Cultural Alcoholism: The Impact of Culture on Addiction

Alcoholism has many causes and triggers. Some of these are more well known, such as childhood trauma, while others are less so. One of these lesser known factors is culture. The culture someone grows up in or is surrounded by can have a large impact on their relationship with alcohol. Let’s take an in-depth look at the relationship between culture and alcoholism to gain a better understanding of the complicated dynamic between the two.

Simply put, cultural alcoholism refers to the normalization and acceptance of excessive alcohol consumption within a specific cultural or social group. It usually involves drinking patterns being deeply ingrained in the group’s traditions, social interactions, or rituals. This leads to a much higher chance of members of the group developing an addiction to alcohol. Additionally, in groups that have alcohol as an important part of their culture, excessive drinking is often normalized to a point where it can be difficult for someone to get help for their alcoholism. In fact, in these groups, excessive alcohol use is so normalized that people will usually not see it as a problem, even when experiencing extremely negative consequences.

The alcohol culture in America is almost all-encompassing. Alcohol plays a large part in almost every big event, and even in minor gatherings. The alcohol culture in America includes:

• Social Events: Alcohol is seen as a necessity in most social settings. Cookout, sporting events, get-togethers with friends. All of these are seen as needing alcohol in order for it to be a successful event.

• Celebrations: Alcohol is deeply ingrained with celebrating any life event or achievement in America. This includes weddings, graduations, and birthdays. 

• Relaxation: In American culture, alcohol is seen as the perfect way to relax for many people. When stressed, it is common to hear people say “I need a drink” or “I can’t wait to get home and relax with a glass of wine”. 

• Taste Pairing: A fancy dinner is seen as incomplete in America if there is no alcohol present. The wine that is chosen is seen as just as important as the food itself.

As you can see, alcohol is completely entwined with everyday life in America. This makes it difficult not only for alcoholics to recognize they have a problem with drinking, but also to seek help when they need it.

In addition to the overarching American culture surrounding alcohol, there are also family and community norms to contend with. These can be extremely difficult to break free from, as a person has grown up with these norms and will have no reason to question them. Family norms that impact alcohol addiction usually take the form of parental modeling. If someone has parents who drink excessively, they will see this behavior as a normal part of being an adult. 

The same is true for the community one grows up in. If a person’s peers engage in excessive drinking and see it as normal, the person is more likely to follow suit and develop an alcohol addiction themself.

Many religions take part in rituals or ceremonies in which alcohol plays an important role. An example of this could be the Catholic sacrament of receiving the Eucharist, which involves the drinking of wine. When alcohol is used in this way, it normalizes the consumption of it, framing it as a necessary part of worship. Additionally, it can make quitting drinking more difficult, as doing so will result in an inability to fully participate in the religious ritual. 

It should be mentioned that some religions expressly forbid the consumption of alcohol. In these cases, religion can actually help to lower the chances of alcohol addiction.

When people are part of a culture, they usually want to stay that way. They do not want to be seen as an outsider or ostracized in any way. This leads to a cultural barrier when it comes to seeking treatment for alcoholism. Quitting drinking can cause a person to be excluded from community events including celebrations, gatherings, and socializing in general. The risk of this will cause many alcoholics to never seek treatment. To them it feels like they have to choose between treatment and their family, friends, and entire culture, an extremely difficult choice to make. However, alcohol addiction treatment is always the right choice for those who want a happy, fulfilling life.

Marginalized communities are often incredibly insular. This means that cultural alcoholism affects these communities the most. The members of these communities often have no exposure to other cultures or ways of thinking, making them extremely susceptible to cultural alcoholism. Additionally, marginalized communities typically have little or no access to treatment options for alcoholism. This means even if someone wants help for their addiction, they can feel as though it is impossible to find treatment. However, this is not the case. Help is available for anyone who is brave enough to seek it out, including members of marginalized communities.