Can I like myself and drink?
Make Me Whole Again!
by Claire Jack
5y ago
I’ve worked with so many clients over the years who have had problems with alcohol. We spend some time searching for the reasons for why they drink in a way which damages their health, relationships and finances. There are a whole host of seemingly rational reasons as to why people drink – to alleviate stress, because they started as social drinkers and things got out of hand, or because they simply feel they are addicted to a highly addictive substance. All these reasons make sense on a superficial level, but through my exploration of my own reasons for drinking, and after working with so ..read more
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Breaking the destructive drinking cycle
Make Me Whole Again!
by Claire Jack
5y ago
Whenever we engage in any self-destructive and addictive behaviour – such as drinking – there’s a sense of being out of control. The other day, I was on a roundabout. It was one of these roundabouts with tons of lanes – and I was in the wrong lane. I ended up having to go round the roundabout twice before I got into the right lane (side note – I get confused driving sometimes, especially if I’m stressed – getting treatment for a driving phobia is what originally encouraged me to seek hypnotherapy treatment!). Anyway, back to the roundabout with all the lanes, and while I was on it, in the wron ..read more
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5 affirmations for quitting drinking!
Make Me Whole Again!
by Claire Jack
5y ago
Stopping drinking takes a huge amount of effort and control. Here are five powerful affirmations to help you remember your true self worth and stay on track.: NOBODY else has the power to make me drink – it is always my choice I choose to deal with difficult situations and people by taking care of myself instead of damaging myself with alcohol My feelings are manageable and I am strong enough to sit with them I am, and have always been, good enough – I do not need alcohol to make me acceptable Alcohol is the easy option – I love myself enough to put in the work ..read more
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I need a drink! How to break the response
Make Me Whole Again!
by Claire Jack
5y ago
The other day, my mum made a comment which I found greatly upsetting. And, guess what? I wanted a drink more than anything in the whole world (and yes, I would have quite happily sold my mother for it). Since about the age of 17, whenever my mum upset me, my response was to drink. My mother doesn’t like conflict – if you pull her up for her behaviour things go about as far as they can (she once didn’t speak to me for two weeks when I was 20 because I did confront her). Because I grew up unable to express myself around her and because I was scared of her reaction if I did confront her about any ..read more
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Why am I addicted to alcohol?
Make Me Whole Again!
by Claire Jack
5y ago
Many therapeutic interventions to help people stop or cut down their drinking focus on behavioural issues, such as setting clear goals around drinking, finding replacement behaviours to drinking and focusing on a future without drinking. Whilst all this is very helpful, I also think it’s important to ask the question, ‘Why am I addicted to alcohol?’. Because if you don’t ask this question – and work through getting to an honest answer – you’re going to still have the same underlying drives which caused you to drink to excess in the first place. No matter how good your strategies to stop or cut ..read more
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Do I have a problem with alcohol part 2 – self medication
Make Me Whole Again!
by Claire Jack
5y ago
One question which isn’t included in either the CAGE or AUDIT alcohol questionnaires is, ‘Do you ever use alcohol to self-medicate?’ – and I think it is one of the most important questions I ask my clients. Have a think about this for a moment…alcohol is, supposedly, there to help us enjoy ourselves, to experience the rush of booze and to create a sense of social cohesion when we’re at a party or gathering (or so the theory goes). But the number of people using alcohol as medication is huge. Do you ever come home from work after a stressful day and feel you ‘need’ a large glass of wine to ..read more
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Do I have an alcohol problem?
Make Me Whole Again!
by Claire Jack
5y ago
If you’re worried about whether or not you might have a problem with drinking, there are various tests which are commonly applied by therapists and other health care professionals. Two screening measures which are commonly used are the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and the CAGE questionnaire. The AUDIT asks ten questions, concerning questions around the amount you drink as well as the impacts of your drinking behaviours, whereas the CAGE questionnaire focuses more on your subjective understanding of the impact of your drinking on yourself and those around you. I prefer ..read more
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3 ways to kick start sober living!
Make Me Whole Again!
by Claire Jack
5y ago
When I stopped drinking, it was the first fortnight which was the hardest – and the first few days were downright horrible. I remember walking from my house to the bookshop, which was about a mile away, feeling grim – but determined to see if I could get hold of a book on going sober (which turned out to be a really good idea). I was about day 3 in to my alcohol free adventure, and it felt like more of an ordeal than an adventure at that point. I came home, lay on my bed, shed a few tears of self pity and then opened up the book. When you’ve been drinking pretty much every day – even if it ..read more
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The part that keeps you drinking
Make Me Whole Again!
by Claire Jack
5y ago
Over the years – before finally being able to take control – I wanted to stop or reduce my drinking more often that I can remember. A night out which resulted in an argument with my partner, waking up with a furry tongue or being too tired to go to work often made me seriously question the amount I was drinking. And I would resolve to do something about it. And then… I wouldn’t. Despite waking up that morning feeling full of the joys and motivated enough to take action, by the time the sun was going down (or well before, depending on the time of year), I’d cave and get the wine in. Why ..read more
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Alcohol and transactional analysis
Make Me Whole Again!
by Claire Jack
5y ago
There are loads of reasons why I used to drink too much. Every interaction between myself and another is a transaction. And alcohol can be part of these transactions. A couple of years ago I was meeting up with an old friend (and my first drinking buddy ever) for the start of a weekend together. I got a text, “I’m on the plane. Are you getting a drink on the train? I’m only going to if you do!”. At the time, I didn’t fancy a drink, but here’s what I did. I texted straight back with, “Of course! Can’t have a journey sober. Enjoy your wine!”. This happened at a time when I was trying to mode ..read more
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