Bright Eye

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So far Bright Eye has created 63 blog entries.

Is your drinking disrupting your work

alcohol affecting my work Work is often the biggest source of stress in our lives, and people sometimes end up using alcohol to relax and deal with that stress.

The result is often that your work performance suffers because of your hangovers. This makes it hard to concentrate, so you might well be feeling guilty.

Perhaps you’re also worried that your colleagues suspect you have a drink problem - can they smell it on your breath perhaps? So this creates even more stress.

Have you got to the stage where you feel the urge to have a little drink at lunchtime, just to calm your nerves? Or at the end of the day, are you watching the clock in the office, thinking about that first drink you can have once you leave work?

For some unfortunate people, alcohol becomes a part of their job - people in the promotions business, or staff in pubs, bars or restaurants for example. Then the two issues can be even more complicated. Business meetings at lunchtime or Friday afternoons can often involve a drink, it can be a source of bonding with your colleagues, or an important part of relationship building with a client.

So what can you do, if drinking is part of your work culture?

Is there any way your job situation could be improved so it’s not so stressful? Or is there perhaps another way to deal with that stress that doesn’t make the situation worse, like drinking does?

Give us your suggestions:

By Bright Eye|3 Comments

Are you Drinking Too Much ?

are you drinking too much alcohol? Everyone seems to drink alcohol in our culture. Many seem to drink too much on occasion. But how much drinking is too much?

Many of our clients say - “Why can’t I be like other people? They seem to be able to drink without getting drunk all the time.”

Regular drinking is not necessarily a problem - in Mediterranean cultures families will usually have wine with dinner on most days. But they just have a glass or two. Few people in those countries see any problem with drinking like that.

The truth is, it varies from person to person - there’s no absolute level of alcohol consumption at which you have a problem.

Most people know if they’re drinking too much

… even before other people tell them. Basically if the negative consequences are more than the positive ones. But there are many signs to look out for -

if you’re looking forward to a drink more than the other things in your life,
if you’re often feeling depressed or guilty - like you need to hide how much you’re drinking from others, or even having a ‘secret’ drink when you can get away with it,
if you’ve ever noticed a pile of your empties and thought ‘wow, that’s getting big’,
if the following day, you can’t concentrate on what you need to, because you ‘just can’t face it today’ - (you’re too hungover),
if you’re finding it difficult to look people in the eye, because you think they might be judging you,
if you’re buying a bottle during the day, do you buy lots of groceries with it to hide the fact that you’re buying alcohol before lunchtime?
but one of the surest signs is this - if you’re hungover, and you start thinking ‘just one drink will take this hangover away’, then you’ve definitely got a problem.

What signs have you noticed that you’re drinking too much?

By Bright Eye|139 Comments

Alcoholic women suffer more brain damage than men

Some unfortunate research has just been published that alcoholic women suffer more brain damage as a result of their drinking than men do.

They appear to be more vulnerable to the neurotoxic effects of alcohol withdrawal particularly. In the long term, this eventually leads to cognitive dysfunction and motor control disorders.

Male brains, by comparison, seem to be better at repairing some of that damage. But not all of it of course, just in case any men were thinking that was a carte blanche to drink more!

By Bright Eye|3 Comments

Improve access to talking therapies on the NHS

There’s a campaign being run in the UK right now to improve access to talking therapies (like counselling, psychologists etc.). At the moment, waiting lists for NHS funded help can be up to 18 months. This is just not acceptable.

The government is holding a funding review very shortly - so a group of UK charities (including the Mental Health Foundation, Mind, and the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health) have organised an online petition asking for more funding to be made available for this area.

If you’re a UK resident then please sign it now at www.weneedtotalk.org.uk/petition.asp

Update - This petition has now been presented to the government.

By Bright Eye|0 Comments

Liv.52 - Liver detox herbal supplement

herbal liver detox Liv.52 is a herbal medicine specifically formulated to help strengthen the liver. It assists in the elimination of acetaldehyde (the toxic by-product of alcohol) - which means you don’t get so much of a hangover. It encourages regrowth of new liver cells and protects against alcohol induced liver damage.

This is one of the few herbal medicines that has actually been researched extensively, and shown to be highly effective. Look at some of the research if you don’t believe it.

Buy Himalayan Herbal’s Liv.52 - Herbal Liver Support 450mg 90Caps Here

Taking this medicine won’t solve all your problems with alcohol, of course not. But it might just help your liver to cope with the effects of your drinking.

If you’re interested in herbal medicine to help reduce your alcohol consumption, read this about Kudzu…

By Bright Eye|52 Comments

Alcohol makes Depression even worse

alcohol causes depression Unfortunately, one of the biggest causes of people drinking too much alcohol is as a way of coping with depression. The unfortunate thing is, that as a solution it’s probably the worst there is, because alcohol itself causes further depression.

It directly reduces the levels of Serotonin in the brain - this is the neurotransmitter that anti-depressant drugs like Prozac (an SSRI) increase your levels of.

Only when you cut down your drinking will you be able to feel any happier. But once you’ve cut down, how do you stop the cycle beginning again? You have to deal with your depression some other way…

Read this report from the Mental Health Foundation on the effects of Alcohol on Mental Health, it explains in more depth the link between alcohol and depression.

(if you don’t have Adobe Acrobat installed to read this pdf, get it from the Adobe Website)

By Bright Eye|11 Comments

Trying to stop drinking is stressful

recovery is stressful Struggling with addiction is stressful - when you’re trying to stop drinking you can end up in a cycle of battling with cravings and guilt, having to remember all those things that you’re supposed to be doing differently.

It can be exhausting, so much so that it creates its own cravings. But stress is all about your perceptions of your abilities - if you tell yourself that “I can’t do this”, then of course you’ll feel stressed about it.

If you tell yourself that, “yes this is difficult, but I think I can do it”, then you’ll feel more confident. It’s simple really, you just need to get into the habit of saying positive things like that to yourself, eventually you’ll believe them.

What you’re trying to do right now is very difficult, so recognise that you need to off-load to people, to talk it through, to schedule in some relaxation time, some treats for yourself. If you’ve got a family to think about too then this can be hard to justify: “I’ve been such a strain on them already, how can I ask them to sacrifice even more?”, or “How can I take time away from my children when I’ve already been neglecting them because of my drinking?”

The point is, you need some time to relax if you’re trying to stop drinking, because it’s an incredibly draining task. Acknowledge that, be honest about it. You can’t be strong all the time!

By Bright Eye|3 Comments

Low blood sugar levels cause alcohol cravings

low blood sugar creates alcohol cravings One of the things that can easily induce a craving for alcohol is low blood sugar. This can occur after a ‘rush’ of simple carbohydrates (sugar, processed wheat etc.), blood sugar levels quickly increase, then decrease again just as sharply.

It can also occur if you haven’t eaten anything for a long time - so don’t let yourself get too hungry!

The craving comes about because your body associates drinking alcohol with lots of quickly available carbohydrates, and that’s what it asks you for. So the one thing you need to do when you’re cutting down your alcohol intake, is keep your blood sugar levels fairly balanced.

You can prevent the low blood sugar, and hence the craving, by not eating so much sweet or processed food. Eat more fibre-rich whole foods, like wholemeal or granary bread, muesli or granola, fruit instead of chocolate (sorry!). And don’t forget those sugar-packed fizzy drinks, they’ve got to go too.

So next time you get a craving for alcohol, eat something instead - you’ll be amazed at how quickly that craving disappears. Just make it something healthy though, OK?

By Bright Eye|56 Comments

Binge drinking is alcoholism too

Many people looking for help on this site do not consider themselves to be alcoholics. They are not drinking all day, every day. But they are regularly binge drinking alcohol to excess, such that they are damaging their health, their relationships and their self esteem.

It is easier to convince yourself that you haven’t got an alcohol problem if you can regularly have days where you don’t drink at all. You think you’ve got control of your drinking for a while, so you’re not as concerned any more.

Then it happens again - you binge, and wake up feeling awful. Maybe you carry on drinking heavily for a couple of days to deal with how guilty you feel about it all (and the hangover of course). But this type of binge drinking can have serious negative consequences which you need to do something about.

Are you an alcoholic or a binge drinker?

Take our test of alcoholism signs and symptoms.

By Bright Eye|232 Comments

Are you drinking to cope with boredom?

boredom causes alcoholism Many people with an alcohol problem are drinking as a way of dealing with boredom. They’ve got nothing exciting or interesting to do, so they drink instead, and that keeps them entertained.

Watching TV for hours is boring and uninspiring, but if you have a drink then it becomes more tolerable.

So, is your life too dull? If you weren’t drinking so much, what would you be doing with your spare time instead?

If you have difficulty answering that question, then here’s the first problem you need to solve before you can move forward.

By Bright Eye|71 Comments

Alcoholic brewery taster gets damages for alcoholism

alcoholic brewery taster The alcoholic head taster for a brewery in Brazil has been awarded financial damages by his employer after the courts agreed he had not been prevented from developing alcoholism.

How were they supposed to have done that?

He drank anywhere from 16 to 25 glasses of beer in an eight hour shift. The company argued that he was already an alcoholic before they employed him. The judge decided that in that case they were negligent in employing him in the first place.

Maybe he wasn’t spitting out enough of his tasting samples. But I’m sure there’s a few people out there who wouldn’t mind his job. If you’re looking for help with an alcohol problem, try our free consultation with no obligation, we’ll get back to you asap with some ideas about how our online treatment programme could help you.

By Bright Eye|1 Comment

Online therapy for addiction

online therapy for addiction The UK National Health Service has officially recognised the effectiveness of online therapy.

Cognitive Therapy is now being offered via private chatroom as part of the NHS services, in an attempt to provide for people who find it difficult to come to a clinic for conventional counselling.

An online chatroom can be used as a private space where a person can get support and therapeutic help from a professional. This is especially useful for people with alcohol or addiction problems, who may be too embarrassed to see a therapist or counsellor face to face. You don’t have to take time to get to someone’s clinic, they can come to you via your computer.

In all other respects, the nature of online therapy or counselling is the same - the same techniques are used, the same issues dealt with. If you’re not sure how this would actually help, read more about how online therapy works.

By Bright Eye|0 Comments

Help me to quit drinking

help quit drinking alcohol There are many ways to quit drinking -

you can check-in to a rehab if you’ve got the time,
you can try taking ‘Antabuse‘ (which will make you feel very ill if you drink any alcohol),
you could go to AA meetings to meet people with similar problems and do the 12 steps (but do you believe in a higher power?),
you could get a gym membership and spend every evening working out to distract yourself (not going to happen, right?),
you might want to try Kudzu (a herbal supplement which helps you cut down how much alcohol you want to drink),
best of all though, you can try the most convenient help available - online one-to-one therapy.

Online therapy will help you to quit drinking by encouraging you to change some aspects of your lifestyle, by getting you to look at the emotional and cognitive aspects of your habit, helping you to deal with anxiety or stress a bit better and by giving you some easy, practical tips to cut down the amount of alcohol you drink on a daily basis. It is probably the best option for those who are abusing alcohol, but who are not dependent alcoholics. (see: Am I an alcoholic?)

To quit drinking you first have to ask the question - “WHY am I drinking so much?” Our therapy service will help you to answer that.

By Bright Eye|155 Comments

Prescription drugs abused more than illegal drugs

A new report from the United Nations finds that prescription drug abuse is now more prevalent than illicit drug abuse. With the only exception of cannabis, there is now more trafficking and consumption of pharmaceuticals (particularly stimulants, painkillers and tranquillisers) than street drugs. This is causing a huge increase in the level of fake prescription drugs too (which contributes to 10% of the overall amount). And far worse, a huge increase in the number of overdose deaths as a result.

The International Narcotics Control Board estimates that the illicit market will double to $79bn (£40bn) over the next four years.

This poses the question - if the politicians are trying to reduce the harm caused by drugs use, perhaps some of their funds should be diverted towards encouraging the pharmaceutical industry to take some responsibility for the problem - if 90% of these illicitly used drugs are coming from licensed factories, why aren’t the big pharmaceutical corporations being asked to take more control of their supply lines? They are one of the most profitable industries in the world after all.

By Bright Eye|0 Comments

Are Pharmaceutical Drugs doing more harm than good?

pharmaceutical drugs The drug company, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) deliberately covered up the link between the use of it’s antidepressant drug Seroxat and an increased risk of suicide in adolescents.

They would have us believe that the drugs they produce for us are risk free, a modern-day panacea to cure all our emotional ills.

Consequently the medical profession hand them out like sweets. But we the public are the ones who take the risk with our health, or in this case our lives. The side effects of pharmaceutical drugs, particularly the SSRI antidepressants are manifold.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying they should never be used - of course they can be very useful and effective in certain circumstances. But all too often they are not matched to individuals sufficiently carefully. And clearly, financial rewards are causing companies to rush unsuitable drugs through into release before they have even been made safe.

The American writer Robert Whitaker suggests that psychiatric drugs peddled by the hugely profitable pharmaceutical industry are indeed causing more ill-health than they are curing.

Where does that leave you? If you’re needing medication to help you deal with depression or anxiety for example, then of course you tend to depend on what the doctor prescribes. Maybe it’s time to start looking at the alternatives to conventional western medicine in that case…

By Bright Eye|2 Comments

Alcohol Withdrawal

The symptoms of alcohol withdrawal are exceptionally unpleasant, as I’m sure you know. There are physical symptoms and emotional ones. Let’s start with the most extreme to get it out of the way - death.

Yes, if you’re physically dependent on alcohol, then a sudden withdrawal as opposed to a gradual detox can actually kill you or leave you with brain damage, usually via a seizure (a bit like an epileptic fit). Heart palpitations are the milder form of this. But lets hope you’re not quite that bad just yet (if you are drinking over 70 units per week for a woman or 100 for a man, then at least try to cut down gradually, or better than that - see a doctor).

On to the less fatal withdrawal symptoms then, we have hallucinations (usually unpleasant - spiders or snakes are common), the shakes, nausea and vomiting, oh and diarrhoea of course. Particularly unpleasant is waking in the middle of the night soaked in cold sweat, or alternatively, your own piss. It’s not sounding like a party exactly, is it?

Then you might have a splitting headache, often from severe dehydration and dilation of blood vessels. Basically the brain shrinks away from the lining of the skull. Ouch!

Hypoglycaemia, caused by the inability of the liver to metabolize sugar, can then leave you feeling irritable, nervous or aggressive, and weak.

You might end up with a few more emotional effects too, like mood swings, depression or confusion. Basically feeling like the lowest form of life on the planet.

So how can you make alcohol withdrawal easier?

Electrolyte replacement might help (the sachets you can get for diarrhoea are the best), along with plenty of liquids.
Complex carbohydrates (like brown rice, wholemeal bread, wholegrain cereals etc.) will help to slowly stabilize your blood sugar levels.
Eggs contain Cysteine, which can help the liver to metabolize Acetaldehyde (the toxic by-product of alcohol).
B-vitamin supplements are essential, as they help your nerve cells to recover from the damage you’ve inflicted.
We all know about the healing powers of caffeine - this constricts the blood vessels and can therefore alleviate the headache.

But to be on the safe side, if you’re drinking most mornings in order to get through your hangover, or you often get the shakes and sweats if you haven’t had a drink for a while, then you really should get some medical support before you consider withdrawing.

By Bright Eye|2,085 Comments

Am I an Alcoholic ?

Am I an alcoholic ? Most people who are drinking too much, in whatever way, will occasionally ask themselves the question - am I an alcoholic?

It’s a scary question to ask yourself, but as with most things the answer will not be a black or white,

“Yes, you’re an alcoholic” or
“No, you’re not”,

but a shade of grey somewhere in between.

What sort of alcoholic are you?

Binge Drinker

Irregular over-drinking,
Monster hangovers,
Doing embarrassing things you regret,
Alienating your friends,
Accidents,
Days off work,
Mood swings…

If this sounds like you, then get some help here.

Heavy Drinker

Very difficult to have a day without alcohol,
Can’t sleep without drink,
Drinking alone,
Guilt,
Cravings,
Can’t concentrate,
Low energy,
Depression…

Or if this sounds more like you, then contact us here.

Dependent Drinker

Physical withdrawal,
Drinking from early in the day, every day,
Isolation,
Poor health,
Unstable work,
Relationships failing,
Feeling hopeless & ashamed…

If however, this is who you are, then to start with you’re going to need some medical help to detox your liver - go and see your Doctor, then get in touch with us.

You might be wondering, more simply, how can I stop drinking alcohol? But of course it’s never as simple as that. You’ll need plenty of support, and some clear goals, plus some in-depth understanding of how your own particular addiction works. That’s what online counselling will do for you. Try one session at least, and you’ll see how it can help.

If you do nothing about your problems, then nothing will change.

By Bright Eye|247 Comments

UK has highest cocaine use in Europe

cocaine use causes environmental destruction It’s probably no surprise to some, but here in the UK, we have the biggest cocaine use in Europe.

The consequences of this to the nation’s health (and therefore our National Health Service), are far reaching - depression, anxiety, heart disease, strokes etc.

However, there are many other tragic consequences which you might not be aware of next time you put a rolled banknote up to your nose -

Colombian manufacturers of cocaine routinely protect their crops with landmines - these account for roughly 1000 maimed or killed locals every year.
the same manufacturers spray carcinogenic pesticides on their crops, further threatening the lives of the local population.
2.7 million people in Colombia have been illegally displaced from their land in the last ten years in order for the drugs cartels to grow coca (the crop used to make cocaine).
huge areas of tropical rainforest are cut down every year (so producers can keep evading the authorities) throughout the Andean region to make way for coca plants, producing massive soil erosion and flooding.
vast quantities of chemicals used in the refining process are being dumped illegally - such as Sulphuric Acid, Kerosene, Hydrochloric Acid, Ammonia, Acetone and Ether - all find their way into the local water supply.
Colombia’s biodiversity accounts for a massive 10% of the world’s species, these are all massively threatened.
Colombia has become one of the most violent nations in the world.
the USA is spending roughly $45 billion per year on it’s ‘war against drugs’, surely funds which could be better spent elsewhere, especially when they are now spraying chemical herbicide from the air over massive areas to try and eradicate the coca - affecting local farmland, animals and of course the people.

By Bright Eye|0 Comments

Is there a Cure for Alcoholism ?

There are those who believe (the alcoholics anonymous crowd mainly) that there is no cure for alcoholism - that if you’re an alcoholic or an addict, then no matter what treatment you go through, you’ll still be an alcoholic or an addict for the rest of your life.

This is not a position which holds much hope for anyone considering treatment or a rehab. The idea that you will always be liable to relapse and descend into alcoholism or addiction again could easily dissuade many people from bothering to make changes at all.

Wouldn’t it be more useful to encourage people and remind them that lasting change is possible. If you can heal the underlying causes of the addiction, then a former alcoholic no longer has such a tendency. Of course they would be prudent to be very respectful and observant of their relationship to alcohol. But people in recovery should not live their lives as a ‘dry-drunk’, believing that they are just one drink away from their previous excesses.

Can a former alcoholic ever drink sensibly again? Some can and some cannot. Abstinence is an option for some, and the only option advocated by AA, but that does not mean it is the only option which works. The cognitive therapy approach advocates self-understanding, but leaves the choice of whether to drink again to the individual.

There is only a cure for alcoholism if the problems that are causing it in the first place are dealt with.

By Bright Eye|81 Comments

Alcohol and Anxiety - the spiral of worry

alcohol and anxiety Anxiety ruins many people’s lives, and lessens the enjoyment of it for most of us. It’s focus can be anything, from the seemingly trivial to the life-threatening. Threat and fear can thread their way into many aspects of our lives.

Of course the solution that many people find is through alcohol. This can provide temporary but effective relief - allowing us to relax again and get on with life without being so preoccupied. But alcohol does not actually allow us to deal with our anxiety or manage the situations provoking it, so we fail to develop our resources.

Anxiety arises as a result of our interpretations of a situation as being in some way threatening or unpleasant. This is then combined with our perception of our ability to cope with that threat.

For example, two people are experiencing the exact same event - the possibility that they will lose their job. The anxiety prone person might think -
“but I’ll never find another job, I’m not good enough. I won’t have enough money, I won’t be able to cope - I’ll lose my house”. Obviously thoughts like that will tend to create anxiety.

The other person facing the same situation might think -
“I can get another job easy enough, I’m adaptable. Money might be a bit tight for a while, but I can cope with that”.

So if the first person can learn to adjust their perception of their abilities, they might not get so anxious, and they might not feel the need to drink so much alcohol as a result. Those perceptions and beliefs happen so automatically, we often forget that we have a degree of choice over them.

Unfortunately alcohol consumption tends to exacerbate anxiety levels subsequently - firstly by causing disruption to the nervous system, secondly by creating behaviour likely to induce further worry. A spiral of increased drinking causing increased anxiety can develop.

Anxious people tend to have a central belief about themselves as being helpless - they underestimate their ability to cope. Although, they are often aware that their fears are exaggerated.

Five key questions can be used to challenge the initial perception of threat and the appraisal of your coping ability:

What alternative interpretations could I make about this situation?
What concrete, factual evidence do I have to back-up or deny these beliefs?
What is the worst that could really happen, and how would that ultimately affect me?
What positive action can I take to manage this?
What are the pros and cons of me continuing with these catastrophic thoughts I’m having?

Coupled with some simple relaxation techniques like keeping aware of your breathing, you can soon lessen your anxiety to a tolerable level. If you can adjust the way you interpret the world, and thus not feel so worried about it, then you may not need to drink so much alcohol to cope.

By Bright Eye|74 Comments

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So what can you do, if drinking is part of your work culture?

Most people know if they’re drinking too much

What signs have you noticed that you’re drinking too much?

So how can you make alcohol withdrawal easier?

What sort of alcoholic are you?

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