Lockdown made me realise I had a drinking problem As a new study reveals a spike in those seeking help, one writer reveals how the pandemic was a wake-up call for her... 5 April 2021 • 6:25pm Melanie Sims: ‘I wasn’t wetting the bed, I wasn’t drinking with breakfast - but did I have control? No. And that meant I had a problem’ If you asked most people to imagine their pre-pandemic selves, they’d probably look back and long for that carefree time. But I wouldn’t. Because the pre-pandemic me usually had a drink in her hand, and it’s only in lockdown, aged 48, that I’ve realised what a problem that was.