Drinking alone, why this could be a sign of addiction

Alcohol is used to celebrate and to commiserate, to remember and to forget. Many of us drink regardless of whether we’re with loved ones or sitting alone. Alcohol is so commonplace in our culture that we often don’t pause to consider: is drinking while alone a sign of alcohol addiction, or just another way to relax?

Research shows that 14% of adolescents and up to 24% of young adults drink by themselves. When drinking to cope with or escape from negative emotions, isolation can increase the likelihood of addiction-forming.

What makes people want to drink alone?

Millions of people see alcohol as a substance that can potentially help them socialise. For many of us, it’s a way to relax, unwind or lower our social inhibitions.

Many people experience an abstract yet warm sense of togetherness when they drink with the people they care about. A glass is raised in hopes of forging new memories, letting go of past regrets and cherishing the present moment.

However, drinking alone may be a sign that darker habits are forming. Solitary drinking is less common than social drinking, and some evidence suggests that drinking alone is linked with negative reinforcement (like relieving stress).

The reasons that people drink by themselves are extensive. Listing all of them may be as long as naming everything that triggers anxiety in people. Although every person’s triggers are unique, some of the reasons for solitary drinking include:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Anger
• Stress
• Isolation and loneliness
• Boredom
• Shame
• Self-medication

What are the risks of drinking alone?

If you find yourself drinking alone, it might be time to reassess your relationship with alcohol and to ask questions about how it fits into your life.

For many people, it is normal to have a glass of wine with their dinner or a couple of beers while watching football alone. Yet the risks of solitary drinking can pose unique threats to a person on the cusp of alcohol misuse and abuse.

Solitary drinking creates an empty void where social pressures exist in drinking as a group. When in company, if you were to quickly down a strong spirit, for example, your friends and the people around you might let you know you drank it excessively. Our social circles often keep us in check and, in one way or another, curb our anti-social and destructive behaviours.

When consuming alcohol alone, habitually drinking to excess carries risks that include:

• Increased likelihood of injury: Impaired motor skills and lapses in decision-making become more likely for a person drinking alone. Friends help us up if we take a tumble or stop us when engaging in high-risk behaviours. Additionally, a simple task like using a cooking stove becomes a risk as you’re more likely to forget it’s on and fall asleep.
• Increased risk of alcohol poisoning: Drinking with no one else around can make a person more likely to binge drink. When with friends, we don’t always need a “sensible guide” or moderator to make us think twice before we drink, but drinking alone can make you lose track of what you’ve consumed.
• Increased risk of suicide: For someone battling deep depression, drinking alone could raise the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviours. As a depressant, the mood-altering effects of alcohol abuse may send suicidal thoughts spiralling.

A night of drinking alone almost always leads to a depressing, solitary hangover in the morning. Without a friend or loved one to confide in, the symptoms of a hangover can lead to further negative reinforcement, including the likelihood of returning to drinking and laying the groundwork for addiction.

Added risks for young adults

In addition to the aforementioned risks of drinking alone, young adults could be affected in unique ways. Young adults before the age of 18 have generally had less time to harvest an informed perspective and lived experience of the dangers of alcohol.

Social norms, group behaviours and value judgements are often solidified as teenagers socialise. In much the same way a parent is concerned for their toddler if the child doesn’t know how to play with others, teenage isolation can deeply trouble a parent.

A study was published in 2022, which concluded that for people who started drinking alone under the age of 18, there was a 60% increase for them to develop an alcohol use disorder later in life. This comprehensive, 17-year-long study illustrates the saddening surplus dangers for teen solitary drinkers.

Is drinking alone always a sign of an addiction forming?

For many people living alone, one or two drinks on a weeknight after work is completely manageable. Solitary drinking may not always be a sign of addiction, but the negative cycle of alcoholism can form when you’re away from people who care about you.

Alcohol affects people depending on their age, weight, gender and a multitude of other factors. Recognising whether your solitary drinking habits are manageable or problematic takes honest reflection, and there are no definitive quantifiers. There are certain aspects you should consider when evaluating whether your solitary drinking is leading to addiction, including:

• Drinking frequency: Drinking alone once per week might creep upwards to two or three days, with the inability to cut back or abstain from drinking.
• Escalating volumes: Along with drinking frequency, the actual volume of alcohol or ABV starts to increase as your tolerance for alcohol grows.
• Emotional escapism: Seeing alcohol as a way out of negative emotions while sober could be an indication of a forming addiction. If alcohol appears as the only escape from stress or anxiety, addiction could be setting in.
• Hiding your habit from others: If a friend or family member checks in on you and you struggle to honestly express how much you drink while alone, you might be experiencing shame associated with addiction.
• Interference with responsibilities: As someone moves further into addiction, unrealistic rationales are used to justify substance use. You might start neglecting personal responsibilities like work and family commitments.
• Dissolving personal interests: Addictions often become extremely time-consuming. Activities that you previously enjoyed no longer appeal to you. Your healthy hobbies fade, and alcohol takes their place.
• Sustained isolation: As your healthy hobbies deteriorate, your social life suffers drastically. You shut yourself off from the outside world, no longer seeing friends for any reason, avoiding pleasurable recreation and choosing instead to drink alone.

Alcohol impairs decision-making, so if you aren’t around someone who has your best interest at heart, you may even convince yourself that a dangerous alcohol addiction doesn’t exist. Recognising one or many of these signs early could be the difference between an alcohol dependence and a substance-free life.

I need support with removing alcohol from my life

Drinking alone can amplify feelings of detachment and isolation from the world. If any of the points raised today relate to you or a loved one, we want to let you know we’re here to help.

Here at UKAT, we specialise in treatment programmes for alcoholism. Our expert staff are trained to deliver personalised care at every stage of recovery. Our detox, therapies and aftercare services set you on your path to a healthier, alcohol-free life.

Reach out to us today to find out how we can assist you or a loved one on the road to complete recovery.