Not everyone is susceptible to alcohol dependence. For those who are, these are going to be challenging weeks
The pandemic is creeping into the colder months, something many of us hoped would never happen. The first time around, the surprise of lockdown meant that people who were alcohol-dependent risked not being able to access a regular supply, which meant they were potentially facing withdrawal, seizures and hallucinations, even death.
As a result, those of us working in alcohol services – I’m a psychiatrist specialising in addiction – had to change our approach. We had to shift from detoxification and supporting sobriety to – what? Strangely enough, we found ourselves encouraging people to continue drinking, to not make any changes; some people had to be supplied with alcohol when they were unable to get it for themselves.
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