Name/ Characteristics/ Key motivations
Depressed drinker/ Life in a state of crisis eg recently bereaved, divorced or in financial crisis/ Alcohol is a comforter and a form of self-medication used to help them cope
De-stress drinker/ Pressurised job or stressful home life leads to feelings of being out of control and burdened with responsibility/ Alcohol is used to relax, unwind and calm down and to gain a sense of control when switching between work and personal life. Partners often support or reinforce behaviour by preparing drinks for them
Re-bonding drinker/ Relevant to those with a very busy social calendar/ Alcohol is the ‘shared connector' that unifies and gets them on the same level. They often forget the time and the amount they are consuming
Conformist drinker/ Traditional guys who believe that going to the pub every night is ‘what men do' Justify it as ‘me time'./ The pub is their second home and they feel a strong sense of belonging and acceptance within this environment
Community drinker/ Drink in fairly large social friendship groups The sense of community forged through the pub-group./ Drinking provides a sense of safety and security and gives their lives meaning. It also acts a social network
Boredom drinker/ Typically single mums or recent divorcees with restricted social life Drinking is company, making up for an absence of people./ Drinking marks the end of the day, perhaps following the completion of chores
Macho drinker/ Often feeling under-valued, disempowered and frustrated in important areas of their life Have actively cultivated a strong ‘alpha male' that revolves around their drinking ‘prowess'./ Drinking is driven by a constant need to assert their masculinity and status to themselves and others
Hedonistic drinker/ Single, divorced and/or with grown up children Drinking excessively is a way of visibly expressing their independence, freedom and ‘youthfulness' to themselves./ Alcohol used to release inhibitions
Border dependents/ Men who effectively live in the pub which, for them, is very much a home from home/ A combination of motives, including boredom, the need to conform, and a general sense of malaise in their lives
This was taken from a recent article on the BBC News Health pages.
BBC NEWS | Health | Drinkers fall into 'nine groups'
I've probably been more than 3 of these types of drinker at some point in my life. I also think you could be a combination of these too. So what category would you put yourself in or combination at present or recently before you decided to quit/moderate? Answers on a postcard to.....
Love and Happiness
Hippie
xx
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