Every person who drinks alcohol has a reason for doing so. Some people may be struggling with depression and look for a way to ease their sadness. Other people may drink alcohol to keep their social status. If you are struggling with alcohol use, it is helpful to get to the root cause. Why are you drinking? What is truly driving this behavior?
There are a variety of alcohol treatment methods at Anchor Therapy that can help you feel like your best self again.
Anchor Therapy is a counseling center in Hoboken, NJ with mental health therapists specialized in helping children, teens, adults, couples, and families with anxiety, depression, relationship issues, trauma, life transitions, and more. Anchor Therapy is accepting new clients and is now providing in-person sessions and teletherapy sessions to residents of New Jersey, New York, and Florida.
The Motivating Factor of Alcohol Consumption
When it comes to trying to alter your alcohol consumption, whether you want to start drinking less or you want to just drink in a less harmful way, you should know what is the motivating factor for you.
It is easy to view the consumption of alcohol as a habit you have had since you were a young adult or even teen. It may feel like some sort of ritual to you now, but have you ever really stopped to think about why you started drinking alcohol in the first place?
Everyone can think of reasons why he or she started drinking and continues to do so. However, many scientists have concluded that the motivational model of alcohol use plays a major role in one’s decision.
The motivational model of alcohol use says that a person decides to drink alcohol because of how they feel after drinking it. Therefore, the active positive consequences of drinking outweigh the negative effects. This gives people a look into the motivations of people to drink alcohol.
People may drink to increase positive feelings or decrease negative feelings. Internal rewards may be in place, like wanting to change your emotional state. External rewards also play a role, such as seeking the social approval of other people.
One’s genetics, personality, and setting can impact the severity, frequency, and motivations of your drinking. Generally, drinking motivations come down to four categories: enhancement, coping, social, and conformity. You may have one or several drinking motivations.
Knowing your pathway to drinking will help you decide what the path should look like moving forward. Perhaps you want to continue drinking in social settings but limit it to two drinks per week or maybe you want to stop drinking altogether and start your sobriety journey.
The 4 Types of Alcohol Drinkers
Social Drinking
Social drinking, also known as celebration drinking, is the primary motivation for drinking for many teens and adults. While the culture or country may change, the motivation remains the same. Social drinking normally comes down trying to have more fun with friends and family and, therefore, engaging in alcohol consumption. This fits the script that alcohol consumption is usually connected as a social activity. Typically, social drinking breeds moderate alcohol consumption.
2. Drinking to conform
When you are drinking to conform, you are drinking to fit in. You are not drinking because it is what you really want to do or a choice you would make for yourself. This type of drinker may hold a drink in their hand and slowly sip on it throughout the night. They do this to avoid feeling different from the people around them who are drinking.
If you drink to conform, you mainly drink less than the other types of alcohol drinkers. In recent years, there have been different movements, such as the “sober curious” movement. This has made it easier for some people to not drink in social settings. This has the potential to decrease the negative feedback someone would get from choosing not to drink alcohol.
3. Drinking for enhancement
When you drink for enhancement, you drink because it makes you feel excited. This is considered a more risky motivator for drinking when compared to social drinking and drinking to conform. When you couple this drinking motivator with someone’s personality, it may be cause for serious concern.
If you drink for enhancement motives, it may be because drinking transforms a part of you. For example, you may become more extroverted, impulsive, or aggressive. It is mostly young people, especially males, who seek to actively become drunk and engage in more risk-taking behavior.
4. Drinking to cope
Those who drink to cope with themself, mental health issues (e.g. anxiety, depression, trauma, etc.), or difficult life transitions, tend to have a low level of agreeableness and a negative view of themself. To learn more about your negative self-view, check out our blog “Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Negative Self-Talk.” To enhance your self view, read “The Ultimate Guide to Building Self-Confidence.”
These types of alcohol drinkers use alcohol to cope with problems in their life, especially those related to anxiety and depression. Take our Anxiety Quiz and Depression Quiz.
Coping drinkers tend to be female and drink more heavily. They may also be at risk for experiencing more alcohol-related issues than those who have other motivations for drinking.
Drinking alcohol may make problems go away in the short-term but it is not a long-term solution. In fact, it can end up making your issues worse later down the road because the problems that are leading to drinking are not being addressed and resolved.
Why is it important to know what type of drinker I am?
Knowing what type of drinker you are can lead to better interventions to stop or decrease drinking.
Understanding what type of drinker you are can shine light on your behavioral patterns. Your drinking habits have the possibility to influence your decision-making skills and overall behavior. When you know your drinking style (e.g., social drinking, binge drinking, and so on), certain things may come out of this revelation, such as realizing that you are using alcohol as a coping mechanism. When you understand these patterns, you have the power to make conscious decisions that can empower you.
Drinking can impact the relationships in your life, including family, friends, romantic partners, and work or school colleagues. When you know your own tendencies, you can navigate situations while still avoiding potential conflicts at the same time. For more support, read our blog “5 Ways to Help Someone Battling Alcohol Addiction.”
Most importantly, knowing your drinking type can help you and/or an addiction therapist assess your risk for alcohol addiction. Some people may be more prone to experiencing alcohol dependence or addiction due to several factors, encompassing genetic, environmental, and psychological factors. Pinpointing your drinking patterns can help you evaluate and alleviate the risk of developing serious complications.
The 3 Types of Alcohol Consumption
The frequency of alcohol consumption plays a role in the type of drink consumer you are.
Light or social drinker
A light or social drinker drinks on occasion and, typically, does not face any problems or negative consequences. Light or social drinkers are responsible and can tolerate alcohol without losing control. Alcohol does not control their thoughts and, therefore, they do not experience mood swings, fighting, or roughness.
2. Moderate drinker
If a light drinker drinks more often, they may transform into moderate drinkers. They drink to the point where they can experience the harmful consequences of alcohol. These people can go for an extended period of time without alcohol; however, if they are around alcohol again, they may binge drink.
3. Heavy drinkers
Heavy drinkers are people who are addicted to alcohol. Alcohol occupies their thoughts and they are prone to experiencing mood swings, fighting, or roughness. Because they have built up alcohol resistance, they may need to drink more alcohol to feel its effects.
Heavy or excessive alcohol consumption is unhealthy and is associated with many adverse consequences.
Some negative consequences faced by heavy drinkers includes:
Social and work affects:
Heavy drinking can cause issues in one’s relationship, work performance, and overall social functioning. You may have bad performance at work, be absent a lot, and have strains in your interpersonal relationships.
Mental health issues:
Alcohol can negatively impact your mental health, contributing to issues like anxiety and depression. It can also negatively impact your cognitive function and memory.
Accidents and injuries:
When you drink heavily, you may experience impaired coordination and judgment which can lead to accidents and injuries. Alcohol plays a significant role in car accidents, falls, and other traumas.
Financial strain:
Having a heavy drinking habit can hit the pockets hard, leading to serious financial difficulties. The costs of purchasing alcohol regularly can strain your budget.
Liver damage:
Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to various liver conditions, such as fatty liver, cirrhosis, and alcoholic hepatitis. The liver processes and detoxifies alcohol and, when too much alcohol is consumed, the liver can get overwhelmed.
Cardiovascular problems:
Heavy drinking can increase your risk of high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease. Alcohol can have short-term and long-term effects on your cardiovascular system.
Who is considered an alcoholic?
Alcohol Use Disorder, often referred to as AUD, is where a person has a strong, even compulsive desire to consume alcohol no matter what the negative consequences are.
An addiction therapist may diagnose you with AUD if you meet any of the two following criteria within a 12-month period:
Spending a considerable amount of time thinking about getting, using, or recovering from the aftermath of alcohol use
Cravings or a strong desire to consume alcohol
Not being able to cut down on alcohol even though you want to
Abusing alcohol despite the negative interpersonal and social troubles it is causing for you
Using alcohol in situations where you are putting yourself at risk physically (e.g., driving a car while drinking or drunk)
Drinking more or for a longer time than you originally planned
Continuing alcohol use even if a physical or psychological problem is present that is likely due to your alcohol use
Being unable to fulfill school, work, or home responsibilities due to alcohol
Not being able to partake in social, occupational, social or recreational activities due to alcohol
Having an alcohol tolerance (e.g., needing to drink more alcohol to feel the effects of alcohol consumption)
Gaining symptoms of withdrawal when you try to stop using alcohol
What causes alcoholism?
The exact reasons for the development of AUD are unknown. Alcohol can affect the brain so much that a person can become physically, emotionally, and mentally dependent on alcohol.
Here are risk factors that put people at risk of developing AUD:
Low self-esteem (Check out our blog “Do You Understand Your Self-Esteem?”)
Feeling out of place or lack of belonging
Family history of AUD
Peer pressure
Personal losses
Proximity to alcohol
Childhood history of sexual, physical, and mental abuse (Read our blog “Everything You Need To Know About Sexual Trauma Therapy”)
Having your first alcoholic beverage at an early age (11 to 14 years old)
Alcohol Counseling at Anchor Therapy
At Anchor Therapy, we offer alcohol counseling. Our drug and alcohol counselors know how to guide the tough conversations about your problems and experiences related to alcohol. A talk therapy for alcohol addiction session can take many forms- it can be in an individual, group, or family therapy setting.
In alcohol therapy, you will discuss daily challenges you have related to alcohol, persistent issues, and past traumas.
The following are advantages of seeing an alcohol therapist:
Professional guidance
Pinpointing underlying issues
Coping mechanisms
Accountability
Support system
Relapse prevention
Behavioral changes
Family and relationship support
Motivation
Building self-esteem
The first step to receiving support for alcohol dependency is knowing and acknowledging that you have an issue. From there, you can reach a point of acceptance where you seek help from a certified addiction counselor.
Take some time to reflect on your alcohol use and the impact that it has on your life. Think about the reasons you want to make changes and the benefits of seeking professional clinical mental health counseling for alcohol.
If you are struggling on your own, contact a drug and alcohol counselor. An addiction therapist will give you the support, guidance, and therapy needed to overcome alcohol use disorder. After attending alcohol counseling, you will comprehend the underlying issues that are contributing to your alcohol dependency. Then, you can develop strategies to change for the better.
Victoria Scala
is the Social Media Manager and Intake Coordinator at Anchor Therapy in Hoboken, New Jersey. She is a graduate of the Honors College of Rutgers University-Newark. In her roles, Victoria is committed to managing the office’s social media presence and prioritizing clients' needs.
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