YOUR ANSWERS DECODED

Mostly As Dutch-courage drinker

You tend to drink to cope with anxiety. For you, social occasions are stressful, and having a few drinks eases the tension. You’re likely to knock a couple back before you set out, to steady your nerves, and when you’re upset, a drink calms you down. The problem is, it’s hard to stop at one or two; as the buzz wears off, the nerves return and the paranoia of being publicly drunk kicks in.

Mostly Bs Distraction drinker

You drink mainly to take your mind off things. It immediately lifts your mood, diverts your attention and gives you a reason to enjoy yourself, rather than dwelling on whatever’s going on in real life. Distraction is a habit, and you’ve found an instant way to relax and switch off your mind. The difficulty is, though, that you’re just putting it off: the next day you’ll still have to deal with the issue – but with a hangover, too.

Mostly Cs Out-of-control drinker

Once you pop, you can’t stop. You are drinking to chase the buzz and open up the possibility of a wild, wild night. Binge drinking means drowning your worries and stresses in a lake of friendly booze. It also means you’re storing up mental and physical health problems, and you’re much more likely to be making bad decisions – either when drunk or in the throes of regret afterwards.

Mostly Ds Crowd-pleasing drinker

You are a go-with-theflow type. When you’re home alone, you’re not too bothered – but when you’re out and your friends are all having double JD and Cokes, then so are you. If someone suggests another round at midnight, you’re not going to be the one to spoil the party. And when your partner suggests finishing the bottle, you’ll happily oblige. Your drinking is sociable – but you can easily end up drunk every night.

Mostly Es Bored drinker

Many bored drinkers don’t get a huge amount of joy from everyday life – and drinking eases the boredom. Maybe your friends don’t get your jokes, or you’re in a relationship that’s going nowhere. Perhaps your job is uninspiring, but you don’t know how to change things. Drinking puts you in a different headspace. When you’re drunk, you don’t have to confront the aspects of your life that you dislike – but the trouble is, they don’t go away.

Mostly Fs Enjoyment drinker

You just like drinking. It tastes good, being a bit drunk feels nice, and it’s sociable. You would never describe yourself as a binge drinker – but you do sometimes think you should cut down a bit. The truth is, though, ‘binge drinking’ means six units in one session for women, and eight for men. You can sink more than that over a chat in your friend’s kitchen. It might be useful to look at why you enjoy drinking so much, and whether it’s simply become a habit.