According to the British National Health Service, for some people alcohol is embedded in their identity and lifestyle: so much so that challenging this behavior results in high levels of defensiveness, rejection or even outright denial.
Nine Types of Binge Drinkers
De-Stress Drinkers use alcohol to regain control of life and calm down. They include middle-class women and men.
Conformist Drinkers are driven by the need to belong and seek a structure to their lives. They are typically men aged 45 to 59 in clerical or manual jobs.
Boredom Drinkers consume alcohol to pass the time, seeking stimulation to relieve the monotony of life. Alcohol helps them to feel comforted and secure.
Depressed Drinkers may be of any age, gender or socioeconomic group. They crave comfort, safety and security.
Re-Bonding Drinkers are driven by a need to keep in touch with people who are close to them.
Community Drinkers are motivated by the need to belong. They are usually lower middle class men and women who drink in large friendship groups.
Hedonistic Drinkers crave stimulation and want to abandon control. They are often divorced people with grown-up children, who want to stand out from the crowd.
Macho Drinkers spend most of their spare time in pubs. They are mostly men of all ages who want to stand out from the crowd.
Border Dependents regard the pub as a home from home. They visit it during the day and the evening, on weekdays and at weekends, drinking fast and often.
What kind of drinker do you think you are?
What kind of drinker is your loved one?