Loneliness around Valentine’s Day can reveal problems with alcohol

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - Now that it’s February, Valentine’s Day is coming up. It’s known as the season of love, but it can also make single people feel especially lonely and isolated.

Research shows many people turn to alcohol around Valentine’s Day because they don't have someone to spend it with. Drinking can numb some negative feelings temporarily, but it is not a solution to long-term problems.

“Isolation is…very, very common,” Founder and President of Brickhouse Recovery Jason Coombs said. “A lot of that is impacted because of heightened anxiety, heightened symptoms of depression, lower activity, physically lower dopamine release, lower connection with people.”

Turning to alcohol can actually make increase feeling lonely—even single nights of drinking. It can cause people to withdraw from their family and friends, says healthline.com. Hangovers can decrease people’s motivation to participate in social activities. Alcohol can also make anxiety and depression worse, which can lead to feeling even more lonely and isolated.

This can be a time to assess your relationship with alcohol. Is it a problem? Is it a dependence?

“Let's get proactive and try to address these things early and and circumvented, and it's much easier to do it early on," Coombs said.

People can turn to resources like Alcoholics Anonymous, Brickhouse Recovery and My Relationship with Alcohol.