Children of Alcoholics
All children need unconditional love from their parents to grow into healthy, functioning adults. It is not surprising that the children of alcoholics do not grow in this way as a rule, but are...
View ArticleAre you an enabler in your partner’s alcoholism?
The thing that seems to start off the enabling process is lack of knowledge about alcohol and alcoholism. It is because the community does not have enough knowledge about alcoholism that we come to...
View ArticleNothing Changes if Nothing Changes!
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. How many of us are guilty of doing just that! This is not a “warm and fuzzy” article. It is...
View ArticleAlcoholism and Procrastination
Whether they are drinking or not, most alcoholics have a tendency to procrastinate and use other avoidance behaviours. These behaviours are a form of denial. They often “forget” to keep their promises...
View ArticleThe reason teenagers give for taking illicit drugs and what you can say
Here are some of the reasons young people give for using drugs and some ideas about how you might choose to respond to them. “Someone had some and I just thought I’d try it.” Express your concern and...
View ArticleHow does alcohol affect the way you look?
Most of us are conscious of how we look. What many people don’t realise is that drinking alcohol in excess can have a negative impact on our appearance. Sometimes, alcohol misuse can affect your...
View ArticleFirst Step of Alcoholics Anonymous
“Admitted I was powerless over alcohol and my life has become unmanageable.” Alcoholics are powerless over alcohol! This is the message that Alcoholics Anonymous has been transmitting for over 65...
View ArticleBipolar disorder and alcoholism linked
Bipolar disorder and alcoholism often occur together. Up to half the people who have bipolar disorder also struggle with alcoholism. Although the association between bipolar disorder and alcoholism...
View ArticleThe link between borderline personality disorder and alcoholism
Many people stop drinking but they can’t stay stopped. Alcohol is only a symptom of an underlying problem and it could be a personality disorder that has gone undiagnosed for many years. More than 60%...
View ArticleThe Dynamics of intervention in an alcoholic’s self-destructive behaviour
It is not necessary to wait until a person hits “rock bottom” before intervention can take place. Intervention can be defined as “presenting reality to a person out of touch with it in a receivable...
View ArticleCommon questions asked by those involved in Recovery
No one who has been through it needs to be told that living with an alcoholic varies from unpleasant to sheer hell. On the other hand, few know what to expect in the short-term and the long-term when...
View ArticleAlcohol and Dopamine
Most people I talk to about alcoholism and what causes it have no idea that it is a brain chemistry problem and genetic. All drugs which lead to dependence appear to affect the dopamine system....
View ArticleStress Hypersensitivity and Emotional Overreaction of the Alcoholic
“If I didn’t have so much stress in my life, I wouldn’t have to drink!” That’s often the war-cry of the practising alcoholic. My reply never changes: “alcohol is only a symptom of an underlying...
View ArticleImpulse Control and Addiction
The inability to control impulsive behaviour has long been linked with alcohol consumption, as it pertains to the initial urge to drink and often, there are no second thoughts. Impulsivity can be...
View ArticleAbnormal Insecurity and Fear in the Alcoholic
Mixing alcohol with fear unleashes more fear and dominates the personality. Likewise, in the case of the neglected child, fear is instilled from childhood, and through regular alcohol intake, fear is...
View ArticleHow to stay sober, one day at a time
The unhappiest person in the world is the chronic alcoholic who has an insistent yearning to enjoy life as she once knew it, but cannot picture life without alcohol. She has a heart-breaking obsession...
View ArticleCase Study: What alcohol did to me – Anna’s Story
I had my first drink with my girlfriend when I was 14 years old. We sat in front of an old black and white TV and drank a bottle of cheap wine. I can remember seeing a cockroach run across the floor...
View ArticleBorderline Personality Disorder and Alcoholism
Lonely, empty, overwhelmed, sad, angry, bitter, anxious, stressed and helpless – these are the emotions that many alcoholics experience and use alcohol to self-medicate their unwanted feelings. They...
View ArticleLetting Go of Guilt in Early Recovery
Guilt is the interest you pay on a debt you don’t owe! Keep feeding your guilt and your misery will be refunded with interest! To overcome guilt and self-blame, it is important to separate your...
View ArticleFamilies and the big cover up
For every alcoholic there are at least 4 to 6 family members emotionally affected, not to mention other relatives and friends. Rationalisation and justification occurs when the alcoholic begins to...
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