Alcoholism is a disease characterised by continuous heavy drinking. Until people with alcohol use disorder admit to problems with alcohol and stop drinking, the risk of alcohol use disorder continues which affects both physical and mental health.
Alcohol starts to injure the brain once it reaches the bloodstream.
Excessive consumption can lead to Alcohol-Related Brain Damage, or ARBD, which is a type of brain disorder caused by alcohol consumption. Brain shrinkage caused by alcohol abuse is permanent, as alcohol kills brain cells and grey matter.
For more information and effects click ‘Learn More’.
Family Recovery Compass is a newsletter for friends and family members who feel trapped between supporting a loved one in addiction, and protecting their own wellbeing.
Every week, we tackle one specific situation in addiction family dynamics, and deliver practical decision-making frameworks and exact dialogue scripts – that help you respond with confidence instead of reaction.
Every month, we bring you an unfiltered recovery conversation with someone who’s either experienced addiction firsthand, or works closely with those in recovery.
No sanitised success stories – just practical insights on what actually works in recovery, that you can apply, in your life too.
Recovery capital is the internal and external resource used to begin the recovery process and maintain sobriety. This combines personal, social, and community support to provide a joined-up approach that supports the addict through recovery.
Do you or a loved one need addiction treatment for alcohol or drugs? Thousands blindly walk into addiction treatment in expensive rehab centres and find that the reality doesn’t meet expectations.
If you’re considering rehab treatment, first check our ultimate guide for complete instructions on how to find the right rehab centre for you.
Take-home Naloxone kits help families and loved ones respond quickly in an opioid overdose emergency, until emergency services arrive. Kits contain nasal or injectable forms of Naloxone.
Changes in legislation mean Naloxone kits are now more widely available from pharmacies and drug services, including Abbeycare.
For additional information, click ‘Learn More’ below.
Overcoming alcohol addiction means first ceasing alcohol intake, and taking care of physical and chemical withdrawal symptoms.
Detoxing from alcohol means undergoing withdrawal from alcohol, but with the assistance of prescribed medication and detox phase, to substitute in place of the alcohol itself.
Alcohol rehab focuses on tackling the problems underneath alcoholism, such as grief, trauma, depression, and emotional difficulties, in order to reduce continuing drinking after treatment.
Inpatient services at an alcohol rehab programme provides 24 hour access to specialist care.
Alcohol home detox provides a means of semi-supervised addiction treatment in the comfort of your home. It’s often suitable for those with inescapable practical commitments, or where a reduced budget for treatment is available.
An at-home detox is the most basic detox option available from Abbeycare, and assumes you have support available, post-detox, for the other important elements of long-term addiction recovery.
The term alcoholism refers to the consumption of alcohol to the extent that the person is unable to manage their own drinking habits or patterns, resulting in side-effects that are detrimental to the quality of life and health of the alcoholic, or those around them.
An alcoholic is someone who continues to compulsively abuse alcohol in this way, despite the negative consequences to their lives and health.
Immediately following treatment, the early stages of recovery and abstinence are most vulnerable to lapses.
At Abbeycare, a structured and peer-reviewed aftercare plan is usually prepared whilst still in treatment. This comprises social, peer, and therapeutic resources individuals draw upon, following a residential treatment programme for drug or alcohol misuse.
Clinically managed residential detoxification is:
– A structured detox that uses medication-assisted treatment and regular physical health observations
– Takes place in an inpatient rehabilitation unit or hospital
– Typically lasts from 7-10 days, but in Abbeycare, it is incorporated into a 28-day rehab programme
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is a well-known therapy option used by doctors at drug and alcohol treatment facilities for the treatment of substance use disorders.
It is a form of talking therapy that helps one mange their problems by changing how they think and behave. This form of therapy is used to treat depression and anxiety and is useful for physical health problems as well as one’s mental health.
Family Therapy at Abbeycare Scotland or Gloucester is realistic, compassionate, and appropriate for families and loved ones of addicts.
Family therapeutic interventions in residential rehabilitation have been designed to support those living with or caring for participants entering the Abbeycare Programme.
Support for families in a group setting allows for a safe, constructive, and confidential place to listen and share common experiences.
Inpatient rehab is drug and/ or alcohol treatment in a rehab centre, where patients remain on-site for the duration of inpatient rehabilitation.
It includes detoxification from drugs, therapy (group work and 1-2-1 sessions), and aftercare planning. Inpatient rehabs typically last 28 days, but this varies on an individual basis.
Long-term treatment at Abbeycare has been developed for those suffering from alcohol or drug addiction. Completing a long-term drug and alcohol inpatient programme may be the solution to problematic substance use.
Motivational Enhancement Therapy can be used by trained addiction recovery therapists to elicit internal changes within and promote long-term recovery from substance use disorder.
All the answers to addiction can be found within with this comprehensive and successful therapy concept leads to behavioural changes, reflective listening, self-motivational statements, and a comprehensive recovery process.
Outpatient drug or alcohol rehab is daytime treatment as opposed to living in a treatment facility.
Outpatient treatment is similar to inpatient in terms of the methods used to treat substance abuse. Where they differ is in their approach to recovery.
Abbeycare’s prison to rehab is a 12-week structured rehab programme which involves direct transfer from prison. The suitability of the candidate is decided by prison staff.
Short-term residential treatment programmes are the chance to press the reset button and access a therapeutic programme designed to create recovery from the use of alcohol and drugs.
Feeling stuck in a rut. Want to stop but can’t seem to achieve sobriety?
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The 12-step programme was created by alcoholics anonymous (AA), and is specifically designed to aid addicts in achieving and maintaining abstinence.
The central ethos behind the programme is that participants must admit and surrender to a divine power to live happy lives. Ideas and experiences are shared in meetings, and help is sought in an attempt to achieve abstinence.
Abbeycare’s policy to respect your privacy and comply with any applicable law and regulation regarding any personal information we may collect about you, including across our website and other sites we own and operate.
A 2014 study found that the life expectancy of an alcoholic was between 24 and 28 years shorter than the average lifespan of the general population [1].
The average lifespan in the UK is 81 years old, whereas the overall average lifespan of an alcoholic is 52 years old [2] [3].
How Alcohol Consumption Impacts Lifespan
Combined analysis in 2018 by Angela M Wood PhD et al found that drinking more than 100g of alcohol each week - equivalent to five pints of beer or large glasses of wine - led to a reduced lifespan of between 6 months to 4-5 years [4].
The Lancet study illustrated:
Regularly drinking between 100-200g per week regularly reduces lifespan by 6 months.
Regularly drinking between 200-300g per week reduces lifespan by 1-2 years.
Regularly drinking more than 350g per week reduces lifespan by 4-5 years.
For example, a person drinking between 2 and 3 pints of beer a night will likely die 5 years sooner than someone who sticks to the recommended government guidelines of 100g per week [5].
The World Health Organization found that 2.6 million deaths every year are caused by the harmful use of alcohol [6].
People between the ages of 20 and 39 are the largest age group affected, as 13% of all deaths are alcohol-related [7].
Statistics state that there were nearly 9000 deaths in the UK in 2020 with alcohol-specific causes [8].
How Does An Alcoholic's Physical Health Impact Their Average Lifespan?
Alcohol abuse increases the risk of life-threatening diseases, such as fatty liver, cirrhosis, and coronary heart disease, which, in turn, reduce expected lifespan [9].
A 2020 study showed that cirrhosis and heart disease place a "serious burden" on the body, which can significantly impact an alcoholic's life span [10].
Drinking alcohol can lead to the development of at least seven types of cancer, including bowel, mouth, throat, and breast cancer [11].
Liver Issues And Alcoholism
An individual diagnosed with liver cirrhosis has an expected life span thereafter of around 12 years [12].
Most alcoholics are diagnosed with liver disease between the age of 30 and 40, giving an expectation of, at best, 52 years of age [13].
The Office For National Statistics found that most alcohol-specific deaths are linked to health problems directly caused by alcoholic liver disease - this accounted for 96.1% of all alcohol-related deaths [14].
In 2019, 5,840 people died from the alcohol-related liver disease [15].
There is currently no cure for cirrhosis - liver disease - but giving up alcohol in time can significantly increase a person's chances and help to reduce their symptoms [16].
Vascular Problems And Alcoholism
Research suggests that there is a positive correlation between alcohol use disorder and cardiac disease, accounting for over 30% of deaths [17].
Regular heavy drinking causes sustained high blood pressure, leading to heart disease, with an increased chance of suffering from a heart attack or stroke [18].
Moderate drinkers (more than 7 drinks per week) are significantly more likely to suffer from a stroke than light drinkers [19].
Research also suggests that drinking at this level often can lead to weight gain, putting unnecessary strain on the heart and leading to heart failure [18].
Although there is no cure for heart disease, making lifestyle changes and avoiding alcohol can increase life chances, and mortality rates can be improved [20].
How Do Lifestyle Factors Of An Alcoholic Influence Average Lifespan?
Alcohol misuse can reduce life expectancy further due to an increased risk of drunken injuries, with 976,425 people hospitalised for accidents linked to drunk driving, alcohol poisoning, and accidents caused by drinking too much alcohol in 2019 [21].
Equally, in 2019 there were 19,190 alcohol-related deaths in England - these are defined as deaths that would not have occurred if not for alcohol abuse or alcohol addiction - therefore reducing the expected life span of those suffering from alcohol use disorder [22].
Drink driving statistics show that in 2021 there were 210 fatal drunk driving accidents in the UK and 1300 serious accidents [23].
Patients admitted to the hospital are also much more likely to exhibit violent, reckless behaviour, with some chronic drinkers even exhibiting suicidal behaviour due to developing mental health disorders [9].
This in itself reduces life expectancy, as sufferers were up to 7 times more likely to die before the age of 75 [24].
There were 525,000 incidents of violent crime where the offender was under the influence of alcohol in 2020, which therefore has a direct link to fatal accidents and the expected life span of an alcoholic [25].
Those who drink alcohol excessively are also much more likely to suffer from social problems, including unemployment, domestic abuse, and homelessness which can lead to poor nutrition and living in high-risk environments [26].
Research from the Imperial College London suggests that this living environment can reduce life expectancy by a further 2.1 years and the life expectancy of those living without a home is as low as 45 years old [27] [28].
With 27% of people experiencing homelessness stating that drugs or alcohol was a contributing factor - it is clear how this impacts overall life expectancy [29].
Can An Alcoholic's Lifespan Be Increased?
Although alcohol addiction negatively impacts on mortality, this doesn't mean that an alcoholic's life span can't be improved by making lifestyle changes.
Medical experts suggest that although damage cannot be undone, it can prevent further damage and "significantly increase your life expectancy" [30].
By following a specific treatment programme involving reducing alcohol consumption by 10% every four days [31] and adjusting diet to increase nutrient deficiencies often found in alcoholics [32], individuals are able to reduce the serious damage and symptoms caused to both the liver and the heart, improve the immune system and therefore increase life expectancy [14].
Equally, reducing alcohol intake can increase a person's average life expectancy as there will be a decreased risk of fatal accidents occurring [23].
Studies suggest that maintaining sobriety for 7 years minimum is the best way to minimise any permanent harm to a person's physical health [18].
About the author
Laura Morris
Laura Morris is an experienced clinical practitioner and CQC Registered Manager with over twenty years experience, over ten of which have been as an Independent Nurse Prescriber.
She has held a number of senior leadership roles in the substance use and mental health sector in the NHS, the prison service and in leading social enterprises in the field.
