Have you ever found yourself in a position where you just wanted someone to talk to? Someone who would listen to your problems without bringing judgmentalism or accusations into the equation? If you are struggling with alcohol issues, we understand. We also know you are likely looking for honest answers to your honest questions.

We are an independent referral service offering an alcohol helpline for people just like you. We are here to help alcoholics, their friends and family members, and anyone else looking to learn more about alcohol treatment options. We are certainly not here to judge people.

Above all, we want you to be comfortable enough to contact us regarding your alcohol problem. Our fully trained staff are both competent and compassionate; willing to do whatever it takes to help you find your way onto the road to recovery.

Our Services

As previously stated, we are independent referral agency whose primary mission is to match alcoholics and their families with the best treatment programmes possible. To that end, we are constantly researching private clinics, alcohol charities, support groups, and free services made available by the NHS.

We maintain working relationships with the best private clinics around the UK as well. In so doing we always strive to gather the most up-to-date information. We want to be ready, as soon as you contact us, to help you find and enrol in a treatment programme.

Please understand that all of our services are:

• Confidential – We are not here to embarrass or publicly humiliate you. All of our communications remain confidential, from start to finish. Even if you do not avail yourself of the programmes or services we recommend, we will respect your privacy and protect your personal information.

• Free of Charge – All of the referral services we offer are presented to clients free of charge. We are not here to make money off your addiction. We are here to help. The funding for what we do comes from a variety of other sources so that we are never forced to charge clients for our services.

Most of the clients who contact us need help only in locating public services or a private clinic. However, you may be in a situation where you require a little more. If so, we can help with admission arrangements and transportation to a private clinic. We can also advise you on things you can do if you are seeking help for someone else.

The First Step: Call Us

It has often been said that the first step in recovery is also the hardest. What is that first step? It’s to admit you have a problem and then call us for advice. We know it’s a difficult step; we know you feel like alcohol is the only thing helping you hang on. However, please believe us when we say that alcohol is not a solution to your problems; it is the cause of them.

What do you have to lose by calling our alcohol helpline? If nothing else, we will provide you a listening ear. Moreover, if it turns out you are not really an alcoholic, we can then put your mind at ease by talking things through with you. If you are an alcoholic, getting in touch with us might be your only hope to start the recovery process.

Treatment Options

When you call our alcohol helpline, we will be more than happy to discuss all of your treatment options with you. Here is just a small sampling of the types of treatments that are available:

• Group Support – Support groups like Al-Anon exist to provide accountability, encouragement, and a supportive environment allowing alcoholics to work together to break their addictions. Group support might be an excellent option for you if you are still in the early stages of alcohol addiction.

• Counselling – You may be of the mindset that counselling doesn’t help, but it is an integral part of any alcohol recovery programme. Counselling can be individualised or offered on a group basis, or even a combination of the two. Both can be helpful if you have the right mindset.

• Detox – Detox is a quick way to be physically free from alcohol in a matter of days. It is based on the principle of separating the patient from his or her drink, thus allowing their body to completely cleanse itself of any remaining alcohol and its associated compounds.

• Comprehensive Rehab – If you know you are a chronic alcoholic, you probably also know that comprehensive rehab is really what you need. A comprehensive treatment programme includes a residential stay at a private clinic; a stay that typically last between six and 12 weeks.

Getting the Right Kind of Help

If you want to completely break your addiction to alcohol, it is important you get the right kind of help. Not every programme or treatment is right for everyone. Determining what is appropriate starts by assessing your level of alcohol use or abuse.

Here are some of the common signs of alcohol abuse:

• binge drinking more than once every few months

• casual drinking more than once or twice per week

• frequently drinking until intoxicated

• engaging in reckless behaviour while intoxicated.

Here are some of the common signs of alcohol addiction:

• planning your entire day around alcohol

• drinking as soon as you get out of bed in the morning

• alienation from friends and family due to drinking habits

• regularly lying to others about drinking habits

• noticeable withdrawal symptoms when you don’t get enough alcohol.

Obviously, it’s impossible to make an accurate assessment based on a few of the symptoms we have listed here. However, if you recognise any of them in your own life, it’s a warning sign to call us or your physician right away. If your drinking has not reached the level of addiction, proper treatment might be the only thing preventing abuse from becoming addiction.

Our alcohol helpline is available 24 hours a day, every day of the week. If you’re at all concerned you might have an alcohol problem, there’s nothing stopping you from picking up the phone and calling us right now. If you prefer, you can send an e-mail as well. The point is that you do not put it off another day.

Ignoring your problem is the best way to become a chronic alcoholic who lives the rest of his/her life in misery. However, facing your problem head-on is the first step in overcoming. Are you ready to take that first step?