Alcohol Dependence

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Alcohol is the most common drug used in Britain, and the one which causes the most damage. It is very addictive. It is estimated that almost 10% of the population suffers from alcohol abuse. There are three levels of problem drinking:

1. Heavy drinking – regularly drinking more than 21 units of alcohol each week. For men (10 pints of beer or lager or 14 small glasses of wine). For women (7 pints of beer or 11 small glasses of wine)
2. Problem drinking – where you are causing harm to yourself or others through damaging your liver or by binge drinking and causing damage through lack of control, ie drink driving, violence or overspending on drink. This can affect your health, your relationships, your work and your home life.
3. Alcohol Dependence - Accepting that one has an alcohol dependence can be a long, painful journey in which relationships, health and work all suffer. Drinking is often an attempt to escape from the realities and difficulties of life, and for many it is a means to deal with depression and anxiety, even though in the longer term it acts as a depressant.

Symptoms:

• The need to drink every day
• Larger amounts needed to get drunk
• Shakes or anxiety attacks on stopping
• Early drinking or morning drinking
• Drinking alone
• Memory loss for periods of time

Accepting the problem is a major step; keeping a diary or confiding in a friend may help. Severe problems may need medication to help on the road to recovery.

• Nausea and sweating
• Shakes or tremors
• Tension and anxiety

Causes:

Stress, worry or lack of confidence can all make alcohol an attractive release in the early days. It can also be a way to ‘self medicate’ for depression or anxiety. There is some evidence that some people have a genetic predisposition to alcoholism, and some cultures promote its use without facing up to its destructive qualities.

The sociable nature of drinking also encourages its use for the lonely, young and vulnerable.

Treatment:

Keep a diary of your drinking to help you get a realistic picture of the problem. Accepting that you have a problem is the first step to recovery. Talk to a friend or a professional. A specially trained counsellor can help you talk through the issues and help you plan to manage the problem.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy may be helpful in changing the way you view problems and yourself. Counselling can help you deal with the anxiety or depression which may be underlying.

Detox: Sometimes medication is prescribed to help people stop drinking with fewer withdrawal symptoms, when previous attempts have failed or if the dependency is severe.

Self-help groups for individuals and their families can help maintain the changes.

Further Help

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Content written/edited by Denise Pickup MBACP in 2009. The content is for general information only and may or may not relate to your individual situation; please contact a professional directly to discuss this issue.