Cultural differences in alcohol use, addiction and treatment – UK pub culture?
DRUG ADDICTION REHAB 2 Comments »
Question by h: Cultural differences in alcohol use, addiction and treatment – UK pub culture?
In the UK, people don’t meet for a coffee, they meet for a pint (or cocktail, whatever). Alcohol use is embedded in the social fabric – what might elsewhere be understood as mild alcoholism is easily accepted as normal – to the point that it’s not unusual for people to turn up for work with a hangover (or take a sick day to nurse a bad one). I think there’s resistance to the disease or genetic theory of alcoholism – people have ‘drink problems’, or just ‘like having a good time’, or are ‘being sociable’. This applies to all classes + groups: binge-drinking students + city workers; football fans; families (children are often welcome in pubs)…
To be abstinent, as is demanded of many alcohol treatment programmes, is to be a pariah. On top of that I think mental illness in general is largely taboo…
What are treatment strategies that make sense in this context, then? How do you help someone with a ‘drink problem’ who’s in sync with his culture?
Any thoughts are welcome…
Best answer:
Answer by gemo
The thing is! This drink culture is huge! I live in Scotland and I drink everyday, i love the feeling of downing a crisp cool pint, but that pint always turns into more!! Normally a total binge on beer, vodka, shot, absinthe, whisky. Anything that makes me drunk quickly. I dont know if I have a problem because here it is totally normal behaviour, but I do find myself “needing” a pint! Maybe its this dull, drab society that leads us scots to drink! But yet again – thats wot Scotlands famous for!
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