Alcohol Awareness Week
15 to 21 November is Alcohol Awareness Week. It is coordinated by Alcohol Change UK and is a week of awareness raising and campaigning for change. The theme this year is Alcohol and relationships. For most of us, we associate alcohol with fun and socialising. Culturally alcohol has become a part of our connections and interactions with friends and family. But when our own or a loved one’s drinking starts to have a negative effect on our relationships it can have a devastating impact on our lives.
Social drinking has long been a source of concern for health experts with many of us drinking more than we should. And this has only been made worse by the loneliness, uncertainty and isolation of the pandemic. Alcohol is addictive and the effect it has lessens the more you drink. This can lead to an escalating situation where you drink more and more and can’t easily stop. As Raymond Chandler (American-British Novelist and Screenwriter) said, “Alcohol is like love. The first kiss is magic, the second is intimate, the third is routine”.
Impact on Society
Now you might argue that you choosing to drink too much is a personal matter. But the harm doesn’t always end with the individual. Everyone who drinks too much is also part of a family and a community who can feel the effects too; possibly through frequent use of emergency services, drink driving, crime, violence or neglect.
Alcohol Change UK works to build a future in which people drink as a conscious choice. Where the issues that can lead to alcohol problems, such as poverty, mental health issues, homelessness, are properly addressed through high quality support without shame or stigma.
It is estimated that every day, in the UK, 20 people die as a result of it. This can be through, liver disease, one of seven forms of cancer and mental health problems. It is thought an estimated 600,000 people are dependent drinkers in England alone. These are people who are in a relationship with alcohol that is bringing them and their family’s ill-health, conflict and pain. Worse still, four in five of them are receiving no form of treatment.
Campaigns
In January 2001, 6.5 million people took on the Dry January challenge. It’s a UK based, one month abstinence challenge. Cutting out alcohol or getting it under control will allow you to get your fun back, get your energy back and get your calm back. The benefits to your bank balance and health could be immense. As Alex Ferguson (Scottish former Football Manager) said, “In England, it’s a rare thing to see a player smoking but, all in all, I prefer that to an alcoholic. The relationship with alcohol is a real problem in English football and, in the short term, it’s much more harmful to a sportsman. It weakens the body, which becomes more susceptible to injury”.
If you, or someone you know, has relationship with alcohol, then Hypnotherapy can help. Specifically it can help boost will power, break habits and explore the root cause of it. If you think hypnotherapy can help then contact me for more information.
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