| People
drink for many reasons, to be more sociable, to reduce stress,
to cope with difficult feelings, or sometimes just out of habit.
Some people are able to drink safely in moderation, while for
others almost any alcohol can cause a problem.
Whatever your difficulty with alcohol, talking
to a counsellor or psychotherapist with experience in the field
can help. The following are some of the reasons people give for
seeking help with their drinking:
I regularly drink a lot of alcohol every day,
do I have a problem?
First check your weekly
consumption of alcohol units using the information given in the
panel on the right or an online alcohol
calculator. If you are drinking more than 21 units/week (men)
or 14 units/week (women) your alcohol consumption could be harmful
to your health. One simple way of checking if you are dependent
on alcohol is to try abstaining for a fortnight. Other questions
to ask are whether your drinking is causing problems in other
areas of your life, such as at work, with friends or family? Perhaps
you are putting yourself at risk while driving, and the loss of
a driving license might cause you severe problems.
I'm not a regular drinker, but every so often
I go on a binge and feel unable to stop
Binge drinking causes different problems to long
term heavy drinking. It is more likely to lead to impulsive risky
behaviours, accidents, and the medical effects of alcohol poisoning
such as damage to the brain, digestive system and heart. Alcohol
causes a progressive loss of control - the more you drink, the
less control you have and the harder it is to stop.
I do things I regret when I've had a drink. Sometimes
I can't even remember what I was doing.
The use of alcohol reduces inhibitions - in small
amounts this can make you more sociable, but taken in quantity
it is linked to various social problems such as aggressive behaviour
and violence. It might also lead you to take more risks than usual,
leaving you helpless in a potentially dangerous situation.
Alcohol interferes with the brain's ability
to form new memories, and consuming large amounts can cause partial
or complete blackouts. This doesn't mean you were unconscious
- you might have been actively engaged in a conscious behaviour
such as walking, talking, driving or even having sex.
I think I can handle my alcohol but my friends
and family are worried about me.
Drinking can have consequences for your health,
mood and relationships that sometimes are more obvious to those
around you. Health consequences can include mood changes (depression,
irritability and anxiety), fertility problems and long-term medical
conditions. Often children can be badly affected when a parent
is absent, irritable, unpredictable or distracted due to alcohol.
My drinking is causing me problems at work
Some of the work-related consequences of alcohol
include lateness and absenteeism, reduced performance, accidents
due to reduced concentration and impaired judgment, damaged relationships
with colleagues, superiors and customers.
In some safety-critical jobs (for example driving
or flying) it can be a dismissable offence to report for work
while impaired by alcohol.
A doctor has advised me to cut down
Alcohol can contribute to various health problems
when used long term. These include liver disease, osteoporosis,
ulcers in the stomach, damage to the pancreas, loss of fertility,
heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes, dementia and even
brain damage. If you are pregnant you should be aware that alcohol
can have an effect on your unborn baby.
Some prescribed medications can interact with
alcohol, which might either reduce their effectiveness or cause
unpleasant side effects.
I have tried to stop but the withdrawal symptoms
are too bad
If you have been a heavy drinker it is better
to cut down gradually, rather than stopping all at once. If you
drink a lot it can actually be dangerous to stop too quickly,
as this can cause seizures - medical advice is to reduce your
drinking by 2 units per day rather than to quit suddenly.
An alcohol counsellor can provide you with the
professional support and guidance to enable you to withdraw slowly
and safely. Your doctor or a detox unit can also provide you with
medication to reduce the impact of the withdrawal symptoms and
enable you to reduce safely.
There's nothing else in my life, and alcohol
fills the void
You may have the feeling that life has passed
you by and you have lost your sense of self. Perhaps you were
busy bringing up children or working and your lifestyle left no
space for finding out who you are and what makes you happy. Alcohol
can sometimes make life feel more bearable and make the problems
temporarily go away. Unfortunately it doesn't solve the root causes,
such as lack of meaning and purpose - instead it can bring additional
problems of its own. Although alcohol can provide a temporary
lift, over the long term it is a drug which is both addictive
and a depressant.
If alcohol is acting as a support in this way
it is important to tackle these issues as part of the process
of bringing your drinking under control. Merely giving up alcohol
without addressing why you drink is likely to lead to relapse.
I'm worried about the consequences of drinking
to excess
Regularly drinking over the recommended limits
doesn’t make you an alcoholic. However, it can lead to health
problems such as high blood pressure, liver problems, reduced
fertility and depression. Not to mention relationship difficulties.
Whatever
your drink-related issue, talking to an Alcohol Counsellor can
help clarify any concerns you may have and identify areas where
you could make positive changes. If you would like more information
or to book an appointment please contact one of our experienced
counsellors
Sue Carlin and Sheila
White
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Are you drinking within healthy limits ?
Did you know that...
Woman should drink no more than 14 units per
week (2-3 units a day) and Men no more than 21 units per week
(3-4 units a day)
It is recommended that you don’t drink
everyday and have at least 2 drink free days per week preferably
2 consecutive days.
The average person breaks down 1 unit of alcohol
every hour but this process only begins when you have stopped
drinking. For example, an individual goes out and has 5 pints
of regular strength lager and stops drinking at 11pm, it will
take approx ten hours for his liver to process the ten units and
therefore it is likely that the alcohol won’t be out of
his system until after 9am the following morning.
Do you know your units ?
Wine/champagne (12%)
75cl bottle = 9 units
125ml glass = 1.5 units
Standard beer (3.5%)
1 pint = 2 units
Premiun beer/lager/cider (5%)
1 pint = 3 units
440ml can = 2.2 units
330ml bottle = 1.7 units
Spirits (40%)
25ml (small) measure = 1 unit
35ml (large) measure = 1.4 units
70ml (large double) = 2.8 units
Sherry/Port (17.5%)
75cl bottle = 15 units
50ml glass = 1 unit
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