The Hidden Health Risks of Alcohol: From Accidents to Chronic Conditions

Alcohol has long been a part of social life, celebrated in commercials and portrayed as a harmless way to unwind. But for m...

The story of my relationship with alcohol starts long before I took my first drink. Growing up, alcohol was a constant presence in my life. I grew up on a very small farm, the oldest of three children...

In this blog post, I want to explore one of the most deeply ingrained beliefs in our culture: the idea that alcohol helps us unwind and de-stress. While this notion is widespread, the reality of how a...

The Burden of Shame

Shame is a hugely toxic emotion, perhaps the most toxic and harmful of all. It involves self-loathing, where we hate ourselves for who we are, rather than for something we have do...

Drinking cultures make people feel excluded in all walks of life, not just in cricket

“A heavy drinking culture excludes a significant number of people”

This is how the ECB starts its section ...

Weddings and champagne are inextricably linked in our culture

My daughter got married last month. It was a wonderful, happy day. Actually, a wonderful, happy weekend, as we kicked it off on the Frida...

Have you ever noticed the advice on booze bottles to ‘enjoy alcohol in moderation’ or ‘enjoy responsibly’? Enjoy? Well, that is an unhelpful choice of verb! In what universe is it helpful to remind th...

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? It’s an age-old conundrum, a question to which there is no clear answer. But it is more clear cut when it comes to anxiety / depression and drinking alcohol. ...

I recently came across the most glorious typo. Glorious because it really made me think. The writer meant to type cognitive dissonance but what appeared on the page was cognitive dissidents. And...

Summary dismissal is often the result when employees go to employers about alcohol dependence

Imagine you were in a serious relationship, both of you saying that you were there for each other and co...

Bonding over a beer – alcohol in the workplace

Booze has been centre-stage in the shenanigans in Downing St in the last couple of years. Bottle-laden tables at ‘work events’ in the garden; juniors...

Why can’t I drink alcohol ‘normally’?

When I am coaching people, they will often tell me that their objective is to be able to drink ‘normally’.

What is normal drinking? Is there any such th...