Alcohol Addiction
For most people alcohol is a part of socialising with friends, enjoying a good meal and relaxing after a long week at work. A couple of pints or glasses of wine in company brings laughter, relaxation and enjoyment, and a feeling of wellbeing and connection. This is the experience of normal drinkers; rarely do they experience crippling hangovers, and hardly ever any guilt or remorse for their behaviour from the night before. They don't spend any time planning their drinking or thinking about alcohol.
If you find that you have difficulty in stopping drinking once you have started, or can stop for a little while but always start again and drink the same way you did before, you may need help with alcohol addiction. If you find yourself negotiating with yourself or family and close friends about how much you will drink and spend a lot of time thinking about drinking, you may need help for alcohol addiction.
Admitting you are dependent on alcohol can feel frightening, shameful and isolating. You don't have to deal with it alone. Alcohol counselling is the the start of change.
Some signs that you may have an addiction to alcohol:
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You find it difficult to stop at one or two drinks on a regular basis.
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You have taken time off work due to your drinking.
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You experience cravings and find life boring or too difficult without it.
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You sometimes can't remember what happened while you were drinking/drunk.
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You experience guilt, anxiety and remorse after drinking about being drunk.
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You can't imagine life without drinking.
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You want to be able to drink "normally" and keep trying to and failing.
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You drink in the morning to overcome the hangover.
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You binge drink and these are becoming longer and closer together.
This by no means a definitive list but if you identify with some, or one or two, please do contact me and we can discuss help for alcohol addiction further.