Drink and you

Worried you're drinking too much? Don't beat yourself up about it; the key lies in exploring your relationship with alcohol and finding a balance.

If you long for the end of the day so you can unwind with a bottle of wine, or save up your boozing for a binge at the weekend, you're not alone. Women all over Britain are propping up careers, relationships and financial difficulties with alcohol. The Office of National Statistics has revealed that women are binge-drinking more than ever, which includes working women in high-income jobs. Nearly half those earning more than £40,000 a year binge-drink at least one day a week and the numbers seem to be growing.

The government is worried - heavy drinking costs the NHS up to £1.7 billion every year¹ - hence the new 24-hour licences for pubs in an attempt to curb the bingeing. But what about those of us who drink too much, too often in our homes? You don't have to be a falling-down drunk in the street to want to take action.

If you feel uncomfortable about your drinking for whatever reason, then it might be worth looking into the Glass Half Full workshop. It's run by Lisa Morgan, a former strategic planner and researcher for various alcohol brands, who understands more than most what motivates us to drink.

Using your imagination
I did feel a bit of intrepidation on the day I took part in this workshop, as I imagined being trapped with a 'happy-clappy' self-help guru for six hours. Thankfully, Lisa was probably one of the most grounded people I've ever met. She introduced herself to the group and explained that the day wasn't a confessional and we wouldn't be told what to do/think. We were there to reach our own conclusions.

There were about 12 of us on the day, mostly women, aged from mid-twenties to late sixties. We were asked to get to know the person next to us and then introduce them, before trying one of the first exercises of the day - mentally performing 10 sit-ups. The idea was to get our imagination working. Sounds weird? Lisa explained that it was OK to be sceptical, but that we all needed to suspend this 'sceptical parrot' if we were to get the most out of the day.

Lisa's work is based upon two principles:

* Imagination is just like a muscle - you need to use it to get the most out of it

* Life does not just happen. It is stored in your thoughts and beliefs, and your subconscious works towards achieving your wants and desires

Parrot sucessfully suspended, we move on to word association, explore our role models, and even try our hands at drawing. I was rather daunted by this, as I'm about as artistic as a two-year-old with ADD, but we were encouraged to close our eyes and go on a journey to meet our 'spirit of alcohol'.

One woman saw hers as a column of light in a field of poppies, another as a column of crystals emerging from a pool of alcohol, a couple of others saw theirs as a devil-like figure, while mine was something akin to The Mask character played by Jim Carrey - out of control and ever-so-slightly sinister. Our 'spirits of temperance' were next to be visited. Most saw theirs as a dull, unpleasant character (including myself). We then talked through our journeys and spirits in groups of three. At this point, the penny started to drop and some people began to gain an understanding of their behaviour. For me, I realised employing a little moderation won't make me boring, it will just ease up the headache the next day.

Kick the habit
The final exercise involved searching your memory to determine when your 'crisis moment' was, in other words, when you first took to drink for a specific reason. What was the link? Lisa explained, 'Drink hooks into you at times of great emotion. The answer is to work out what that crisis moment was and if you're still drinking because of it, maybe just out of habit.'

On her website Lisa sums the workshop up, saying, 'People tell me that this day helps them lighten up about themselves. My aim is to give them techniques to find their own creative solutions.' So there you have it. The one-day workshop isn't necessarily an instant cure for all. For some, it might take a lot more work, but it does offer the chance for self-reflection and it certainly makes you think.

Further information
To try a Glass half full workshop visit Future Seeing Workshops or call 01229 583 750
www.howsyourdrink.org.uk

¹Prime Minister's Strategy Unit (2003) Interim Analytical Report