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Beach House Recovery Center » Blog » How Chronic Work Stress Is a Leading Cause of Alcohol Abuse in Men
Stress at work puts men at higher risk of alcohol abuse. Get more acquainted with the one occupational hazard every man needs to know about:
The fact that chronic work stress is a leading cause of alcohol abuse in men is worth emphasis during Men’s Health Month. The goal of this annual national initiative is to raise awareness about preventable health problems and the treatment of diseases among men and boys, and it could be argued that drug and alcohol addiction disproportionately affects men.
Consider the following statistics cited in a report by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, for example:
With respect to alcohol, too, men traditionally have monopolized rates of heavy and binge drinking (until more recently when women have begun to narrow the gap). One reason for this trend can be stress at work, giving rise to alcohol abuse—which is the main focus of this article. In particular, we’ll address:
Chronic job stress is common among working Americans—perhaps especially among men, who are more likely to be stressed from work than from other factors, according to a study in Business News Daily. Stress at work can have various triggers. These work-related stressors can be short-term, such as the rush to meet a deadline or put on a presentation, but all too often, stress at work falls into the long-term (chronic) category, as a 2013 study by the American Psychological Association (APA) found. Their one-third of working Americans reported experiencing chronic job stress.
Common causes of chronic job stress can include:
Stress at work has been shown to contribute to a number of serious health issues, one of which is problem drinking. There is, in fact, “a significant relationship” between job stress and alcohol consumption, in the words of the Mental Health Foundation. The following data (from an abundance on the subject) helps to unpack this relationship:
Still other research tells the story of how chronic job stress more uniquely affects men and their use of alcohol:
Professions with high rates of alcohol abuse also tend to be predominantly male. For instance, the (mostly male) mining and construction industries exhibited the highest rates of alcohol abuse (roughly 20 percent) when compared with other industries in a national survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Police and firefighters also report heavy alcohol use. In a study featured in the Journal of Substance Abuse & Alcoholism, more than half of all male firefighters said they binge drank during the last month.
Whether you’re researching for yourself or a loved one, Beach House can help. We understand that this is a serious time in your life and that the treatment center you choose matters. We want you to feel comfortable and empowered to make the right decision for yourself, a friend, or a family member. This is why a counselor is waiting and available to answer your questions and help put your mind at ease regarding the next steps. Many of the staff at Beach House have walked in your shoes. If you feel you’re ready or want more information about how to help a loved one, we can help today. You can also learn why we are voted the #1 rehab for addiction treatment in Florida.
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