"[Problem drinking] can be habitual. You get into a pattern of drinking the same way every day: a glass of wine while cooking dinner, finishing off the bottle with the meal, a nightcap before bed."
Mid-lifers and retirees are the biggest drinkers, data shows, and major lifestyle shifts can fuel unhealthy habits.
We all know alcohol is a toxin and messes with our brain. We understand it is calorific and can pile the weight on. Hangovers are no surprise, nor tiredness, interrupted sleep, the jitters or black moods the morning after. Yet when the tendency to drink more and more takes us to a darker place, the warning signs can be murky. We could be slipping into the alcoholic danger zone.
Dr Richard Piper, the chief executive of Alcohol Change UK, says: “Alcohol is a chemical that can bring about big changes in the complex functions of the human brain. When we drink alcohol, it triggers the release of other chemicals in the body that make us feel more content, less inhibited and not as sensitive to physical and emotional pain.
“It’s no surprise that once we start drinking, we often become reliant on its immediate effects when looking to de-stress or feel ‘better’.
“The reality is that more than 10 million of us are drinking alcohol in a way that negatively impacts our health and wellbeing.”
“We look at the whole spectrum and ask specific questions,” says Dr Niall Campbell, a psychiatrist and addiction consultant at The Priory, Roehampton, who focuses on four areas when dealing with alcohol-dependent patients: physical, mental, relationship and professional health.
“I ask: ‘Are the hangovers getting worse, are you falling over often, are you being secretive, do you feel ashamed, did you embarrass yourself at the office party, were you disciplined for that, are you calling in sick regularly, are you having more of a relationship with the bottle than with people?’ These are the sort of questions we can all ask ourselves.”
He reveals the five ways to know if you’re in the alcoholic danger zone.
Dr Campbell also believes that developing a negative relationship with alcohol isn’t always related to trauma.
“It can be habitual. You get into a pattern of drinking the same way every day: a glass of wine while cooking dinner, finishing off the bottle with the meal, a nightcap before bed. It can soon build.
“I recently had a female patient who was drinking on a daily basis from 10am till 3pm. It was always the same routine and it was escalating. Her blood pressure was through the roof and that eventually scared her to do something about it.”
Campbell regularly sees people using drink as a coping mechanism for stress – but “it definitely won’t help you manage well in a crisis”, he says.
Andrew Harvey, a BACP-accredited counsellor and psychotherapist with specialism in alcohol and substance abuse, asks his clients: “When did you start using alcohol rather than enjoying alcohol?” In other words, is drinking there as a crutch to help you deal with the pressures of life?
But an honest assessment of your situation can be eclipsed by denial. Harvey says that shame often plays a part: “I’ve never met anyone who set out to have a problem with drink, but once it’s there, the avoidance, deception and self-loathing can manifest.”
And while all these signs that you are in the danger zone are a warning, often it’s others who notice what we can’t see in ourselves.
“Sometimes clients struggle to follow through with promises they make. For example, they might say they will restrict their drinking to weekends only, but then find themselves pouring a drink on Tuesday. Having this pointed out by others in a supportive, non-confrontational way can be helpful.”
It’s true that people often turn to alcohol when life throws them a curveball, Harvey says. “It’s the medicine for a lot of people’s pain. It numbs them for a while, but its relief is short-lived. Alcohol will mask bad feelings, but it doesn’t solve them.”
“In my experience as a therapist, I’ve seen unhealthy drinking habits accelerate after retirement,” says Harvey.
“Every night is Friday night, you don’t need to get up for work the next day. Plus retirement can mean that people lose their status, confidence, focus; they’ve got time on their hands, they’re bored. Lifestyle change is hard for most of us. Giving up a routine that’s been in place for decades can really shake people up.”
According to a report for the charity UK Men’s Shed Association (UKMSA), men aged between 65-74 are most likely to drink to “increasing risk” levels, while the UK’s Office for National Statistics says the highest consumption of alcohol is among those aged between 45 and 64. A new campaign, Men on a Mission, supported by DRINKiQ and UKMSA, aims to raise awareness around the above statistics.
Andy Walker, a HGV driver, retired early at 60, but being at home alone for long periods meant unhealthy habits with alcohol crept in. “I rattled around in an empty house while my wife went out to work. What do I do? I know, I’ll have a drink.”
Andy ended up seeking support from Spen Shed in Yorkshire, one of the Men’s Sheds groups where people can gather for “connection, conversation and creation”. Andy has been sober for six months now and says: “It’s like a family, I can tell these guys exactly the same as I could tell my wife and I know that they’ll understand.”
It’s a common misconception that having a problematic relationship with booze means you drink every day. Some can go for days or even weeks without indulging. But then they may binge or get themselves into predicaments that result in head-hanging shame.
“Dependence takes on many forms,” Harvey says. “It doesn’t always present itself as hardcore daily excess.”
As festivities such as Halloween and Christmas creep closer, getting drunk is normalised. In fact, it’s revered; an integral part of the seasonal blow-out.
A report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development stated that 26% of British women indulged in “heavy episodic drinking” at least once a month, while 45% of men were regularly bingeing.
“People with an unhealthy relationship with alcohol tend to veer towards situations where drinking is acceptable,” says Harvey.
Sir Ian Gilmore, a liver specialist and chair of the campaign group Alcohol Health Alliance UK, agrees there is too much bravado around heavy drinking.
“The burden on the NHS isn’t the so-called alcoholics, it’s people in the middle of the drinking spectrum, because there are so many of them. It’s a myth that a glass of red wine a day does you good. In rough terms, if you stick to the recommendations of drinking no more than 14 units a week, your chances of dying of an alcohol-related disease is less than one in 100.
“Unfortunately, at this time of the year, it’s more normal to get completely inebriated, put yourself in danger and then shrug it off as a bit of festive fun. The trouble is, when the parties are all over, there can be significant physical and mental repercussions on your health.”
According to research by the Institute of Alcohol Studies, around 40% of young adults who reported drinking alcohol said that they drank alone. While it doesn’t necessarily mean you have a problem with alcohol, one 2020 study suggests solitary drinking increases the likelihood of drinking for negative reinforcement (for example, to relieve stress), which can lead to dependency later on.
Drinking alone also allows you to adopt unhealthy behaviours away from the judgment of others.
Campbell says he has noticed that since Covid, with many of us working from home, people are drinking more throughout the day – another route into the alcoholic danger zone. “There is no one around to witness this behaviour, which means a regular afternoon drink can build into a problem.”