Alcoholism and the ‘Middle Aged’ Women

An article in the Sunday Times yesterday highlighted the issue of the increasing number of middle aged women who are turning to online help for their drinking. It said that more than 1500 women had joined one particular site since it was set up two months ago and that these women were trying to sort out their ‘problematic drinking problems’. The vast majority of this particular site’s members are aged 30 – 50, and from middle class and professional backgrounds. The article points out something that is becoming generally better known.  That these middle aged professional women are increasingly using alcohol to deal with the stresses of modern life.

There were over 110,000 admissions for alcohol related reasons for women aged 35 – 54 in England in 2010. In some ways this number strikes me as being quite low – until I consider that this is actually in-patient admissions and just in England – and it is very difficult to get admitted into hospital for alcohol related reasons (believe me, I have tried it as have several others of my acquaintance). Not surprisingly, if you are desperate for medical help for alcohol related reasons. You get pretty short shrift in today’s busy hospitals. If you know the day of the week, the date and the name of the prime minister and you can walk, you will be sent home (unless you are physically injured sufficient to warrant admission). You need to be almost dead to get NHS help for the illness of alcoholism.

Growing Problem

So why is alcoholism such a growing problem amongst middle class professional women? Many of today’s career women who have a family enjoy a drink at the end of the day to unwind. For some, one becomes two and for some of them two becomes three becomes four. We carry on juggling our work and children and that little habit becomes something we rely on. We begin to actually need it and to feel frustrated if we cannot get our nightly intake of alcohol. Before we know it, we are no longer controlling the drink and it is controlling us.

Turning to Alcohol

We can go quite a long time in this situation – using alcohol but continuing to juggle our busy lives. Maybe this is where online help to ‘resolve our problematic drinking patterns’ could help. However, for those of us who add a very difficult period in our lives to the mix – such as a marriage break up – we may turn to yet more alcohol to deaden our painful raw emotions and to continue to function in our everyday life. This is a dangerous strategy which often leads to a point of no return and full blown alcoholism.

Allergic Reaction To Alcohol

For these people, online help to resolve the problem is likely to be ineffective. These people will never be able to control their alcohol consumption again. They have developed a form of allergic reaction to alcohol, which means that one drink will never be enough and they need to drink until drunk. For these people, the only option now for a fulfilled and happy life is total abstinence.

If you are one of these women, you may struggle on for many years before having to acknowledge that this is the case because you will think that with your hitherto successful life you must be able to sort it out and control it yourself. Don’t try for too long though before admitting defeat – as your journey until that point will probably be a painful and costly one, not just for you but for the people you love and who love you.

If you have an alcohol or drug related problem. Please call 01462 851414 for free and confidential advice and help.