The need for alcohol
With the rise in the cost of living, the stresses of lockdown, home schooling, the war in Ukraine, and the uncertainty around our income, you would be forgiven for thinking that having a couple of drinks in the evening is an uncomplicated form of escape.
As we are beginning to understand more about alcohol and drinking patterns, we are realising that this can all too easily start the formation of a dependency on alcohol, and a way of coping with the daily struggles of life.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) states that “Alcohol dependence affects 4% of people aged between 16 and 65 in England (6% of men and 2% of women), and over 24% of the English population (33% of men and 16% of women) consume alcohol in a way that is potentially or actually harmful to their health or well-being.”
Symptoms
The symptoms of alcohol dependency are surprisingly unknown and many of us could probably benefit from being a bit more mindful of what we are doing to our bodies and the habits we are forming.
Look at these questions below and answer them honestly. It might help you to make some really useful changes to your health and financial wellbeing.
Do you always need a glass of wine or two to rewind after a stressful day?
Do you find it difficult to go more than a day without drinking alcohol?
Are you unable to have just one drink and stop?
Have you noticed that the time that you start drinking is getting earlier and earlier?
Have others started to comment on how much alcohol you are drinking?
Do you often drink more that your peers when socialising?
Do you find it hard to socialise without drinking alcohol?
Do you regularly feel hungover?
If you find yourself answering ‘yes’ to more than one of these questions you may be developing a dependence upon alcohol and may benefit from our counselling services to resolve this. Here at the British CBT and Counselling Service we offer Alcohol Counselling with a four step programme. Book online booking system or call for an informal chat. We’re always happy to talk.
info@thebritishcbtcounsellingservice.com or by telephone 0800 002 9068
References
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg115/chapter/Introduction
