Therapist Puts New Face on Alcoholism

Not Without Blemishes –

Jan. 13, 2021 – “Since the onset of COVID, alcohol use skyrocketed as a coping mechanism. Everyone’s looking for relief. People drink for relaxation, to calm nerves, to sleep, as a ritual, to escape boredom, depression, a past event, or a present problem. They drink socially and as a reward. It easily becomes a habit. People believe drinking relaxes us, but it’s really just dulling the brain and our ability to analyze and process information. Ultimately it causes us to zone out and not care,” she said. Temin specializes in helping clients with goals, habits, relationships, weight, alcohol and sleep. For diagnostic purposes, clinicians categorize symptoms and label conditions to help people resolve problems. Despite good intentions, labels can breed judgment, which further debilitates people, she said. Quantity guidelines are traditionally used to identify how much alcohol consumption creates a problem. Temin believes personal information such as age, medications, food intake, body mass, brain function, mental and physical health influence how much a person can safely drink.