Alcohol and families

Drinking together can be a way for the adults in a family to bond and enjoy time together. Drinking to excess can put a strain on relationships and create a range of problems for both adults and children.

Many of the rituals of family life – from movie night to Sunday lunch – can involve alcohol. Sharing drinks can be a positive experience for adults, but there are a few questions it is always worth asking ourselves:

• Do we know how much we’re drinking and how it makes the people around us feel? It is possible that our drinking might not be as much fun for others to experience as it is for us
• What example are we as adults giving to the children around us? We might say things to discourage children and young people from starting drinking too early in life, but do our own drinking habits give them the message that alcohol is the normal way to de-stress, celebrate or socialise?
• Would family life sometimes be better with less alcohol? Would we enjoy spending time with our family more if we drank less in the evening, and felt less hungover the next morning?

The strain that the overuse of alcohol can put on family life ranges from us being impatient or quarrelsome when we have drunk a bit too much, to the very real destruction that can result from alcohol dependency. Heavy drinking can lead to misunderstandings, arguments and fights. It can lead us to let people down – forgetting commitments and missing appointments. Children in particular need to know that they can rely on the people around them. When there’s too much alcohol in the mix, they can’t. Drunken behaviour is unpredictable, meaning it can be frightening for children to witness.

If your own drinking or drinking by another family member is getting in the way of family life, remember that there is always somewhere you can turn for help. Find more on support for individuals and families.