Top Tips from the Ladies. 

In the UK in November it’s alcohol awareness week. I have participated in this for about 10 years in some way. Basically, it’s a good chance to raise awareness of different issues relating to alcohol.

This year is all about change.

So I thought I would ask the ladies in the amazing Women who dont drink Facebook group - "What is one thing you have changed, that helped you, to reduce, take a break or stop drinking?"

This is what they said:

I changed my mindset from, this is too big a challenge, I can’t do it, to: I am going to try, really try.

I can honestly say that the Women Who Don’t Drink group has helped me immensely. When I get a craving, I login to women who don't drink and read posts of ladies going through the same experience, encouraging one and other to stay focused as to why we chose to stay AF.

My mindset definitely but that only changed when I accepted that this was MY problem and took full...

There are some common mistakes people make when they are starting to reduce, take a break or stop drinking or doing drugs.

These are the 3 biggest ones that I see. Read this and then make sure you apply yourself in these areas to give yourself the best chance:

1.       They don’t do anything.

By this I mean, they want to reduce, take a break or stop. It doesn’t matter what it is, but they expect it to just happen. They may just decide they want to do it and actually manage to stop for a few days or a couple of weeks.  But you stand a much better chance if you take positive steps towards your goal by doing something different than you have done before. Educate yourself: read books, read blogs, learn from others, exercise, eat healthy food, talk to people, watch videos, listen to podcasts, get a hobby, anything. Just do something and keep doing somethings.  Which leads me on nicely to number 2.

...

Have you have been thinking about getting help to stop drinking? Or reducing or controlling your drinking?

Or maybe it’s your partying or drug use that has got out of hand.

You don’t want to tell your doctor or maybe you have spoken to them but it wasn’t really that helpful.

Some people will just be able to stop, gain control or reduce.  There is so much information out there on how to stop drinking, but it’s hard to know who and what to listen to.

What if you can’t do it on your own, what then? There is lots of help to stop drinking available, but you have to know where to look.

When I wanted to make a change and find help to stop drinking, I was lucky there was a great trainer and therapist in my life that had already spotted me coming a mile off, so they were ready for the call.  Also, in some weird way I was trying to help myself.  The want was there, I wanted my life to be different I just didn’t know how.

If that person...

If you want to make changes to your life, you must do something different. Action is needed.

Yes, you can read books, do courses and learn from people.  Obviously, they are all good things to do.  But none of it matters unless you are willing to do something about it and try things. And that’s the bit where people get stuck.

The thing is we don’t know until we try, the only way is through.

In fact, I would say that’s how most of us learn, through doing.

For instance when you first learn to drive you have no idea what you are doing.  All of it seems weird, awkward, scary and confusing.  You have to think really hard, pay attention and concentrate.  You make mistakes, stall the car and kangaroo jump around the car park.  Maybe you even feel scared and anxious. Or have doubts about whether you will even be able to learn. Thoughts of “will I ever pass my test” or “will I kill someone” running through your head.

It...

Everyone keeps banging on about alcohol……. What’s the big deal?

I am going to go straight in with this. Alcohol is a drug (yes, it is).  A drug is something you put into your system (take, drink) that effects how you think and feel. And alcohol definitely does that.

It can make you feel relaxed, sleepy, excited, disinhibited, more sociable, loud, aggressive, slur your words, have trouble walking, suffer from incontinence, vomit, have hallucinations, paranoia, anxiety, sweating, shaking and the list goes on.  It has many effects on the body.

Alcohol is - a colourless volatile flammable liquid which is produced by the natural fermentation of sugars and is the intoxicating constituent of wine, beer, spirits, and other drinks, and is also used as an industrial solvent and as fuel.

If alcohol was re classified today it would be a class A drug up there with heroin and cocaine.

Apart from the obvious serious issues, there are many reasons why alcohol...