Alcohol Addiction
If you or someone you care about is dealing with Alcohol Addiction it is important to get help today because alcohol abuse is a serious progressive disease with many consequences. It does not need to get worse for you to benefit from alcohol addiction counselling. Often, people get to this point in searching for help with alcohol addiction but then the mind comes up with a reason why you might not need help:
‘I can try to stop on my own again’
‘I will only drink on weekends’
‘I can cut back, I stopped for one day already’
There can also be feelings of shame and guilt, that you are not worth the time, money, effort for someone to help you. If you are thinking along these lines, stop, and realise that the choices you have made on your own so far have brought you to this point. Outside perspective and direction will give you the information and ability to make the changes you desire.
The first step is to make that call and see how I can help.
Call me on 0203 239 7061 for a free confidential discussion to plan your next steps and build a new fulfilling life
“Mark has helped me cope with cravings and destructive patterns of behaviour. I have learned to come to terms with certain aspects of my life and tackle them head on. It may have taken a few sessions but it was money well worth spent. You cannot put a price on happiness and wellbeing.”
Alcohol Addiction – often referred to as Alcoholism or Alcohol Dependency – is a progressive mental health condition and can be fatal. I work with clients to stop drinking, provide detox and support programmes as needed, and undertake a course of counselling that helps them stay free from alcohol. I spent over sixteen years addicted to drugs and alcohol, a terrible period in my life that continued to get worse. Now I am over sixteen years sober and have spent that time helping hundreds of people to overcome alcohol, drugs, and behavioural addictions. My personal experience combined with professional counselling education gives you a counsellor who knows how it feels and what works best for you to quit drinking.
Me. Stop Drinking? No way.
I’ve been there and so have my clients. You can not even imagine what not drinking would be like, a completely different life from the one you have right now. Perhaps you think you can do something to control how much you drink because not drinking does not feel achievable, nor do you know if you really want to. You do not need to figure out the answer to this right now. You are here because you felt like you need to do something about your drinking. Don’t make it more complicated, reach out by calling or emailing me right now. That is your next step.
Did you know going cold turkey can kill?
Yes, depending on your health, history, and amount you drink, if you stopped drinking completely it could actually be deadly. That is how much a person can be addicted to alcohol that their body will shut down during the detox phase. Is this your case? Probably not, so don’t use it as an excuse to continue drinking, but you should speak to me or another qualified drug and alcohol treatment counsellor to make this call for you. It would be a tragedy for you to decide to quit only to have the worst consequence occur.
What does alcohol detox and recovery feel like?
It is different based on your using, for example, some people drink so much that they experience hallucinations, delirium tremens, vomiting, sweating, sleeplessness and more. Around 50% of people who stop drinking alcohol due to alcohol addiction experience significant withdrawal symptoms. This is not to say the other 50% have it easy, just less physical symptoms, as the mind will be a big challenge for both groups. Once you have detoxed from alcohol you are left with many mental issues to deal with, this aftercare is the most important phase to maintain your sobriety.
You will need to work on:
- the triggers that can cause relapse
- the cravings and habits you formed over your years of alcohol abuse
- how to navigate your environment to stay safe (from work functions, friends buying you a drink, special events or holidays, and more)
- the dreams you’ll have that feel so real in the morning making you think you drank last night
- the feelings that were buried or dulled due to alcohol
- how to say no, firmly but politely
- opening up to others about why you stopped drinking
- and more we can work on together as problems arise
Why choose Mark Dempster Counselling for Alcohol Addiction Counselling?
I have been working in drug and alcohol treatment services for many years and started my own Harley street addiction counselling practice in London to bring people looking for help with addiction an option for high quality personalised service. By choosing private care you can start working with me right away, no waiting list, no referral time, no NHS bureaucracy. I’m not saying the other services are bad, Alcoholics Anonymous and the NHS drug and alcohol treatment teams can give you a strong recovery. The difference I offer is a personalised service, where you have chosen a person who has dedicated their life to working and treating people with addictions, and has proven themselves as a successful counsellor with many years of private practice. I give you full confidentiality and work around your schedule as needed, fitting in the right support as you need it.
Your next step for Alcohol Addiction Counselling (London and the UK)