casa Nuevo Vida, we will help you build a healthy routine to support your new sober lifestyle.

Our experience can teach you about the challenges that lie ahead as you face the triggers that can lead to a relapse. Our understanding and compassionate staff members know the difficulty of the task you have chosen. Therefore, we honor a commitment to help you achieve your goal.

In our beautiful locations surrounded by nature, you can focus on healing and avoiding setbacks. We understand that recovery takes time, and we offer a pleasant environment that encourages it.

We designed our programs to meet your unique needs, and we look forward to supporting you. Contact us to see how we can help you recover in our sober living homes. Our hope for you to acquire the skills you need for lifelong sobriety inspires us to support you in your victory.