Lockdown liver damage – a cautionary tale…

By Jo Chipchase

Before the first lockdown, I was largely a social drinker – generally partying at weekends while maintaining a sensible weekly routine. During the lockdown, however, this slipped into drinking daily on my own.

By the time we were told to stay at home, I was already stressed. My family had experienced a small house fire, my youngest son had been ill, and I’d recently recovered from a sprained ankle. It was clear that COVID was going to be long-haul.

I was locked down in a remote house, solely responsible for two teens, two horses, five dogs and a cat that birthed several kittens. Unfortunately, our closest friends, who might have formed a support bubble, were quarantined far away.

Looking back, I was clearly depressed. I would drink several glasses of wine a night, while arguing with people on Facebook. Occasionally, I drank gin, then wondered if the resulting hangover might be Covid symptoms.

By September, I had gained enough weight for people to ask if I was pregnant. The blacksmith said my horse might struggle to carry the extra kilos.

I considered that my “abdominal bloating” could be hormonal issues (I’m 48), so I requested a blood test. The night before the test, I drank wine for a friend’s birthday. The result showed that my hormones were fine, but I had elevated liver enzymes.

Although the doctor didn’t seem worried, and advised that I moderated my drinking, I Googled my result and was frightened. Elevated liver enzymes generally suggest that some liver damage is occurring. I immediately started a month’s total detox.

This was difficult at first, as there was little support in my social circle. On the second night, I turned up to meet friends, only to find them rolling around drunk and slurring “buy us a round – you can drink Aquarius”. I fled back home.

Where to find help

British Liver Trust

Sober Sisters

Sober Inspired Pirates

Annie Grace’s sobriety resources

Hints for not boozing

• Consider ordering alcohol free beer in the bar.
• Take your own alcohol substitute to soirees to avoid being stuck with fizzy pop or water.
• Instead of thinking about that refreshing first sip of wine, think about the hangover after you’ve downed a bottle or two.
• If feeling tempted to binge, recall incidents when you’ve embarrassed yourself.
• Amuse yourself by observing how other people behave when drunk.
• Think how great you’ll feel tomorrow when your friends are hungover, and you feel fresh.
• If you need an excuse for ordering soft drinks, say you’re on antibiotics.
• Join sobriety forums to gain moral support.

Jo Chipchase grew up in Newcastle and her family home is in Northumberland.