GLEN BURNIE, Md. She's turning tragedy into charity.

'Amy's Baskets' are named after a woman who lost her life to intimate partner violence.

Each one is a care package for Maryland House of Ruth, a charity that supports women and children affected by intimate partner violence.

The baskets are made by Amy's sister Michelle.

"To create some happiness out of some bad memories. So today, we have baskets for the moms at House of Ruth and we have some baskets for the children so on that Easter morning, they will have something cheerful and happy to have in their lives that day," said Michelle Salb, creator of Amy's Baskets.

Michelle's been making these baskets for five years now.

Each one has things like blankets, gift cards, self care products, and toys all donated by staff at KCW Engineering.

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Amy's Baskets aims to help women and children affected by domestic violence - wmar2news.com

Peer Support training is offered monthly and open to all UI Health Care employees who would like to learn how to support co-workers after adverse events. For registration information, contact UIHC-COPE@healthcare.uiowa.edu

Sessions will follow the schedule below:

Monthly sessions will continue to be offered.

Objectives:

1. Describe some of the causes and effects of acute and chronic stress in healthcare workers.2. Recognize high risk clinical events which could evoke a stress response.3. Understand the five needs of stressed workers.4. Learn listening skills and interventions to support a colleague after a stressful event.

Presenters from the UI Health Care COPE Team: Laurel Crusinberry, MDiv, BCC, Karyn Robertson, MA, Matt Hall, MDiv

Who should take Peer Support training?

Anyone who wants to help create a supportive work environment, improve communication, and help retain employees. If youve received support in the past when you felt overwhelmed, learn to be that kind of support to others.

Nurses may register on ERMA (3.0 CEUs available). No registration fee.

Others may register on through Employee Self-Service (My Career -> My Training -> Enroll in Courses -> Find a Course -> search under course title Peer Support).

Questions? Contact Laurel Crusinberry at laurel-crusinberry@uiowa.edu or 319-678-8966.

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COPE team offers monthly peer support trainings available - The Loop - University of Iowa Health Care

By Brittany Joyner, publisher of Macaroni KID Kinnewick-Richland, Wash.March 23, 2023

I've been a single mom since my son was born.

Nate and I have done so well, thanks to a ton of help from my family, but we've had our fair share of challenges. While it is incredibly fulfilling to watch your child grow and develop, it can also be overwhelming to handle the responsibilities of raising a child alone.

Here are three of the challenges I've had to work to overcome as a single parent:

Brittany and Nate.

One of the biggest challenges of being a single parent is financial instability. Raising a child is expensive, from paying for childcare to buying food and clothing. Doing it alone makes the costs seem overwhelming at times. Unexpected medical bills or car repairs can wipe out savings quickly. It's so hard to build up savings when you're just surviving.

I worked in the education/childcare field throughout Nate's entire childhood, and it's not the most lucrative field. Thankfully, we lived with my parents, so what would have been spent on rent could go to childcare/school and fun extras like zoo trips, sports, and fun restaurants. I know many single parents are not lucky enough to have the fantastic support system I do, so I truly recognize how lucky I am.

Even with my support system, there have been times as a single parent I've felt isolated, overwhelmed, or exhausted. There still feels like there's a stigma attached to being a single parent, so that's something I struggle with too.

I struggle the most with feeling like I've failed because Nate doesn't have two parents.

When he was younger, I spent a good bit of time dating and talking to everyone I could, desperately trying to find someone ... for him. It was a really dark time and so unhealthy. It only got worse when he was old enough to ask questions and express his own sadness at not having a dad.

A year or two ago, I started listening to self-help podcasts and doing a lot of work on myself to reframe my mindset: "I am enough for him. I am more than enough. He has a great life, with or without a dad, and if I find someone: Great. But if not, we're doing fine."

If you have a friend or family member who is a single parent, here are four ways to show your support:

1. Offer to babysit or trade babysitting nights.2. Cook them a meal.3. Listen.4. Include them in plans like playdates, trips, or a night out.

If you're feeling a calling to help a single parent who you know, just offer. The worst they can say is no thanks!

I think I've done well juggling all of the responsibilities of being a single parent, but I also just like to keep myself busy in general. I've always had two or three side hustles going, and love a good schedule and to-do list. Of course, I've definitely dropped the ball a few times, but who hasn't?

I think asking for help and having a solid organization system is key because single parents have to balance a huge number of responsibilities, from managing finances to providing emotional support to their children. This can be challenging, to say the least, especially while also working full-time. Asking for help is definitely something I struggle with, no matter what it's for. If help is offered, though, I try to jump all over it.

While there are challenges, being a single parent can also be incredibly rewarding. I have a unique bond with my child, as his primary caregiver and provider. He's my best friend, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I feel that closeness has made it difficult for him to accept affection or direction from men. Strong, independent women surround him at home and school, which I love. But I don't want it to affect his relationships with men moving forward.

As for me? I have a sense of resilience and strength from learning to navigate the challenges of raising a child alone. I've had to learn to prioritize self-care and seek support when needed. Self-care and support can come in so many ways: Asking for help from family and friends, seeking out counseling or therapy, or joining a support group for single parents.

Remember, you are not alone! Being a single parent is a challenging journey, but every day, I'm reminded when those little hands wrap around me in a hug that the rewards are far greater.

Brittany Joyner is the publisher ofMacaroni KID Kinnewick-Richland, Wash.

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The Challenges and Rewards of Being a Single Parent - macaronikid.com

Eating disorders

Exclusive: doctors surveyed say young people forced to endure long waits as NHS services overwhelmed

Wed 22 Mar 2023 14.31 EDT

Young people with eating disorders are coming to harm and ending up in A&E because they are being denied care and forced to endure long waits for treatment, GPs have revealed.

NHS eating disorders services are so overwhelmed by a post-Covid surge in problems such as anorexia that they are telling under-19s to rely on charities, their parents or self-help instead.

They are so threadbare in some places that young people who are struggling to function normally because of their eating disorder have to wait more than a year to start treatment.

The truly shocking findings about the help available to young people with often very fragile mental health emerged in a survey of 1,004 family doctors across the UK by the youth mental health charity stem4.

The shortage of beds for children and young people with eating disorders is so serious that some are being sent hundreds of miles from home or ending up on adult psychiatric wards, GPs say.

The provision is awful and I worry my young patients may die, one GP in the south-east of England told stem4. Another described the specialist NHS services available in their area as virtually nonexistent and not fit for purpose.

Urgent help for eating disorders is so patchy that 60% of the family doctors surveyed fear that sufferers will come to harm before they get it, the charity found. Almost one in three (32%) GPs have seen a young patients condition worsen so dramatically that they have had to seek help at A&E.

A pronounced postcode lottery means that many GPs believe that access to treatment has become impossible (23%) or difficult (53%) for under-19s with early, less severe physical symptoms.

Youth mental health experts warned that a young person with an eating disorder who had to wait for help could see their mental and physical health decline and face a heightened risk of suicide. Some who are already dangerously underweight become even more so as they wait.

This GP survey tells us that young people with eating disorders, who will be most responsive to treatment at the start of their illness, cant access treatment, said Dr Nihara Krause, the consultant clinical psychologist and founder of stem4.

Young people with complex mental illness such as eating disorders will experience deterioration the longer they are made to wait for treatment, and this is why we are seeing record numbers of young people presenting at A&E, she added.

People who have eating disorders are at high risk of mortality both due to physical complications and risk of suicide. All young people with poor mental health need treatment early or else their risk increases. Young people with an eating disorder often have another mental health problem, too.

NHS bosses needed to accelerate existing plans to expand the treatment available for sufferers, because patients who went untreated took longer to recover, Krause added.

The GP survey found that the thresholds for under-19s getting help for eating disorders are so high that patients in desperate need are routinely refused NHS care.

Last month the NHS ombudsman for England warned that people with eating disorders were at risk of dying because they were being repeatedly failed by a health service that has done too little to tackle the growing problem.

Olly Parker, head of external affairs at the charity YoungMinds, said that young people with eating disorders needed to get medical help quickly, but the majority face such severe delays that can put them at risk of getting worse and reaching crisis before they get any help.

He added: Children and young people simply should not be put in this situation. Often GPs and staff are doing what they can to support young people, but they are working with a broken system that cannot keep up with demand.

Earlier this month the Royal College of Psychiatrists said that eating disorder services in England had been flooded with under-18s being referred by GPs since Covid struck in 2020. The number of such patients was 51% higher then pre-pandemic, it found.

NHS England said the number of young people with eating disorders it was treating was rising.

While the pandemic has taken a huge toll on many peoples mental health, improving care for people with an eating disorder is vital, with the NHS treating 55% more young people for eating disorders compared to pre-pandemic, as well as rolling out a rapid early intervention eating disorder service for people aged 16-25, a spokesperson said.

We acknowledge that more support is still needed, which is why we are also rolling out mental health support teams as fast as we can, ahead of plan, and have doubled the number of children and young people we have seen, as well as establishing 24/7 crisis lines.

Quotes from stem4s survey

Frighteningly short of resources. Exasperating as a clinician trying to keep these patients safe.

Too many referrals are bounced or palmed off to charity and self-help.

Eating disorders [services are massively oversubscribed and [there are] huge waits. I dont doubt the doctors and teams are doing their best but essentially they need huge numbers more.

A local charity is good. But there is no NHS provision. Child and adolescent mental health services (Camhs) reject every referral we do.

The threshold for seeing patients is too high, so illness is entrenched by the time any meaningful support is given. The treatment received is too little and too late/

Camhs is woefully under-resourced to manage eating disorders and cannot cope with the workload.

The services are nonexistent in my area, with patients having to travel hundreds of miles. It is completely unacceptable.

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I worry my young patients will die: UKs eating disorder services not fit, say GPs - The Guardian

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Have you ever doubted your worth, or felt the heavy weight of comparison creep in and destroy your confidence?

In my fourth spiritual guidebook You Are Enough: Activate Your Angels & Live a Soul-FULL Life I share exercises, guided meditations, and countless examples of ways you can overcome your limiting beliefs, your tendency to self-sabotage, and those ever-creeping doubts that have you questioning your innate value.

Those doubts are planted (and often fertilized) by a society that stresses success and hustle over true fulfillment. In this book, I help you let go of those doubts and work towards a Soul-FULL life. Living Soul-FULLy is about celebrating and welcoming in every form of abundance those things that really matter: peace, connection, vibrant health, contribution, and, yes, financial flow.

Discover your blocks when it comes to feeling open to all of the goodness available to you now, and heal them without overthinking or over-analyzing. Bring more love to your relationships, and shift your perspective of the challenging people, situations, and struggles you have experienced.

Feel seen, heard, and understood as you read my own personal examples and the examples of many clients I have helped on my journey as a healer, coach, author, and motivational speaker over the last decade.

So many of my clients and the sensitive souls I meet feel that their sensitivity and intuitiveness is a weakness. But, in this book, I will show you how to embrace all of your emotions, experiences, and relationships to help you grow into the person you are meant to be. Use your intuition and empathy to help you welcome in a richer, deeper experience of life.

Feel empowered and much more confident as you embrace your divine worth and connect with your angels, ancestors, and your own inner knowing. Feel the love and light that surrounds you, encouraging you to let go of the past and all the pressures you feel. Free yourself of distractions, honour your flaws, and embrace the simple joys that surround you.

You are loved. You are supported. You are enough.

This book will help you believe in yourself again.

(Lisa Driver was born and raised in Regina and now lives in Medicine Hat. You are Enough and Lisas other three spiritual guidebooks are available online at http://www.lisadriver.com or http://www.driverworks.ca, and in various metaphysical and book shops.)

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Read My Book: Lisa Driver's newest publication shows that 'You Are ... - Regina Leader Post

Morganton, NC, March 23, 2023 --(PR.com)--Half the population is over 40. Many of those are in distress and drowning in misinformation. Randolph Harrison, MEd, and wife/co-creator Erica Schwarting offer a lifeline, A Guide for Aging Heroes. This groundbreaking work received Literary Titans Gold Book Award for 2023. A Guide for Aging Heroes debunks stereotypes about aging and redefines the second half of life as a renaissance. More than a how-to book, Aging Heroes is a way of being, a lifestyle marked by adventure, personal evolution, service, and wonder. It takes readers on a voyage of self-exploration, embracing the inherent interconnections between us all.

According to the American Psychological Association, 95% of self-help books are published without supporting evidence! Every approach in A Guide for Aging Heroes is referenced and supported by recent scientific research.

Daily reads include motivational anecdotes, simple instructions, and suggested activities to help readers engage in personal change. A Guide for Aging Heroes offers easy techniques for transforming lifes emotional, intellectual, social, physical, and spiritual domains. This book shines a light on a new way of experiencing the second half of life.

"For those of us at whom this book is squarely aimed, the well-structured segments require a healthy dose of self-reflection to properly navigate, but the rewards are well worth the effort. The book is disarmingly honest about our faults but courageously hopeful about our power to overcome them. -David Buzan, author of In the Lair of Legends.

Randolph Harrison is a college psychology instructor and former counseling therapist. He is a recipient of the prestigious Roston Endowed Teaching Chair and the WPCC Excellence in Teaching Award. Randolph has lectured on various psychology and education topics in cities across the US. He is energized by exploring ideas with others. Harrison is a writer, musician, motorcyclist, sailor, fitness geek, and avid outdoor adventurer.

Erica Schwarting sees life through the lens of an artist. She spent her early years as a fashion model. Erica has a keen eye for detail and an innate talent as a designer. Schwarting currently manages hospital volunteer programs and oversees spiritual-care services. Engaging in charity work and being a change agent for diversity and inclusion are values she holds dear. She has competed in hundreds of races, including a Ragnar Relay in Hawaii, the Mt. Kilimanjaro Half-Marathon, and the Chicago Major Marathon.

To pre-order the book, go to https://www.agingheroes.com

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Over 40 Crowd in Crisis and Disillusioned with the Status Quo: New ... - PR.com

For the first time in three years, the Women of Color at Penn (WOCAP) hosted its annual award ceremony in person. WOCAP, which is housed in the African-American Resource Center (AARC), used the March 17 event to celebrate the achievements of women of color at Penn and in the broader community, highlighting this years theme of self-care and healing.

As the WOCAP chair, Mattie Maria SimBarcelos, a staff member at the Wharton School, gave opening remarks. The past few years have been so heavy with grief and isolation that I wanted to create safe spaces for restoration, reflection, and healing, SimBarcelos wrote in her program remarks.

SimBarcelos welcomed Joann Mitchell, senior vice president for institutional affairs and chief diversity officer, who read remarks from President Liz Magill. Magill thanked SimBarcelos along with the WOCAP committee, for your determination, your efforts, and your passion. The award ceremony and luncheon, which brings together more than 300 allies, reminds us that we are all committed to making progress, not just here at Penn but throughout our society, she said.

Mya Gordon, a junior majoring in urban studies from Lake Oswego, Oregon, won the undergraduate student award. Gordon is a Silverman Fellow at the Netter Center for Community Partnerships and has worked in the Penn Program for Public Service. Gordon spoke about her commitment to improving relationships between Penn and West Philadelphia and thanked her grandfather, who was in the audience. The thing he always told me growing up is the mind is a terrible thing to waste, she said. So, Im really trying to use mine to support my community and the people I care about.

Kyabeth Torres-Rodriguez, a third-year Ph.D. student in the Cancer Biology Graduate Program in the Perelman School of Medicine, won the graduate student award. Torres-Rodriguez is studying tumor immunosuppression and has an interest in diversifying science. She recently served as the lead for the Program Development Committee for the Diversity Equity Engagement at Penn in STEM, an initiative designed to diversify Perelman, the School of Engineering and Applied Science, and School of Arts & Sciences.

Shelah Harper, founder and CEO of the Asia Adams Save OUR Children Foundation Inc. won the Community Award. After her daughters death, Harper has dedicated her work to protecting young women and girls from intimate partner violence. Our children are priceless, said Harper, who urged the audience to do something, anything to connect with children.

The Faculty/Staff Award went to Sharon Irving, associate professor of pediatric nursing in the School of Nursing. Irving also serves as a senior fellow at the Leonard Davis Institute and as a steering committee member of the Penn Center for Nutritional Science and Medicine. When there is a task or a need or a challenge, she does not shirk the responsibility, said Colleen Winn, who introduced the honoree.

Irving is a first-generation college student from Harlem who became one of the first Black pediatric critical care nurse practitioners in the U.S.

I chose nursing because nursing allowed me to be me, Irving said. It also allowed me to reach back and help.

AARC director Valerie Dorsey Allen was this years Joann Mitchell Outstanding Legacy Honoree. Over her many years of leadership, Dorsey Allen has consistently served on the WOCAP committee. My WOCAP family has been a cocoon when I needed to be protected and a cheerleading squad when I have had achievements, Dorsey Allen said.

Diane Waff, professor of practice at the Graduate School of Education, won this years Helen O. Dickens Lifetime Achievement Award. Waff is the director of the Philadelphia Writing Project and has worked for the organization for 30 years, improving teaching and learning, building community, and addressing issues of race, power, and gender in schools. Young peoples writing and creativity continues to inspire me, she said.

The voices of color presentation included reflections from Sharon Smith, associate vice provost for university life; Nesha Subramaniam, a South Asia Studies major in the College of Arts and Sciences; Krista L. Cortes of La Casa Latina; and Zhanar Beketova of the Graduate School of Education. Each woman offered testimony from her own personal experiences.

Smith shared the story of her familys migration from the Caribbean to the U.S., where Smith was one of the few Black students in her suburban high school, which filled her with anxiety. Im sure to this day, she says, everyone at that high school thinks Im shy.

Subramaniam is Sri Lankan American. Losing several family members during the Sri Lankan Civil War gave her a heightened awareness to human rights violations and global health, she said. To be part of the American diaspora is having your life shaped and impacted by diversity, struggle, but also by constant rebuilding and rebirth. Individual cultural differences will always be present but so will human connection.

Cortes spoke of her work to understand her Afro-Latinx identity, which she then uses to make others feel seen and accepted, she said. For Black women, leading in higher education looks a lot like mothering, Cortes said.

Beketova, who is originally from Khazakstan, spoke of colorism in her home country.

Prevalent in countries with a history of colonialism and slavery, colorism causes people within the same ethnic group to treat one another differently based on skin tone, she said.

As a child, Beketova internalized negative messages. Now, she wants every little girl growing up to know that shes beautiful because she is human.

Mariel Diana Featherstone, a staff member in the Neuroscience Graduate Group, will serve as the 2024 chair. The theme, she said, will be facing our fears and growing and adapting to change.

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Honoring women of color | Penn Today - Penn Today

SUNBURY A graduate from Shikellamy High School who authored a comprehensive college prep course plans to donate part of his profits to the Susquehanna Valley Community Education Project's (SVCEP) efforts to establish a community college in the Valley.

Noah Fenstermacher, 22, who is working toward his Master's in Education from Penn State University in State College, wrote "College Admissions of Guilt: How the Underserved Student Can Still Succeed in Higher Ed," which is being published through New Degree Press of Georgetown University. The book, which is available for pre-order now, will be published on Aug. 21 with 10 percent of the profits going to SVCEP.

"It's a comprehensive college prep book for the underserved student population," said Fenstermacher, a member of the Class of 2016 who recently joined the SVCEP Board of Directors. "It's going to walk you through choosing a school to go all the way through that stage of graduation and finding a job right when you leave the university."

Fenstermacher said he is "absolutely ecstatic and overwhelmed" by the amount of support he has received from the community. He said he hopes to give back to those who gave to him for almost 23 years.

"This book is more than self-help, as it is the personal story of a black transracial adoptee going through undergrad during the Trump administration, and the mistakes made and lessons learned along the way," said Fenstermacher. "Dont just take my word for it, as Ive compiled the advice of EdTech CEOs, college presidents, award-winning professors, and Ivy League alumni on how to navigate academia as a lower-income, nonwhite, and/or first-generation college student."

Fenstermacher interviews Susquehanna University President Johnathan Green; Samyr Qureshi, CEO for an educational technology company called KNACK; and Mike Makowsky, the screenwriter for the film "Bad Education."

Fenstermacher also interviewed a local Klansman in order to identify hate and the best ways to combat that in a college setting and beyond. The interview was conducted at the Hotel Edison in Sunbury with a third party to make sure nothing went wrong.

The initial goal is $5,000, but Fenstermacher also wants someone or some group to purchase a copy for every member of the Shikellamy Class of 2022. There are approximately 200 students.

"It's a lofty goal, but they need all the help they can get during this pandemic," he said.

'A great accomplishment'

Meghan Beck, the president of the SVCEP board, said Fenstermacher has volunteered for the SVCEP in the past.

"I'm really excited for Noah," said Beck. "It's a great accomplishment, and it's very generous. We're honored that he would considering doing this."

A study commissioned by SVCEP predicts a new community college in the region would have an impact of $78.5 million in new economic activity over 10 years. It would require a $1.2 million annual investment from Northumberland, Union, Montour and Snyder counties. Northumberland would be asked to provide $624,000, Union would be asked $240,000, Snyder would be $228,000 and Montour at $108,000, according to the study.

Throughout 2021 and 2022, the group would seek sponsorship from counties with a goal to seek a state application in 2022-23. By 2023-24, the goal is to have a president hired, a board of trustees appointed, administration, faculty and staff in place and programming and instruction started.

Beck and SVCEP officials plan to visit each of the counties' public meetings in the coming months to discuss the project. Montour County commissioners have already voted to not support the project, but Beck said they will go back to the leaders for further discussions and to try to change their minds.

"We've been collecting letters of support from businesses and individuals to show support for the project in the community," said Beck.

The physical book is $39 and the ebook is $15. The books can be pre-ordered at https://igg.me/at/A-N0XctZpAM/x#/.

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Shikellamy grad to donate portion of book profits to fund college in Valley - Sunbury Daily Item

Seattle, WA, April 5, 2021 As an innocent child, Britt East was a beautiful blend of masculine and feminine traits a tender-hearted soul who sensed he was inexcusably different, and felt unwelcomed and unwanted by his family and peers.

Its an all-too familiar narrative for gay youths who must learn to navigate the long, arduous road toward self-discovery, all the while trying to reconcile their personal truth with familial and societal expectations of normal behavior. Many young gay men become convinced of their brokenness and succumb to their despair, viewing seclusion (or even death) as an easier path than living their authentic lives.

If we dont live honestly and openly, we wont have the skills, wisdom, or relationships necessary to manifest our dreams, says East in his powerful new book, A Gay Mans Guide to Life: Get Real, Stand Tall, and Take Your Place. But when we do come out, we must confront the full force of societal homophobia, and consider a variety of questions.

Among those uncertainties are how to overcome internalized homophobia and cultivate sustainable gay friendships; how to create a family without mimicking the norms of a straight society; and, in a world of hook-up apps and disposable relationships, how to find lasting love.

A Gay Mans Guide to Life, which is part memoir and part inspirational guidebook, addresses these crucial topics and many others, through the lens of a gay man, for gay men everywhere.

Britt candidly and vividly shares his own traumatic, personal journey, and uses his experiences and insights to inform an approachable, no-nonsense path to help gay men set down excuses and get to the business of improving the most important facets of their lives, including body, mind, spirit, career, family and more. He offers hope and support, giving readers the sense of family that perhaps they never had. A Gay Mans Guide to Life is not comprised of new-age mumbo jumbo or wishy-washy self-help jargon. It is about real work focused on real results to help members of the gay community.

At its core, A Gay Mans Guide to Life is a manual for personal growth and development, with plenty of pragmatic advice to challenge and inspire gay men to uncover their true selves and live their best lives.

Britt East is an author and speaker who uses his experience, strength and hope to challenge and inspire change-oriented gay men to get down to the business of improving their lives. With over two decades of personal growth and development experience in a variety of modalities, such as the 12 Steps, Nonviolent Communication, yoga, meditation, talk therapy and the Hoffman Process, Britt is committed to building a personal practice of self-discovery that he can then share with gay men everywhere. He lives in Seattle with his husband and their crazy dog.

For more insights from the author, please visit http://www.britteast.com, or follow him on Instagram (@britteast); Twitter (@britteast); or Facebook (@brittdawsoneast).

A Gay Mans Guide to Life: Get Real, Stand Tall, and Take Your Place

Publisher: Houndstooth Press

ISBN-10: 1544509227

ISBN-13: 978-1544509228

Available from Amazon.com, BN.com, Apple Books and many online outlets

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A Gay Man's Guide to Life Delivers Empowering Insights to Inspire Personal Growth and Transformation - Milwaukee Community Journal

The Telegraph

If you asked most people to imagine their pre-pandemic selves, theyd probably look back and long for that carefree time. But I wouldnt. Because the pre-pandemic me usually had a drink in her hand, and its only in lockdown, aged 48, that Ive realised what a problem that was. Im not the only one. Yesterday, the Royal College of Psychiatrists warned of a spike in the number of people suffering from the effects of alcohol misuse and dependency as lockdown ends and the pubs reopen. The number of people seeking help, it said, has more than doubled since the beginning of the pandemic. Alcohol Change UK, meanwhile, has found that one in three adults are drinking more than before, while the Royal College Psychiatrists has reported a sharp rise in people asking for treatment for conditions associated with heavy alcohol consumption. When we talk about drinking problems, our language tends to focus on two extremes: people who are at rock bottom, or those who have recovered. But between the two is a vast grey area containing so many of us, particularly in midlife. Ive long had an intense relationship with alcohol, having worked in advertising in London. The culture amounted to: if you wanted to get the best deals, you never said no to a drink and didnt go home until the client did. I was good at it, and coped with the groggy mornings by never being more than eight hours from the next drink to top up my dopamine (the happiness hormone) levels. Eventually, after a decade of that life, I got sick of the commute. So, ten years ago, I quit to set up a childrens hospitality business in Essex, where I live as a single mum to Olivia, now 10. I loved my new work and quickly became successful, but my drinking habits were still unhealthy. Rather than long client lunches, it became a glass of wine at 6pm as I started cooking. Before I knew it, most of a bottle would be gone. By the time I began experiencing the perimenopause three years ago, I was drinking 50 units a week - not realising quite how far above the recommended number of 14 that was. Then came the pandemic. When the lockdown shuttered my business, I took Olivia and moved to my grandmothers flat in Hampshire. There, I homeschooled, spent time by the sea and re-evaluated. Like many people, I was drinking more out of boredom and anxiety. But one night I was sitting on the sofa holding a glass of wine when I thought, There must be more to life than this. From that day, I started to reconsider my relationship with alcohol. I wasnt wetting the bed, I wasnt drinking with breakfast - but did I have control? No. And that meant I had a problem. Alcohol, I realised, had been a crutch I used to help disassociate and draw a line between work and play; between being Mum and being an individual. So I made some changes. Soda in my wine. Whole weeks off. I began to understand just how reliant on alcohol I had been, which led me to some other significant discoveries. I had always been impulsive and a multitasker someone who takes too much on and, a few weeks ago, I was diagnosed with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). The ADHD means I struggle to switch off and slow down, which is where drinking helped me to dissociate. The perimenopause is related, too. When women experience this change, our dopamine levels drop, which can explain things like brain fog. Given that alcohol increases dopamine release, who can be surprised that we might be inclined towards an extra glass of wine? It took lockdown for me to realise all this, and now I am urging others to think about their relationship with alcohol. Ive put my energy into creating a lower-strength (12%ABV) alternative gin, called Mooze Booze, and, by and large, Im going to avoid pubs from now on. Watching my intake is one reason. But after a year of meeting friends to walk in nature, I have also realised how much of a con alcohol is. You can have a much more intimate chat strolling outside for an hour - and it will boost your dopamine, too. As told to Guy Kelly Your lockdown re-entry drinking plan Worried about pubs reopening? Here are some tips to keep you on track when you start socialising again For the suddenly sober Avoid temptation: The first 30 days after quitting are the hardest. Sobriety coach Simon Chapple says: When you feel strong enough, carry on as normal but in the meantime swap any boozy nights for something different maybe a nice meal out with your partner instead. Plan something for the day after your night out: Schedule a tennis match, facial or family brunch, so if your mind starts wandering to the thoughts of having a drink, you can focus on feeling great and fresh the next day instead, says Kate Baily, co-author of Love Yourself Sober . Find a sober role model: Ask around and it wont take long to find someone you respect who doesnt drink and who you can use as inspiration. Sober people love to share how great it feels suddenly you will see all the benefits of living a sober, healthy lifestyle, says Claire Owen of sobriety coaching service Soberholic. For the sober curious Keep a drinking diary: If youd like to drink less but not quit completely, measure how much youre drinking and use it to work out by how much to cut your drinking. An app such as Try Dry can be good for setting goals to reduce your booze consumption, by limiting the days of the week on which you drink, for example. Know your social window and stick to it: Often we drink out of boredom, so learn where your threshold is and when to leave. We dont sit drinking coffee for five hours as we would drinking in a bar. We have a catch up for a couple of hours and then generally change activity, says Mandy Manners of LoveSober. Practise mindful drinking: Instead of matching your friends drink for drink, notice what youre drinking and how much youre enjoying it. Aim to drink more slowly than those around you, putting your drink down at intervals. Likewise, take time to choose a drink you really enjoy and savour every sip. For the party person who doesnt want to overdo it Try low-alcohol and alcohol-free drinks: If your life demands lots of socialising and you dont want to burn out, mix up hard booze with softer alternatives. It can help to choose a shortlist of three non-alcoholic drinks you like. If you ask for a ginger beer with fresh lime and they say, Sorry, we dont have that, you can immediately say cranberry and soda or virgin mojito That way you wont get tripped up, Baily says. Eat while you drink: Food slows down the rate the drink enters your bloodstream. To enjoy a night out without a binge, meet friends in a restaurant instead of a pub, order a bar snack, or eat before you go out. Ask for help: If you feel your drinking is out of your control, ask your GP for help or read the advice on alcoholchange.org.uk. Lots of people struggle with alcohol at some point in their lives and there's no shame in asking for support. Read more: Our boozy lockdown habits are what led to us piling on the pounds, not junk food Read more: Why we're drinking more but better in lockdown

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