Perspectives on heavy drinking

Quotes are presented word for word apart from minor editing for readability and clarity. Identifying details have been removed. Square brackets show text that has been added or, where ellipses (three dots) appear, removed. For example, ‘as soon as I have that first sip, a change comes over me and that’s all that matters […] I just feel the physical buzz when I have the first drink.’

The men we interviewed for this module describe many different experiences of and perspectives on drinking and its relationship to health and social life. Some participants use the terms dependence, addiction or alcoholism to describe their regular drinking. According to most participants, heavy drinking was dangerous and antithetical to good health. However, most agree that alcohol is difficult to avoid in daily life due to its availability and central role in Australian culture. For most of the men in this study, regular heavy drinking is normal, and, for some, pleasurable. A few participants also describe heavy drinking as a strategy to relieve emotional or physical pain. Their stories capture the ambivalence and complexity of their perspectives on alcohol and drinking. While regular heavy drinking was typically regarded as a problem that needs to be addressed in order to be healthy and live well, the social and pleasurable effects associated with drinking make finding this balance challenging (See Strategies to manage drinking).

Read on to find out more about how the men in this study perceive heavy drinking. We begin with the most commonly expressed perspectives, highlighting the key ideas and terms men use to describe their heavy drinking.

Addiction, dependence and alcoholism

Most men who took part in this study describe regular heavy drinking using the language of addiction, dependence or alcoholism. This is unsurprising given the participants had experienced health problems related to drinking, and had been in contact with alcohol or other drug treatment services. Definitions of addiction, dependence and alcoholism varied but typically they were related to ideas of repetition, craving, obsession, compulsion and loss of control. For example, Bryan [late 40s, Australian, unemployed but previously worked in business, no drinking in three weeks] explained that he experienced what he called ‘alcohol dependence’ because he needed alcohol every day and encountered physical symptoms (see Looking after health) when he didn’t drink. Here it is important to note that despite the inflexibility that typically characterises notions of addiction, all our participants described changing patterns of drinking over their lifetimes.

Arjun [late 30s, Indo-Fijian, unemployed but previously worked as a chef, no drinking in last six months] describes gradually drinking more each day and becoming ‘addicted’ to deriving ‘pleasure and comfort’ from his drinking. (Read his personal story)

Anthony [late 50s, Australian, works in hospitality, no drinking in last three months], describes himself as an ‘alcoholic’ because he drank daily and experienced mental and physical cravings. (Read his personal story)

Jakub [mid 70s, Polish, retired, drinking less], explains that although he had managed to moderate his daily drinking he was still concerned about the potential to lose ‘control’ and start drinking heavily again. (Read his personal story)

Heavy drinking not consistent with good health

Another common theme in participants’ accounts of drinking was that regular and heavy drinking was inconsistent with good health (such as eating and sleeping well), and positive habits and routines (such as going to work and seeing friends and families) (For more information about how the men in this study do manage their alcohol-related health issues see Looking after health).

Steve [early 60s, Indigenous, unemployed but previously worked in nursing, drinking less] explains that, for him, heavy drinking had been associated with health issues such as coughing and vomiting, and took a toll on his personal relationships too. (Read his personal story)

According to Bryan [late 40s, Australian, unemployed but previously worked in business, no drinking in three weeks] heavy regular drinking was connected to chronic illness and financial stress. (Read his personal story)

Anthony [late 50s, Australian, works in hospitality, no drinking in last three months] also says regular heavy drinking meant he struggled to complete routine tasks such as cooking dinner. (Read his personal story)

The social aspects of drinking

The social aspects of drinking are another common theme in this study. Alcohol was typically described as ubiquitous to most social settings. It was readily available and cheap and hard to avoid. Daily drinking routines were also prompted by, and embedded in, everyday activities, such as work (or its absence), seeing friends and family, completing chores and relaxing. For our participants, the social nature of alcohol and drinking makes changing, renegotiating and managing drinking patterns more challenging and difficult.

Dylan [late 40s, Australian, unemployed but previously worked in construction, continuing to drink as usual and is on a methadone program], describes the ready availability and low price of some alcohol products affecting the frequency of his drinking. (Read his personal story)

Arjun [late 30s, Indo-Fijian, unemployed but previously worked as a chef, no drinking in last six months] observes that heavy drinking was a regular and normalised part of his work culture. (Read his personal story)

Like other men in this study, Wayne [late 50s, Australian, unemployed, continuing to drink as usual] finds it difficult to moderate his drinking because it is entwined with his daily routines, habits, chores and relationships. (Read his personal story)

Steve [early 60s, Indigenous, unemployed but previously worked in nursing, drinking less] describes drinking as historically embedded in Australian social life. He explains how colonisation established drinking as a cultural norm, and points out that the ongoing harm of colonisation has negatively impacted on the health of Indigenous Australians. (Read his personal story)

Enjoyment and pleasure

Although participants describe serious health concerns and difficulties associated with drinking, they also speak of the enjoyment and pleasure they derive from it. Many of the men we interviewed were not employed in fulltime work and were managing serious health issues and related treatment. In this sense, while drinking was said to generally feel good and produce a ‘buzz’, the pleasures of drinking could sometimes provide relief from the very concerns around health participants experience related to drinking. These stories also tell us that pleasure and feeling good remain central to why men drink, even when heavy drinking can be considered ‘addictive’, unhealthy, dangerous, and for some, life-threatening.

Bryan [late 40s, Australian, unemployed but previously worked in business, no drinking in last three weeks], for example, describes the pleasurable change and ‘physical buzz’ drinking alcohol provides. (Read his personal story)

John [60 years of age, Australian, retired, drinking less] explains that he used to relax by drinking at home, listening to music and enjoying himself. (Read his personal story)