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When people get together for a night out, alcohol is often part of the plan. It's possible to relax and unwind with a few drinks, but it's also possible to go too far and develop a drinking problem.

Unfortunately, many people don't realise they have an issue with alcohol until it's too late. Fortunately, some red flags to look out for may indicate you have a drinking problem. In this blog, we'll cover the biggest signs of a drinking problem and what to do if you're concerned you may be struggling with alcohol.

What exactly is a drinking addiction?

A drinking problem, also known as an alcohol use disorder, is a serious condition that causes a person to have difficulty controlling their drinking. It can range in severity from mild to severe, and if not addressed, it might get much worse and lead to vehicular endangerment.

Some signs of alcoholism include drinking more than planned, getting drunk often, and finding it hard to cut down or stop drinking. If you think you or...

If you regularly have trouble sleeping, it’s a sign that something is out of balance. It could be something as simple as too much caffeine, or dehydration. Or it could be a symptom of an emerging underlying medical or psychological problem. Whatever the reason, it won’t be cured with an over the counter sleeping pill.  At best, an over the counter sleeping pill will provide a temporary band aid. At worst, it’ll erode your sleep confidence and worsen your sleep problem in the long run.

Insomnia is the most common sleep problem among the public and there two recognised treatments for it; medication prescribed by a medical doctor, usually a GP; or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-i) provided by an accredited professional. The medication prescribed by a doctor can only be used safely for 2-4 weeks. The other treatment, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia is a multipronged behavioural approach that is proven to be more effective than...

As smart, highly independent people we tend to find our own answers for problems. Rather than asking for help, we tend go looking for it and sometimes in the wrong places. Some of my clients who have been struggling to sleep have resorted to smoking marijuana to help them enjoy a better night’s sleep. They are not using medicinal cannabis which is available on prescription.  

Their inability to sleep or insomnia has been triggered by a variety of situations; a long-term relationship break-up, need for increased stress management techniques or high anxiety due to changes related to COVID to name a few; and the solution they have settled on is a bong of marijuana. Only to find their life unravel more.

Cannabis is a plant that we commonly call marijuana, ganja in herbal form or hashish in resinous form. It’s use became prevalent in the 20th century when cannabis was used for religious, spiritual, medicinal and even recreational purposes. To date, the use...

Research published by the Centre for Future Work in 2020, [1] shows that with the shift towards working from home due to COVID there has been an increase in the average unpaid hours of work. An increase from 4.6 hours to 5.3 hours, confirming an upward trend for the Australian worker. According to their November 2020 Report the average Australian worker puts in 7 standard 38hr work weeks, unpaid per year – a fertile breeding ground for workaholism. And before you get judgmental, we all have the capacity to become a workaholic.

While there are many perspectives on what defines a workaholic there is a shared view on three aspects [2]. A workaholic is characterised by someone who:

• feels compelled to work because of internal pressures,
• has persistent thoughts about work even when not working, and
• works beyond what is reasonably expected of a worker.

While many employers enjoy the fruits of workaholics and at times encourage them, ultimately this behaviour is...

If you are someone that always seems to be stressed out, and constantly looking for more to add to your to-do list instead of managing well what you already have on it, then you might be an addict.

Admittedly there are two sides to the impact of stress; there’s a good side which can help you to achieve your best work, support you to learn new skills and pay attention to the details when it matters. However the other side of stress, the less helpful side, is that in large doses it can make you feel overwhelmed, miserable and erode your self-confidence. However, this less helpful side of stress is often linked to having perfectionist tendencies, not wanting to miss out and the belief that it will get better with the more you accomplish.

It’s important to recognise that it is human to take breaks and that everyone needs them.

It might seem silly to be addicted to something that can affect you so negatively however our relationship to stress is adaptive...

The drinking of alcohol is widespread within Australia and it is linked to many work, social and cultural activities. Perhaps surprisingly, 1 in 4 people have consumed alcohol at levels placing them at risk of harm on a single occasion, at least monthly, within the last year.

Myth 1: Alcohol makes it easier for people to socialise.