One of the old chestnuts of addiction recovery is this question – Do drinkers need to deal with their past before they can stop drinking? It is a question that we are asked on a regular basis. In this video Lou and John discuss the issue and why they sometimes adopt different approaches to helping …

Continue reading "Does my drinker need counselling before getting sober"

Read More >

This is a short series looking at what we can learn from Lou's counselling sessions. Much of her counselling practice is helping couples to have a better relationship. So there are many lessons and tips that can be taken from her counselling room and applied directly to other relationship situations, such as Bottled Up. Read More >

In this, the second of the 'if I had known then' videos, John talks about recovery and the unexpected positives. Like many drinkers, I expected that my life, at least my social life, was over when I stopped drinking. What I found was that, instead of my life being over, it really just began. So …

Continue reading "What I wish I had known about recovery"

Read More >

One of the things I find myself doing in 1 to 1 sessions is providing coaching family members on how to talk to their drinker.  Many people who come to me feel that they have tried everything and nothing has been successful.  So they come looking for that perfect thing to say that will make …

Continue reading "How to Talk to a Drinker"

Read More >

Continuing with our short series looking at the issues that John meets in his 1 to 1 sessions.  In this video Lou asks John how he responds to people who come along and say "I need to cut down my drinking". We also discuss how he responds to requests to help with Controlled drinking, what …

Continue reading "I Need to Cut Down my Drinking"

Read More >

Continuing the series where Lou interviews John on his 1 to 1 sessions, this video is about sessions with the drinker rather than the family member.  Sometimes family members ask me to talk to their drinker, something that I am happy to do provided their drinker is willing. At times the drinker will be aware …

Continue reading "My Partner Thinks that I’m and Alcoholic"

Read More >

Very often partners of alcoholics will feel that they are ‘just making a fuss’ if they criticise their drinker’s behaviour. There are a couple of reasons for this feeling, an obvious one being the drinker will tell them that.

Read More >

This video is slightly different from our usual, a bit more personal rather than informational.  In it we talk about two topics, our website Beauty For Ashes and the Chain of Care.

Read More >

Anyone who lives with an alcoholic can feel swallowed up. Detach and rediscover the real you!   When you live with an alcoholic, almost inevitably, you become caught up in their drinking behavior. You will find yourself trying to second guess how much they are going to drink, when they will be home, what condition they …

Continue reading "Detach and rediscover the real you!"

Read More >

Evaluate your Progress To know whether your strategies are working and if your circumstances are improving, you will need to carry out an evaluation. This will mean going back to the SHARE assessment and comparing where you are now with how you were when you made it. Possible outcomes are that things have improved, in …

Continue reading "Evaluate your Progress"

Read More >