Western Counselling

Why Can’t I Stop Drinking?

Overcoming alcohol addiction

How to stop drinking and start a recovery life

This is such a common lament we hear from people trying to quit and feeling more and more hopeless and miserable with each attempt.  “I make daily decisions to stop drinking, but never do” and “I obsess about alcohol when I don’t have it” also “Alcohol helps me control the way I feel – without it I can’t cope”

Alcohol detox can be unpleasant, with some clients experiencing hallucinations, shakes and insomnia. Others seem to sail through the process of withdrawal with no feelings of discomfort.  Whichever you prove to be, it’s the maintaining and sustaining sobriety that proves to be the most difficult.

There are various thoughts and explanations of why it can be difficult to stop, there’s both a science perspective and the emotional wellbeing point.

Western Counselling was founded in 1982 and has always supported alcoholics to achieve and maintain longterm sobriety

Text RECOVER and your FIRST NAME to 82223 and we will call you back
Apply for our residential treatment by completing our online form

I will briefly explain them and you can make your own decisions, take what you like and leave the rest as is said at the start of every Al-Anon meeting…

Scientific analysis

Scientists discovered that due to differing brain structures, alcoholics manufacture a chemical – Tetrahydroisoquinoline THIQ – that is very similar to heroin: when heroin is used and broken down in the body, a by-product is THIQ, a scientist in Houston, Texas discovered alcoholics produced this chemical too.  When alcohol is consumed by a “normal drinker” the body converts alcohol into acetaldehyde, this toxic substance is changed into acetic acid, then to carbon dioxide and water which is dispelled through the kidneys and lungs.  For an alcoholic this happens too, however, THIQ is also produced and stored in the brain.  THIQ quantities that rigger escalation to alcoholic drinking is believed to differ from person to person, however when it happens they will behave just as compulsively as someone craving heroin.

There are studies that demonstrate this abnormality in body chemistry is genetic and by exploring family genographs, a disposition can be traced to the production of THIQ.

There is an evidenced link between addictive behaviours and trauma.  This can be an Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE), emotional, sexual or physical abuse or traumatic experience including divorce, bereavement etc.  Trauma will be personal to the individual and what may be traumatic to one may not be considered as serious to another.  What can then happen is individuals will self-medicate the pain of the trauma using what ever substance – including alcohol – or process (gambling, exercise, eating, purging, gaming, sex & love etc) whatever they feel works best for them.

This self medicating fills a “hole”. They “use” to feel better and stuff that hole to feel whole again, a cyclic pattern that is destructive and a self fulfilling downward spiral.

When we try to stop drinking alcohol we find the compulsion too strong, we use the alcohol to feel better, to forget, to drown the pain or fill the void.  Only by acknowledging the trauma and pain, acknowledging its existence and coming to terms with the damage, can we start the process of moving on and Letting Go – a term we use a lot in addiction recovery.

We can all have our own thoughts on why we cant stop drinking, however, we all can find recovery, it’s a decision we take to change our lives and then a further decision we make every day to not return to that self-destructive pattern of behaviour. Recovery and treatment is available and it works, if you work it.  It’s your choice.

It’s not the third or fourth drink that’s the problem it’s the first, and this is true of all addictive disorders.  Every day we make a decision that just for today we won’t consume alcohol, or whatever our substance/behaviour of choice may be.

Some people may feel they need to be removed from society to get some sober time and this is often when they will consider a treatment centre, residential rehab perhaps like Western Counselling.

Removing oneself without a treatment element can be considered “doing a geographical” – thinking the grass is greener, or by going somewhere whilst the usual triggers will not occur.  This is highly unlikely because treatment gives you opportunities to explore your experiences, trauma, drinking patterns and find new ways to deal with triggers, pain and difficult feelings.  Treatment is an opportunity for you and those who love you to heal.  Treatment is an opportunity to remove yourself form your reality, learn new, healthy patterns for your life in sobriety.

Western Counselling was founded in 1982 and has always supported alcoholics to achieve and maintain longterm sobriety

Text RECOVER and your FIRST NAME to 82223 and we will call you back
Apply for our residential treatment by completing our online form

from Western Counselling https://www.westerncounselling.com/blog/addiction-issues/intervention/overcoming-alcohol-addiction/
via Alcohol

Horrors of Alcohol

Alcohol is no laughing matter

Alcohol, legal, sociable and currently the third leading cause of preventable death.

 
Quite a shocking statistic isn’t it?  Alcohol will kill 1 in 10 Americans aged 20-64 this year and someone somewhere will die every 10 seconds because of it.
 

Stop! Think! Process those statistics for a moment.

Time for another shocker? High-risk drinking amongst women has increased by 60% in the last 10yrs and alcohol use disorder has nearly doubled.
 

 
And yet we continue to use women as part of alcohol marketing, we make light of yummy mummy’s little tipple at night, we encourage wine and nibbles at Book Clubs – I’ll have a rant about the nibbles and obesity on another occasion! – we are encouraged to laugh at the sight of young women toppling about on high heels, drunk on a night out.

Alcohol advertising specifically targets younger women, slim neat bottles of beer, pink bubbly wines, sexy women swaying on the beach as they mix a rum cocktail, phallically shaped bottles for glugging after a workout.

Now, come on, time to face the truth.  We are normalising risky drinking behaviours. We are normalising daily drinking when we are bombarded with health advice that more than one drink a day for a woman, is risky due to the difference in how we metabolise alcohol. We get conflicting messages telling us that red wine is good for us, wine in pregnancy is good for the foetus, blah blah blah.  The internet is increasingly being used to promote humour and alcohol use to women through social media, deliberating targeting us and giving an image of liberation and spontaneity; and have you tried to buy a birthday or greetings card for a friend/relative that doesn’t drink?  Jokes are being made at our expense, jokes about something that is killing us and normalizing addiction.

We would be horrified to view active drug use on our tv’s, PC’s and tablets and yet we consider the legal excessive use of alcohol, which is proving to be so much more dangerous than opiates into our homes daily and viewed by our children.
 

Really? Really are we so stupid, so naïve that we can be manipulated so easily?

We need to role model to our young women healthy behaviour around alcohol, we are being watched and increasingly we are seeing larger numbers of women being admitted to rehab – national statistics state twice as likely.. twice!!! This is scary

Check out the NACOA (National Assoc for Children of Alcoholics) work recently highlighting the children’s views of their lives with alcohol.  Its gut-wrenchingly painful reading and I know as I have personal experience.

We need to stand up and say Enough, no more, time for action; 3 million deaths worldwide annually, no more.

Amanda Thomas.

from Western Counselling https://www.westerncounselling.com/blog/addiction-2/alcohol/can-i-recover/
via Alcohol

Staying sober at Christmas

Recovering from addiction, abroad.

Rehabilitation in Portugal

 
An exciting collaboration between a boutique hotel situated in the tranquil region of the Alentejo, Portugal and an internationally acclaimed UK treatment centre, Western Counselling.

The staff team includes a Psychiatrist, Psychologist and experienced and skilled 12-Step trained Counsellors from Western Counselling in addition to a team of support staff, Chef, housekeepers etc. Structured and boundaried the programme of rehabilitation is 12-Step framework addressing issues of drug, alcohol and process addictions; issues of trauma, negative self esteem and self worth, assertiveness, anger, family dysfunction, relationship breakdown, guilt and shame and relapse prevention are all explored and addressed as part of the treatment process.  Psycho social interventions include group therapy, educational workshops and 1:1 counselling sessions. Holistic therapies (yoga, fitness, art and equine therapy)occur daily, excursions and attendance at AA/NA meetings in the community are attended weekly.

The environment is calm and peaceful with large gardens, a swimming pool and tennis court.  The accommodation is ground floor, single occupancy and ensuite; there are 7 bedrooms.  Privacy, confidentiality and anonymity are assured.

Clients requiring a detoxification are referred to clinics in UK, including Western Counselling and Acer Clinic, Bristol dependent on their needs.  A clinic in Lisbon is also used as necessary.
 

For further information call us now on 0800 040 8346

 

Alentejo, Portugal

from Western Counselling https://www.westerncounselling.com/blog/addiction-2/addictions-treatment-portugal/
via Alcohol

Western Counselling in Africa.

Western Counselling has been working with The Addictions and Recovery Trust in Harare, Zimbabwe to set up a 12step recovery programme, the first of its kind in Zimbabwe.
 
Read our other articles about our time in Africa here and here.

 
The First Step opened 23 January 2017 in Harare. It is a recovery day programme delivering group sessions, workshops and 1:1 counselling to clients as part of an ongoing programme. Aftercare is delivered to those who’ve returned to Zimbabwe from treatment in South Africa and elsewhere and is a much-needed resource. The intention is to grow The First Step and deliver it nationally amongst the diverse communities.
 
Staff from The First Step have been trained in Weston super Mare with Western Counselling, learning about programme delivery, referrals and admissions, governance etc.
 
Carol, Amanda and Rob were in Harare for the opening of the new service. Carol was able to stay for 3weeks afterwards to help the staff and clients to integrate and “bed in” best practice and service delivery.
Ongoing The First Step will continue to be supported by Western Counselling with support, training, policy and practice updates, annual service audit and monthly line and external supervision.
 
Volunteers will travel to Zimbabwe to assist in all areas including support work, admin, recovery programme delivery and reciprocally Western Counselling will continue to train all new staff in the UK.
Western Counselling, staff and volunteers are extremely excited to be part of this new venture bringing addiction recovery resources to Zimbabwe.

from Western Counselling https://www.westerncounselling.com/blog/addiction-2/western-counselling-in-africa/
via Alcohol

Western Counselling in Zimbabwe

Week commencing 09 January 2017.

 
Read our previous entry.
 
We’ve arrived in Harare and its raining! Can you believe that? We leave the cold and frozen UK for Africa and its raining!! January is apparently the rainy season, we were warned, however nothing can quite prepare you for the deluge when it comes; lightening, thunder and torrential downpour that can last for hours.
 
So, why are we here?
 
Western Counselling is partnering with a not for profit organisation called The Addictions and Recovery Trust who are starting the process of educating Zimbabwe about addictions and recovery. We are assisting them in setting up their first project which is a 12 Step day programme in Harare, The First Step.
 
Last year, Amanda travelled over to start the process and meet with the team and since September 2016 we’ve had members of the team from The First Step training at Western Counselling learning about treatment programme delivery, referrals and admissions, policy and protocols etc. Its been an honour to host them and have them as part of our team and we intend this to continue in 2017 and onwards. Amanda is back in Harare with Carol and Rob to assist with the launch of The First Step on Monday 23 January.
 

The First Step is delivering a structured and boundaried 12 Step day programme incorporating many of Western Counselling’s unique elements and educational workshops. When Amanda and Rob return to Weston super Mare at the end of January, Carol will stay on to assist Ndaba, Dave, Penny et al to deliver the programme; she will return to us at Western Counselling in February.
 
Mid January a Loss to Addiction service was organised in Harare in collaboration with the Kurarama Trust. There was a programme of music and speakers sharing their stories of bereavement and loss, candle lighting and an opportunity to share and mourn as a community. Over 100 people attended the beautiful service.
 
The welcome and encouragement we have received since we arrived in Zim has been incredible. Interest has been received from all sectors of the community and we are all really excited to see what happens as the service develops and grows over the coming months and years.
 
Are you interested in travelling to Zimbabwe and volunteering with The First Step in Harare? Please follow the work of The Addiction and Recovery Trust and The First Step Africa on Facebook.
 
Amanda Thomas

from Western Counselling https://www.westerncounselling.com/blog/addiction-2/western-counselling-in-zimbabwe/
via Alcohol

Gender Based Addiction Treatment.

What are the main reasons women give for not wanting to go into an all women’s treatment centre?

 
At Western Counselling we offer a residential programme with single sex accommodation. An opportunity for men and women to focus on their core issues and explore and address issues with the opposite sex. Many women particularly find the thought of living in a single sex environment challenging and come up with a range of excuses as to why it won’t be suitable for them.
 
Some of the responses have been ‘it will be very bitchy’ or ‘there will be clashes’ or the best one I’ve heard up to now is ‘I get on better with men’’. These comments are from women that often have had no or very few positive healthy relationships with other women. They have few boundaries and are often in unhealthy relationships with men. There is an element of mistrust of other females and for many they have not had positive role models i.e. Mothers, Sisters etc.
 
So, how do we change this in treatment? When a new female comes into Western Counselling for the treatment of their addiction they are put with a fellow female peer, the peer is often someone that is further into the programme and is settled. They will look after the new person offering support and to show them the ropes and reassure them that they will settle. They will share a room with their buddy so they are not alone. After a couple of days the feedback is that the new person has settled well and has been made to feel welcome which is the opposite of their initial perception.
 
Our specific Female gender day is designed to address women’s issues that have frequently been experienced by most and a way of bonding. It may be going for a coffee together and chatting and laughing, something most haven’t done for a long time if ever. The women are taught other new skills from baking, card making or more recently flower arranging. They often have pamper afternoons where they will give each other a manicure and this helps with the bonding and learning to form good connections and relationships.
 
They soon realise that they don’t get on better with men they have found men easier to manipulate or that the relationship is very controlling. This comes from the workshops and by sharing their experiences.
 
Caroline Pantzelioudaki
Counsellor – special interest in women’s therapy.
Meet Caroline and the team

from Western Counselling https://www.westerncounselling.com/blog/residential-rehabilitation/womens-drug-rehabilitation-centres/
via Alcohol