A.N.E.W.

Able and New Women, for women only – contact details can be provided by me on request

Life Ring

The ‘newest kid on the block’ – it is a secular self-help group for people with all forms of addiction. More and more meetings are coming on stream. Contact Tel for Dublin meetings: 085 1837444 and International website:  www.lifering.org

Once again all of the above is carefully discussed and explained during counselling sessions.

Often people who choose to stop drinking will be offered some form of script to help ward off people who put them under pressure to drink in social circles. ‘Pushing’ alcohol is a common reality in Ireland. The drinks industry and their agents have sophisticated marketing and advertising strategies to encourage people to drink alcohol. It is a sad reality of this culture that we have to provide such scripts. People should certainly be more respectful of people who choose not to drink.

Alcohol Action Ireland

Is an independent non-governmental agency that provides all sorts of information on alcohol and campaigns to reduce alcohol-related harm in our society? They have interesting statistics and much more on their website.

Tel; 01 8780610 and www.alcoholireland.ie and see www.drinkhelp.ie as well

The Sheldon Press website has numerous self-help books for all sorts of other emotional, psychological and physical conditions. The family members who live with addiction are often extremely distressed, anxious and sometimes even clinically depressed. They live with inconsistency, fear and worry. They often do not know where to turn to and indeed wonder if they are exaggerating the problem. They feel powerless and may have very little hope of resolution. They are often treated with disdain and sometimes are subjected to violence of all sorts. At the same time they fear the label ‘Alcoholism’ and believe that the situation indicates a failure in the relationship and maybe even within themselves. They are often told this by their loved one who is drinking or ‘drugging’, or by members of the family of origin, in-laws and/or by friends. They are fearful of opening up to people about the harsh reality of their personal situation. They are also confused because for long or short periods of time perhaps, things seem to be ok.

They worry about all sorts of things, for example, that the children will be badly affected in the short and long terms and they get very run down and tired without help. Families are all unique and the way individuals are affected by addiction is also unique. Sometimes there are complex and specific family dynamics that need to be explored and resolved if possible. When a family member comes for counselling they come in their own right. Much of the discussion will involve their own background, coping mechanisms, interests and activities rather than exclusively on their loved one’s behaviour. They are often encouraged to go to the self-help groups; Al-Anon (for adult family members of someone who is dependent on alcohol) or Al-Ateen for the teenage children.