Mums Turn To Alcohol

A GLASS of wine and your feet up in front of the telly, is a great way to relax after a stressful day, especially when you know the kids are safely tucked up in bed.

But a new report has discovered that many mothers are turning to alcohol as they often feel under pressure to be 'perfect' and the alcohol  is a way of coping with the demands of motherhood.

Kids with parents who drink a lot were more likely suffer from mental issues.

The study by Turning Point, says mums that turn to the bottle to cope with the pressure of being 'super mums' are putting their children at risk of depression and anxiety and that alcohol misuse within families is an 'escalating concern'.

Turning Point is a leading health and social care organisation that provides services for people with complex needs, including those affected by drug and alcohol misuse and mental health problems. The report Bottling It Up: The Next Generation has warned that 2.6 million children in the UK are living with a parent who drinks at hazardous levels.

Between 2010 and 2011, half of the people who used Turning Point's alcohol treatment services were parents and a third of that figure were mothers.

The average alcohol consumption of parents interviewed was 30 units per day which is 10 times recommended limits. 

The study said a lack of support from their partners was a trigger for their drinking.

It also noted that some mothers were drinking at least three nights a week and consuming more than 70 units - the equivalent of nearly eight bottles of wine - often in secret when their children had gone to bed.

Kids with parents who drink a lot were more likely suffer from mental issues such as eating disorders, depression and to experiment with drugs and alcohol at an earlier age, the study concluded.

A spokesperson from Turning Point's substance misuse services said, 'Alcohol misuse is a hidden and growing problem which affects the whole family. When an adult has an alcohol problem, children suffer too.'