Do I have a problem with alcohol?
This is a simple question to ask yourself, however, the answer requires a little more understanding as to what a ‘problem’ means. Many clients I work with are not completely dependent on alcohol. They can cut out alcohol for a few days, a week or even a full month if they use the ‘Dry January’ or ‘Sober October’ as a means to taking a break from the booze. Being able to take a break doesn’t mean that your relationship with alcohol is not problematic.
Do any of the following statements resonate with you?
Maybe you might have noticed that one bottle of wine or a few bottles of beer is no longer cutting it, and you have started to buy extra ‘just in case.’
You might be wondering if your breath smells of alcohol in the morning and whether others can ‘smell the booze’ on you at work or even driving the kids to school. Do you keep that pack of mints close by so you can mask the evidence?
Friends or family might have started to notice and comment on your drinking and it’s causing friction in these relationships.
You don’t need to be someone who wakes up searching for a bottle of vodka for the addiction to be affecting your life and the lives of those around you. Alcohol is socially accepted and if you surround yourself with people who enjoy a drink or two then it won’t always feel like a problem. There is no maximum amount of alcohol a person should drink. The best indicator to assess whether the drinking is becoming out of control is being aware of your actions, your feelings and those of people around you. If you have noticed that your drinking has increased, become more regular or have reached a point where it is worrying you then it may be time to seek help.
Client Testimonial
“My treatments with Thomas were a success. I knew I drank too much alcohol having created this habit over many, many years. I am now freed of this unhelpful activity and cannot thank Thomas enough. I feel and look better than I have for years. Thank you so much.”
If it is affecting your relationships you don’t need to let it get to the point where your partner, family, friends or even children are ready to abandon you. You don’t need to let it affect your ability to maintain your job or business because you are struggling to wake up in time for work.
It is important to understand that alcohol addiction isn’t about the drink itself, it's about how it makes you feel or more importantly, what it is distracting you from or masking. Once you engage in alcohol to provide that brief escape from the pain or problem then you enter the endless addiction cycle.
