‘The Sophisticated Alcoholic’ is the title of a new book written by therapist David Allen to help people fundamentally change their relationship with alcohol. It is now available on Amazon to pre-order and will be published by O-Books on 25th November 2011, priced £12.99.
With useful step-by-step guides, the book breaks all the rules on treating alcohol dependency, showing people how to eliminate the misuse of alcohol without the need to wage a constant ‘battle against the bottle’ or the need for powerful chemical medication.
Allen’s controversial approach directly challenges flawed, yet generally accepted, concepts from genetic assumptions to conventional treatment regimes.
He denies that there is a need for total abstinence or a lifetime of attendance at self-self help groups. Allen maintains that these self-perpetuating groups take a view of alcoholism that is defeatist, irresponsible and wrong.
Allen’s approach focuses understanding, then changing the root causes of the excessive drinking - negating powerful desires rather than suppressing them.
Ed Mitchell – the former TV presenter whose alcoholism caused him to lose everything – his marriage, his job and his home – and ended up living rough, writes the foreword. A former client of David Allen, Ed Mitchell has won his own personal battle with alcohol and now lives in a flat above an off licence.
In the book, David Allen describes the “invisible majority” – ordinary people with successful careers; those with families who live their lives with responsibility, but use alcohol in a managed fashion, organising their drinking so that it has minimal effect upon their day to day lives yet far in exceeds recommended healthy limits.
“Many of these people have already concluded that they consistently drink too much yet are unable to reduce their consumption despite their intelligence and sophistication,” said Allen.
David Allen, who admits that he once drank to excess himself, estimates that there are 10.5 million ‘sophisticated’ alcoholics in the UK.
Following his personal victory against the booze, Allen has continued to help others to completely change their relationship with alcohol through personal sessions and the world’s first on-line interactive programme delivered by his website that allows people to be treated remotely and with complete anonymity.
Since 2007 hundreds of people have subscribed to the programme. However, whilst online treatment can be hugely beneficial for many, Allen believes it is not necessarily the best means of conveying extensive in-depth information. After running the programme successfully for five years and working directly with individuals, Allen decided these new concepts to people about behaviour control though the book.
“If people understand what drives their behaviour they are better placed to change it,” says Allen. “This is the first step, to promote real awareness of the causes of unwanted behaviour - we are driven by subconscious programs that are almost impossible to change by conscious determination.
FACTFILE:
David Allen himself once drank to excess, but now rarely drinks at all.
After smoking, alcoholism kills more people in the UK than any other drug. One adult in 13 is dependant on drink, according to Government statistics.
Allen also provides, one-to-one sessions, telephone support on on-line treatment programmes through his website.
33,000 people die each year due to alcohol-related incidents or associated health problems.
Alcohol is involved in 15% of road accidents, 26% of drownings, and 36% of death in fires.
A quarter of accidents at work are drink-related.
www.thesophisticatedalcoholic.com
www.control-your-drinking.co.uk
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