Average Alcohol Consumption of Couples In The UK - Are You Drinking Too Much?

by Hugh Blakemen November 16, 2022

How much do people drink in the UK?

So here's a few stats about how much on average UK residents drink alcohol per week. Whilst there is no surprise that alcohol can have an effect on a relationship as alcohol alters a persons perceptions and reality, so let's take a look at how many people actually drink...

57% of adults (aged 16+) drink up to 14 units of alcohol per week and 23% drink more than 14 units.

30% of men drink more than 14 units of alcohol per week compared to 15% of women
55 to 64 year olds are the most likely to drink more than 14 units of alcohol per week whereas 16 to 24 year olds are the least likely (31% vs 15%)
The proportion of adults drinking more than 14 units of alcohol per week has remained stable since 2015

48% of adults (aged 16+) drink alcohol at least once a week.

55% of men drink alcohol at least once a week compared to 41% of women.
8% of men reported drinking alcohol almost every day compared to 5% of women.
Those aged between 55 and 74 are the most likely to drink alcohol at least once a week whereas people aged between 16 and 24 are the least likely (58% vs 30%).
The proportion of adults who drink alcohol at least once a week has decreased by 4% since 2015.

How exactly does alcohol effect my relationship with my partner?

Whether it is intimacy issues, mistrust, a lack of communication, abuse, an absence of emotional availability, financial burdens, or adverse effects on young children, alcohol abuse in a romantic relationship can have a severe impact on both partners, their children, and other family members or others.

One of the most common addictions is alcohol dependence or alcohol use disorder. In addition to wreaking havoc on a person's personal life, alcoholism can also significantly affect their relationships. The most significant and detrimental effects occur at the level of intimacy, partnership, and marriage. It is well known that alcohol destroys many romantic relationships, causes estranged marriages, and causes a great deal of family conflict.

Alcohol and intimacy - Do they mix?

The effect of alcoholism on relationships and intimacy is widespread and touches on many different areas of relationships. The impact of heavy drinking on relationships can be quite harmful and can ruin the foundations of any intimate relationship. The first area that is usually affected is in the bedroom and mental intimacy. Parts of an intimate relationship that can be affected include:

Trust
Stability
Affection
Expectations
Commitment
Shared values
Respect

Alcoholism is also linked to codependency in relationships and abusive behaviour both verbally and physically. Deterioration in married or unmarried couples often stems from arguments, financial troubles, and acts of infidelity or, more seriously, domestic violence. Alcohol can also decrease sex drive, which can bring even more problems to an already strained relationship and can eventually lead to divorce or separation.

Did you know?

Alcohol interferes with the brain, reducing our ability to think straight or act rationally, it can cause some people to become angry.

Evidence shows that while alcohol may not always be the direct cause of a person’s aggressive behaviour, it is often a contributing factor, subconscious factors my come at play and some people even become violent depending on which type of alcohol they may consume.

5 ways to stop alcohol affecting your relationship:

Go alcohol free (Mocktails etc)
Stay within the low risk guidelines
Eat a meal
Talk it out sober
Alternate with water or a soft drink

If only one of you drinks, then that person needs to accept their drinking is causing a problem in the relationship before you can begin to deal with the issues it’s causing. They must accept their drinking is a problem and want to change themselves. Help and support from you will in turn help and support the relationship itself by understanding the cause of drinking.

How hypnotherapy can help stop alcoholism:

Maybe you want to do it for yourself, or you are planning on doing it to improve your relationship with a loved one. Alcohol is an addiction like many others; however, unlike other illicit substances, it has become widely accepted worldwide. Hypnotherapy sessions has helped millions of people worldwide change their relationship with alcohol, from creating a "stop button" to giving up alcohol altogether.

You can use our hypnosis package which has been designed to cover all types of drinking behaviours such as binge drinking, nightly drinking, alcoholism, chronic alcohol consumption and for people who become anti-social when drinking.

Self-hypnosis audio therapy downloads have been designed by experienced hypnotherapists to help ‘program’ your subconscious mind so that you can begin to think, feel and act like a person fully in control.