Crawley Wellbeing supporting Alcohol Awareness Week

Crawley Wellbeing is joining this year’s UK-wide Alcohol Awareness Week campaign to raise awareness of the links between alcohol and mental health, to speak out about the issues and the stigma surrounding them, and encourage anyone who is struggling to seek the support they deserve.

Alcohol Awareness Week, from 16-23 November, aims to get people thinking and talking about alcohol, to motivate change at every level – individual, community and national.

A poll released earlier this year from Alcohol Change UK showed that 28 per cent of people who have ever drunk alcohol think they have been drinking more during lockdown. As lockdown eased over the summer, 66 per cent expected to continue drinking as they had been during lockdown.

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One in five of those surveyed said they had drunk alcohol as a way to handle stress or anxiety during lockdown.

Alcohol Awareness Week provides an important opportunity for us all to:

• Talk about the issues around alcohol and mental health, helping us make more informed choices about our drinking
• Tackle the stigma associated with drinking, which can be significantly worse for those struggling with mental health problems as well as drinking problems
• Call for action to help those most in need, including the 200,000 children living with an alcohol-dependent parent or carer
• Help those struggling to seek support.

Cabinet member for Wellbeing, Councillor Chris Mullins, said: “This is a perfect opportunity to reflect on our health and wellbeing to realise the impact alcohol can have on mental health.

“We are lucky to have services such as Crawley Wellbeing that can give us advice and support to take steps towards a healthier lifestyle.”

Dr Richard Piper, Chief Executive of Alcohol Change UK, said: “Many of us are under an unbelievable amount of stress due to the coronavirus pandemic. We’re seeing that those of us who are drinking more heavily are at real risk of worsening our mental health problems such as anxiety and depression, along with many other health conditions, as we turn to alcohol to cope.

“The good news is that being in control of our drinking can improve our mental health, and there are plenty of techniques out there for taking control if your drinking has got a bit out of hand, including our free Try Dry app.”

For more information or to take part in this year’s Alcohol Awareness Week, visit www.alcoholchange.org.uk/alcoholawarenessweek

For more information on support, contact Crawley Wellbeing at crawley.westsussexwellbeing.org.uk,  email wellbeing@crawley.gov.uk or call 01293 585317.