Alcohol Abuse

Modified on Wed, 3 Aug, 2022 at 2:27 PM

The consumption of alcohol and drugs can have significant impacts on a person's mental and physical health and wellbeing, but we know that many people use substances to help them cope with emotional and mental wellbeing issues.

Alcohol and drugs (illicit and prescribed) can affect the chemicals in our brain that are vital for good mental and physical health. We know it can feel good having a drink, but in the long run drinking too much can have a negative impact on our physical and mental health. Alcohol is a depressant and so can lead to increased feelings of low mood and anxiety, increasing our stress levels. That's why we often feel so much worse the morning after we have got drunk.

Different illicit and prescribed substances have different effects on our biochemistry too, sometimes short term and some times leading to longer term issues.

It's really important to be reliably informed and aware of the effects and risks associated with the use of substances, so that we can make decisions to keep ourselves safe and recognise when we might need to change our behaviours or even access support to change our substance use.

Alcohol Use

Attitudes towards alcohol use can be very diverse, including across different cultures, backgrounds and different age groups or generations. Alcohol can sometimes be seen as a simple part of socialising, but it can impact us all in different ways, and our consumption can easily get out of control, causing negative mental and physical health concerns.

DrinkAware.co.uk website independently explains how alcohol can impact you physically and mentally, the law around alcohol consumption, and how to monitor and reduce your consumption. It has various tools and support information if you wanted to understand your alcohol consumption or change your alcohol use.

Your alcohol consumption could potentially impact your mood, sleep, weight, appetite and mental and physical health in the short and long term. It can also impact other aspects of your daily life like studying, employment, relationships and more.

Most of us don't have any idea what the health guidance is about alcohol consumption, what safe consumption is let alone how much we are actually drinking. It is really important to understand how much you drink as this will help you understand the effects this may have on your life.

https://www.drinksmeter.com/ - The drinks meter app provides you with instant feedback on your drinking. It compares your drinking against the Drinks Meter community to give unbiased, anonymous feedback.

Are you looking for local support services which can support you in reducing your alcohol intake?

Take a look at the Achieve service by Greater Manchester Mental Health Service.

Bolton
01204 483090

Salford
0161 358 1530

Trafford
0161 358 0991

Bury

0161 271 0020

You can find other support groups nationally by visiting the Alcoholics-Anonymous website. AA is concerned solely with the personal recovery and continued sobriety of individual alcoholics who turn to the Fellowship for help. Alcoholics Anonymous does not engage in the fields of alcoholism research, medical or psychiatric treatment, education, or advocacy in any form, although members may participate in such activities as individuals.

Are you interested in knowing more about alcohol addiction or dependency?

If you are concerned that you are finding it hard to reduce your alcohol intake, and may have developed a dependency or addiction, the services above can help. You can also click here to read the charity Mind's information on addiction and dependency.

Alcohol & Drug Abuse - Support for Families

Are you worried about someone close to you and how much they use substances? It can be really hard to know how to start the conversation, how to approach the subject and where to go for support. Most of the above services will help you, you can also talk to your GP or the local drug and alcohol team for advice and guidance.

We have found the below websites which are particularly useful for getting advice about someone else or if you are a parent worried about your child's substance use.