More alcoholics than ever before have admitted themselves into rehab treatment facilities in the North West during the four month peak of the Coronavirus crisis, figures from the UK Addiction Treatment Group have revealed.
The figures show how, between 1st April 2020 and 1st August 2020, a staggering 72% of all admissions into UKAT’s Runcorn based rehab, Oasis Recovery, were for alcohol addiction.
In comparison, during the same four months of 2019, just 67% of all admissions were for alcohol addiction.
Between 1st April 2019 and 1st August 2019, Oasis Recovery in Runcorn admitted 116 clients into treatment, of which 78 were for alcohol addiction .
In the same four months this year, Oasis Recovery in Runcorn admitted slightly more clients overall (160) and the percentage of those admitted for alcohol rose to 72% (115 clients), demonstrating the significant shift in people’s relationship with alcohol during the Coronavirus crisis.
UKAT’s Group Head of Treatment, Nuno Albuquerque, explains why admissions for alcohol addiction across the North West region have been so proportionally high in recent months;
“The Coronavirus crisis has affected people in different ways. For some, a way of coping with the pandemic would have been to turn to alcohol, or to drink more alcohol than they did previously in order to feel calm about the unfolding and devastating situation happening across the world.
“But it’s important to remember that alcohol is a depressant and regular, heavy drinking interferes with chemicals in the brain that are key for good mental health. Feeling relaxed after a drink is short-lived, whereas over time, alcohol can have an impact on your mental health and can contribute to feelings of depression and anxiety and worse still, it actually makes stressful situations like the Covid-crisis harder to deal with.”
It has been widely reported that more and more people living in the UK consumed more alcohol during the Covid-crisis than they did before. Unfortunately, this also led to higher alcohol-related fatalities. Being in lockdown and being isolated can contribute to people developing unhealthy relationships with alcohol.
Nuno continues;
“The last few months have forced people into isolation and to contemplate what is important to them. For some, drinking heavily was a way of suppressing feelings of worry, loneliness and fear, but for others, it was a time to reflect and to ask themselves if continuing to drink was the right thing for them.
“Thankfully, those people decided that enough was enough, and we’re seeing more and more people than ever before across the North West take that first brave step in investing in their health in order to protect their future, and asking for help with their alcohol addiction.”
For help with alcohol addiction in the North West, visit www.oasisrehab.co.uk/alcohol-
