An addiction to alcohol is the most common of all the addictions. It is known by various terms including alcoholism, alcohol dependency, alcohol addiction or alcohol use disorder. 

Alcohol addiction is on the increase

Before the pandemic there was a slow but steady rise in the number of younger people of either gender seeking help for an alcohol addiction. This number has risen considerably following the new work from home regime. 

The youth of today are drinking in a different way from previous generations which means that in general anyone with a pre disposition for an alcohol dependency will have the timeline to when they will need to seek help shortened. A common comment someone in their 20s makes is “I can’t be an alcoholic I’m too young.”  However, an increase in drinking can lead to having exactly this diagnosis at a young age: if working from home there is no one else there to see you having an alcoholic drink, at  any time of the day; if we are drinking shorts we absolutely do not pour out a single measure it’s always a double plus. 

If we are going out to a club we will invariably drink at home or at a friend’s house before we go out (lots of drinks with generous measures). This is simply down to the expensive cost of drinks in a pub or club and another reason why so many pubs and even clubs are now closing down. However so called ‘pre-loading’ inevitably leads to drinking more than if someone was drinking entirely when out, spreading the drink intervals while talking or dancing, for example.

The effects of alcohol

Everyone will remember the first time they tasted alcohol and the effect it had on them. We enjoyed that pleasurable feeling and that is why we choose to drink again to get that same feeling again and again.  When drinking alcohol we do not digest it but it passes quickly into the bloodstream and travels to every part of the body.  Passing into the bloodstream will be quicker for some drinks than others. For example, whisky and soda will get into the bloodstream quicker than whisky and water as the effervescent effect of the soda quickens the effect of the alcohol.  It will affect the brain first, then the kidneys, then lungs and liver.  The effect of the alcohol is also dependant on age, gender, weight and the type of alcohol. 

Alcohol will affect women more quickly than men. This is because women are usually smaller and weigh less than men and thus have less body tissue to absorb the alcohol. Alcohol will also stay in a woman’s blood for longer as they have lower levels in their blood of the enzyme that breaks down alcohol.  Therefore a woman will usually get drunk quicker than a man and feel the effects for longer such as a hangover.

As you continue drinking alcohol it starts to dull the areas of the brain that control how parts of your body work. Therefore, as the concentration of alcohol in the bloodstream increases so the behaviour and body functions change.  The brain starts to produce increased levels of Dopamine, which increases our feelings of pleasure.  Over a period of time, and that time is different for everyone, we will start to drink or consume more to reach that pleasurable level and the cycle of addiction will have started. This will also coincide with our body becoming more tolerant to alcohol and a need for alcohol – even when we don’t want to drink – to stop any withdrawal symptoms. 

Then the opposite happens, the brain recognises that it is producing too much Dopamine and will drastically inhibit the body producing it.  So, at this stage, whatever we drink or however much we drink we are not experiencing that pleasurable feeling. It has been replaced by a negative change in our mood as we become more depressed and even aggressive with depressive episodes and, in some cases, going to the extreme feelings of suicidal thoughts as the only way out. 

The negative effects of alcohol dependency

Alcoholism will slowly have a negative and ever increasing downward spiralling effect on all of our life areas: work, social, health, relationships and financial. Anyone with an alcohol dependence will often place drinking above all other obligations. However we are not blind to these changes  and continue to drink alcohol even though we are aware of the problems it is causing in our life. 

If challenged by someone close to us we will always find a reason or excuse or even someone to blame for our drinking and will always choose to deny the extent of the problem to others.  In some cases, that denial will also extend to our own thinking!  It can be very much a mental situation of “ how can I manage my life while I’m still drinking (I am so unhappy) but how at my age, can I also manage without a drink (that sounds such a miserable position to be in)?”

Alcohol withdrawal and the dangers of stopping drinking

At The Haynes Clinic, when someone has attended for a free assessment, they  will often say  “I have gone for 3 days without a drink ,so I can’t have a problem.” Actually, for someone really trying to stop drinking then 3 days is often about the time they last before they start drinking again. Many can manage the withdrawal symptoms for that amount of time before they pick up a drink again; others can go longer using will power.  Stopping suddenly  or reducing significantly the daily consumption can lead to a seizure  and that will usually occur on or by day 3. This is a risk for all alcohol dependent drinkers of all ages and backgrounds.

Alcohol leaves the body via breath or urine at one unit per hour, so with an alcoholic there is a constant topping up of alcohol in the system which could easily lead to being over the drink drive limit in the morning.  We tend to also lose our natural sleep pattern as, drinking at night, we will pass out not naturally fall asleep.  Some people will use the excuse they need a drink to get to sleep.  This is not at all correct, it is either another excuse or the level of alcohol has dropped in our body and the body is needing more.

Binge drinkers and alcoholism

Binge drinkers do not see they have a problem with alcohol as in their mind they are justifying their actions by not drinking every day.  But what happens with a binge drinker is that the gap between each binge will get shorter or the binge will get longer so that ultimately they will be drinking every day. In fact a binge drinker does more damage to the brain and liver than a daily drinker, as the body is just recovering from the last binge when it is then hit with another.

Alcohol dependency and genetic factors

At The Haynes Clinic, we have seen people from every walk of life asking for help with their alcoholism. Although there are possible genetic, psychological, social and environmental factors that can have an impact on how drinking has affected their body and behaviour and led to their alcohol dependence, there is also evidence that suggests that certain people simply have a pre disposition for a dependency. In these cases, alcohol has a different and stronger impact on their body than for other people and that leads to an alcohol disorder.