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How to get help
Anyone with worries about a drinking problem – theirs or a friend or a family member's – has many places to turn for help. A range of alcohol services is on hand for advice and treatment.
Telephone advice lines: offer immediate access to general advice and a means of identifying sources of further help. Services are free and confidential.
Street agencies: are located in community settings and operate 'drop-in' policies. You’ll find advice, information and referral to other services.
Local doctor/GP: should be an invaluable resource. If you aren't registered with a doctor, look in Yellow Pages for your nearest clinic, or ring the local council.
You can contact self-help groups directly although other community services provided by Community Alcohol Teams and Drug Dependency Units require a referral.
Structured counselling provides more formal assessment and clearly defined treatment plans and goals than open-access services. Structured day programmes are an alternative to residential rehabilitation. Most of these schemes require attendance three and five days a week.
Aftercare is targeted at users completing other programmes and aiming at complete abstinence.
Placements at these units usually last 6–12 weeks and give users time out from home to address their alcohol use through counselling and other non-medical therapies.
Unless funding the placement themselves, users cannot typically attend without a referral from another agency, and you will be assessed for a place by the local authority that will fund it. If you have private health insurance, your insurer might pay.
Almost all units require users to be completely abstinent from alcohol or drug use. However, some units – 'wet hostels' – are designed for heavy drinkers unwilling or unable to use other services.
Therapies such as acupuncture, hypnotherapy, homeopathic preparations and shiatsu massage are offered by some services (often street agencies or residential units).
Other private counselling and medical services are available although at a price.
You don't have to be an 'alcoholic' to have a problem with alcohol or to get help. Often, problems with alcohol occur when a situation gets out of hand or you're not thinking very clearly. Any inappropriate or erratic behaviour at work, college, school or home by you may create difficulties, for instance. Or this could even escalate to situations around alcohol-related violence or drink-driving.
If you think you may have a problem, it's quite likely you do. Making a list of positives and negatives about your alcohol use may help clarify things. Or you could try answering the following questions – the more 'yes' answers you give, the more likely it is that you need to think about changing your use.
Alcohol check-list
- Do you ever drink when you're alone?
- Do you use alcohol because you're bored, lonely or anxious?
- Do you think a lot about alcohol and drinking?
- Do you need to use more and more to get the effect you want?
- Do you feel irritable or anxious if you don't drink?
- Have you made repeated failed attempts to give up or cut down?
It's a personal thing
It's important to realise that problems associated with alcohol use are highly personal: one person's problem would not necessarily be cause for concern for someone else. Most services are happy to answer questions and talk to anyone with worries about their drinking. And they're confidential and usually free.
Some people do get to grips with their drinking problems without professional help – see DIY detox for practical advice on self-help. But it can be a lot easier to tackle with a more structured programme – not least to have a bit of friendly support.
Three routes to help
Community services
Residential services
Alternative and private therapies
Help and info
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Telephone helplines
Childline
Helpline: 0800 1111
A free, confidential and 24-hour helpline for children and young people in the UK. Children and young people can call to talk to counsellors about any problem affecting them, including alcohol.
Drinkline
Helpline: 0800 917 8282 (24 hours)
A free national helpline offering advice and information for people with alcohol problems or anyone concerned about alcohol misuse. Provide advice on sensible drinking and information on local support services to help people cut down on their drinking.
Organisations
Addaction
67–69 Cowcross Street
London EC1M 6PU
Tel: 020 7251 5860 (Mon–Fri 9am–5pm)
Email: info@addaction.org.uk
Website: www.addaction.org.uk
Working solely in the field of drug and alcohol treatment, Addaction runs community-based and prison-based projects, plus specialist services for young people.
Alcohol Concern
32–36 Loman Street
London SE1 0EE
Telephone: 020 7928 7377 (Mon–Fri 9am–5pm)
Email: contact@alcoholconcern.org.uk
Website: www.alcoholconcern.org.uk
Alcohol Concern acts as the national umbrella body for 500 local agencies tackling alcohol-related harm and offering help to the families and friends of those with alcohol-related problems.
Al-Anon
61 Great Dover Street
London SE1 4YF
Tel: 020 7403 0888
Fax: 020 7378 9910
Website: www.al-anonuk.org.uk
A network of self help groups, affiliated to Alcoholics Anonymous, dedicated to helping friends, families or anyone who has been affected by anyone else’s drinking.
Alcoholics Anonymous
PO Box 1
Stonebow House
Stonebow
York YO1 7NJ
Helpline: 0845 769 7555 (24 hours)
Tel: 01904 644026
Email: aanewcomer@runbox.com
Website: www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk
Runs self-help groups throughout the UK. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking.
National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse
5th floor, Hannibal House
London SE1 6TE
Tel: 020 7972 2473 (Mon–Fri 9am–5pm)
Website: www.nta.nhs.uk
A special health authority established by the government to increase the availability, capacity and effectiveness of treatment for drug misuse in England.
Websites
Alcohol Concern
www.alcoholconcern.org.uk
Contains information about the work of Alcohol Concern, factsheets and details of publications, a directory of local alcohol services, and advice for those worried about their own or someone else's drinking.
Addiction Network
www.addictionnetwork.co.uk
Contains extensive information on alcoholism and other addictions. Offers advice, education, treatment options and more for professionals and the general public at large. Updated daily, it deals with technical enquiries through its 'Ask the Expert' facility and also has its own agony aunt.
Addiction Alternatives
www.addictionalternatives.com
A gateway to the world of 'how to' methods that can enable you to gain more control of your life whether you are seeking help for a family member, friend, or yourself. Has information, online quizzes, links and recommended resources.
Alcohol Recovery Project
www.arp-uk.org
A London-based agency witha range of support services across London, which are free to the individual.
Centre for Recovery from Drug and Alcohol Abuse
www.recovery.org.uk
Information and advice for those with a drug or alcohol problem, families and friends. Features facts about drugs, frequently asked questions, suggested reading and website links.
Drinkaware.co.uk
www.drinkaware.co.uk/howmany.php
Website with useful online tools to help you check the amounts of units you’re drinking and advice on how to keep within safe levels. Lots of other online hints and tips.
Institute of Alcohol Studies
www.ias.org.uk
The aims of the Institute are to increase the understanding of alcohol and of public policies necessary to reduce the problems associated with its use. The site has many useful fact sheets.
Moderation Management
www.moderation.org
For people who want to reduce their drinking. Resources include suggested lifestyle changes, questionnaire, reading lists, links and frequently asked questions.
Rational Recovery
www.rational.org
RR was founded as an alternative to the 12-Step, spiritual healing program of Alcoholics Anonymous. Resources and forums.
Secular Organisations for Sobriety (SOS)
www.secularsobriety.org
An alternative recovery method for alcoholics or drug addicts who are uncomfortable with the spiritual content of widely available 12-Step programs. Takes a secular approach to recovery and maintains that sobriety is a separate issue from religion or spirituality. Website has details of SOS meetings around the world.
Self Management and Recovery Training
www.smartrecovery.org
A non-profit organisation run almost exclusively by dedicated volunteers. SMART Recovery® offers free scientifically based mutual help groups (including groups online) for abstaining from any addictive behaviour including alcohol, other substances, or activities.
Women for Sobriety
www.womenforsobriety.org
A non-profit organisation dedicated to helping women overcome alcoholism and other addictions. A US-based organisation that has self-help groups throughout the world.
Reading
The Effective Way to Stop Drinking by Beauchamp Colclough (Penguin Health Care and Fitness, 1998)
Discusses the reasons why people drink alcohol, dispels the myths involved, and offers advice on ways drinkers can change their habits and attitudes.
Get this book
Rational Recovery: The new cure for substance addiction by Jack Trimpey (Pocket Books, 1996)
Self-recovery through planned abstinence.
Get this book
