Counselling Therapy Treatment
ALCOHOL ISSUE'S
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Our service is used on a very individual basis and is client led, taking the clients needs and circumstances in consideration as long as the client needs our services, but having an eye on moving the client forward, reducing their criminality and their prolific problematic offending and alcohol and drug usage, encouraging change. The benefit of this is, the client can go at their own pace, taking a Holistic approach and eventually reduce visits to a maintenance level of competency and dependency, when the client feels ready and able.
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Understanding The Cycle Of Change
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In pre-contemplation the person does not acknowledge a problem exists. They are ‘uninformed’ in the sense that no personally convincing reason for change has been presented as yet.
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In contemplation the person is ambivalent - they are in two minds about what they want to do. Sometimes they feel the need to change but not always.
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In to action the person is preparing and planning for change. When they are ready the decision to change is made and it becomes all consuming.
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In maintenance the change has been integrated into the person's life. Some support may still be needed through this stage. In maintenance lasting change is learned, practised and becomes possible. When we are able to maintain what we have achieved we exit the cycle entirely.
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Lapse is a temporary return to ‘old’ unhelpful thoughts, feelings or behaviours.
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Relapse is a full return to the old behaviour.
Lapse and Relapse are viewed as intrinsic to the Cycle Of Change and do not infer failure. It does not mean that lapse or relapse is desirable or even invariably expected. It simply means that change is difficult, and it is unreasonable to expect anyone to be able to modify a habit perfectly without any slips. When relapse occurs, several trips through the stages may be necessary to make lasting changes. Each time the person is encouraged to review, reflect and learn from their slips.
“Change comes more from managing the journey than from announcing the
destination”
William Bridges
“The principles you live by create the world you live in; if you change
the principles you live by you will change your world”
Blaine Lee
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If you are physically dependent on alcohol, it is dangerous to stop drinking instantly. The brain is depressed by alcohol and removing alcohol instantly causes the brain to race. The symptoms are sweating, heart pounding or palpitations, tremors or shakes, rapid and extreme mood swings, and in certain cases fits. These withdrawal symptoms can be fatal.
Reduce your alcohol consumption sensibly. We recommend a maximum alcohol reduction of 10% per day. If you are drinking 12 glasses per day you would need to reduce to 11, then 10, then 9 then 8.5, 8, 7.5, 7, 6.5, 6, 5.5, 5, 4.5, 4, 4, 3.5, 3.5, 3, 3, 3, 2.5, 2.5, 2.5, 2, 2, 2. so that in 3 to 4 weeks you are down to a low daily level of alcohol consumption - this is not the solution as you should be striving for abstinence, or to enter treatment, but this plan should help you to reduce safely.
Walk 15 to 20 minutes per day ideally after your evening meal, initially at a steady pace building up over 3-4 days to a brisk pace.
Drink plenty of tap water and drink at least a pint of water after your evening walk to help flush your system out.
For the Best and safest way Consult your doctor or drugs and alcohol agency
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Guide to do every day
1. Study something new every day-
2. Do at least one new thing different every day and make it part of your life
3. Keep a positive dairy
4. Go for a walk if possible
5. Get out of house at least once a day
6. Be nice to someone else at least once a day
7. Be good/treat yourself at least once a day
8. Phone at least one person everyday
9. Be good to yourself
10. It is ok to feel
11. It is OK to Think
12. Act as if to give the Confidence to achieve
13. Learn to trust yourself
14. Learn to trust others
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LET IT REALLY SINK IN - THEN CHOOSE.
John is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood
and
always has
something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was
doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!"
He was a natural motivator.
If an employee was having a bad day, John was there telling the employee
how to look on the positive side of the situation.
Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and asked
him, "I don't get it!
You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?"
He replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two
choices
today. You can choose to be in a good mood or ... you can choose to be
in a bad mood.
I choose to be in a good mood."
Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or...I can
choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it.
Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their
complaining or... I can point out the positive side of life. I choose
the positive side of life.
"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested.
"Yes, it is," he said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all
the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to
situations. You choose how people affect your mood.
You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your
choice how you live your life."
I reflected on what he said. Soon hereafter, I left the Industry to
start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when
I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.
Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious accident,
falling some 60 feet from a tower.
After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released
from the hospital with rods placed in his back.
I saw him about six months after the accident
When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be
twins' Wanna see my scars?"
I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through
his mind as the accident took place.
"The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my
soon-to-be born daughter," he replied. "Then, as I lay on the ground, I
remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or...I could
choose to die. I chose to live."
"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked.
He continued, "...the paramedics were great.
They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me
into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and
nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man'. I
knew I needed to take action."
"What did you do?" I asked.
"Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said John.
"She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes, I replied.' The doctors
and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep
breath and yelled, 'Gravity'."
Over their laughter, I told them, "I am choosing to live. Operate on me
as if I am alive, not dead."
He lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his
amazing attitude... I learned from him that every day we have the choice
to live fully.
Attitude, after all, is everything. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
After all today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.
You have two choices now:
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Just For Today
Just for today I will try to live through this day only, and not tackle my whole life problem at once. I can do something for twelve hours that would appal me if I felt I had to keep it up for a lifetime.
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Just for today I will be happy. Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be.
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Just for today I will adjust myself to what is, and not try to adjust everything to my own desires. I will take my ‘luck’ as it comes, and fit myself to it.
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Just for today I will try to strengthen my mind. I will study. I will learn something useful. I will not be a mental loafer. I will read something that requires effort, thought and concentration.
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Just for today I will exercise my soul in three ways: I will do somebody a good turn, and not get found out; if anybody knows of it, it will not count. I will do at least two things I don’t want to do – just for exercise. I will not show anyone that my feelings are hurt; they may be hurt, but today I will not show it.
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Just for today I will be agreeable, I will look as well as I can, dress becomingly, talk low, act courteously, criticise not one bit, not find fault with anything and not try to improve or regulate anybody except myself.
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Just for today I will have a programme. I may not follow it exactly, but I will have it. I will save myself from two pests: hurry and indecision.
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Just for today I will have a quiet half hour all by myself, and relax. During this half hour, sometime, I will try to get a better perspective of my life.
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Just for today I will be unafraid. Especially I will not be afraid to enjoy what is beautiful, and to believe that as I give to the world, so the world will give to me.
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Developing Assertive Behaviour
Learning to behave more assertively leads to more fruitful communication and increased self-confidence.
Assertive people:
1. Take responsibility for their thoughts, feelings and behaviour. They do not blame or judge others.
2. Stand up for their own rights, and respect the rights of other people.
3. Act without undue fear or anxiety.
4. Ask for what they want and need openly and honestly, and accept that they may not get exactly what they want. They do not fight to win their corner – unlike the aggressive person.
5. Are willing to compromise or negotiate to settle conflict situations. They do not take flight from difficult situations, or allow themselves to be walked over – Unlike the passive or submissive person.
6. Don’t feel the need to bully or manipulate others (unlike the aggressive person), and don’t feel the need to please others in the hope they will be approved of, (unlike the passive person).
7. Can give and accept praise easily.
8. Can give and accept criticism – they are aware of their particular crumple buttons’ and do not over-react to criticism.
9. Have high levels of self-confidence and self-esteem, and build other people’s self-confidence and self-esteem.
10. Like themselves for who they are, and accept other people as they are.
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PROMISES
If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through. We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations, which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that we are living and have a purposeful life.
Are these extravagant promises? We think not. They are being fulfilled among us – sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. They will always materialize if we work for them.
Motivation for Life
Program Designed by Alpha Integrative Counselling Services
Exert from AA book
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phone 01376552774