Alcohol & Stigma – Part One: More Than Just a Label

When we hear the words alcohol and stigma, many of us think about people who drink too much. But stigma isn't just something experienced by people with alcohol dependence. It can affect anyone's relationship with alcohol—whether they drink heavily, are trying to cut back, or choose not to drink at all.

Think about the following everyday situations.

Someone declines a drink at a barbecue and immediately hears, “Go on… just one won't hurt.”

Someone who has been reducing their alcohol intake is told, “You used to be so much fun.”

Someone struggling with alcohol is dismissed as “just another drunk who can't handle their booze.”

Different people. Different situations. But they all have one thing in common—they're being judged according to assumptions rather than understood as individuals.

That’s stigma in action.

When labels become identities

Jo drinks a bottle of wine every day, on weekends sometimes two. The people around Jo refer to her as “an alcoholic.” Eventually, Jo starts using the same label too. It becomes part of how she sees herself, with the underlining judgement that she is less of a person than someone who stops at one glass.

Jamie also drinks a bottle of wine every day, and more on weekends. Jamie has exactly the same drinking pattern, but Jamie works in an industry where alcohol consumption is the norm, most people in his social circle drink as much as he does, so no-one has attached a label. Jamie simply sees himself as someone who currently drinks more than most. 

Who do you think has the better chance of believing change is possible?

The reality is both people are consuming the same amount of alcohol. The only difference is the label.

This might seem like semantics, but language shapes the way we see ourselves and others. When we define people by a single behaviour, we risk turning something they are experiencing into part of their fixed identity. 

This is why many health professionals now prefer person-first language such as “a person experiencing alcohol dependence” rather than “an alcoholic.” It separates the individual from the behaviour and leaves room for growth, recovery and hope.

Stigma isn't one-size-fits-all

The way stigma shifts depending on circumstance makes it difficult to readily recognise. Stigma isn't always about drinking too much. Sometimes it's about not drinking at all, as illustrated in these two examples.

Diane is pregnant and declines a glass of wine. Nobody questions her decision because people assume she's protecting her baby's health.

Sarah also declines a drink. She's perfectly healthy and simply doesn't feel like drinking tonight.

Suddenly the inquisition begins.

“Are you driving?”

“Are you pregnant?”

“Come on… live a little.”

Neither woman is drinking alcohol, yet only one feels pressured to explain herself.

Three ways stigma shapes our choices

Stigma influences us in different ways, often without us even noticing.

Public stigma is the judgement we receive from others. It's the belief that someone with a drinking problem lacks willpower, or that someone who doesn't drink must be boring or antisocial.

Self-stigma happens when those messages become our own internal voice. We begin believing we're weak, broken or somehow less deserving of support. Equally, someone who chooses not to drink may hide that decision because they don't want to stand out or be judged.

Anticipated stigma is the expectation that we'll be judged before anything has even happened. Someone may avoid seeking help because they fear what people will think. Another person may accept a drink they don't want simply to avoid awkward questions or unwanted attention.

Together, these forms of stigma can quietly shape our decisions, our confidence and even whether we seek support.

Stigma shuts us down

People often assume stigma encourages change.  In reality, it usually does the opposite.

Shame rarely helps people recover from alcohol dependence. It can make them hide their drinking, delay asking for help and feel increasingly isolated. Likewise, someone who doesn't drink may begin avoiding social events altogether because they are tired of explaining themselves.

In both cases, stigma reduces connection rather than creating it.

Looking beyond the label

Behind every person's relationship with alcohol is a story we usually can't see.

Perhaps someone is choosing not to drink because they're training for a marathon. Perhaps they're taking medication. Perhaps they're in recovery. Perhaps they simply don't enjoy alcohol.

Likewise, someone drinking heavily may be living with grief, trauma, chronic stress or mental health challenges that nobody else knows about.

When we reduce people to labels, we stop being curious about their story.

Whether someone drinks, drinks heavily, is cutting back or chooses not to drink at all, stigma rarely solves problems. More often, it creates shame, silence and isolation.

The more we can separate people from assumptions, the easier it becomes to create communities where everyone feels accepted, respected and supported to make the choices that are right for them.

In Part Two, we'll explore what you can do when you're on the receiving end of stigma—and how to respond to judgement without letting it define you.