When Lithuanian actor Arūnas Sakalauskas looks back on his childhood, alcohol was always present, but never in a good way. His father drank heavily, and as a boy he learned to associate alcohol with shouting, shame and loss. “I promised myself I would never be like my father,” he recalls. For years, he kept that promise.
But in Lithuania, as in much of Europe, alcohol was everywhere. In small towns, not drinking alcohol was what made you stand out. “If you didn’t drink, you were the strange one,” he remembers. Like many young people growing up in an environment where drinking is part of social life, Arūnas learned early that refusing an alcoholic beverage could make you an outsider.
In his early thirties, his marriage ended, and the world he had built collapsed. “My friends told me to have a drink, that it would help with the pain,” he says. “And I thought it did for a while.” But what seemed like an easy coping mechanism soon revealed itself to be a pattern. “When I started drinking, I couldn’t stop. I didn’t understand what was happening to me.”
Environments that encourage alcohol harm
Environments that normalize drinking alcohol can make alcohol seem like the easiest solution for grief, loneliness or stress. Across the WHO European Region, alcohol is the most widely available and socially accepted psychoactive substance, yet also the leading risk factor for ill health and premature death among people aged 15–49. Nearly 15 million people live with alcohol use disorders (AUD), and only a small fraction ever receive treatment.
Like many people struggling with AUD, Arūnas spent years denying that he had a problem. “I thought everyone else was to blame, not me,” he admits. He lost jobs, friends and his sense of self. For many, stigma and social attitudes keep them silent. “People turned away from me,” says Arūnas. “I was angry, defensive and I lied to myself all the time. You think you’re in control, but you’re not.”
Years of relapses and hospital stays followed. In 2007, Arūnas decided to speak publicly about his addiction. “There was nothing left to hide. Everyone already knew, so why keep lying? I had been to the hospital more than 10 times; it was time to admit that I had a problem with alcohol.”
The challenging path of recovery
But recovery from dependance was not linear. Two years later, he relapsed and caused a car crash. No one was hurt, but it was a turning point. “That was my wake-up call. I realized I would die sooner than I should or take someone else with me.”
Thirteen years of sobriety later, Arūnas feels grounded. “Now I see and hear everything clearly. I speak only when needed. I’ve become responsible.” He still attends meetings and mentors others seeking recovery. He receives letters from Lithuania and abroad from people asking for help. “There’s a lot of help out there,” he says. “But you have to take the first step.”
He avoids all beverages that remind him of alcohol, even non-alcoholic versions. “For me, there is no moderate drinking, and non-alcoholic beverages are just the first step back down the same path.”
Changes that make a difference
To those just starting out, his advice is clear: “Alcohol gets in the way of real connection. When you’re drunk, you can’t truly know another person, and they can’t know you.”
Across Europe, alcohol can often seem embedded in social life, from family celebrations to workplace events. These environments can make recovery harder, especially when not drinking alcohol feels like breaking a social rule. But that culture is slowly changing. “At least you don’t see drinking at work anymore,” Arūnas notes. “People are starting to understand how inappropriate that is.”
Still, for millions across the Region, alcohol use disorders remain a treatable but neglected condition. More than just personal courage, recovery requires supportive environments, where people can seek help without judgment, and where sobriety is normalized rather than questioned. In addition to health professionals, family and friends play an important role both in encouraging a person to seek help and during the rehabilitation process.
Arūnas regrets realizing too late what alcohol had taken from him: “Every time you drink, you risk yourself, your family, your work, your life. You can live without alcohol – and life is much better that way,” he concludes.
Finding support and more information
If you or someone you know is experiencing harms from alcohol, it’s important to reach out for help. You can find support and guidance by consulting your doctor.
Arūnas shared his story with us for the “Redefine Alcohol” campaign. This campaign is part of the joint WHO-European Union Evidence into Action Alcohol Project (EVID-ACTION), which aims to increase awareness about harms from alcohol across 30 countries – the 27 European Union Member States plus Iceland, Norway and Ukraine – from 2022 to 2026.