A fantastic video on the Guardian today about how women are being over-prescribed anti-depressants, when fluctuations in mood and anxiety levels are quite natural, and can sometimes be explained by your circumstances.
A study published last week in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health found a concerning increase in the number of women in their 30’s and 40’s dying from alcohol-related conditions (in UK cities at least).
This is contrary to the general trend, which has shown no increase in deaths from alcohol for the population as a whole in the period studied (from 1980 to 2011).
Explanations vary for this unusual result for younger women, but many are blaming cultural factors for the acceptability of heavy drinking amongst women recently. Whatever the explanation, policy-makers should perhaps take note that action needs to be taken.
A survey by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) has found that talking therapies are becoming more acceptable in UK culture, people are less embarrassed to admit they have had therapy, and more would consider it as an option than they used to.
Thankfully it seems our society is changing into one which acknowledges the difficulties we all face with our mental health, and as such does not stigmatise those who decide to seek help in the form of counselling or therapy.
All we need now is sufficient access to these therapies, because at present (and with cuts in public spending under way) there is just not enough capacity to meet demand. The cheaper option of medication is often suggested by GPs with limited funds, which though effective at dealing with symptoms, does not address the underlying issues.
Further coverage in the Guardian.co.uk
A good article on the BBC today about what happens in an AA meeting - well worth reading.
As if you needed another excuse to have a drink. Now researchers in Spain have conducted a study of 40 000 people and found that those who drank alcohol regularly tended to have a lower risk of a heart attack than those who were teetotal (particularly for men over the age of 40). And the more you drink, the greater the protective effect.
Don’t forget of course that all the other health risks still apply - so you might not have a heart attack, you’ll just get liver cirrhosis instead, or pancreatitis, a stroke perhaps, or you could develop diabetes, or stomach cancer. So don’t take this as an excuse to have a drink after all.
A recent research study published in the Journal of Technology in Human Services has demonstrated the effectiveness of online psychotherapy for mental health problems.
The meta-study reviewed 92 different studies of online counselling or therapy (a total of 9,764 clients), and found no difference in effectiveness from usual face to face therapy.
The studies involved clients with a wide range of mental health problems, including addiction, anxiety and depression.
If you think you might want to give it a try to help with your alcohol problems, get in touch with us here.
Many of you will say that you need a drink in order to sleep, that alcohol actually helps you sleep better. While it may be true that drinking will get you off to sleep quicker, unfortunately the quality of your sleep will be much worse overall.
Alcohol inhibits the brain from entering REM stage sleep, which is when we do most of our dreaming, and prolongs the initial stage of deeper sleep. So when you wake up, you will probably not have dreamt enough - and dreaming is an essential component of sleeping. That or you wake up early once the alcohol has worn off.
Alcohol also inhibits your kidneys from absorbing water, so you tend to urinate more, and end up dehydrated. This further disrupts the quality of your sleep, and often produces a headache by morning. As such you end up feeling tired and unable to concentrate for the rest of the day. If you drink every evening, then you may be chronically sleep deprived, even though you might sleep all night, the quality of your sleep is not what it should be.
Making the transition to drinking less is often marked by a difficulty in falling asleep however, so you’ll have to readjust to dropping off naturally again. Getting regular, strenuous exercise is a good idea then - if you’re physically tired you’re much more likely to be able to sleep without needing your usual ‘knock-out drops’.
An important factor in solving your problems with alcohol is talking to other people who understand what you’re going through, who won’t judge you for it, and who will genuinely share their experience without just trotting out the old clichés about drinking.
I’m sure you’ve heard these many times from friends or family, like - “oh you don’t need to worry about it, you don’t have a drink first thing in the morning, do you”, or “I don’t understand why you can’t just have a couple like I do” etc.
Of course most people immediately think of Alcoholics Anonymous meetings when they think of getting group support for their alcohol problems. But again, many people are intimidated by the doctrine of AA, as the 12-step model it follows has certain expectations for you to fit into (though not all AA meetings strictly adhere to these principles). Similarly, some people are so uncomfortable and embarrassed about their drinking that they don’t want to admit it face to face with others, even if they are strangers.
Luckily there is now the option of communicating online, where the screen can grant you a cloak of anonymity. As such you can join our alcohol support forum - day or night there will always be a wide range of people logged on who can give you feedback, support or advice about your drinking and an idea of how to make some changes. Check it out and if you like what you see, register for an account (free of course).
According to figures released today by the NHS:
We have to ask ourselves why people in the UK seem to be developing more problems with alcohol, and what can be done about it. The cost to the health service alone is staggering - presently some £2.7 billion. That’s before we even consider the personal and social costs involved.
The Department of Health has released research where they have identified nine different types of person who drinks alcohol to excess (their definition of excess being double the recommended weekly amount or more).
It might be useful to see if you can recognise which type you are. The types they defined are -
It’s a fairly comprehensive list, but if you’re not sure which category you might fit into, have a look at the list of criteria for each type of drinker on the BBC
Of course it would seem to suggest that people who drink fall into one type or another, whereas experience would suggest that the same person could be defined under many of the categories, depending on what is going on for them that day.
Everyone has their own little hangover cure don’t they. There must be thousands of them out there, but how many actually work? The truth is different people probably need different things to help them, depending on their individual constitution.
However there are a few reliable cures that seem to work for everyone. One of the main causes of a hangover is dehydration (largely responsible for your headache), so clearly the best thing to prevent or cure them is rehydration - plenty of water or fruit juice (as that often contains anti-oxidants too).
Sugar filled soft drinks like cola are NOT a good idea, because although they’ll make you feel good temporarily by boosting your blood sugar, you’ll very quickly feel even worse again as you suffer from the insulin crash afterwards.
Having said that, caffeine can often help with a headache and get you feeling sharper again, it depends on your preference. Unfortunately most caffeinated drinks are also diuretic, meaning they will dehydrate you even more. Part of your rehydration might perhaps include essential electrolytes too (Calcium, Potassium, Sodium, Magnesium etc).
Another cause of hangover is acetaldehyde, the toxic chemical produced when alcohol dehydrogenase breaks down alcohol in the liver. This is what causes the ‘poisoned’ feeling. There are a couple of things which work quite well to mop this up - the first is an amino acid called cysteine, which is found in large quantities in eggs. So that’s breakfast sorted out. You can also buy N-acetyl cysteine as a supplement in health food shops. The second thing which mops up acetaldehyde quite well is probiotics - the healthy bacteria found in yoghurt. However perhaps the best way to take this is in capsule form where it’s far more concentrated. A few of these before bedtime can really help you.
Most alcoholic drinks will leave you with low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) by morning, so its important to get that back up again in a slow, stable way. Which means complex carbohydrates as opposed to simple ones. What I mean is whole grains, like wholemeal bread or muesli, vegetables and fruit (particularly bananas to boost your potassium levels again). Carbs like simple sugars, white pasta or potatoes will not help.
The nausea can be eased very effectively with ginger or peppermint tea, and again with those rehydration salts (or electrolytes).
Painkillers are obviously quite tempting, but paracetamol causes further toxic strain on the liver and kidneys, and ibuprofen can irritate the stomach. So aspirin is probably the safest analgesic for a hangover.
Finally you might well benefit from some B vitamin supplements - to calm your central nervous system (responsible for the tremors, sweats and anxiety), but these will tend to have a more long term effect rather than being a short term cure.
No doubt you’ve got plenty of suggestions for your own hangover cures too, so lets hear what works for you in the comments…
This week the BBC monitored the drinking diaries of two typical professional people in their late twenties - both considered themselves to be health conscious and fit.
What emerged was a picture of what many people might consider ‘normal’ patterns of drinking in our culture. However, when their level of alcohol consumption was broken down into units it became apparent that both of them were drinking way in excess of recommended guidelines - 37 units for the woman and 112 units for the man.
They also demonstrated a significant level of ignorance about their drinking, and about the implications for their health. One of them actually said - “I don’t like getting drunk…” yet had consumed over 15 units per session on five days that week, and 25 units (as far as he could remember) on the Saturday! That’s about 8 pints of strong lager or nearly 3 bottles of wine. But he doesn’t like getting drunk - yeah, right!
However, a survey by YouGov also found that many people have no idea what the recommended safe alcohol consumption levels actually are (14 units per week for women and 21 for men), and very few were aware of the units of alcohol present in common drinks. [Here’s a very handy units of alcohol calculator]
The thing which strikes you when you read the two diaries is that there are many people around drinking exactly the same amounts, yet believing that they don’t have a problem with alcohol.
Oh dear, the BBC reported today that UK police crime figures have shown a 50% increase in arrests of women for being drunk and disorderly over the past five years.
In certain areas of the country this rate was even higher - a 1200% increase in the West Midlands, and a 700% increase in South Wales.
Some people are blaming this on cheap alco-pops, while others suggest the opened up licensing laws. It seems to be more to do with our culture, women drink as much as men do now.
Where is this trend going, and what effect is it having on the health of the women in this generation?
There is no doubt that the most popular self help book for people with alcohol problems is this one by Allen Carr.
He achieved his deserved reputation with his initial book about stopping smoking, and such was its success that he’s now written two books dedicated to drinking. This one is for those who want to regain control, but don’t want to stop completely.
If you don’t want to buy the book, but are interested in the cognitive approach that it uses, try having a read through our articles and worksheets on relapse prevention.
While this one is written specifically for those of you who have decided you want to totally stop drinking. Again, like his other book, it concentrates on the cognitive aspects of your alcohol problems - what you are telling yourself internally about alcohol.
The British Medical Association released a report last week that the UK is currently experiencing an alcohol epidemic. Hospital admissions due to alcohol are increasing dramatically (5% increase over a year), and alcohol related crime is going up by about 7 percent per year according to local government figures.
Why do so many people in the UK feel the need to binge drink? It’s not about increased accessibility since the change in the licensing laws or even the low cost of a drink, because they are now roughly the same here as those in Europe.
But other countries don’t have as much of a bingeing problem. And we’ve had this problem for at least the last ten years, not just since they relaxed pub opening times.
Are we just more stressed than our cousins on the continent? For many people, alcohol is the only escape they have from the stress of their lives. Perhaps its the fact that we have the highest working hours per week in the whole of Europe, and that our debt culture is spiralling?
The solution some have suggested is increased taxes or warnings such as those on cigarette packets, but has that stopped anybody smoking? No, it has just increased the revenue for the government that’s all (which at least pays for increased pressure on health services).
Maybe education might help - but this is not a case of people being ill-educated about the risks of excessive drinking; like the risks of smoking, we’re all well aware. But that is not enough to motivate people to cut down. The motivation must be internal, you can’t expect someone to change their behaviour just by telling them its bad for them. They must choose to change through seeing that the costs outweigh the benefits.
Read the full text of the BMA report in pdf format.
We’ve now opened our free support forum for anyone with alcohol problems.
There are no expectations that you must be sober, it is just a community space where you can share your experiences and hopefully get some support from other people in a similar situation to yourself, whether you want to give up drinking completely, or if you just want to cut down.
You need only provide a valid email address to join - but this will never be displayed, so you can remain completely anonymous.
A recent survey by YouGov found that 33% of adults between 30 and 50 felt that alcohol had ruined a night out for them at least once in the past year.
They also pointed out how much more of an effect alcohol has on the body the older we get, our organs just can’t recover as quickly as they used to. So it’s no surprise that they also report that NHS admissions due to alcohol for over 35 year olds have increased by 50% in the last three years. This is all adding up to a big problem. What is going on in the UK right now?
One of the biggest difficulties people face when they’re trying to stop drinking is what to do when other people are drinking alcohol around them.
The temptation to have a drink yourself is one aspect of it - “they can do it, so why can’t I?” Seeing them getting merry, and desperately wanting a taste too. How are you supposed to resist the urge?
The other aspect is, you begin to realise your drunk friends are actually quite tiresome, their sense of humour doesn’t quite match yours anymore, you feel left behind. Suddenly you’re the odd one out, when you’ve been so used to being part of the crowd, one of the party. This can feel very isolating if you’re the only one who’s not drinking.
Then of course there’s the concerned advice from your inebriated companions:
This makes it even harder, and what should be a fun evening can turn into an endurance test.
This all depends on the company you’re with of course, if you’re just with your family or your partner in a restaurant then obviously the pressure won’t be so awkward, but pubs, bars and clubs with your old ‘drinking buddies’ will take some getting used to.
What really helps here is to enlist an ally - a close friend (or your partner perhaps), who’s not that bothered about drinking either and is prepared to be sober for a night to keep you company. That way you won’t feel quite so different, and you’ll have somebody who’s on your level, someone you can chat to comfortably (make sure you sit next to them of course). You won’t need to do this forever, but just until you get used to not drinking when your friends are.
An interesting study by Hertfordshire University recently discovered that talking about your cravings can actually reduce their power over you.
Although they used chocolate, not alcohol, the principle is exactly the same. The test subjects who were encouraged to talk about their desire for chocolate subsequently ate 50% less than those who were told not to talk about it beforehand.
If you try to ignore your cravings, or suppress them and pretend they’re not happening, then you can end up drinking even more. So if you want to beat your cravings for alcohol, just acknowledge them and talk about it with someone who is supportive.