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Act Alcohol https://www.actalcohol.co.uk/ A healthier Happier You Tue, 28 Dec 2021 16:09:42 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://www.actalcohol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/cropped-act-logo-32x32.jpg Act Alcohol https://www.actalcohol.co.uk/ 32 32 3 Stupid Myths That Will Stop You From Quitting Or Cutting Down Your Drinking https://www.actalcohol.co.uk/3-stupid-myths-that-will-stop-you-from-quitting-or-cutting-down-your-drinking/ https://www.actalcohol.co.uk/3-stupid-myths-that-will-stop-you-from-quitting-or-cutting-down-your-drinking/#respond Mon, 28 Jun 2021 09:33:54 +0000 https://www.actalcohol.co.uk/?p=2945 The post 3 Stupid Myths That Will Stop You From Quitting Or Cutting Down Your Drinking appeared first on Act Alcohol.

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Be honest with me – have you ever typed any of these questions into Google:

Am I drinking too much? How do I stop drinking? How much wine is dangerous? Am I an alcoholic? What is the definition of an alcoholic? Can I cut down instead of quitting? What is normal drinking? How do you quit drinking for good?

Unfortunately, there’s a lot of contradictory information online and frankly, some of the ‘advice’ I stumbled across actually put me off doing something about my drinking.

So today I want to talk about 3 common myths about sobriety that can hold you back from quitting. Don’t fall for these!

 

1. You need to call yourself an alcoholic, or else you’re in denial

 

If you identify with this label and it supports your efforts to change, then that’s great. But if you don’t like this label – and it doesn’t feel good to you – then you really can ditch it.

Consider yourself to be someone who chooses not to drink, because that’s what makes you feel at your best. It’s a lifestyle you enjoy. You choose not to drink in the same way that you choose not to sniff glue, pop pills, smoke cigarettes or eat cheap burgers.

The problem with the term alcoholic is that it implies it’s abnormal to get addicted to alcohol, when that really isn’t the case. Alcohol is a widely available, well advertised, highly addictive, mind-altering drug that tends to be presented as the solution to all our problems. Who wouldn’t get addicted to that?!

If alcohol is making us feel unhappy – and we’re ready to recognise that and take action – then we should be able to change our behaviour without having to justify ourselves, or be forced into acquiring some new alcoholic identity.

 

2. You need to hit rock bottom

 

The idea that you need to wait until your drinking is ‘bad enough’ before you quit is a dangerous myth. I still see this idea referenced in articles today and it makes me mad.

What exactly is rock bottom anyway? It will vary from person to person, surely? There is no definition of it. And doesn’t the idea of hitting rock bottom imply that sobriety is so hideous, it can only be a last resort – something to be considered when your life is falling apart and all other options have been exhausted?

Trust me, you do not need to wait until you’re pouring vodka on your weetabix in the morning before you decide it’s time to quit. It’s perfectly fine to stop drinking without a collection of booze related war stories.

Ultimately, drinking is all about how you feel, and if alcohol is not making you feel great, then that’s all the information you need. None of us need to be anywhere near rock bottom before we decide to stop hurting ourselves.

 

3. It will be a daily battle

 

This is something that is really worrying. The idea that stopping or controlling your drinking means entering into some kind of continuous test of willpower is really depressing.

Here’s what I’ve discovered since then.

Yes, changing a habit does require effort in the early days. It requires commitment. But alcohol-free, or moderation, is NOT hard work forever. Honestly – it gets easier and easier.

Alcohol basically is engine fuel. If you want to put this toxic poison up on a pedestal, romanticise the heck out of it and continuously mourn the fact that you can’t have it, you can do. That’s one option.

Alternatively, you can educate yourself about drinking and learn about the myths and illusions (i.e. what science tells us alcohol can do, vs what we’re led to believe it can do).

This myth-busting approach makes change a lot easier, because you start to see that a lot of the ‘benefits’ to drinking are really just smoke and mirrors, and a bit of wishful thinking!

 

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Why Is Alcohol Such A Normalised Drug? https://www.actalcohol.co.uk/why-is-alcohol-such-a-normalised-drug/ https://www.actalcohol.co.uk/why-is-alcohol-such-a-normalised-drug/#respond Mon, 21 Jun 2021 10:35:05 +0000 https://www.actalcohol.co.uk/?p=2939 Back in my dependent drinking days, I always struggled to say no to a glass of wine. Yet I never had a problem turning down ‘proper’ drugs.   I grew up with the “just say no” advertising campaigns of the 80s and 90s. It was drummed into us that drugs were very, very bad. But alcohol? That […]

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Back in my dependent drinking days, I always struggled to say no to a glass of wine. Yet I never had a problem turning down ‘proper’ drugs.

 

I grew up with the “just say no” advertising campaigns of the 80s and 90s. It was drummed into us that drugs were very, very bad.

But alcohol? That was ok… right?

Most of us have been socially conditioned to treat alcohol differently. We’re trained to see all its benefits and very few of its flaws.

We’re told that alcohol is an essential part of a happy and fulfilled life (when that really isn’t the case).

 

9 Ways We Treat Alcohol Differently From Other Drugs

 

1. We rarely call alcohol a drug

If you ask someone to name a list of drugs off the top of their head, most people will leave alcohol off the list. In fact, we often refer to “alcohol and drugs” as if booze is something different.

Alcohol absolutely is a drug. I think the confusion occurs here because alcohol is legal – but that doesn’t mean it’s any less harmful.

 

2. A problem with alcohol is seen as a personal weakness

 

There’s a mistaken – yet widespread belief – that alcohol is an addictive substance, but only for a small subset of the population (i.e. those weak willed losers who just cannot control themselves…)

The idea that it should be possible to use a mind-altering drug with ease is crazy. It is entirely normal to become addicted to an addictive substance.

 

3. People are labelled when they stop drinking

 

We don’t call ex smokers ‘nicotine-oholics’. We don’t tell former heroin users that they’re heroin-oholics. They’re just people who stopped using a highly addictive, dangerous substance.

When I was drinking and doing shots until the early hours – or necking wine at home, alone – no one asked if I was an alcoholic. Yet as soon as I decided that I didn’t want to do that any more, people started making concerned faces and mentioning the A word!

 

4. Alcohol is glamorised whilst other drugs are demonised

 

Compare the “just say no” anti-drug campaigns of the 80s with the cutesy, wine o’clock memes that are shared on Facebook. Or the glittery, prosecco-themed gifts you find in shops. The differences hardly need spelling out.

It’s no wonder so many of us fall into the alcohol trap – booze is so normalised. What if the media reported on alcohol with the same sense of drama they use for other drugs?

 

5. Alcohol is marketed as self care

 

Can you imagine being encouraged to have a cosy night in with a face mask and a huge pack of cigarettes? No?! Me neither. And yet we regularly see alcohol promoted as a form of self care; a way of relaxing and supposedly looking after yourself.

Real self care is about preserving or improving your health and well being. Alcohol – a cancer causing, mind-bending poison that makes you ill – simply cannot do that. But it suits the alcohol industry to promote this drug as a form of self care.

 

6. Wine and beer is sold next to bread and cheese

 

In the UK, it is illegal to display tobacco products. We keep them out of sight and sell them in packets with grotesque warnings on them. However alcohol – which causes 1 in 20 deaths worldwide – is on display for everyone to see.

Our local supermarkets nearly always have some kind of alcohol product stacked near the entrance, on special offer. The takeaway message seems to be that alcohol is a) completely normal and b) an essential item.

 

7. There’s a separate language for booze

 

We talk about getting ‘high’ on drugs but ‘drunk’ on alcohol… although if we can help it, we don’t even use the word drunk. Instead we say things like ‘tipsy’, ‘merry’ and ‘woozy’.

Drug addicts need a ‘fix’ yet drinkers just need a ‘drink’. Drug users go into withdrawal, whereas drinkers are ‘hungover’. It’s all just another way of normalising alcohol and minimising the harms.

 

8. We try hard to pretend there are health benefits

 

Trying to claim that red wine is good for you is a bit like trying to say milk chocolate is healthy because it has calcium in it. We all know that if you really care about getting enough calcium, you’ll have a glass of milk instead!

According to UK government guidance, “there is no justification for drinking for health reasons.”

 

9. We have special days dedicated to alcohol

 

I have one of those calendars that tells you what all those weird, made-up, marketing days are. You know what I mean: World Cocktail Day, National Drink Wine Day, World Beer Day… I could go on.

As far as I can work out, the point of these days seems to be to give people a ‘reason’ to drink and post pictures of it on social media. Can you imagine any other drug having a special day named after it?!

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Forget The Glossy Magazines – Give Up Those Liquid Calories! https://www.actalcohol.co.uk/forget-the-glossy-magazines-give-up-those-liquid-calories/ https://www.actalcohol.co.uk/forget-the-glossy-magazines-give-up-those-liquid-calories/#respond Mon, 14 Jun 2021 07:17:25 +0000 https://www.actalcohol.co.uk/?p=2930 This time of year seems to be all about bikini bodies, diet tips and slimming plans!   During the summer there always seems to be a big demand for advice on how to slim down and tone up. As I was reading through the countless ‘diet hacks’, I was surprised to find that alcohol rarely […]

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This time of year seems to be all about bikini bodies, diet tips and slimming plans!

 

During the summer there always seems to be a big demand for advice on how to slim down and tone up.

As I was reading through the countless ‘diet hacks’, I was surprised to find that alcohol rarely got a mention.

There were all kinds of tips about upping your protein intake, lifting heavier weights and cutting out sugary fizzy drinks… but quitting drinking? I didn’t see that suggested anywhere, even though alcohol is a diet disaster! It’s full of empty calories.

So I wanted to put things right.

If alcohol-free is your goal this week, let’s talk all about the beach body benefits of a drink-free lifestyle…

 

1. You’ll save thousands of calories, making it easier to lose weight

 

I strongly believe there should be clearer calorie labelling on bottles of wine. I haven’t met many people who truly understand alcohol units, but calories? Most of us get that.

A glass of wine contains around 200 calories. A whole bottle is 600 calories – that’s the equivalent of scoffing three donuts or a McDonald’s Big Mac. It’s no wonder the average wine drinker puts on half a stone a year due to the excess calories.

 

2. You’ll be more likely to eat healthy food (and stick to your diet!)

 

When I was feeling hungover, my motivation went out the window. I snacked on pastries, chocolate, crisps and caffeine. Eating salad was rarely on the agenda.

I don’t skip breakfast anymore, I eat a healthy lunch, I drink plenty of water and I cook a proper dinner in the evening. When you’re being fairly healthy, most of the time, it makes a big difference to your waistline.

 

3. When you do go to the gym, you’ll make it count

 

When I was a heavy drinker, I’d sometimes drag myself to the gym despite my hangover. (I was convinced I could sweat the alcohol out.) But all that effort was rarely worth it, because booze is a terrible workout buddy.

Alcohol can dehydrate your body for up to a week. Not only does this make you feel like crap, it also means you’re more prone to musculoskeletal injuries such as cramps, muscle pulls and strains.

Drinking also lowers your rate of protein synthesis, which is needed for building and repairing muscles. So basically, if you want to get results from your workout, alcohol is never going to be your friend.

 

4. You can wave goodbye to bloating and puffiness

 

There’s a reason why celebrities like Jennifer Lopez don’t drink – it’s because they don’t want alcohol to ruin their looks. Booze makes your face puffy, bloated and more prone to redness.

If you’re thinking about quitting drinking, take a selfie first. I get all the women I work with to do this and I love seeing the results (you’ll be amazed at the difference). Alcohol is so sneaky – the chances are it’s affecting your appearance more than you think.

 

5. You’ll get your beauty sleep

 

Alcohol screws up your sleep cycle, which is why you often wake up at 4am, tired but somehow wide awake.

Lack of sleep doesn’t just affect the bags under your eyes. There’s also a clear link between sleep and obesity. Let’s face it: when you’re tired, you’re more likely to snack and skip the gym.

 

6. Quitting drinking will get you better results, in all areas!

 

Take a moment to think about all the time, money and effort you put into trying to look your best. Perhaps you invest in nice clothes, fancy face creams, gym memberships or getting your hair done.

If you care about how you look – and most of us do – why not maximise your results and get your money’s worth?

Without alcohol getting the way, that expensive moisturiser might actually make a difference. Those nice clothes will fit better. And that gym membership might just start paying off 🙂

 

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The Reasons Why You Are Procrastinating https://www.actalcohol.co.uk/the-reasons-why-you-are-procrastinating/ https://www.actalcohol.co.uk/the-reasons-why-you-are-procrastinating/#respond Mon, 07 Jun 2021 09:19:09 +0000 https://www.actalcohol.co.uk/?p=2924 Its Difficult For You To Take Action, And Stick To It!   You spend a lot of time thinking about your drinking; worrying and wondering whether you should quit. You buy books about alcohol free living and follow sober bloggers on Instagram. You wake up hungover and vow you’ll quit – only to question the […]

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Its Difficult For You To Take Action, And Stick To It!

 

You spend a lot of time thinking about your drinking; worrying and wondering whether you should quit.

You buy books about alcohol free living and follow sober bloggers on Instagram.

You wake up hungover and vow you’ll quit – only to question the decision a few hours later.

It’s exhausting, not being able to decide what to do. Alcohol is making you unhappy… so why aren’t you taking action?

If any of this sounds familiar, you’re not alone.

Here are 4 (totally normal) reasons why you might struggle to take action – and what to do about it…

 

It seems like a really big decision

 

Quitting or reducing your drinking feels like such a big deal, you want to be 100% certain you’re doing the right thing. But you can’t imagine giving up forever, so you’re stuck in a loop of never feeling quite ready.

How to take action anyway: 

You can overcome the commitment of ‘forever’ by taking a temporary change instead. You don’t need to be 100% certain about the future – it’s impossible to know how you’ll feel in a month’s time, never mind a year or several decades away!

Taking a break or making a change for a month or two allows you to test drive your goal and get into a new routine (studies show it takes 66 days to form a new habit). Once your break is over, you can always go back if you want to – or set another short term goal.

 

You’re weighing up another option

 

If you really can’t bring yourself to get started, the chances are that part of you is still considering the alternatives. The idea of finding some way to moderate your alcohol intake can be hard to let go of.

How to take action anyway: 

You need to make the decision to change for YOURSELF. If you are not quite ready, then continue with what you are doing for now, but do put a time frame on it.

Decide how much longer you’re going to keep attempting to change. Record the different tricks you’ve tried and the rules you’ve created to keep your drinking in check. Does any of it work in the long term? And does it make you happy?

 

You’re just not sure if it’s worth it

 

Sometimes your drinking feels really bad, but on other days, it feels pretty manageable. There are things you like about drinking and you’re worried you’ll miss out on so much.

How to take action anyway:

Keep a diary. Set a reminder on your phone so you remember to write a sentence or two about how you’re feeling, morning and night. Do this every day, regardless of whether you’ve been drinking or not.

Our minds are incredibly unreliable and we often ‘forget’ stuff like this. By writing this down, you’re gathering important data about how alcohol genuinely affects you.

See what patterns you spot. If, for example, you believe alcohol is helping you cope with stress – but you notice that every drinking episode is followed by several days of problems and extra stress – then that’s important information to take note of.

 

You’ve ‘failed’ before

 

Perhaps you’ve tried to quit several times already and it hasn’t worked out. It was painful and you felt so bad afterwards, you don’t want to put yourself through it again.

How to take action anyway: 

When you tell yourself that you’re a hopeless case, all you’re really doing is making yourself feel better about not taking action. But that’s a very disempowering place to be. The truth is that ‘failure’ is part of the learning process. It’s not a sign that you’re weak or never going to crack this.

Nearly every client who joins us will have multiple ‘failed’ attempts in their past. I expect that, because it’s normal. The most important thing is not to let the fear of failing again hold you back.

 

Final tip: make a decision either way!

 

Toing and froing over the decision can make you feel as if you’re being productive, when you aren’t. Agonising over it takes up a lot of brain space and the uncertainty can be draining.

If you want to keep drinking for now, that’s ok – but make a conscious choice to do that. Put a time frame on it and set a reminder on your phone, so you remember to review how you’re feeling.

As I mentioned above, I strongly recommend keeping a diary, so you can see how alcohol is affecting you and your quality of life over time. Don’t rely on your memory to help you gather this evidence – you need to see it in black and white.

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Fight Those Cravings https://www.actalcohol.co.uk/fight-those-cravings/ https://www.actalcohol.co.uk/fight-those-cravings/#respond Thu, 20 May 2021 12:30:18 +0000 https://www.actalcohol.co.uk/?p=2912 Cravings are common when you are reducing or quitting. Suddenly, drinking is all you can think about and that little voice in your head whispers, “just one won’t hurt!” It’s normal to experience cravings. They’re not a sign that you’re weak, flawed or destined for failure. They’re just a sign that you’re changing a habit […]

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Cravings are common when you are reducing or quitting.

Suddenly, drinking is all you can think about and that little voice in your head whispers, “just one won’t hurt!”

It’s normal to experience cravings. They’re not a sign that you’re weak, flawed or destined for failure. They’re just a sign that you’re changing a habit and you’re feeling it.

Cravings are tough to deal with, particularly during the boozy festive season, when there’s so much alcohol around.

So this blog is all about going back to basics. Here are 5 simple strategies for stopping cravings in their tracks:

 

Listen to the craving

Cravings nearly always have something to tell us – they’re often a sign that something is wrong. We need to address the problem, rather than trying to smother it with booze.

Often, the message cravings have for us is that we’re hungry and thirsty. Seriously – it can be that simple. Having a glass of water and a snack can be a simple fix.

 

Play the movie to the end

Close your eyes and picture what will really happen if you have ‘just one drink’. How will you feel later tonight or tomorrow morning? Spend two minutes doing this. Be brutally honest.

The fantasy is always that you’ll be able to control yourself this time – but if you could do that, you would’ve figured out how to do so by now.

 

Ask: how will alcohol fix this situation?

Remember, booze doesn’t change things. Whatever you’re drinking to escape will still be there when you sober up (only it’ll be even harder to cope with because you’re hungover).

People always talk about alcohol being ‘relaxing’ and ‘a great stress buster’. But I’ve yet to meet anyone who feels calm and stress free the morning after drinking too much.

 

Change your surroundings

Get outside and go for a walk. You could run off your cravings, or swim away from them, or sweat them out in hot yoga. Even something simple like a hot bath or shower helps.

Cravings are often a sign that we need a break and some headspace. Forcing yourself to change your surroundings can help satisfy this need.

 

If all else fails, strike a deal

Agree that you’ll reconsider the situation – tomorrow morning!

It’s unlikely you’ll wake up in the morning and think “I should’ve drunk last night!” But if you do, well – you know what to do! At least you’ll be making that decision in the cold light of day.

 

Bonus tip: don’t forget to do the deep work

Consider the tips above as emergency first aid. They’ll help you get out of a craving when you’re in one.

Focus on building a solid foundation for yourself without over-drinking. This means educating yourself about alcohol and addiction, learning new coping mechanisms and tackling the root causes behind your drinking.

Call us to arrange an online coaching session, or a face to face consultation on 01527 878162 or email julie@actalcohol.co.uk

 

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Are You Exercising Like Mad To Make Up For Over-Drinking? https://www.actalcohol.co.uk/are-you-exercising-like-mad-to-make-up-for-over-drinking/ https://www.actalcohol.co.uk/are-you-exercising-like-mad-to-make-up-for-over-drinking/#respond Wed, 12 May 2021 08:09:43 +0000 https://www.actalcohol.co.uk/?p=2904 Drinking too much alcohol causes all sorts of problems and makes you miserable… but many of us try very hard to make sure everything looks just fine on the outside! Is this you? Going to the gym. Running. Watching your weight. Most people surely would consider you to be ‘health conscious’! And that’s the inspiration […]

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Drinking too much alcohol causes all sorts of problems and makes you miserable… but many of us try very hard to make sure everything looks just fine on the outside!

Is this you?

Going to the gym. Running. Watching your weight. Most people surely would consider you to be ‘health conscious’!

And that’s the inspiration behind today’s blog.

Here’s what happens when you exercise like mad to make up for over-drinking: –

You will try just about everything healthy… with the exception of healthier drinking!

Spinning classes? Yoga in the park? Training for a marathon? The maple syrup diet? You will give it a go. But healthier drinking? That thing where you learn to relax naturally at the end of a stressful day, without inhaling a glass of wine first? let’s just ignore that.

 

Selective calorie counting

Throughout the day you try to keep track of how much you’ve eaten, in a bid to shift a few stubborn pounds. But as soon as you start drinking, all that goes out the window. Calculating liquid calories is too complicated (and depressing) so Its easier to pretend the it doesn’t exist. Sadly, your waistline WILL notice…

 

Selective fact finding

 

As a former over-drinker, I could’ve told you all about the merits of quitting gluten and the risks of not getting enough exercise. But drinking? Hmmm. That was a bit of a vague area in my mind, because frankly, I didn’t want to know. The information I did retain was remarkably one sided, which brings me on to my next point…

 

Drinking for the ‘health benefits’

If I told you that eating chocolate is healthy because of the milk content, you would roll your eyes, wouldn’t you? And plenty of people are perfectly happy convincing themselves that drinking red wine is for the ‘health benefits’. A little bit is good for you, right? (It isn’t actually, just look it up).

Staying ‘chemical free’

By day, you scrutinise food labels so you can be sure of what was in the products you bought. No e-numbers, weird ingredients or nasty chemicals for you, thank you very much! But when it comes to wine, you like to think it’s just mashed up grapes. Ring any bells

Its wrong to pop pills

Antibiotics? Painkillers? You only take them if you really have to. You never liked popping pills for any old reason – it just feels wrong. And yet you will happily self medicate with alcohol, ignoring the fact that it was, ahem, also a drug… one that kills and harms a lot of people.

In summary…

If you recognise yourself in this blog, then I’m guessing that you, like me, really value your health. If you’re investing a lot of time and energy into living a healthy lifestyle, it’s worth taking a proper look at how drinking is affecting that. Is alcohol is supporting or sabotaging your goals?

If you need any support to stop drinking, call us on 01527 878162 or email julie@actalcohol.co.uk

 

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Facing Up To The Truth https://www.actalcohol.co.uk/facing-up-to-the-truth/ https://www.actalcohol.co.uk/facing-up-to-the-truth/#respond Wed, 07 Oct 2020 15:49:33 +0000 https://www.actalcohol.co.uk/?p=2517 Facing up to the truth of addiction is tough. All too often the denial of a situation can prolong the need to confront an issue. At ACT we talk to lots of people who are locked into this kind of vicious circle of addiction and denial. Refusing to acknowledge that you have an addiction is […]

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Facing up to the truth of addiction is tough. All too often the denial of a situation can prolong the need to confront an issue. At ACT we talk to lots of people who are locked into this kind of vicious circle of addiction and denial. Refusing to acknowledge that you have an addiction is not uncommon and denial in addiction is very common. Read my blog to find out more about how this cycle of denial must be broken in order to fully engage with your recovery.

What is addiction denial?

Being in denial means a refusal to admit to a reality or truth. In addiction terms, denial of addiction prevents a person from admitting to the truth of what is actually happening. Denial is a natural human response to addiction, which can be a frightening place to be. Addicts can have very rigid thinking patterns when it comes to their addiction issues, which can be extremely hard to break.

Examples of this might be blaming other people for their problems or avoiding talking about them at all. If your loved one is behaving or responding in a way that you can’t penetrate, then it can be very frustrating and feel like an impossible pattern to break.

What to say to an addict in denial

Addiction will never get better without assistance. It’s a progressive situation that will only get worse and, the sooner you or the person you care for can get help, the better. Don’t leave it until things are at their worst – getting help early avoids the need for a person to reach rock bottom when it becomes much harder to penetrate that ingrained pattern of denial. It can be hard to know what to say to an addict in denial, but the important thing is to broach the subject head-on, in a supportive and sensitive manner, to instigate the help they need.

Helping an addict in denial

No matter how strong your commitment is to helping an addict in denial, it won’t be possible to break your loved one’s pattern of denial until they are ready to help themselves. This is when you might need to seek professional help. An intervention is a strategy used to motivate treatment-seeking behaviour. Interventions are usually set up and facilitated by an expert counsellor and actively supported by family, friends and partners/loved ones.

Caring in a collective capacity like this can really assist the person to see how their behaviour and addiction is affecting their family and wider circle of friends. An intervention like this gives everyone the chance to stand together in solidarity – to show how much they care and to let the person know that help is available.

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How Much Is Drinking Too Much? https://www.actalcohol.co.uk/how-much-is-drinking-too-much/ https://www.actalcohol.co.uk/how-much-is-drinking-too-much/#respond Wed, 12 Aug 2020 07:56:05 +0000 https://www.actalcohol.co.uk/?p=2481 Okay, so we know moderate drinking is defined as one or two drinks per day, let’s get into exactly how much drinking is too much. The NIAAA considers high-risk, or excessive, drinking a pattern that includes having four or more drinks a day or more than eight drinks a week for women. For men, the […]

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Okay, so we know moderate drinking is defined as one or two drinks per day, let’s get into exactly how much drinking is too much. The NIAAA considers high-risk, or excessive, drinking a pattern that includes having four or more drinks a day or more than eight drinks a week for women. For men, the numbers are five or more drinks a day and 15 or more drinks in a week. Binge drinking (also considered excessive) involves four to five drinks (or more) within two hours. And then there’s something called heavy alcohol use, which is defined as binge drinking during five or more days in the past month

Comparing these numbers to your daily and weekly habits might be jarring—I get it. Maybe your usual coping strategies are limited (going outside might be a challenge, and human contact might not be possible), maybe you have a lot of free time and a newfound love of frozen cocktails, or maybe the weird phenomenon of drinking on Zoom parties has left you drunk more than a few times. There are a lot of reasons your drinking might’ve spiked during this pandemic, but it is worth noting that heavy drinking patterns do put you at risk for alcohol use disorder. So if you’re concerned about the amount of alcohol you’re drinking, don’t automatically assume that you’re overreacting.

It’s also completely reasonable to reassess your relationship with alcohol even if you don’t meet the criteria for high-risk drinking. There’s obviously a gap between what’s considered moderate drinking and what’s considered excessive drinking, so any amount of drinking that feels unhealthy or concerning to you is worth looking into

This could mean taking a real, honest look at how much you’re drinking throughout the week and being more mindful of why you’re drinking more, how you feel afterward, and how it’s affecting various areas of your life. I recommend setting goals and limits for how much you’ll drink, measuring your alcohol before you drink it, and coming up with a plan to resist over-drinking. This might include calling a friend that you can talk to about your decision not to drink, finding substitute activities, or making a pro’s and con’s list you can reference when the urge hits you.

And if you need an item for your pros-and-cons list, here’s a freebie: – Drinking too much and too often can weaken your immune system, which could be a serious problem if you were to be exposed to the COVID-19 virus.  So it’s probably wise to diversify your at-home leisure activities and find something to do in the evenings that’s not going to compromise your health if you are exposed to the virus.

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What Is Denial? https://www.actalcohol.co.uk/what-is-denial/ https://www.actalcohol.co.uk/what-is-denial/#respond Wed, 27 Nov 2019 12:07:12 +0000 https://www.actalcohol.co.uk/?p=2295 Denial is common among those suffering with alcohol dependency. Your loved ones may have tried to discuss the problem with you, but you were unable to see things as clearly as them. Denial is one of the body’s defence mechanisms and is employed by the brain to protect you from a harsh reality. It can […]

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Denial is common among those suffering with alcohol dependency. Your loved ones may have tried to discuss the problem with you, but you were unable to see things as clearly as them. Denial is one of the body’s defence mechanisms and is employed by the brain to protect you from a harsh reality. It can be useful for a short period but if it continues, can end up causing harm.

Denial is the MOST COMMON obstacle to recovery because it can prevent you from seeing the truth of your situation. If you are practicing denial, you can continue with your addictive behaviour without consequence or responsibility for your actions. If it is strong enough, it can be projected to your family members and friends, who will then also be convinced that your problem is either not as bad as it seems or is something else entirely.

On the other side of the fence, It’s hard to be the partner of someone with an alcohol issue when they cannot realise that they are dependent. It may take some time for your partner to admit he or she has an addiction problem. Some people wait it out for yeas to see if their partner admits they need help, when others end up breaking up. There’s no such right or wrong answer here. It totally depends on the individual and the situation.

If you feel that you need to talk about your drinking, or a loved one’s drinking call Julie on 01527 878162 or email julie@actalcohol.co.uk for a free consultation.

 

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Julie’s Tip For The Weekend https://www.actalcohol.co.uk/julies-tip-for-the-weekend-2/ https://www.actalcohol.co.uk/julies-tip-for-the-weekend-2/#respond Sat, 25 May 2019 17:15:02 +0000 https://www.actalcohol.co.uk/?p=2011 My Tip :- Hydrate! As its Saturday and nice weather.. alot of people are gearing up for a night out drinking. So how about trying out an easy strategy tonight that will make you feel bit better in the morning! Give it a try, it might make all the difference.Let me know if it worked […]

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My Tip :- Hydrate!

As its Saturday and nice weather.. alot of people are gearing up for a night out drinking. So how about trying out an easy strategy tonight that will make you feel bit better in the morning! Give it a try, it might make all the difference.Let me know if it worked for you!

IF YOU DRINK WHITE WINE, WHITE FIZZ OR SPIRITS then buy a pint of ice to put on your table and add a cube or two of ice to your drink. You still have the sharp taste but it will slowly melt into a longer drink which is more hydrating.

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