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Alcohol and Drugs

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Am I an Alcoholic?

The legal profession is both very stressful and usually well paid – a combination that leaves some lawyers with both a reason and the means to drink heavily.

Do you have an alcohol problem? Do you recognise yourself in any of these statements?

• “I go out intending to have just one or two drinks, but then I just don’t seem to be able to stop.”

• “I’ve tried to cut down a couple of times. Once I even managed to go a whole week without drinking, just to prove to myself that I could do it.”

• “Sometimes I feel a bit guilty about my drinking, or about the effect it has on other people. I know I’m letting people down and breaking promises.”

• “Other people sometimes comment on the amount I drink. It really irritates and annoys me. Why can’t they mind their own business?”

• “I really look forward to a drink. Sometimes I even count down the hours until the next one, and if we’re going out and I’m worried there won’t be enough alcohol when we get there I’ll have a couple of glasses before we leave.”

• “I always feel better if I have a little drink fairly early in the day, just to steady me.”

• “I drink more than some other people, but I know I’m not an alcoholic because I don’t drink spirits / only drink at weekends / I’m never blind drunk / I don’t drink as much as _____.”

If just one of these statements rang true for you, then you have an alcohol problem and need help.

Note: Whilst this information is about alcohol, addiction to any drug or substance follows similar patterns and has similar treatment.

Worried about Someone Else?

If you are concerned about the drinking habits of a relative or friend, look at our pack/pages Caring About a Problem Drinker. If the person with the problem is a colleague, partner or employee, read An Alcoholic in the Firm.  Both are available to download at our Free Downloads page.

How Much is Too Much?

The recommended safe number of units per day is 3 for men and 2 for women. However, these should be spread out over the course of the entire week rather than saved up to have all in one go. Drinking more than 11 units on one day, is harmful.

To put this into context this means that you are drinking too much if, over the course of a week, you consume:

• Two and a half bottles of wine OR

• Seven pints of beer OR

• Seven pub double measures of spirits.

Another guideline is that if you are worried about how much you are drinking, then you are almost certainly drinking too much.

What are the Dangers of Drinking Too Much?

Alcohol is known to be a major cause of:

• Coronary heart disease

• Cancers of the mouth, oesophagus, larynx, liver, breast and rectum

• Liver disease, especially cirrhosis

• Depression, hallucinations, blackouts, dementia, memory loss and brain damage

• Inflammation of the stomach, gastritis and duodenal ulcers

• Low fertility, impotence and small genitals

• Skin and facial problems

• Anaemia, hypertension and impaired blood clotting

• Vitamin deficiency and malnutrition

• Trembling hands and loss of sensation in fingers

• Pancreatitis

• In pregnant women, drinking leads to Foetal Alcohol Syndrome, characterised by varying degrees of lifelong brain and nerve damage and facial deformity in the baby.

In addition, alcohol is a factor in:

• 39% of fatal traffic accidents

• 75% of domestic violence cases

• 60% of child protection cases

• 35% of A&E admissions (rising to 75% between midnight and 5a.m.)

• 41% of suicides

• 63% of fatal falls

• 33% of house fires

• 38% of drownings

What this means is that alcohol can seriously damage your health, your personal life, and the lives of those around you.

The Relationship between Alcohol and Depression

Depression is a crushing illness. It is an all-engulfing, frightening mental disease which can destroy all sense of control, purpose and hope. It frequently kills in the form of suicide. The main symptoms of depression include sleep problems, fear of social situations, inability to relax, incessant dwelling on problems, severe anxiety and desperate black moods. Many alcoholics will admit that they suffer from depression, but are unaware that it is related to alcohol.

Alcohol appears to be a miracle drug. It can aid sleep, create a sense of social competence and ease friendly conversation. It promotes relaxation, causes problems to be forgotten and raises mood. It works instantly and does not require a prescription. It is affordable and even tastes pleasant. It is little wonder that so many depressives attempt to self medicate with alcohol.

Like all drugs, however, alcohol has its side effects. First, it is dangerously addictive. Depression sufferers, with their poor sense of self and perceived inability to control their lives, are unlikely to care about this, or to be able to do anything about it should they sense that they are becoming dependent. A second side effect of particular importance is, ironically, depression. All drugs can be generally categorised as stimulants (speeding up the system) or depressants (slowing it down). Alcohol is a depressant. The feelings of relaxation and well being it promotes are due to this general slowing down and “depressing” of the body’s systems, in particular the brain. Most cognitive processes, from reaction time to emotional responses, will be dulled.

In individuals who were not depressed when they began drinking, alcohol can cause depression. Consumption of alcohol causes an increase in dopamine levels in the brain, leading to feelings of pleasure. With this artificially increased supply of dopamine, however, the brain compensates by producing less. When consistently stimulated into reducing dopamine by excessive alcohol intake, the brain may cease producing dopamine in response to other stimuli altogether. The result is that the addict now requires the drug just to feel “normal” and finds no pleasure in anything except alcohol.

Understandably an alcoholic lifestyle may lead to depression for other reasons. There is a pattern of loss to the alcoholic’s life which will be inevitable unless help is sought. Typically the alcoholic will lose his job, standing in society, driving licence, family, home, health and self-respect. Only the order in which these losses happen varies. If you were not depressed when you started drinking, chances are you will be when the Senior Partner sacks you and your wife walks out.

Many people who go to their GP complaining of depression are prescribed anti-depressants, sometimes without the GP asking about their drinking habits. Not all anti-depressants list alcohol as contraindicated. If you drink heavily, then you may reduce the effectiveness of these drugs. As a depressant, alcohol might well counteract them. If you are suffering from depression and are also drinking to excess, then tackle the alcohol problem first, or at least be honest and tell your GP that you drink and how much. Whether your depression was caused by alcoholism, or you drink because of pre-existing depression, ceasing to drink alcohol will be beneficial and will allow anti-depressants to begin working.

Denial

Denial is present in nearly all who have problems with alcohol, and is a primitive psychological defence mechanism by which the person subconsciously rejects the implications of an event or situation. With alcohol such a central and important factor in the person’s life, they cannot face the enormity of admitting that it is causing significant problems, so their brains will unconsciously perform often enormous feats of distorted perception and logic to shield them from the truth that their precious alcohol is, in fact, destroying them and those around them. In addition, admitting that alcohol is the cause of their difficulties means that they must accept the guilt, shame and disgrace their drinking has caused, and admit that all the problems they have encountered – such as marriage breakdown, losing a job or losing their driving licence – were in fact their own fault.

Denial takes several forms, from distortion and minimizing of the facts to forgetfulness and euphoric recall – remembering only the good things about a drunken episode, and forgetting the negative aspects. An alcoholic in denial who is challenged about his drinking will typically be very defensive, irritated, annoyed and sometimes even violent.

Some examples of denial from the LawCare helpline include:

·        A woman who told us that she drinks half a bottle of spirits a day because she has a recurring throat problem, and alcohol soothes it. When questioned, she revealed that she had never seen a doctor about her throat, and had never even taken lozenges to soothe it, and yet was adamant that her alcohol intake was purely medicinal and that, when her throat recovered, she would no longer drink.

·        A man who said that his night sweats and shaking hands were symptoms of tuberculosis, not alcohol withdrawal, despite the fact that he had no other symptoms of TB and had been vaccinated against this rare disease as a child.

What are the Treatment Options?

Early Stages

If you believe that your alcohol misuse is in the early stages – you are not yet physically or psychologically addicted or dependent – then you have a good chance of dealing with it before it develops into a problem which could control and destroy your life. These tips may help.

·        Keep a drinking diary. Write down how much you drink each day, in what circumstances, and how it makes you feel. After a couple of weeks, analyse it and count up the number of units you drank. Look for patterns, be aware of excuses, and be honest with yourself. Be aware that if you are thinking of controlling your drinking, you probably already have a problem. People who do not have a problem do not need to ‘control’ their intake.

·        See your GP and explain honestly that you are drinking to excess.

·        Talk to your family and close friends or colleagues and explain that you will be addressing your alcohol intake, and would like their support. Chances are they have been worried about you for some time are will be happy and relieved to hear that you have accepted it and are dealing with it.

·        Avoid drinking environments. Keep out of the pub.

·        Find a new hobby or interest and put lots of time and energy into that to distract you from drinking.

·        Put your wife or partner in charge of your money. Give him or her your cheque book and cash cards.

·        Speak to the senior partner and ensure that you are supervised, or do not handle sensitive or difficult matters.

·        Be creative and “think outside the bottle” when it comes to drinking. Try exotic fruit juices, healthy smoothies or non-alcoholic cordials if you must have a glass in your hand in the evening. Develop alternative ways of dealing with stress, relaxing and celebrating. Go out in the evening to a coffee shop, the cinema or bowling instead of the pub.

Controlled Drinking Programmes

Many people calling LawCare’s helpline prefer to undertake a controlled drinking programme rather than complete abstinence, and these can often be obtained through the GP and health authority. However, our experience at LawCare is that these are only effective in a minority of cases. Most people calling the helpline have passed the stage where their drinking can be controlled in this way. Often, however, it is failing to achieve the goals set that helps the person to realise that their drinking is out of control and that they have no option but abstinence.

Counselling

Counselling involves several sessions, usually an hour long, with a trained and qualified counsellor. Various techniques may be used, from hypnotherapy to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), but you will probably be encouraged to examine the reason you drink, the feelings you are trying to anaesthetise, and to discuss the effect drinking is having on your life. The counsellor will guide you to decide for yourself to become abstinent, and will help you to achieve this. Your GP may be able to refer you for counselling, or you can choose your own counsellor. The Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy can put you in touch with the counsellor (www.iacp.ie / 01 272 3427).

Alcoholics Anonymous

Founded in 1935, AA is the world’s largest alcohol recovery programme. It is entirely independent of any outside organisation, and has the considerable advantage of being free. The “anonymous” in the title is taken very seriously. Attendees do not even share their full names, and confidentiality is guaranteed. AA is essentially a support group, and has been very effective for millions of people. There are AA meetings across the country, and the general advice is to attend daily for the first three months. No two meetings are ever the same, and you may find some you enjoy more than others, but try to remember that you are not there for entertainment – you are there in an attempt to save your marriage, career and life.

AA works by loosely following a twelve step programme in which you learn to accept that alcohol has made your life unmanageable and face your failings. The twelve steps are:

1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.

2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.

4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.

9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His Will for us and the power to carry that out.

12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

Some people are put off by the steps which mention God, in whom trust is placed to restore sanity, but AA is not just for religious people – whether or not you believe in a higher power or God, the aim is to let go of the responsibility for controlling your drinking.

The programme is based on lifelong abstinence, one day at a time. Each new day you make the choice not to drink that day, and are supported in that choice by your sponsor and other members of AA. Remember that anyone you meet at an AA meeting – and many LawCare callers fear running into clients - is there for the same reason that you are, and will not mention to anyone that you were there. However, if you are concerned about retaining the respect of your community, why not attend a meeting in a different area?

Inpatient Treatment

Most treatment centres for addiction of any kind follow the Twelve Steps used by Alcoholics Anonymous, often in conjunction with one-to-one counselling and often other types of therapy. The most effective treatment for alcoholism has been shown to be inpatient treatment followed by regular follow-up and attendance at AA meetings, but there is a considerable cost involved, both financial and in terms of time.

Referral should be through your GP. Prior to admission you will need to detoxify for at least a week and your doctor can supervise this, and prescribe drugs to make the process easier for you. If you problem is particularly acute, you can be admitted to hospital to detoxify.

Once the body is clear of the drug you can begin therapy at the treatment centre, usually on an in-patient basis. Theapy involves group meetings, one-to-one counselling, and attendance at AA meetings which may take place on the premises, or may involve groups of supervised patients attending meetings elsewhere. Even in the expensive treatment centres it is common for patients to be responsible for cooking, cleaning and housework. In most centres they will also share a bedroom with another patient. This is for therapeutic reasons, but nevertheless many patients complain at having to pay more than they would for a hotel, only to have to do all the washing up and not to have an ensuite bathroom. One LawCare volunteer explained that treatment is not meant to be a holiday, but “boot camp”.

The treatment centre aims to educate the patient to live in the outside world without alcohol, but to aid this many have a follow-up programme of regular meetings and outpatient appointments, and most will encourage former patients to attend AA meetings as often as possible.

Around 20% of patients admitted to treatment centres do not complete the treatment. Most centres do not permit patients to leave the facility (except for supervised fellowship meetings) but they cannot force them to stay against their will. For this reason LawCare prefers to arrange for clients to attend treatment centres as far away from home as possible so that it becomes harder for them to leave. Our database includes centres in Spain and South Africa. For Irish lawyers, there may be considerable advantages to be treated outside the Republic. Foreign treatment centres generally include detox as part of the programme, you do not need to be referred by your GP, and they can also be considerably cheaper than similar centres in Ireland.

Staying Sober

Whatever method has led you to conquer your addiction to alcohol, achieving sobriety is just the first step on a lifelong path. Most alcohol experts have found, for practical purposes, that once the “addiction switch” to alcohol (or any other addictive drug) is thrown “on,” it rarely returns to “off,” even after years of abstinence from the drug. You cannot become complacent, and think that, after five years without a drink, you could start drinking again as a normal, social drinker. You will find that you return very rapidly to the alcoholic pattern of drinking you had before you went into treatment.

This is why alcoholics in treatment are educated to call themselves a “recovering alcoholic.” They can never safely return to even moderate social drinking. Living each day free of alcohol can be a tremendous challenge, but it is necessary, and possible. The following tips have been provided to LawCare by alcoholics in recovery.

·                Avoid environments where alcohol is freely available and/or part of the culture. Keep out of the pub.

·                Understand that it may be necessary to lose contact with certain people. Your “friends” at the local pub weren’t necessarily friends, but drinking buddies. Your real friends will support you in your sobriety, not challenge it.

·                Think “HALT”. Do not allow yourself to get Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired.

·                Do not think about never being able to drink again. This may terrify you. Just give up drinking for one day, each day.

·               Make full use of your AA sponsor / LawCare volunteer, or a close and understanding friend. Phone or call regularly whenever you are feeling weak or falling prey to distorted thinking.

·                Be kind to yourself. Forgive yourself when you make genuine mistakes, even if these involve letting others down. Accept that these things are inevitably going to happen.

·                Relapses happen. Accept them as just that – a relapse. A one-off blip, not the end of the road to your sobriety and new life. Start again the next day.

·                Look after yourself physically. Eat a good breakfast, don’t rush or get stressed during the day, and get to bed early.

·                Look after yourself spiritually. If it helps you, pray, meditate or read something spiritually uplifting each day.

·                If possible, let those around you know that you are in recovery and should not be offered alcohol. If you prefer not to admit that you are an alcoholic, use another excuse to explain why you don’t drink. “I’m on antibiotics” or “I’m driving”.

·                Get out of the house, even if only to the shops, and enjoy watching life going on around you.

It is not easy to beat an addiction to alcohol, or to maintain that sobriety. But it can be done, one day at a time, and it is well worth the effort.

Drugs

The legal profession is a stressful one, and although it can be extremely rewarding, challenging and varied, long hours and high demands can take their toll. Different lawyers respond to this stress in different ways. Some leave, some turn to alcohol, and many feel that drugs help them get through the difficult times—perhaps by keeping them alert, or helping them to unwind at the weekend.

Since it began operating in 1997, LawCare had helped over 2,000 lawyers, around a quarter of them suffering from a serious addiction. However, in almost all cases the addiction was to alcohol; LawCare receives comparatively few calls about drug misuse, despite the fact that we know that there are high levels of drug use within the profession. Many of those calling our helpline speak frankly about colleagues who use cocaine or stimulants, and yet it is extremely rare for a caller to report their own drug use.

We believe that this is because, with drugs being illegal, many lawyers are reluctant to admit to anyone, even on a confidential helpline, that they have a problem. Even more cannot admit it to themselves. Like any addiction, denial is a real issue. As the substance of choice (be it an illegal or prescription drug, alcohol, food or something else) becomes more and more important in the addict’s life, he will subconsciously refuse to ascribe any of his increasing problems to it.

What is Drug Dependency?

The term "drug dependency" describes a situation where a person is using drugs in such a way that their social relationships and physical or emotional welfare are affected. A person who is drug dependent will have a strong desire for a particular drug and will increasingly need larger amounts of the drug to achieve the same effect as before. If they stop using the drug for a while and then start taking it again the craving for the drug quickly reappears. Stopping the drug can lead to physical "withdrawal" symptoms such as nausea and shaking; if this happens the person is physically dependent on the drug. Drug use becomes the centre of the person's life, and other activities (including employment) and pleasures are progressively neglected. As a result, relationships with family, friends and others may suffer. In most cases, the addiction, if untreated, can result in death.

How is drug dependency treated?

Treatment of drug dependency involves treating both the physical and psychological problems that result from drug use. Medical treatment may be necessary for health problems related to drug use, such as liver disease. If a person is physically dependent on a drug he or she will need to undergo detoxification. This involves replacing the drug with a prescription medicine and gradually reducing the dose to minimise the occurrence of withdrawal symptoms.

The mainstay of most treatment for drug dependency is an intensive programme of group work and individual counselling aimed at helping the person to develop strategies to cope without the use of drugs and to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Various activities may be used to encourage the person to recognise the problems that led them to become drug dependent and to overcome these problems by developing self esteem and positive attitudes. Often therapists may themselves have been treated for drug dependency and so can empathise with their patients, helping them to accept that abstinence is not an impossible dream but an attractive and realistic option.

In-patient treatment for drug dependency in a specialised hospital normally lasts about 5-6 weeks but, depending on the degree of addiction and desire of the addict to break free, out-patient treatment or even voluntary attendance at self-help groups such as Narcotics Anonymous may be effective.

Treatment for drug dependency can be a stressful time for patients because they have to confront and resolve their underlying problems and learn to cope without a drug that was once central to their life. Support from family, friends and colleagues is therefore vital for successful treatment.

If you or a family member, friend or colleague is dependent on a drug then help can be obtained from a number of sources. LawCare has details of counsellors, hospitals and treatment centres throughout the country and can make referrals and offer advice not only on treatment but on how the matter might be handled within the profession. Your GP is also a good starting point, or contact Narcotics Anonymous. www.na-ireland.org
 

Is it OK for Lawyers to use Drugs?

However you justify your drug use to yourself, and whatever your personal views on the legalisation of cannabis issue, or any other drug matter, the fact remains that drugs are illegal. Neither the police nor the Law Society/Bar Council will take your opinions into account and your position of trust within the community means that local and even national papers may consider your drug user a matter of public interest.


Am I Addicted?

If you have any of the following, you may be physically and/or psychologically addicted to a drug:

• You find you need to take more and more of the drug to have the same effect (tolerance)

• You find yourself becoming preoccupied with the drug—when you will next take it, how it will feel, how much you will take—and looking forward to it

• You no longer have interest or enthusiasm for things which you once enjoyed

• You continue to use the drug even though it is causing problems in your life and relationships

• You have tried to give up using the drug, but have not been able to succeed in the long term

• You suffer from withdrawal symptoms or unpleasant feelings when you have been off the drug for a while

Generally speaking, however, if you suspect that you are addicted, then you probably are, and you will need help to bring normality back into your life.

Prescription Drugs

In the early sixties big drug companies such as Roche and Wyeth developed a new "miracle drug". Known as benzodiazepines this group of drugs dampens down activity in the brain and are highly effective in treating acute anxiety.

Doctors started expressing concerns about these drugs when they found that patients experienced withdrawal effects when they tried to stop taking them. These were similar to the withdrawal symptoms of alcoholics and drug addicts and included delirium tremens (a state of confusion with trembling and hallucinations), sleeplessness and intense anxiety. Since the drugs had originally been prescribed for anxiety many doctors assumed that these effects were a return of the original symptoms caused by stopping the medication and simply represcribed the tranquiliser. Hence there were - and still are - many patients regularly taking benzos just to prevent withdrawal. There are still occasions however where benzodiazepines are still the most effective treatment. These include a life threatening condition called status epilepticus (repeated seizures), severe disabling anxiety and acute insomnia. In such situations they should be prescribed in the lowest possible dose for no more than four weeks.

Benzos have side effects, particularly in long-term use. Perhaps the most harmful of these is the feeling of being in a daze or emotionally anaesthetised - tranquilised. Many who do successfully come off them say it is like waking up and finding a chunk of their lives gone.

Almost all drugs are potentially physically or psychologically addictive. Whenever you are prescribed a medicine ask your doctor whether it is addictive, whether it has side effects or contraindications, whether it can be taken with any condition or medication you already have and how long you will need to take it for. Most GPs are well aware of the dangers of benzos but there are still some, particularly older GPs, who may prescribe them without warning you of the dangers. If you find that you have been prescribed benzodiazepines, ask whether an alternative drug might be ask effective.

Some brand names of benzodiazepines to look out for are;

• Valium (Diazepam)

• Librium (Chlordiazepoxide)

• Mogadon (Nitrazepam)

• Ativan (Lorazepam)

• Oxazepam

• Loprazolam

• Temazepam

Addiction to legal painkillers is also extremely common, with more people seeking help for this than for heroin addiction. Patients experiencing chronic, long-term pain may find that they need to take more and more of their prescribed or over-the-counter painkiller to achieve relief, and can soon find that in addition to their pain, they experience withdrawal symptoms if they do not keep a baseline of the drug in their system. If this is a problem for you, seek help from your GP.

Getting Help

Drug addiction is a medical issue and your first port of call should be your GP. Treatment in an inpatient centre is available on the NHS although there is often a considerable waiting list. It is possible to be admitted to these centres privately, but can be expensive. Contact LawCare for further information about this.

Christmas without Alcohol

For an alcoholic in recovery, Christmas can be a dangerous time. From champagne at the office party to brandy butter with the plum pudding, it seems that alcohol is everywhere. And it is no longer the “demon drink”, but a gift wrapped part of the festivities, a special tradition.

Daphne Thomas, project manager of the Drug and Alcohol Foundation in London, says that “For people in recovery from substance abuse, Christmas can be a time of maximum personal vulnerability coinciding with minimum professional support.” Many recovering alcoholics are particularly low at Christmas because they have so many bad memories of it. Christmas is supposed to be a family time but in a dysfunctional alcoholic family it can be a disaster.

The alcoholic knows that addiction is not a slippery slope. There is no slope at all. One drink would be all it takes to throw the drinker straight back into the bottom of the pit, the illness just as destructive and all-encompassing as it was the day he or she stopped drinking. With temptation everywhere, and normally understanding friends insisting “Just one won’t hurt, and you’ve got to have a drink at Christmas”, how can the alcoholic who is just beginning on the path to recovery survive the festive season? And how can you—the host—help?

For the Alcoholic in Recovery...

• If you are attending AA find out exactly when meetings are being held over the holidays.

• Ensure you have plenty of telephone numbers for people who can support you. Phone someone before going to a party, and after you come back.

• Let your family, friends and colleagues know well before Christmas that you will not be drinking and will require alternative refreshment.

• Stock up with plenty of non-alcoholic drinks you like and lots of your favourite food. Treat yourself to some chocolate or a varied cheeseboard instead of a bottle of wine.

• If you don't want to admit to being an alcoholic, say “No” using another excuse. “I’m driving”, “I’m on antibiotics”.

• Try some alcohol-free social events. Go to a carol concert or take the family to a pantomime.

• Don’t beat yourself up if you relapse. There’s a whole new year and a fresh start around the corner. Remember, Christmas is just another day.

Some Tips For the Host…

• Make two batches of punch, one with and one without alcohol, and make sure everyone knows which is which.

• Have plenty of interesting non-alcoholic drinks available.

• Respect your guest and don’t constantly watch to make sure he/she is keeping away from the champagne. If your guest wants to leave early, allow him to do so without embarrassing argument or protestations.

• Watch the food you serve at a dinner party. In theory alcohol burns off when cooked, but it may be wise to avoid it altogether since the taste remains and may cause problems for your recovering alcoholic guest. Certainly avoid adding alcohol to deserts. Unfortunately this not only rules out sherry trifle but potentially also Christmas pudding, brandy butter and Christmas cake.

• Be aware that many “Alcohol Free” wines and beers may actually contain small amounts of alcohol. These are not really an acceptable alternative as psychologically it is better for the recovering alcoholic to get as far from the taste and habit of beer and wine as possible. If you must have a bottle on the table then consider grape juice or a flavoured mineral water.

Much credit is due to anyone who decides to give up drinking, so make Christmas and the New Year even happier by helping them to stick to this particular resolution.