I quit drinking 5 years ago. Before that, I never understood that my body was struggling with alcohol use. After I got sober, it was really noticeable how much better I felt. I was shocked to see that some mysterious health problems I was having disappeared when I got sober. I know I’m not alone in this and I also know that alcohol use is only getting wrose.

During the pandemic, alcohol sales went up by 55% in the US. One study showed that 36% of people were binge-drinking, and 7% were engaging in extreme binge-drinking. Given these statistics, it’s…

There are several reports in the media of doctors burning out or questioning their profession because of their pandemic experiences. This is troublesome, to say the least, but even more frightening is that nurses are burning out as well.

A Canadian report in the Globe and Mail cites that nurses were already fed up with the system. They already struggled to find a place at the table to discuss important issues for themselves and their patients. …

My father died almost five years ago from liver failure due to alcoholism. He also struggled with a horrible depression that went on for most of his life. My father didn’t get a little down; he lost all ability to function when he was depressed. And, of course, the more depressed he got, the more he drank. He also took several medications for his depression.

As for me, I followed in my father’s footsteps with depression and alcoholism as well. I spent the better part of my adult years depressed and drunk. I write about this story a lot, but…

As a recovering alcoholic, I’m happy to see many sober seekers on social media platforms. People are reaching out for support and as a result of the pandemic, they’re finding more and more of it online. And while the internet can be a great way to find help by reading other peoples’ stories, it can also feel isolating.

For one, online help can’t really replace in-person support through group meetings, one-to-one sponsor meetings, and other face-to-face therapy. Secondly, and more importantly, people often search for sobriety stories online, hoping to relate. …

No, I’m not leaving Medium! But I wanted to share with you all that I am splitting my account into two parts. Over the last several months, I’ve developed a solid niche here for my health and medical writing and I’m kinda digging it!

But I am also a split kinda person, meaning that I have very diverse interests and passions. In addition to health/medical writing, I love photography and travel. I’d like to — maybe — write fiction some day, so I’m using this account to explore more personal essays about a variety of topics.

So that’s why I…

I recently hit my five-year mark without a drop of alcohol. Given how stressful the past year has been, I often pat myself on the back for getting through without a drink. Sadly, drinking has increased at alarming rates during the pandemic. Countries like Canada, the U.K., Australia, and the United States have all seen significant increases in alcohol use and abuse. Indeed, as stress increases, coping mechanisms proliferate — both the healthy and unhealthy ones.

It’s understandable why people often turn to alcohol in times of stress. The first few drinks feel like a warm blanket pulled over our…

Hi friends,

I have some news and articles to share with all of you who follow and write for the Mental Health and Addictions Community (MHAC).

For those who write for the publication, I have some housekeeping news. Medium is no longer allowing more than 3 editors for publications. What this means is that I can no longer add new people as editors. Those who are already editors will remain editors.

New people will be accepted as writers and can submit their articles to the publication for review. What I ask of current editors is please do not do anything…

I write a lot about alcohol, heavy drinking, and health. As a former nurse and recovering alcoholic, I have a lot to say about this subject. Most people appreciate this knowledge, but occasionally I have people write to me feeling upset that I’ve rained on their parade. They tell me things like, “YOLO! We’re all going to die someday, so let’s eat, drink and be merry.”

But here’s the thing, yes death happens to all of us eventually, but how would it change things if we knew that heavy drinking will rob us of our quality of life, even if…