Next week marks Alcohol Awareness Week, an annual campaign led by UK charity Alcohol Change UK. The theme for 2025 is ‘Alcohol & Work’, focusing on how alcohol affects our professional lives and how workplace culture can affect employee alcohol consumption and wellbeing. Alcohol Awareness Week is a great opportunity to reflect, seek support and start a journey toward better health and wellbeing—for yourself or someone you care about.
As a rehabilitation centre supporting those affected by addiction, we’re proud to get behind this important campaign.
As Alcohol Change UK state, there are numerous negative side-effects alcohol can have on our mental health, physical health as well as work performance. Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to a whole manner of symptoms affecting work life, including:
- Tiredness
- Lack of motivation
- Difficulty concentrating/focusing
- Lack in energy
- Increased stress
- Decreased performance
- Risky/unsafe behaviour
“Whether it’s a bonding tool, a reward, Friday night drinks, or a networking event, alcohol is often made to feel like the main attraction, particularly at workplace socials, to the point where many of us are made to feel uncomfortable if we don’t drink – no matter our reason!
“And when work stresses start to get on top of us, we can find ourselves using alcohol as a way to try to cope. Had a bad day? Have a drink. Feeling apprehensive? A drink will help. But the reality is drinking alcohol as a way to try to manage our stress and anxiety can worsen our symptoms and prevent us from performing well. And work-stress doesn’t only affect us as employees, we can feel it in the same way if we’re freelancing, volunteering, or studying at university.”
Helpful resources that can be found on the Alcohol Change UK website:
- Alcohol & Mental Health
Learn about the impact alcohol can have on mental wellbeing:
https://alcoholchange.org.uk/alcohol-facts/fact-sheets/alcohol-and-mental-health - You can also read our blog post for practical tips if you’re struggling with your mental health:
https://www.broadwaylodge.org.uk/blog/alcohol-awareness-week-2/ - 40 Things To Do Alcohol-Free
Discover fun and fulfilling ways to spend your time when you’re not drinking:
https://alcoholchange.org.uk/blog/40-things-to-do-with-a-bit-of-extra-time - Informative Fact Sheets
These informative posts include how alcohol can affect different aspects of life, including relationships, neurodiversity and menopause, as well as advice around drinking and supporting others:
https://alcoholchange.org.uk/alcohol-facts/fact-sheets - How Alcohol Affects the Body
Find out how alcohol consumption affects different parts of the body:
https://alcoholchange.org.uk/alcohol-facts/interactive-tools/alcohol-and-your-body-map#bodypart_liver - Guidance on Drinking
Stay informed with the latest low-risk drinking recommendations from the government:
https://alcoholchange.org.uk/alcohol-facts/fact-sheets/am-i-drinking-too-much - Check Your Drinking Habits
Take this quick quiz to assess your relationship with alcohol:
https://alcoholchange.org.uk/alcohol-facts/interactive-tools/check-your-drinking
Throughout Alcohol Awareness Week, we’ll be sharing Alcohol Change UK’s content on our Facebook page to spread awareness of the campaign further.
Find Out More
Visit the Alcohol Change UK website for a wide range of tools, real-life stories and guidance on where to seek help—whether you’re concerned about your own drinking or someone else’s.
Support for Loved Ones
If someone close to you is struggling with alcohol or substance misuse, it’s vital to look after your own wellbeing too. There are specialist organisations offering support for friends and family, including:
These organisations offer support such as helplines, information and peer support groups. You can also check with your local drug and alcohol services for family support options too.
We also run a free monthly online family programme, usually held on the last Sunday of each month using video-calling platform, Zoom, to help improve the wellbeing of anyone affected by a loved one’s addiction. The online family programme is designed to be both educational and supportive, providing a safe space to connect with others who understand and to learn from one of our experienced counsellors. Participants gain insights, get practical advice and are able to talk through the challenges faced and their fears.
Worried About Your Own Drinking?
If you’re finding it difficult to control how much you drink and it’s negatively impacting your life, please know you are not alone—and help is available.
At Broadway Lodge, we offer residential therapeutic treatment as well as inpatient detox for those who are physically dependent to alcohol, whereby they are looked after 24/7 by our specialist team of nurses and healthcare assistants. This detox method (known as ‘medically managed detox’), is considered the safest route to overcome the physical dependence. Our comprehensive therapeutic programme offers a structured, daily programme of group and individual therapeutic interventions each day, delivered by qualified counsellors and therapists.
Get in Touch
If you’d like more information or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch by calling us on 01934 812319, emailing hello@broadwaylodge.org.uk or sending us a message here.
