Common Questions
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Do I have an alcohol problem?
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The first thing to consider is how much you actually drink. Try to compile a diary of what you drink each week. Include all the drinks and remember that at home a glass of wine or spirits is often bigger than a pub measure! If you are drinking above the recommended limits you should think about cutting down.

Alcohol is a Central Nervous System depressant - it reduces activity in some of the higher brain centres. This can produce apparent stimulation by reducing anxiety and self-consciousness.

So alcohol is a substance that can change the mental/emotional state of the user. It has a "pay-off", in that it can temporarily remove mental or emotional discomfort.

What are the long-term effects of alcohol and what are the related illnesses?
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Alcohol is a poisonous substance so having it frequently circulating in your body will harm your health. Regular drinking may damage internal organs even if you rarely drink to the point of intoxication. Several serious diseases occur more frequently in heavy drinkers than in the rest of the population. It is however fair to point out that problems (with the exception of liver cirrhosis) are not caused by drinking alone. Alcohol increases the risk of developing certain diseases, rather than being the only cause. It can also make some conditions worse.

Alcohol's role in ill health is often under-recognised - doctors do not routinely ask patients how much they drink, even in cases where drinking is known to be a key factor.

What is drug abuse and addiction?
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Drug abuse refers to the use of a drug for purposes for which it was not intended, or using a drug in excessive quantities. Drug addiction is a state of physical or psychological dependence on a drug.

Physical addiction is characterised by the presence of tolerance (needing more and more of the drug to achieve the same effect) and withdrawal symptoms that disappear when further medication is taken.

All sorts of different drugs can be abused, including illegal drugs (such as heroin or cannabis), prescription medicines (such as tranquilisers or painkillers), and other medicines that can be bought off the supermarket shelf (such as cough mixtures or herbal remedies), plus of course alcohol.

What causes drug abuse and addiction?
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This depends on the nature of the drug being abused, the person taking the drug and the circumstances under which it is taken.

Some medications, for example certain sleeping pills or painkillers - are physically addictive. They have a specific effect on the body which leads to tolerance and withdrawal symptoms. Others may lead to a psychological addiction if people have a craving for the effect that the drug causes.

There has been some speculation that some people may be more prone to drug abuse and addiction than others. Research is being carried out into whether there may even be genes that predispose certain people to addiction.

Social circumstances are important in drug abuse. Peer pressure, emotional distress and low self-esteem can all lead individuals to abuse drugs. Ease of access to drugs is another influence.

People abuse drugs for a reason. Understanding what the person's motivation is helps to explain why that person is abusing drugs.

How is drug addiction treated?
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The first step in treatment is recognition by the individual that they have a problem.

Effective treatments are tailored to the needs of the individual. There is no one therapy that is used in all cases. The choice of treatment will also depend on which drug is being abused.

Treatment include psychological therapies, such as behaviour therapy and medication to help the individual's withdrawal symptoms.