“In Ireland people have a harder time understanding people who don’t drink than people who drink to excess” – Irish Times

According to research by the Health Research Council, 7,421 ‘cases’ were treated for problematic alcohol consumption in 2022. State officials also reported that more than half of the people receiving alcohol treatment were people with children.

According to Dr Sheila Gilheaney, chief executive of Alcohol Problems, growing up with a parent’s problem with alcohol use affects the children in the household, and said: ‘At least 200,000 children in Ireland are affected by this problem. An additional 400,000 adults with adverse childhood experiences live with the legacy of this trauma.” Action Ireland. “There are many different impacts, including mental health, relationships and, sadly, addiction issues.”

Families of people with addictions are regularly challenged by their loved one’s inconsistent behavior. They become worried about finances, employment, mood swings, and are often more preoccupied with the drinker’s behavior than with their own lives, making things more complex and unpredictable.

Passerose Mantoy, chief executive of the Chrysalis Community Drug Project in north inner-city Dublin, suggests that social and environmental factors in alcohol consumption play a role in the development of alcohol dependence. “In our culture, with high levels of social acceptance and accessibility, it is easy to normalize excessive alcohol use. It’s more difficult to understand.”

There is no safe limit to alcohol intake, and long-term alcohol misuse can have serious effects on various organs in the body, including the liver, stomach, pancreas, nervous system, and mental health issues are even more of a concern. Despite the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption, problematic drinking patterns continue to proliferate, potentially having long-term effects on individuals and families.

“Alcohol is a mood-altering substance,” Mantoy says. “It can physically alter the chemistry and function of the brain. Alcohol produces feelings of pleasure and euphoria, but it often only lasts for a short period of time. As a result, alcohol users feel good. You drink more alcohol because you want to recreate it. Your brain starts to associate pleasure with alcohol.”

“In the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, the term alcoholic was still used to refer to alcoholics, who were born with genes that predisposed them to alcoholism and could become alcoholic from their first drink. “It was used as a general term to describe the Anonymous view. Basically, you were either a social drinker or an alcoholic,” says addictions counselor Marion Rackard. He is part of the team responsible for developing the HSE initiative askaboutalcohol.ie and is a co-founder of Silent Voices, an initiative aimed at breaking Ireland’s endemic abstinence. He discusses the effects of harmful drinking on children.

“In 2002, with the publication of the Department of Health report of the Strategic Task Force on Alcohol, which led to a growing understanding that alcohol is a toxic and psychoactive substance, different views began to gain influence. If you drink too often and for too long, this pattern can lead to many alcohol-related physical and mental problems over time and ultimately lead to addiction.

Signs of alcohol dependence vary depending on the person, age, gender, health and physical problems, past alcohol consumption, and existing support network, but the main signs include an inability to live without alcohol, and excessive consumption of alcohol. These include drinking alcohol for a long period of time. Continuing to drink despite your original plan or causing trouble with friends, family, or work colleagues; finding it difficult to control the amount and duration of drinking; craving alcohol; experiencing withdrawal symptoms , as a result of drinking that ultimately puts them in direct danger or dangerous situations, they develop a tolerance to alcohol and do not seem to get drunk even after drinking large amounts.

In addition, the symptoms of addiction vary, but include poor health and hygiene, decreased liver function, decreased brain function and memory, jaundice, tremors, dizziness, poor eating habits, poor mood, depression, isolation, and loss of motivation. This may include feeling depressed or depressed. swing.

Mara de Lacy, founder of the Anna Liffey Drug Project and Ait Linn, an alcohol and mental health facility in north Dublin, says: ‘Given each individual’s experience and the impact of addiction, it is difficult to quantify addiction. It suggests that it is redundant to do anything or even talk about “early” signs. different. I know people who felt addicted after their first drink, and people who drink every day but feel they don’t have an addiction problem.

“People who live together often disagree. People around a problem drinker believe that the drinker is unreliable, inconsistent, psychologically unavailable, and excessive. They can be selfish and find it difficult to trust and relate to.”

When dealing with addiction, it is the relationships surrounding alcohol that need attention. Misuse and addictive behaviors are better understood when their potential impact on a person’s life, including health, finances, relationships, and employment, is recognized.

“For drinkers, the use of the HSE self-assessment tool is beneficial as it gives drinkers an indication of the role of alcohol in their lives and the extent to which drinking affects all areas of their lives. .Physical, mental, emotional, social, family, work,” says Rackard. “Each person has their own drinking patterns and subsequent behaviors, which may or may not be in conflict with their values.

“The degree to which alcohol is an acceptable part of people’s lives is often not fully considered, as it depends on social groups, occupations and family circumstances. It’s easily out of your control, outside of your conscious awareness, until some kind of accident or injury occurs. Ireland is an alcoholic society.”

Given that Ireland has one of the highest levels of binge drinking in the world, Mr Lackard reminded Irish society that we significantly underestimate how much we drink. “This is not surprising, given that we are constantly bombarded with messages that normalize drinking and promote it every day across all media channels,” says Rackard.

“The scale of alcohol marketing in Ireland is conservatively estimated at €115 million a year and has been a major factor in normalizing drinking to the extent that addiction is not even mentioned and the problem is completely ignored. This is a huge incentive for heavy drinkers to continue drinking, all of which has harmful consequences for spouses and children and increases levels of domestic violence.”

However, Mr Rackard reported that on average 1,500 people are admitted to hospital with alcohol-related illnesses, four people die every day from alcohol-related illnesses and 15 per cent of Ireland’s population suffers from an alcohol use disorder. I am. Approximately 600,000 people. “There are many other examples, but behind these statistics are individuals and families deeply affected by alcohol,” he says.

Treatment options for alcohol dependence range from attending a local family doctor, attending an alcohol dependence meeting, and accessing addiction counseling from community groups to residential treatment centers.

Mantoi advises looking at the different treatment options and their entry criteria, as well as the length, philosophy, location, cost, and involvement of family members and other stakeholders in the treatment program.

“If possible, we recommend visiting the agency, speaking to staff and speaking to previous service users to see if it’s a good fit for you,” she says. Masu. “The key message is to seek help as soon as possible. Don’t wait until addiction hits you.”

• Ask about alcohol
• alcohol acts in ireland
• Irish addiction counselor
• Family Addiction Support Network

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