Vivek Dahiya On His Battle With Alcohol During Lockdown: ‘It Turned Into a Lifestyle’
Vivek opted for therapy, where he practised meditation, breathing exercises, and focused on his goals in order to overcome his drinking habit.
Vivek Dahiya, along with his wife and actress Divyanka Tripathi Dahiya, never misses a chance to engage their fans with their food, travel, and fitness-related content. But behind those cheerful and picture-perfect moments lies a personal phase that Vivek recently decided to speak about. The actor opened up about his struggle with alcohol addiction and how he managed to come out of it.
Famous for his roles in shows like Yeh Hai Mohabbatein, Kavach, and Qayamat Ki Raat, Vivek recently appeared on the podcast Uncensored with Shardul, hosted by Shardul Pandit on his YouTube channel Shaardulogy. During the chat, the actor spoke frankly about how he developed a dependence on alcohol during the COVID-19 lockdown, which also led to frustration in his life.
While discussing his personality with the host, Vivek said, “I started drinking. I was never a heavy drinker—more of a casual party type. I would never sit down with a glass in hand thinking, ‘The world is full of sorrow, let’s drink’—that was never me. I drank only occasionally at parties.”
Revealing that his father was similar to him, Vivek shared that his dad once advised him to have a good bar in his home when he built one. By that, his father meant that he should collect exclusive and premium bottles from different countries while travelling. Vivek took his father’s suggestion seriously and began collecting rare bottles during his trips with his wife. But he hardly ever consumed any of them.
However, things changed during the COVID lockdown. Vivek recalled, “During lockdown, I suddenly thought—if something were to happen to me, what would become of these bottles? Of course, some would go to my father and the rest to my father-in-law, but neither of them could finish them. So, I started drinking out of concern for that.”
He added, “Every night I would sit with a drink and watch shows. I wouldn’t do anything reckless. But it slowly became a lifestyle.” He admitted that this routine started affecting his daily life, especially his sleep and metabolism. Vivek also mentioned that the regular drinking began to increase his frustration. “I started noticing a pattern and realised this isn’t something I want to keep doing,” he said.
Once the lockdown restrictions were lifted, Vivek observed how people were eager to return to their normal routines, but he found himself “with a belly, hair loss, and dark circles.” That’s when he recognised it was time to quit the habit. He turned to therapy, where he spent time alone, meditated, practised breathing exercises, and focused on his personal aspirations—and he never looked back.
