Drowning your sorrows?
by Jessica Kiddle
DO YOU automatically open a bottle of wine when you get home at night, or find it impossible to stick to orange juice at a party? There is nothing unusual about reaching for a drink in times of stress, sadness or celebration, but it is a habit that for many can turn into an unhealthy reliance.
The latest figures from the Scottish Executive show a 66 per cent increase in the number of people admitted to hospital due to alcohol-related liver disease in the last eight years, and recent research in Germany has highlighted a women's susceptibility to drink-induced brain damage. Yet, although drinkers are being bombarded with health warnings, alcohol has become our social currency and it is easy to become reliant on it.
In a bid to tackle this, Lisa Morgan, a creative-thinking expert with ten years' experience working for United Distillers, has started running her one-day 'The Glass Half Full' workshops.
Morgan's classes use visualisation techniques to help anyone concerned about their relationship with alcohol. Visualisation techniques have long been used in sport with athletes envisaging themselves succeeding before an event, but it is only recently they have been used for alcohol management.
"The wonderful thing about your imagination is that it works in your subconscious, which doesn't really know the difference between reality and dream. If you dream hard enough, you can make it a reality because all your energy flows towards that one goal," says Morgan, from her residential workshop centre in Cumbria.
One of the team behind the "drinking and driving wrecks lives" advertising campaign in the 1980s, Morgan believes you can't tell people what to do - you have to make them live it inside their heads. It was this philosophy that underpinned the highly successful adverts and one which now forms the backbone of her workshops.
"There is no way that drinking is a rational behaviour, but it is wrapped up in our emotions and our culture. My stance is that you have the power to create your own behaviour by using your imagination," she says.
"I am not a puritan," she says. "I am not saying you can't enjoy a drink, but if you are feeling guilty or anxious about the amount you now drink either socially or alone, or if you rely on drink to relax for example, it is time to examine your drinking habits."
Here she outlines her six key visualisation techniques to ensure you are in control of your drinking rather than letting it control you:
1 Become aware of what each drink is for
If you are surprised by how quickly you can finish a bottle of wine or by how easily one pint escalates into five, this technique will be a worthy exercise. Try to become aware of each drink you are consuming. The first one may be for relaxation, but what is the next one for? If you discover that some of your drinks are just a habit, then cut those out. Make each drink (not each drinking occasion) do something positive for you and you'll enjoy those drinks so much more."
2 Choose a role model
"When you drink, who do you remind yourself of?" asks Morgan. "Are they someone you want to be like? Now pick a person you truly admire and aspire to be like. How do they drink?"
Asking yourself these questions will, explains Morgan, highlight the fact that you often outgrow the early role models that encouraged your drinking style.
"So if you started drinking at university with friends that never sobered up enough to graduate, or if it was your uncle Jimmy who instilled his fondness of a wee dram in you, perhaps it is time to identify who you would like to emulate now. "Update your personal heroes to fit the person you wish to become," she says.
3 Challenge your subconscious
Influenced by your emotions, music and visual imagery, your subconscious is highly susceptible to the powers of advertising. To challenge the artificially constructed appeal of alcohol Morgan advises examining your thoughts and feelings towards drinking. "Choose your favourite tipple and write down all the associations you have with it," she says. "How many of those impressions are yours and how many have been sold to you through marketing? A drink is what you imagine it is. You have the power to choose whether to buy the imagery or not."
4 Change your mind
Morgan says that adopting a "can-do" attitude, and having the determination to change is essential if you wish to change your drinking habits. "Whatever you think now about your drinking, you can change your mind," she says. "If you think - 'I'm trapped' - simply change your mind. Consider the fact that if you didn't drink you would have the energy and money to change your situation. If you think 'all my friends drink a lot and I don't want to lose them' - change your mind. What sort of friends are they if they only like you drunk?"
5 Anticipate the hangover
"It has been shown that thin people stay thin because they 'imagine forward' - they imagine the discomfort they would feel if they overate, and so they stop eating before they reach that point," says Morgan. She applies the same theory to drinking. "Next time you plan to have a few drinks, imagine forward and get a sense of how you'll feel if you drink more than a couple of glasses. You can even try this now. Picture and feel a bad hangover: Imagine the thumping head, and queasy gut. Now that glass of 14 per cent oaky Chardonnay doesn't seem so appealing."
6 Make your own fun
If going to the pub is a pastime that consumes too much of your time and money, start thinking about all the other more beneficial things you could do with your time. "Make a list of ways for you to have a great time where drink is not involved. Estimate how much you spend on drink per month and put the money towards doing those activities you just listed. How many months' drinks budget will it take for you to have the time of your life?"
KNOW YOUR LIMIT
The recommended daily alcohol allowance is no more than four units for men and three for women. Consistently drinking this amount or more is not advised. One unit is the equivalent of half a pint or a small glass of wine.
It is now estimated that almost one in three men and nearly one in five women in the UK drink too much alcohol.
If consumed frequently and in large quantities, anyone can become dependent on alcohol, but people can have problems with alcohol without being dependent on it.
According to Alcohol Concern, alcohol problems affect eight million people in the UK, many of whom would not consider themselves as having a problem.
The 24-hour helpline for Alcoholics Anonymous is 0845 769 7555.
<< Home