Binge Drinking counselling in London | Binge Drinking Treatment & Therapy

The American Psychological Association (APA) defines Alcohol abuse as a drinking pattern that results in significant and recurrent adverse consequences. Alcohol abusers may fail to fulfill major school, work, or family obligations. They may have drinking-related legal problems, such as repeated arrests for driving while intoxicated. They may have relationship problems related to their drinking. According to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 86.4 percent of people ages 18 or older reported that they drank alcohol at some point in their lifetime.

Alcoholism is characterized by people who have lost their ability to control consumption. The APA reports that according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), 1 in 12 American adults is an alcohol abuser or alcoholic. Additionally, young adults aged 18 to 29 are the most likely to have alcohol problems.

The National Institute of Health in the UK reported that in 2015, there were 6,813 deaths which were related to the consumption of alcohol. This is 1.4% of all deaths. Furthermore, Alcoholic liver disease accounted for nearly two-thirds (65%) of all alcohol-related deaths. Approximately 23% of deaths were due to liver disease where a large proportion of cases will also be alcohol-related, 145 thousand people presented for alcohol problems in 2015 and 2016. It is reported that 85,000 were treated for problematic drinking alone and 60,000 were treated for alcohol problems alongside other substances.

Signs of Alcohol Abuse

Alcohol addiction is difficult to identify because alcohol is a legal drug in many parts of the world. Signs of potential problem include having friends or family notice and comment on behaviour in relation to alcohol, feeling the urge to decrease intake of alcohol and simultaneously the inability to do so on your own. Additionally, requiring the use of alcohol to steady nerves and recover from a hangover are indicative of a potential problem.

Causes of Alcohol Abuse

Binge Drinking and Alcohol problems are largely attributed to environment and genetics. Social, psychological, physiological, and genetic factors impact the development of alcohol abuse and opportunity for addiction. Peer pressure, the need to cope, impulsiveness and low self-esteem all attribute to alcohol abuse. Genetics and a family history of alcoholism have a greater impact on the potential development of an addiction to alcohol than most factors. Abuse of alcohol can worsen pre-existing mental health conditions such as depression and lead to memory loss, depression, or anxiety.