Alcohol and Depression
The consumption of alcohol is an integral part of most people's social life. It can enhance our enjoyment of events, enliven our contribution to the fun of others and relax the nature of our relationships, for a short time, provided - and always provided - it is taken in moderation.
Plan your consumption of alcohol, and manage it when you are socialising. It can be done and the benefit in terms of morale and restful sleep is almost immediate.
Your Alcohol Plan
1. Consult your daily diary and see how much alcohol you are consuming and where and when.
2. Consider an alternative way of occupying yourself instead of drinking, and do it.
3. Construct a daily habit commitment to overcome your alcohol habit and repeat it six times morning and evening.
I ........................................... sleep restfully without alcohol.
I ........................................... choose not to drink during the week and feel really good.
4. Visualise how awful you feel after drinking too much. Bring up the memory of the emotions and physical sensations you experience and the demoralisation of the Black Dog attack. Focus on it, re-live every second of it, until you are almost experiencing the symptoms again. Practise doing this until you can call up the sensation and sense of demoralisation at will. Whenever you want a drink or when you are offered a drink, call up this atrocious memory and concentrate on it.
Now decide how best to avoid it.
5. Plan how much (if any) alcohol you are going to consume each day. Each morning repeat your alcohol management plan for the day, six times.
Tonight I will drink two glasses of water when I arrive home and one glass of wine or cider with my meal. I really no longer need alcohol.
Tonight I am meeting Jack for a drink. I will have two half pints of cider or beer. No more.
I do not need alcohol. I am the general commanding my life.
6. Drink two glasses of water every hour throughout the day. This will prevent you becoming dehydrated and stop you drinking alcohol to quench your thirst.
7. Never drink alcohol at lunchtime. There is no compromise here.
8. When you are attending a dinner party drink at least one glass of water with each glass of wine. It is no use waiting until you are about to leave for a dinner party and saying I'll only have three glasses of wine tonight. After the third glass you will have forgotten whether you had the first and in all probability overlooked the gin and tonic beforehand.
9. Alcohol management must be practised as a daily commitment until it becomes an established positive habit and you have assumed control of your life.
10. Enlist the help of your partner or a friend. We all need help and encouragement. Very few can do it on their own.
11. Talk with your mentor.
