The consumption of alcohol among Icelanders has increased significantly and cases of cirrhosis are on the rise, Dr. Valgerður Rúnarsdóttir, the Medical Director of SÁÁ, has stated in an interview. Dr. Valgerður encourages individuals to seek treatment before problems get out of hand.
A new year, a new opportunity
In an interview with Vísir today, Dr. Valgerður Rúnarsdóttir, the Medical Director of SÁÁ (National Centre of Addiction Medicine), stated that many people see the new year as an opportunity to deal with addiction-related issues. About 600 people are currently on a waiting list for treatment at SÁÁ, which is similar to the past few months.
Valgerður noted, however, that most people don’t have to wait that long for admission. Valgerður added that many people were hesitant to seek help because they were unsure that their problems were “big enough.” According to Valgerðar, however, the right time to seek help is when the thought occurs that there might be a problem.
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“The most numerous group of people that needs help is precisely that group of people who, because of their addiction, are about to miss out: whether on school, work, or connections with their family. It’s best to intervene while they’re still functional.”
A growing problem
Although patients at SÁÁ’s Vogur detox and rehabilitation centre are seeking help for various kinds of addiction-related issues, alcohol abuse remains, by far, the most common. Dr. Valgerður observed that alcohol consumption was “constantly increasing” and that, generally speaking, Icelanders “tend to drink a lot.”
“It has huge consequences. Hepatologists, for example, have observed that cirrhosis of the liver has greatly increased in Iceland. And we see that many people are in poor health from heavy alcohol consumption.”
Valgerður repeated her point about people not waiting too long to seek help: “I’d like to encourage people, who’ve been considering it for some time, to seize the opportunity now, during the beginning of 2023. Address the issues. We welcome everyone who comes to us.”
