| Living with a problem drinker |
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Drinking alcohol is part of our national culture, and the amount we drink has become a national talking point.  As many as 33,000 people in the UK die from alcohol-related causes each year – ten times as many people as die on the roads annually. But in addition to the fatalities, the family and friends of problem drinkers are usually also affected deeply. Dr John McMahon, a leading expert in addiction and recovery has set up on-line help for problem drinkers and those close to them. The free website www.247helpyourself.com, used throughout the English-speaking world by people with drink problems, has already attracted over 1500 regular members. There is also a website for people living with problem drinkers – www.bottledup.memberlodge.com – offering a network for practical help and support. Books with content associated to both websites are also in the pipeline. ‘There are an estimated 5.5 million people in the UK with an alcohol problem, and for each one of them their problem will affect roughly three other people. For those relatives and friends, there are very few support services available,’ says Dr John McMahon. ‘What constitutes an alcohol problem will be different for each person,’ he explains. ‘Someone might not be drinking themselves to death, but they might be spending every night in the pub and not putting anything into their relationships with the people they live with. For the people at home, that’s a problem.’ John speaks from experience. Drink and drugs once ruled his life and nearly destroyed him. He was only months away from death. He took his last drink 25 years ago. He turned his life around, went back to education and specialised in alcohol and drugs including teaching the UK’s biggest university masters programme on alcohol and drug misuse. ‘So many people just want to get their problem drinker into treatment,’ he says. ‘But unless the person with the problem wants help, they can’t. Many relatives and friends base their whole lives around the drinker – waiting for them to come home, waiting to see what mood they will be in etc. They need support in order to start living their own lives.’ John and Lou Lewis, his wife, who has worked alongside him on the new resources, are currently leading seminars across the country. Lou is an experienced counsellor and successful singer /songwriter. They first met many years ago when John was travelling the country as a hippy. ‘She literally picked me up and saved me,’ he says.‘I was probably half mad/half dying through drink and drugs. Her father, a Christian minister, brought me to the church. Lou and I had a relationship for a while. I then went off on my merry way back to alcohol and drugs.’ Years later he contacted her. Now they shared a faith and a purpose. They married over a year ago. They have a rare perspective on the subject. Lou had a close relation who had alcohol problems too. Together John and Lou speak with authority and experience. See their websites for details of events and support. Visit: www.247 helpyourself.com Do you want to stop drinking? Do you want to cut down your drinking? Do you want to control your drinking? See www.247helpyourself.com for help and support or email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it |
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