Confusion Over Official Alcohol Guidelines

With half of the medical world wagging fingers about limiting alcohol intake and the other half advising that a little can be a good thing for us, it is easy to see why even those attempting to drink healthily and sensibly can be confused by the messages presented by the authorities.

The government generally recommends that men drink no more than 3-4 units a day and women no more than 2-3, and that you take 48 hours off if you’ve drunk more than that. Medical students, on the other hand, learn about the curve which argues that a bit of alcohol is actually good for you…so which is the case?

Alcohol Addiction Treatment

The one upside of drinking alcohol is possible protection against heart diseases, but the risks include a significant increased risk of liver disease and even liver cancer. The downside actually very rapidly outweighs the upside, as Dr Peter Scarborough from Oxford University explains, with anyone drinking more than about a quarter of a glass of wine (or half a unit) in a day consuming more than the “opimum” amount.

"If you're drinking any more than that,” Dr Scarborough warns, ‘’Then you are not at the best level for reduced risk."

Conflicting information comes from other sources. Sir Ian Gilmore, former president of the Royal College of Physicians, says

"I think it's fair to say the jury's still out. There certainly isn't enough evidence to say people that don't drink should start drinking because of their health."

while Henry Ashworth from the Portman Group representing UK drinks producers somewhat predictably says most people drink within the limits and will be fine if they follow the government’s advice.

"Guidelines are hugely important because we want to have more informed consumers. It's really important they stay consistent because the last thing you want to be doing is chopping and changing so people get confused."

Even the two day “recovery” period in between drinking sessions is being called into question, with Dr Nick Sheron, a liver specialist from the University of Southampton, warning that this is nothing to do with letting your liver recover and is designed to alert people to signs of alcohol dependency.

"What is clear is that if you are dependent on alcohol then cutting it out two or three days a week is going to be very difficult, and actually it's a real warning sign that you are somewhere on the dependency scale."

While the government and health authorities debate over units and measures, health benefits versus risks, however, many people are unwittingly developing serious alcohol problems due to the lack of clarity in understanding units of alcohol as a safety measurement, and the conflicting messages from authorities versus drinks manufacturers and marketers.

Here the golden rule becomes the two day rest guideline – if you or someone you know is developing an alcohol addiction, attempting to cease all alcohol consumption for at least 48 hours is likely to present issues for the drinker. If you know someone who has trouble avoiding drink for even a few hours, let alone a few days, it may be time to seek help. Give TimeToStop a call now on 0808 256 3602 today for some advice, or complete our online self assessment , and you could help someone take control of their drinking and even save their life by visiting a expert London alcohol treatment center. 

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Prescription drug addiction because of GP?

Health Minister Condemns Doctors 

Health minister Anna Soubry has recently said that many GPs have caused patients to become addicted to prescription drugs through over-prescribing common medications such as tranquilisers and sleeping pills. The reliance on these drugs leaves people battling an addiction to prescription drugs. 

Prescription Drug Addiction

 The common use of antibiotics for the common cold is another type of "prescription abuse" that doctors are accused of. The long term use of anti depressants such as benzodiazepines are also starting to cause problems as this number is constantly on the rise. 

Prescription drug addiction is in fact one of the most dangerous types of addiction as patients are often psychologically incapable of recognising problems as they believe what they are taking is harmless. They think that if the doctor is giving it to them how could it possibly be bad for them?

Soubry believes that prescription drug abused has not received the right amount of publicity and it is time now that people started to realise the real dangers.  

"I think there have been some GPs who've simply not been following the guidelines from their own professional bodies," she told the BBC. "They have been overly-prescribing these drugs for year after year when they clearly should not be doing that."

"We can now see with the devolving of power down to local authorities to provide good drug treatment facilities to their communities, hopefully we can redress a great injustice that's been done over many years."

Just because a drug comes out of a packet or pill box from a pharmacist does not mean that it can be treated lightly. The things you need to look out for:

• Anyone that have a habit of visiting pharmacies
• Anyone experiences side effects from prescription drug
• Anyone that become aggressive or defensive when confronted
• Anyone that is secretive about taking their prescription drug

If you know someone that is experiencing one of the above get in touch with Rehab Recovery for free help and advice. 

Coping With Cocaine Addiction

Cocaine addiction is a debilitating problem and like any drug addiction can be difficult to diagnose and treat.

It can be extremely hard for a person who is addicted to cocaine to cope but it can also be devastating for their family and friends.

Sometimes targeted treatment for cocaine addiction isn’t publicised as much as other drug addiction treatments, but the good news is that there is treatment out there for cocaine addiction.

People who think that they may be addicted to cocaine, or know someone who is displaying signs of addiction, can access advice and help in order to treat the problem.

Those who are addicted to cocaine need to first discuss this with a specialist in order to gain complete clarity about their addiction and be clear about which treatment options are open to them.

Those who have friends or family that they believe could be addicted to cocaine also need to know about choice of treatments. It may be difficult to really know if a friend is addicted without help, so professional advice is often needed in this delicate situation.

Treatments for cocaine addiction can be very effective and tailored to the needs of each individual person. So there is no point suffering in silence. If you think you might have a cocaine addiction or know someone who does, reach out and ask for help.

ADT Healthcare is an addiction advisory service who can offer help and support to people affected by cocaine addiction. They provide expert advice and can match people to the right kind of treatment to suit their needs. To find out more visit www.rehab-recovery.co.uk

Dealing With Video Game Addiction

Video game addiction can be a tricky issue to deal with because it is often not treated as a serious problem.

However video game addiction can be linked with depression and anxiety, particularly in teenagers, so it should be taken seriously.

Video game addiction doesn’t involve a few hours spent in front of a computer game each week, as this is normal for a lot of people – particularly young men.

Playing video games can turn to addiction when the person spends hours upon hours or even days playing computer games or surfing the internet.

Because a lot of video games are played with virtual opponents on the internet these days, this can make playing the games even more addictive.

Players are keen to beat virtual friends online and spend hours playing against these virtual opponents instead of interacting with real people and making actual friends.

Sometimes video game addiction gets so bad that people can forget to eat or sleep and eventually pass out from exhaustion, or in extreme cases die due to the strain on the body this intense behaviour produces.

If you think you know someone who may be addicted to playing video games then there is help out there for them. ADT Healthcare provides specialist help to people suffering from this type of addiction.

They can offer advice and help to those who are addicted to playing video games and even refer them onto the right medical help and support to help them break free from this distressing addiction. For more information visit www.videogameaddiction.co.uk

Why Alcohol Recovery Is A Long Road

If somebody is able to stop drinking it isn’t uncommon for their family and friends to breathe a sigh of relief and consider them “cured,” but the problem is normally far from over and a cessation of drinking can actually be the start of a very tumultuous road which is laden with unpredictable behaviour and sudden emotional outbursts.

One of the reasons that many recovering alcoholics are encouraged to continue with some kind of alcohol treatment aftercare programme is that it gives them the ability to explore and treat the underlying causes of their drinking problem, rather than being focused on just getting rid of the symptom, the drinking itself. In fact, many alcohol treatment clinics will point out that many of the behaviours associated with alcoholism, such as restlessness, irritability and bad moods, can continue after their “treatment” with alcohol drops because the root cause has not yet been addressed.

Those who have been drinking excessively for very long periods are often experiencing a sense of confusion about themselves and their role in the world, so may need a lot of support as they explore what made them turn to drink in the first place as well as what kind of healthier habit can replace their drinking behaviour. Gradually, many alcoholics will begin to take responsibility for what they have done in the past under the influence of drink and often develop a very deep feeling of shame. This can produce a type of fear which is similar to that which sent them to the bottle originally, based on the suspicion that they will be somehow unable to cope with the stress of everyday life – let alone the new challenges they may face – without the crutch of drink to help and support them.

This makes it extremely important for friends and family to continue supporting a recovering alcoholic by stopping any enabling behaviour, supporting the recovery by participating in it and avoiding the consumption of alcohol in the presence of the former alcoholic – having a sober environment can really help a drinker stay on the wagon and work towards a healthy, long life which is free of alcohol.