Types of boozers

ANI | Wednesday, 17 September , 2008, 17:14

London: If you think that alcohol drinkers are of only two kinds, that is, normal and alcoholics, then here’s a piece of informaThe nine personalities of heavy drinkers
tion: Britain’s health bosses have identified nine different personality types.

The Brit government researchers have analysed the social and psychological characteristics of people who regularly drink twice the recommended guidelines of alcohol.

They found that the personality types ranged from depressives who drink at home alone, to macho exhibitionists who spend almost every evening in the pub.

The information will be used to devise public health campaigns to target those who are putting themselves at risk of alcohol-related illnesses that cost the NHS in England about 2.7 billion pounds a year.

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“This will be a tough one to crack. Research found many positive associations with alcohol among the general public - even more so among those drinking at higher-risk levels,” Telegraph quoted a DoH spokesman, as saying.

“For these people alcohol is embedded in their identity and lifestyle so much so that challenging this behaviour results in high levels of defensiveness, rejection or even outright denial,” the rep added.

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The nine personality types of heavy drinkers are:

1 “De-stressed drinkers” use alcohol to regain control of life and calm down.

2 “Conformist drinkers” are driven by the need to belong and seek a structure to their lives.

3“Boredom drinkers” consume alcohol to pass the time, seeking stimulation to relieve the monotony of life.

4 “Depressed drinkers” may be of any age, gender or socioeconomic group.

5 “Re-bonding drinkers” are driven by a need to keep in touch with people who are close to them.

6 “Community drinkers” are motivated by the need to belong.

7 “Hedonistic drinkers” crave stimulation and want to abandon control. They are often divorced people with grown-up children, who want to stand out from the crowd.

8 “Macho drinkers” spend most of their spare time in pubs.

9 “Border dependents” regard the pub as a home from home.