Lewis David - Alcohol and You--How to Control and Stop Drinking

Text Copyright Lewis David 2017

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or otherwise, without written permission from the author.

Legal & Disclaimer

The information contained in this book is not designed to replace or take the place of any form of medicine or professional medical advice. The information contained in this book has been compiled from sources deemed reliable, and it is accurate to the best of the Author's knowledge; however, the Author cannot guarantee its accuracy and validity and cannot be held liable for any errors or omissions. Changes are periodically made to this book. You must consult your doctor or get professional medical advice before using any of the suggested remedies, techniques, or information in this book. Upon using the information contained in this book, you agree to hold harmless the Author from and against any damages, costs, and expenses, including any legal fees potentially resulting from the application of any of the information provided by this guide. This disclaimer applies to any damages or injury caused by the use and application, whether directly or indirectly, of any advice or information presented, whether for breach of contract, tort, negligence, personal injury, criminal intent, or under any other cause of action. You agree to accept all risks of using the information presented inside this book. You need to consult a professional medical practitioner before embarking on any program or information in this book.

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About the Author

Lewis David is an addictions therapist and trainer with a background of working in the public health system in England. Thousands of drinkers have attended his therapeutic groups, workshops, and seminars. He also trained treatment practitioners, police, and paramedics regarding alcohol issues.

He is the author of two bestsellers and now works full-time as a writer and publisher on wellbeing issues. He runs the publishing house WinsPress.com with his wife and co-author Antonia Ryan.

Also from Lewis David & WinsPress.com

Mindfulness for Alcohol Recovery Making Peace with Drinking

The Emotional Mind Overcome Anxiety, Stress, Negativity, & Procrastination

Change Your Life Today The Ultimate Guide to Motivation, Success & Happiness

The 10-Day Alcohol Detox Plan Stop Drinking Easily & Safely

Mindfulness for Stress & Anxiety

The 10-Day Binge Eating Detox Plan

Mindfulness for Binge Eating

You can find out more and read free samples of all these books at WinsPress.com

Dedication:

To all the remarkable clients I have met working in addiction services.

A Small Request

Alcohol and You - Introduction

Y ou know you need to do something about your drinking, but where do you start? Indeed, you might be asking yourself, can you change something that has become so central to your life, something that maybe, deep down, you love? You might be confused about whether to cut down or stop drinking and the thought of stopping forever is terrifying.

Your motivation might be a health warning from your doctor. Maybe you are getting into trouble at work because hangovers are making you call in sick too often. Perhaps alcohol is threatening your relationships, you are having arguments with loved ones and, although you are defending your drinking, you secretly suspect that they are right. Maybe you have legal problems, a driving ban or worse. Perhaps your finances are in ruins because you spend so much money on alcohol. Or maybe you have simply reached a point where the problems alcohol brings to your life have exhausted you and you want to call time - you have had enough.

Dont worry. Whatever has brought you to this point, and whatever kind of drinker you are, you have found the right book.

I am an Addictions Therapist working every day with people who, like you, have alcohol issues. I work in one-to-one consultations with drinkers, run workshops, retreats and seminars about drinking and addiction.

More and more, I see my clients achieving great results using insights that you cant pick up from existing books on the market. This is why I wrote this book, to share my knowledge and the experiences of my clients with you in the following chapters.

This book is packed with winning ideas that my clients have tried and tested. Everything you will hear is based on solid therapeutic science. There is no ideology or dogma here, just loads of practical advice that you can put to work right away.

It doesnt matter whether you are here to reduce your drinking, to stop, or dont know which way to go. This book will help to clarify which option is best for you.

Various programs exist for people who want to deal with their alcohol difficulties. You might have heard about 12 Step or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. You might have read books by former problem drinkers who have found a way to stop that has worked for them and now want you to follow their ideas. All of these different philosophies are well-intentioned and have varying amounts of success for different drinkers, but they are often contradictory and confusing for the person who just wants to stop their problem, who simply wants results.

But this book is different. It treats you as the unique human being that you are. It does not judge you or preach at you. Instead, it calmly explains the options that are open to you, so you can decide for yourself the way forward that feels right for you, the way that will produce the results you want.

Drinkers in crisis feel out of control, they dont understand why they are being compelled to drink so much and behave in ways that hurt themselves. They dont understand why they can start the day feeling awful, swearing, in total sincerity, never to drink again, only to find themselves a few hours later drunk once more. They dont understand why having a drink, instead of getting rid of the craving, just sets up a new craving to want another drink right away. They dont understand why, even though they can see the damage drinking is doing, they cant stop themselves. Alcohol seems like some huge overpowering dark force that always gets the upper hand with them.

But it doesnt have to be that way.

To this end, we will be demystifying the whole business of drinking. I have found from spending thousands of hours working with drinkers that this works. If you understand what is going on, it cuts alcohol down to size. You start to see it for what it is, simply an addiction, and an addiction is just a habit gone wrong. Its nothing unusual, and its certainly nothing to be ashamed of.

People are constantly conquering addictions. Tens of millions of people have broken their addiction to nicotine, which is every bit as addictive as alcohol, probably more so. Similarly, people are constantly giving up notoriously addictive substances like heroin and cocaine, while all around you, people are moderating or stopping their alcohol use all the time.

Your drinking probably started as a small habit and in those days it may have been helpful. A little alcohol can help people overcome social anxiety, probably the most common reason why people start drinking. It can help them when life gets difficult and they need to switch off. But that little alcohol can become a lot. Then the habit turns ugly and becomes more of a problem than the problems it originally overcame. It has morphed into a powerful addiction.