CHENNAI: When everything is gloom and doom these days, where does anyone find some solace? Yes, alcohol! But man, oh man! This lockdown has forced shut all TASMAC outlets across the State too.
What can a chronic alcoholic do? There is fear that going cold turkey could lead to withdrawal symptoms, including sleeplessness, headache and mood swings. This can not only affect them but also the family dealing with it.
A de-addiction centre in the city said they had been getting around ten calls in a day from such families in the past couple days. Mental health experts opine this could be challenging in the coming days, citing that hospitals are already burdened in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic. “Not everybody will have withdrawal symptoms. Only two in ten people may get these,” said Felix Theodore of Trust Way Foundation, a de-addiction center.
He added the drinkers might find it difficult to cope with, and there are increased chances of hallucination too. “There is no medication, except for a deep sleep. Normally a patient is given detox tablets before the treatment. But, now with the lockdown in place, we have stopped accepting new cases for the safety of inmates,” Felix said.
Dr KSP Janardhan Babu of MS Chellamuthu Trust and Research Foundation, classifies them into three categories - social drinkers, secondary drinkers (who can control), and tertiary/chronic drinkers, who are most vulnerable to withdrawal symptoms. Experts are of the opinion that those suffering from withdrawal symptoms can alternatively take online counselling, or try and engage in activities like yoga, meditation, gardening or cooking. In extreme cases, it is advisable to visit a hospital.