Australia's alcohol issues are not what we assume they are.

 

There is a growing trend of women reaching out for help regarding alcohol dependency as health experts, activists, and individuals with personal experiences point out the evolving nature of alcoholism.

According to a recent survey conducted by Alcoholics Anonymous, the average member in 2026 is expected to be a woman who has a university degree, is working, is over 50 years old, and has remained sober for 17 years.

This is a stark contrast to 2005 when the average member was male, over 40, retired, and had an average sobriety of 9.6 years.

For the first time last year in Australia, the number of female members in AA surpassed that of males, with women constituting 51 percent of the membership.

Women from that generation have often been raised in times when drinking was seen as essential to fit in with men at their workplaces, said Fiona Faulkner, a senior clinician at Clean Slate Clinics.

They have experienced shifts in societal norms regarding equity and gender balance.

At the same time, this cohort is approaching menopause, leading to a transformation in what was once manageable drinking over 20 years that has gradually escalated into dependence. 

Alice Hansen from Tasmania has witnessed the evolving demographic of individuals seeking help for alcohol dependency.

In the AA meetings of 2008, I found it hard to connect with the older men as a young woman, she recounted.

However, I noticed a gradual change to see women of my age group; mothers and professionals began to appear. 

In theory, Hansen did not conform to the image of a person struggling with alcohol dependence.

She received a tennis scholarship to the U. S., obtained a degree in public relations and journalism, and established a career in the tourism sector.

However, at home, she was concealing bottles in linen closets and in her garden.

She would alter her schedule to ensure access to alcohol and often canceled meetings at the last moment.

Her initial admission the a rehabilitation program for alcohol dependency was prompted by friends and family

When I first entered rehab, I was truly taken aback because I had a stable job, a seemingly perfect life, and solid support, Hansen shared.

The primary obstacle to asking for help is the stigma, and when you finally enter that space, you carry a heavy burden of guilt and shame. 

Each year, approximately 40,000 Australians seek treatment in emergency rooms for alcohol withdrawal.

Hansen frequently found herself among the 70 percent of Australians who relapse within one to three months of detoxification. She went back to the same facility 26 times.

It was an unending cycle of predictability, hoping for something different, yet the result was consistently the same, she remarked.

Alcohol had taken so much from me and I often questioned how I could remain optimistic for change while on my 28th trip to rehab

Although hospitals can effectively treat acute withdrawal symptoms over several days, there is a lack of organized follow-up care to avert quick relapses and repeated admissions.

Patients are sent back into the same situations that caused their initial admission, contributing to a predictable cycle of emergency department visits and brief hospital stays.

One aspect of the issue is that society often views alcohol dependence as a personal flaw rather than a systemic issue, according to Faulkner.

After the detox phase, individuals are extremely susceptible as their nervous systems are adjusting. Withdrawal leads to stress and hormonal shifts, putting the body in a heightened state of alertness, she explained.

We are expecting individuals in this stressed and depleted condition, lacking dopamine, to muster the determination to improve and make changes. This is not a setting conducive to fostering willpower. 

Not only do numerous readmissions incur personal costs for the individual, but they also create financial strain on the hospital system.

An individual patient can result in annual acute care expenses ranging from $12,000 to $20,000 without seeing significant improvements in health.

Clean Slate Clinics has crafted a proposal for a pre-budget submission advocating for the establishment of a National Hospital Avoidance Program to address care gaps for individuals after detoxification.

The proposed 90-day program, with an average cost of about $3,700 per patient, aims to replace inpatient admissions and concentrate on minimizing returns to emergency departments.

When a person relapses, it indicates the system is failing to support them at their most vulnerable, rather than the individual failing, Faulkner stated.

It’s a problem that can be solved, and we must nurture the hope that individuals can overcome their dependence on alcohol. 

Hansen attributes her changed path and the end of her troubling cycle of readmissions to consistent doctor-led telehealth care after detox. She received regular medical evaluations, managed her medications, and participated in structured planning for times she was at high risk.

Now sober, Hansen participates in marathons, is learning to sail her boat, and organizes retreats in Tasmania.

I began conducting wellness retreats because I endured pain for two decades and wanted to turn that into a purpose by helping others in similar situations, she shared.

If I could go back to 2008, I would advise myself that alcohol wouldn’t provide anything worthwhile, as it demands much more than you are aware of.

I wish I could erase all the hurt and tell myself that I am cherished for who I am, just as I am.