Middle-aged Britons are more likely than young adults to exceed alcohol limits, says a study reported in the Associated Press.
The study, carried out by the alcohol education charity Drinkaware found that one-fifth of 18 to 24-year-olds drank alcohol, compared with around one-third of the older group which consumed more than 35 units per week for women, and more than 50 units for men – based on a survey of 2,294 adults in the UK.
Elaine Hindal, Drinkaware chief executive, says: “Our research shows that 45 to 64-year-olds could potentially be sleepwalking into long term health problems as a result of their drinking patterns. This habitual behaviour could put you at an increased risk of becoming alcohol dependent. Just because you don’t feel like you are drinking enough to get drunk, doesn’t mean you aren’t damaging your health.
The problem is one of image – it’s usually considered that an alcoholic is someone who cannot function during the day without a drink, often first thing in the morning. Yet it doesn’t matter what time of day you drink or how much you consume, if you can’t break the habit – it’s an addiction. Back in the 1980’s it was common place to drink alcohol at lunch times as well as a drink after work in the evenings, but today that culture has diminished and like smoking in the work place it is often frowned upon or even illegal today. This could explain why the higher age group has more of a problem than the under 45s.
The study also showed that one in six (17%) of this age group said they had a feeling of guilt or remorse after drinking and one in 10 (11%) said they failed to do what was normally expected of them because of their drinking.
This means it is impacting on their life and their health. A recent programme on BBC TV, taking the experiences of identical twin doctors showed that although one drank a small amount every day and the other binged once a week, both showed signs that their bodies were suffering by the consequences. The alcohol causes the body to inflame, and that in turn lowers the immune system and increases the chances of cancer, and rheumatic problems.
Addictions are complex behaviours not driven by the ingested chemical itself but a mix of habit, our own brain chemistry, location and a need to be fulfilled – which is why gambling is addictive – because it feels good when we win, we want more. However we need more each time to get the “hit” of dopamine we experienced last time to feel the same pleasure.
There are many ways to stop an addiction, but one of the simplest is to address the subconscious that forms the habit and create a new habit, which is more acceptable and less dangerous. Hypnotherapy can do this with the aid of solution focused therapy, or cognitive behavioural therapy, or by using Brainworking recursive therapy – the research into this new therapy shows that decisions are made and acted upon by our mental processes before we become consciously aware of them, so this therapy helps to stop the process in it’s tracks.
Not only that in some cases the problem can be dealt with very quickly and by Skype, so no need to travel distances to see a therapist.
Please telephone, fill in the contact form on the website www.pennyling.co.uk or text “Hypno” or “BWRT” + “alcohol” to 07508 658934