Addictions and Mental Health Resources Page

This guide explains how long alcohol stays in the body, the factors that affect alcohol metabolism and detection, potential health risks such as poisoning and withdrawal, and the benefits of medically supervised outpatient treatment for alcohol dependency. Page Reviewed on 22 May 2026 by Soraia Leite BA, MSc | Clinical Operations Leader & Editorial Expert Alcohol affects every individual differently, and one of the most common medical questions people ask is: how long does al

When I tell people that I've been sober for more than 20 years, they usually offer congratulations with a comment such as “we admire your...

Alcohol treatment practitioners have different views on abstinence. Some take the approach that it’s possible to have a goal of...

In 1969, Elizabeth Kübler-Ross described the five stages of grief. In my experience, these also characterise aspects of confronting...

All of us, presumably, would like to be at peace. Most alcoholics and drug users are restless. They can’t sit still. They’re not...

When we hit problems in life, whatever they might be, we need first to acknowledge that we don’t have all of the answers. This is...

In an earlier blog, we briefly commented on how Special Forces (SF) use meditation techniques as part of training and preparation (see...

Relapse is an important topic in alcohol recovery treatment. It’s not inevitable but it can be a serious setback if it happens. It’s...

Suffering is part of what it is to be human. The “art of living” (Discourses of Epictetus, 1.15.3) is in large part how we cope with...

We find ourselves in others. We come to know ourselves as others know us. That is how we find our identity in relation to others. It is...

We hear the cry of many, and perhaps we have done it ourselves on occasion – “what is the point of it all?” We do it when we are sick,...

There is a fundamental difference between not drinking and living sober. The former is tough because you focus on being deprived.

Alcoholics can’t stop at just the one drink. Whatever the good intentions, one drink is followed by another until oblivion is reached. It...

This time of year is especially tough for alcoholics. We need to talk about the particular problems posed and the strategies that we can...

Some people ask me - "how did you manage to cope and be a success in your career?" or "how did you manage to carry on with your work...

When I stepped into semi-retirement, I wanted to do something useful and with purpose. I said to somebody that I wanted to stop being an...

In an earlier blog from last year, called Be Still – Mindfulness in Lockdown, we talked about how lockdown was an opportunity to stop...

Addiction is a contentious area. The causes and the treatments are subject to much debate. But there are two basic truths about recovery...

Is an alcoholic ever really happy? When I went into psychotherapy, I was asked at some stage, "When you were younger, when were you...

Alcoholics and drug users find it tough to stick to a treatment programme. Motivation comes and goes. Discipline is something different....