Help for drink problems using psychotherapy at 1066 Therapy
covering East Sussex, Battle, Hastings, Bexhill, Rye, Heathfield, Hailsham, Eastbourne, Crowborough, Brighton, Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge, Ashford and Kent.
I am often asked for help by people with drink problems. This may be drinking more than they would like when socialising. ‘Having to’ have a drink before going out socialising. Drinking every day, or perhaps regular binge drinking. I have helped a variety of clients with all sorts of problems, past or present, with alcohol at my practice just outside of Battle, East Sussex. Sometimes drink problems are their main reason for wanting help and sometimes it is part of a range of issues.
Alcohol isn’t the issue
Whatever the drink problem is, I hope it is helpful to know that the alcohol itself is NOT the problem. At least, it didn’t start out that way. It started out as a quick solution to feeling uncomfortable / uneasy inside. And it works very well to numb such feelings. But it’s only temporary. The next day, we are back where we started and we need to drink again. And over time, we tend to build a tolerance to it. So, we need more and more to have the same effects. The problems arise when we come to (psychologically*) depend on it. Perhaps we can’t relax properly without it. Or we want to feel better able to cope with stress. Maybe it helps us to feel less anxious in social situations. Perhaps it helps to numb / escape some uncomfortable feelings (for instance). Alcohol is a great numb-er. However, the real problems – the causes – underlie the drink problems. (* see note below) Please see my page on Addictions for more.
Causes of drink problems
Many people believe that they have a problem because of a ‘genetic malfunction’ of some sort, or because they have a character flaw or weakness. Neither is true. There is no gene for alcoholism (scientists thought they may have found one years ago but later retracted) or for that matter ‘an addictive personality’. We drink because our system is trying to regulate / sedate itself from our inner experiences. Unresolved feelings from negative past experiences are the most common cause of uncomfortable inner experiences. These usually come from early life. We do not usually connect the experiences to us developing a drink problem.
As a result of having these emotional conflicts, we feel ‘compelled’ to drink to make ourselves feel better somehow. This will only ever have a temporary effect though. The ‘compulsions’ tend to be subconscious (i.e. operating outside of conscious awareness). This tends to make it more difficult in many ways for people who have drink problems. However, it is possible to resolve even subconscious causes that have been in place for years using appropriate therapy.
Health risks
While considering whether you have a drink problem, it’s worth remembering that our society ‘normalises’ drinking. Drinking is deeply embedded in our society and culture. But it carries a very real health concern. A report by the medical group United European Gastroenterology (UEG) found that Europe drinks more alcohol per head of population than anywhere else in the world. The UK ranks 8th out of the 28 EU countries (when the UK was an EU member). Alcohol consumption is not rated as “light” – one drink (unit) or less per day – in any EU country. The UEG states that the two-drinks-a-day European average counts as “moderate” intake. This level is enough to increase the risk of two of the most lethal cancers: bowel and oesophageal cancer. By the way, two drinks means two units of alcohol.
Useful Guidelines for drinking
This information is taken from the Drinkaware website.
“The Chief Medical Officer’s (CMO) guideline for both men and women states that:
- To keep health risks from alcohol to a low level it is safest not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis
- If you regularly drink as much as 14 units per week, it’s best to spread your drinking evenly over three or more days. If you have one or two heavy drinking episodes a week, you increase your risk of death from long-term illness and injuries
- The risk of developing a range of health problems (including cancers of the mouth, throat and breast) increases the more you drink on a regular basis
- If you wish to cut down the amount you drink, a good way to help achieve this is to have several drink-free days a week.
- The new alcohol unit guidelines are equivalent to six pints of average strength beer, or six 175ml glasses of average strength wine, or 14 single pub measures of spirits.”
The figure of ’14 units maximum’ hasn’t been invented to stop people having a good time. Experts created these guidelines following years of research and study into the adverse effects on our health of drinking alcohol. If you regularly drink more than this, and you have difficulty cutting down, you may well have a problem.
How can I help?
I offer different therapy approaches but have found that Lifespan Integration to resolve the underlying causes of the problem tends to produce the most effective results.
Please browse my site for information on the various therapies / approaches that I practise.
Call me now on 07722783490 to book your free 30 minute initial consultation.
* IMPORTANT: if you feel that you have developed a physical dependency on alcohol, (i.e. alcoholism), you must consult your normal medical doctor first.
