Be honest.

The last time your GP asked you how much alcohol you drink each week, you told a little white lie. Didn’t you? You fudged your answer. You counted up the units, then rounded it down slightly. That glass of wine with dinner on Tuesday evening didn’t count. And you only had three beers on Saturday night, not four.

Ring any bells? No?

Well, you’re one of the honest few, because the amount of alcohol sold in the UK is around twice the amount that us Brits claim we actually drink. So someone’s telling pork-pies and I can promise you it’s not me.

The reason I can say, hand on heart, that it’s not me is that on 26th March 2016 I made the decision to quit drinking. I was hungover (as was fairly common back then) and sick, physically, but also metaphorically of feeling ashamed at myself for yet another night lost to the depths of blackout drunkenness. Enough was enough.

Three years before that fateful night I was fighting fit and playing semi-professional rugby when my world came crashing down. A freak accident on the rugby field left me with a fractured neck and the sport that I loved was ripped from me. For three years after the injury I tried to fill that void by self-medicating with alcohol. Without doubt, the mental health issues that I was battling as a result of the injury were heightened and left unaddressed because of my drinking. Alcohol can be your best friend and your worst enemy.

Drinking excessively is like taking your emotions for a ride on a hellish roller-coaster. The highs are only temporary as you hit drunken peaks that numb negative feelings, before sinking into desperate lows where you are flooded by those thoughts once more. It’s a vicious spiral.

“Drinking excessively is like taking your emotions for a ride on a hellish roller-coaster.”

Coming back to March 2016, I had a moment of clarity that morning and my addictive personality is, ironically, what saved me. I poured myself into every type of recovery – counselling, seminars, workshops, Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, hypnotherapy, research – in a bid to stay sober. My redemption in the last four-and-something years has been, and remains, fitness. I’m fascinated by the concept of pushing my body and mind and am taking on a series of increasingly arduous endurance challenges, like running 100miles in one go. Read my previous blog for more on that.

What also fascinates me is society’s take on alcohol consumption. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with a few sherbets with friends, a nice full-bodied red with a steak, or a celebratory glas of fizz, it’s part and parcel of the world we live in and has been for several millennia. But awareness of a number of areas surrounding alcohol, or more accurately lack of awareness, is systemic in society. The UK has the highest rate of alcoholism in Western Europe and this is evidenced by the fudged weekly units conundrum I mentioned earlier.

One of the scenarios that fuelled my own drinking habits over the years was the post-rugby match booze-up. What seemed like harmless fun at the time was actually encouraged inebriation through excessive consumption of alcohol, and anyone who didn’t participate was emasculated. The connection between situations like this and mental health issues is clear, while alcohol is also linked to more than 60 medical conditions including liver disease and at least six forms of cancer.

The aims, therefore, of Alcohol Awareness Week, which is running this week (16th-20th November), are to raise awareness of how much we’re drinking, the effects alcohol can have on the body and mind and the problems it can cause. It’s a chance for us to get thinking about drinking.

Results of a survey published by Alcohol Change UK, which is behind Alcohol Awareness Week, are cause for concern, especially given the difficult situation we’re currently facing. For example, over half of drinkers in the UK have turned to alcohol for mental health reasons during the pandemic, and that’s on top of 1 in 3 drinkers already experiencing a negative mental health effect from drinking at least once a month.

The COVID-19 pandemic is making things more difficult for all of us and the inclination is to reach for the bottle in a bid to make those challenges that little bit easier. But any anxiety caused by the virus, on top of everyday stresses, is likely to be exacerbated by alcohol and symptoms of mental health issues made worse rather than better.

For me, an awareness of my unhealthy relationship with alcohol – as well as the measures I take to keep my mental focus – keep me sober. Yet, despite being teetotal, I’m not an advocate of everyone following my decision to abstain. Nor is it up to me to tell you that you have to cut down or quit. Everyone is different and it’s perfectly normal to want to enjoy a glass of your favourite tipple at the end of a stressful day.

But if you’re in anyway concerned about the amount you’re drinking, the situations under which you drink, or if you’ve experienced anything like difficulty sleeping, blackouts, or what you suspect might be symptoms of alcohol withdrawal, such as the shakes, sweating or seizures, there are various avenues you can explore for guidance and help.

Your GP is a good place to start. They will know what advice and support is available locally and can refer you for treatment if necessary. Peer support – group sessions with people who have also experienced difficulties – is another very helpful resource and the 12-step programme championed by Alcoholics Anonymous, for example, has been incredibly powerful for millions of people around the world.

Personally, I find that discipline is crucial; I make sure that I stick to a routine that keeps me healthy and one, most importantly, that is manageable. There’s no point setting unachievable goals. And I’ve come to know my body, So, while I find exercise to be the most important part of my routine, I also know when to take a rest day and let my body recover.

Taking rest days from alcohol is a good indicator of where you are with your drinking. If you find that you’re drinking every day, even in low amounts, it might be a sign to cut back. The UK’s Chief Medical Officers advise that it’s safest not to drink more than 14 units per week, spread over three or more days, with alcohol-free days factored in. A drinking diary is a simple way of keeping yourself honest when it comes to tracking your intake, and making sure you don’t stray too far over this limit. 

Nor should you feel you have to tackle something of this magnitude alone. There remains far too much stigma around mental health and Alcohol Change UK’s survey suggests that the stigma around alcohol problems runs far deeper. So let’s support each other, especially at this difficult time, talk to each other, and raise any concerns with friends or family.

James Gwinnett is the Marketing and Communications Director of 87%.