Alcoholism, How Does It Affect You?

For many people there’s nothing more satisfying than a nice pint, or glass of wine, after a long hard day at work. Most people indulge in this past time every week and some every other day. But there are also those who cannot last a few hours without a drink. These people are classic alcoholics, and are suffering from a serious addiction.

Many people binge drink at the weekends, but this does not mean that they are alcoholics. The Webster’s Dictionary describes a binge as “an act of excessive or compulsive consumption”, which can range from food to alcohol. On the other hand, it describes alcoholism as, “a disease caused by excessive consumption of alcohol”.

Dr Alun Morinan: Research Associate National Addiction Centre said, “Binge drinking is associated with excessive drinking at weekends that leads to all sorts of anti-social behaviour; however, these individuals would not be classified as alcoholics although they are certainly drinking at harmful levels.” Whilst binge drinking is difficult to define Dr Morinan said that one popular definition is, “Drinking 10 or more units for a male, and over 7 for a female.”

Alcoholics have a severe need to drink, and many of them feel they cannot last a day without a drink . Binge drinkers, however, limit their drinking to certain days and usually drink in a social setting. They usually, undergo periods of detoxification, where they don’t feel the need to drink; in comparison alcoholics cannot detox because they would suffer from many negative side affects.

Binge drinking can sometimes be caused by peer pressure upon a person, the idea that a person will not be included or will be made fun of if they do not join in with the drinking. This isn’t something that only happens in childhood, it can happen with adults as well, especially when starting new jobs and meeting new people.

Binge drinking has also been blamed for making the streets unsafe at weekends, this has been stated by many people including Dr Morinan and David Cameron. Anti-social and aggressive behaviour leads to fights and in some cases death. Whilst binge drinking doesn’t make the person an alcoholic it can make them dangerous, this then makes many people unsafe. Alcoholism, however, mainly just affects around 10 people (if you include the alcoholic’s family).

In 2006 figures from the NHS Information Centre showed that alcohol is a contributory factor in 22,000 deaths annually. Figures also showed that 6,157 people died due to cirrhosis, which affects the liver and is caused by consuming excessive amounts of alcohol.

Mental and behavioural disorders due to alcohol have risen by more than 50 percent between 2005 and 2007. ONS figures showed that 217 people (per million) suffered from this in 2005 and the figure rose to 543 in 2007. This is a startling development and one that needs to be combated in order to keep people from ending up this way.

There are some medications that can help to keep an addict ‘on the wagon’. Dr Morinan told me that the two major drugs that are prescribed in the UK are Antabuse (can also be known as disulfiram) and Campral (can also be known as acamprosate).

Antabuse uses an aversion therapy; meaning that if the person taking the drug drinks alcohol they are likely to be sick or experience other unpleasant side affects. Campral, on the other hand, reduces the cravings and allows alcoholics to safely re-introduce alcohol into their daily lives.

These drugs do help people, but perhaps more focus should be put on the reasons people initially turn to alcohol. Is it really appropriate to keep using medication to solve the problems of society? And considering how we are seeing reports of the NHS being overstretched will there even be enough of this medication to go around?

A large online survey conducted by Ofsted and published in September 2008 showed that the percentage of children in the UK who were drunk at least once in the previous month, was 2 percent of Year 6, 12 percent of Year 8 and 33 percent of Year 10. This is in a sample size of 148, 988 pupils in 3,114 schools. Whilst this may not come as a huge shock to most, the figures are three times the amount of children who are smoking at these ages. The age that children are starting to drink is becoming lower. This is shown in the survey and in that children in year 6 are only 11 and 12.

From figures shown by the National Statistic Website, (shown below), it can clearly be seen that the highest number of alcohol related deaths in males occurs during the ages of 55-74. This is something that is quite often overlooked. However, the death rate in women is lower than that shown for men but the risks are the same.

Male alcohol-related death rates by age-group, United Kingdom, 1991-2007

National Statistics Online

From this it is easy to see that the older generations are very vulnerable to this disease and whilst this trend is worrying it has been this way for quite sometime. This is, most usually, the build up of many years drinking and the effects it takes upon a person’s body. Causing an early death.

It is surprising to see that the death rate in the younger generations is much lower than any other, although it is slowly increasing. Children and young adults are constantly in the news for causing trouble when they are drunk. This has led to many people to believe that the death rate in youngsters is high.

Children that grow up with an alcoholic parent are said to be more vulnerable to becoming alcoholics themselves. Dr William R. Lovallo, Behavioural Scientist said, “Persons with a positive family history should be extra cautious about their drinking and avoid binge drinking or daily drinking. These tend to become risky drinking practices in a vulnerable person.” This is due to the idea that alcoholism can be transferred in a person’s genes. The addiction being passed down genetically is a worrying, but controllable, trend. A positive family history just means that parents and other family members have to protect the child more.

Dr Morinan believes, however, that whilst genetics can have a big influence, so can family environment: “Parents are important role models and exert a significant influence on their children.” He also states that, “It does not necessarily mean the parents have to be alcoholics.” This is a slightly concerning statement as this means that even drinking alcohol in front of children can affect them.

The youth these days have grown up in a society, which is seen to embrace alcohol.  We have pubs on almost every street advertising special deals and many aisles in supermarkets stacked full of various alcohol, also with many special deals. Alcohol is also heavily advertised on television, with gripping adverts that attract the eyes of youngsters. With all these different forms of advertisements it is difficult to keep children away from alcohol.

Parents need to protect their children from alcohol, and most importantly not allow their children to taste alcohol at young ages. Parents don’t need to encourage their children to drink. They are going to start trying to drink before the age of 18 anyway just because they aren’t supposed to.

Alcohol can lead to depression, but many people disregard the idea that depression can lead to alcoholism. Dr Lovallo, told me “Persons who are prone to depression may find that alcohol elevates their mood, making alcohol an attractive substance for them. In addition to elevating mood, alcohol may dull the sense of distress that accompanies depression.” For this reason many rehabilitation courses offer psychiatric help. This is a good step to reaching a successful recovery.

Rehab is vitally important and there are many options out there; from weekly meetings to residential facilities. But it must be noted that 90 percent of alcoholics relapse at least once in the first four years of recovery, and it is vital that they pick themselves back up and try again. Giving up alcohol is a long process. It takes a lot of willpower not to give up when things get rough.

A popular weekly meeting programme for alcoholics is the twelve-step programme offered by Alcoholics Anonymous. These groups offer a safe place for men and women to share their experience, strength and hope; by offering this support to others in the group everyone is invested in quitting together. It’s easier to quit as a group because there is mutual support, without any sense of judgement.

Last month James Purnell, the Work and Pensions Secretary, suggested that alcoholics might have their benefits withdrawn if they do not go onto a government treatment programme. This is something that is already being piloted in regards to drug addiction.

During his proposal at a meeting at Dewsby Moor Community Centre Mr Purnell said, “We can’t abandon anyone to long periods on benefits without help to overcome problems. So that’s why we are going to look at arrangements for alcoholics on benefits, just as we did for problem drug users, so that people get the help they need to get sober, to get their life back and get back to work.”

It is great that the government are thinking about helping alcoholics, but they are not helping the ones that aren’t on benefits. Considering that everyone deserves help, this is only a first step.

When a person becomes an alcoholic their family and friends also suffer. The Al-Anon group helps the family and friends of alcoholics from all over the UK. These family groups first started in the USA in the early 1950s. It was in fact close relatives of the founders of the well-known group Alcoholics Anonymous who established this family based organisation. The groups moved over to the UK around 50 years ago and there are now roughly 800 meetings, which are held weekly around the country.

They run weekly discussion groups to help the families of addicts, showing that they have not caused the addiction in any way. The groups are a safe haven for all those who have been affected by an alcoholic, past or present. People can get together and gain advice on their own situation, as well as helping others with theirs. The groups provide the same safe environment for families and friends that AA does for alcoholics.

A leaflet from the Al-Anon group says, “ It is a fact, that only an alcoholic can fully understand another alcoholic. Only a person who has had a serious drinking problem, with all it entails, really understands what is going on in the mind of one who has a compulsion to drink. It is equally true that only a person who has lived with an alcoholic and has experienced the mental anguish that goes with it, can understand the problem of the alcoholic’s family and friends.”

There are many things that are being done to help alcoholics, but we are still falling short. In order to help alcoholics we must have enough resources within the NHS to help all alcoholics with their problems.

Alcohol is an addictive substance, and unlike drugs we have no way of controlling the amount that people can drink. Even with binge drinkers it is left down to the individual bar/pub/club to decide when a person has had enough, meaning that until a person starts causing trouble they will be allowed to drink themselves silly. This is not a good way of judging whether or not a person can handle more alcohol.

“When it comes to alcohol I think we have a problem” Dr Morinan. Surely new ways can be thought of to help calm the binge drinking and alcoholic culture that is surfacing within society. Future generations must be protected and society is falling short, it is time for a change and 24 hour licensing hasn’t curbed the problems that the Government was hoping that it would.