Experts offer tips on alcohol abuse

For months, professionals have been concerned that the pandemic has led to more people misusing alcohol. And yet at the same time, because it is so common, recognizing red flags can be tricky. Alcohol is legal, after all, and many people do use it responsibly, said Zach Thomas, director of wellness and education at the Hancock County Board of Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services. "Alcohol is such a socialized thing. ... It's so pervasive in our culture," he said. Niki Sidle, a therapist and outpatient counselor team lead at Family Resource Center, noted that alcohol is available at every grocery store and gas station, making it hard for people who decide they want to avoid it. "It's right there, in front of someone, all the time," she said. "When the trigger is always in front of you, it's a lot harder to say no." Alcohol Awareness Month concluded at the end of April, and this week happens to be the one-year anniversary of Findlay's Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area, or DORA, which kicked off during the May 2021 ArtWalk. Thomas said the DORA has been "handled in a very responsible way" and to his knowledge has not created many problems. "If anything it's made partnerships even stronger," he said. For example, the Hancock County Convention and Visitors Bureau promotes training for servers on how to recognize the signs that someone has had too much to drink, and how to communicate that they need to cut the patron off. The ADAMHS board covers the cost of this training and provides incentives to employees who attend. But Sidle said she's also concerned that people who are struggling and walk through downtown simply for exercise might be triggered by people walking by with alcohol. Because alcohol is seen as such a normal thing, people who do struggle with alcohol abuse may not even realize it, Sidle said. She said often people say no when asked on a form at Family Resource Center if they have abused alcohol, only to realize later that they do meet the criteria for what professionals consider alcohol abuse. She noted that a 12-ounce bottle of beer or a 5-ounce glass of wine is considered one alcoholic drink. More than three drinks at one sitting for women, or four for men, is considered binge drinking. Warning signs of alcohol use disorder can include intense cravings to drink; drinking larger amounts than intended; feeling like you're struggling to stop drinking once you start; regularly needing to, say, take sick days from work to recover afterward; and of course "risky use" such as getting arrested for driving under the influence, or continuing to drink despite physical illness that is being worsened. Sidle said it's often when alcohol interferes with relationships that a person does come in to seek counseling. Thomas said people who have experienced adverse childhood experiences or other trauma are particularly at risk for alcohol use disorder. But everyday stress and anxiety can also lead to "unhealthy coping skills," he said. The biggest predictor of developing a substance use disorder is having a family history of one, he said. Claire Osborne, program manager at the nonprofit recovery center Focus, said a lot of people may have developed habits of working from home amid the pandemic, making it easy to establish a "very nonchalant way of drinking a lot, more than they used to." In late 2021, the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, recognizing increased alcohol use throughout Ohio as a result of the pandemic, released grant money to county ADAMHS boards to address alcohol use disorder. Hancock County received more than $300,000. Thomas said the grant money will allow the Hancock County ADAMHS board to make an assessment tool more widely available. The ADAMHS board also plans to use some of this funding to strengthen its faith-based initiative, as pastors often report that they're uncertain how to support parishioners who talk about struggling with alcohol use. Withdrawal from alcohol "can be deadly, and people don't realize it," Sidle said. If you have been consuming large amounts of alcohol over a long period of time, your central nervous system has adjusted to it, she said. Your brain will continue to think it needs alcohol, and you may feel shaky, nauseous or sweaty during withdrawal. For most people dependent on alcohol, it stops there, but about 5% may develop more severe symptoms — confusion, fever, high blood pressure and vivid hallucinations. "That's where it becomes really dangerous for people to do on their own," said Sidle. She said if someone in her office who is a heavy drinker says they plan to quit cold turkey, she asks who will be with them and where they will go for medical treatment if they need it. Sidle encourages people to change their "people, places and things," and to surround themselves with other people who can support them, especially those also in recovery. "I cannot say enough about sober support systems," she said. As loved ones, it can be hard to know how to talk to someone who may be abusing alcohol, Sidle said. "Use 'I' statements,'" she advised. "'I am concerned about your alcohol use.'" Saying "You need to stop drinking!" will be taken very differently than saying "I'm worried about you," she said. Thomas advised concerned loved ones to educate themselves on how to have "caring and compassionate conversations" about drinking. He recommended the Community Reinforcement Approach and Family Training model. CRAFT classes are periodically taught in Hancock County. This week the ADAMHS board announced an update to its Mental Health and Addiction Recovery Resources Guide. The 32-page booklet is available as a PDF at https://tinyurl.com/3pe72pht or www.yourpathtohealth.org The Hancock County Crisis Line is 888-936-7116. Arthurs: 419-427-8494