Bottled Up: Help for families of alcoholics and those struggling with alcoholism

In this episode John and Lou look at recovery from the point of view of the drinker. It's an important listen for drinkers and family and friends. They consider the difficulties, the treatment and help available, the importance of maintaining recovery and keeping going when times are tough or when there is a relapse. Start by stopping. That's what drinkers need to do to commence their recovery. It...

Christmas with a problem drinker can be extremely difficult for a whole manner of different reasons. Whether you are experiencing your first Christmas with somebody who you think might have a problem with alcohol, or this is your umpteenth Christmas with a drinker, in this episode Lou and John guide you through ways to help with the Christmas fallout and how you can improve your life in the year a...

Christmas is usually very difficult when you're having to deal with a drinker. The drinking may increase, the aggravation and stress may reach new levels, and when everybody is in a party mood, you might just want to hide away. In this episode Lou and John guide you through ways to help you cope with Christmas. Magical thinking or realistic expectations (manage your expectations!). It's alright to...

Join Lou and John for a question and answer episode. Questions include: Is it possible to rebuild your relationship with your drinker? Are non-alcholic drinks a good idea? What is grief in a relationship? Whether you're a person struggling with an alcoholic in your life, or a person struggling with alcohol, Bottled Up can help. For more advice, guidance, and 1 to 1 counselling and information on t...

People need motivation to stop drinking. But what motivates one person to quit alcohol, may not motivate another person. In this episode John and Lou discuss what motivates change, where you or your partner can find motivation to change and how to sustain the change which leads you to life without alcohol. With John's professional research, personal and professional anecdotes and observations, and...

If you have come to this podcast concerned about your drinking, or that of somebody else, well done! It's a difficult step to take and should be applauded! In this episode John and Lou talk about how to assess your own drinking with four criteria – wellbeing, wealth, welcome (are you welcome?), and welfare. This assessment is something you can make personal to you, and is an important step in maki...

Do you think there is a problem with alcohol? It may be a question you are asking yourself, or somebody you know or live with is struggling with alcohol and it is affecting you and the family. In this episode Lou and John look at the signs and symptoms associated with alcohol problems, how to assess a possible problem and first steps to address problem drinking. Whether you're a person struggling...

Many people want to reduce their drinking and there is no doubt that it will be beneficial to you in many ways. Whether you're living with an alcoholic, a heavy drinker, or want to moderate your behaviour, in this podcast John and Lou talk through what you need to consider when reducing your drinking and methods you may want to consider. Whether you're a person struggling with an alcoholic in your...

This podcast is for the family and friends of problem drinkers and also those who are concerned with their own drinking. Controlled drinking can be a solution for some drinkers. It requires discipline and breaking the habit. In this episode John outlines what is has to be done to attempt controlled drinking. Please understand controlled drinking does not work for everybody. Please be very clear th...

Lou and John answer listeners questions and concerns. Topics answered include getting your social life back, how to ignore your drinker undermining your progress and trying to talk to an alcoholic who finds the subject very difficult to confront. If you have a question for Lou and John please email john@bottled-up.com with the title "Podcast question". Please be very clear that, at Bottled Up we s...

For John it was looking in the mirror and seeing what he had become which finally stopped him drinking. Please be very clear that, at Bottled Up we strongly advise people not to remain in violent or abusive relationships. We understand fully that in many cases circumstances can become untenable. We discuss this fully in our Podcast "Should I Stay or Should I Go". For more information on the servic...

In this episode we learn how an alcoholic may think and feel, and their struggles, as John talks openly about his many years addicted to alcohol. Of course every recovering alcoholic will cite different causes and reasons for their addiction, but through John and Lou’s conversation you can understand more about an alcoholic’s mindset, their behaviour and find common threads from which you may be a...

Relapse can happen. But the alcoholic can learn from it and actually improve their chances of recovery. It took John two years to get sober. Here he talks about relapse and the process of recovery – it's extremely useful for both families and problem drinkers. Please be very clear that, at Bottled Up we strongly advise people not to remain in violent or abusive relationships. We understand fully t...

In this episode Lou and John talk about the complicated road of recovery. The alcoholic has stopped drinking. This is a big moment. It is hopefully the end of so many painful moments which have taken their toll on you. But recovery can be the end, but it can also be the start. It is a delicate moment in which both the drinker and the family rediscover who they are, how they have changed, how they...

When encouraging change there needs to be carrot and stick. The Intervention is the ultimate stick. There have to be consequences for the alcoholic if they do not respond to the intervention. Plan the intervention carefully and be prepared to stick to the consequences the alcoholic will face if they do not change. Please be very clear that, at Bottled Up we strongly advise people not to remain in...

Are you considering staging an intervention? Then it is important to plan the intervention properly. There is a lot to consider and if done correctly there is a good chance that the intervention will be successful. But, if you are not able to follow through on what is required you may find that you are disappointed with the results of your efforts. We don't want you to go through the pain and trau...

Talking to an alcoholic about your concerns and the problems they are causing is often very difficult. Using our S.H.A.R.E. tool you can create an inventory which grounds your conversation in facts, not emotions. This will give you a solid foundation from which to talk to the alcoholic and try to encourage them to make changes . Creating change when living with an alcoholic can be very difficult....

Creating change when living with an alcoholic can be very difficult. With the S.H.A.R.E. tool you can make a plan by assessing your Safety, Health, Ambition, Relationships and Environment. Once you have a secure assessment of where you find yourself, you will find it easier to identify and focus on what needs to change and how. In this episode Lou and John discuss how assessing your Safety, Health...

Living with an alcoholic can often seem impossible. There can be expectations we, or others, put upon us, which can do you harm because you feel you have to follow them. But, there are no rules, you are living in exceptional circumstances, whatever the decisions you take will be difficult and entirely understandable. You need to make decisions which you believe to be in your interest, which look a...

As a parent, living with an alcoholic is extremely difficult. You're constantly on edge, protecting your children and trying to hold a family together, as you and your children live through trauma and make sense of what is going on. Relationships with the alcoholic will suffer and the reactions of you and your children are entirely understandable. In this podcast Lou talks about her experience as...

You might not actually decide to throw dinner in the bin! But it's indicative of setting boundaries to create changes in behaviour. Change in an alcoholic can happen, but there has to be both carrot and stick. By estabishing boundaries and expectations you can create change. What start as small ripples can become waves. For more information on the service Bottled Up provides, visit: www.bottled-up...

If there is no reason or incentive to change, alcoholics will continue to drink. In this essential episode Lou and John talk through four strategies based on scientific evidence of how people change, and provide you with practical ways that you can influence change in an alcoholic. Under the acronym L.O.V.E. they're innovative and bold, and might take a little getting used to! Let the negatives ha...

Don't let alcohol make the decisions. You can make decisions which bring back who you really are, in doing so, you will create positive change for you. For more information on the service Bottled Up provides, visit: www.bottled-up.com Dr John McMahon is a professor and was the senior lecturer for addiction counsellors at the University of the West of Scotland. He has led prominent studies into alc...

In this moving episode, you may well recognise much of Lou's story in your own life – the pain, heartache, disappointment, frustration, anger and anxiety – but also the hope and the love. Through these incredibly difficult times Lou navigated family life for 27 years, bringing up two children, whilst living with a binge drinker. Lou talks with John of first realising her husband had an a...

Empower yourself. Know that you are not powerless. You are not helpless. Whilst you can't make a person change, you can take control of the circumstances which bring about change in an alcoholic. For more information on the service Bottled Up provides, visit: www.bottled-up.com Dr John McMahon is a professor and was the senior lecturer for addiction counsellors at the University of the West of Sco...