Many individuals struggle to accurately report their alcohol consumption to medical professionals, often due to a perceived judgment surrounding drinking habits. Susannah Jowitt, writing for the Daily Mail, describes her own experience of consuming up to 130 units of alcohol per week, far exceeding the NHS's recommended limit of 14 units for women.
Jowitt notes that despite not experiencing obvious signs of alcoholism such as public intoxication or severe hangovers, the sheer volume of her intake, particularly during holidays and festive seasons, concerned her. At 56, she expressed worry about the long-term health implications of excessive drinking, including the link between heavy alcohol consumption and dementia, a condition that affected both her parents.
Her desire was not to abstain entirely, as she enjoys the social and personal confidence she associates with moderate drinking. The challenge lay in finding a method for moderation that felt achievable and non-restrictive. Jowitt discovered hypnotherapist Tansy Forrest's book, "Ten Steps To Drink Less And Live Well," which offered a pragmatic approach.
Forrest's method reframes drinking habits, using terms like "overdrinking" rather than "alcoholic." The book also provides techniques for identifying personal drinking triggers, which Jowitt adapted. While standard advice like HALT (Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired) didn't fully resonate, she developed her own acronym, CUPID (Celebrating, Unaware, People-pleasing, Ingesting, Deserving), to pause and assess her motivations before having a drink.
A key element of Forrest's approach involves free MP3 hypnosis recordings accessible via a companion website. Jowitt found these recordings, which use cognitive suggestion to encourage mindful and slower drinking, to be particularly effective. She describes a gradual reduction in her weekly alcohol intake, starting with an initial goal to reach 14 units per week. Within weeks, she reported a significant decrease, moving from an estimated 130 units to 18, then 16, and eventually 9 units over a week that included social events.
Jowitt highlights that this process required minimal perceived effort and no struggle against cravings. The hypnosis and the CUPID acronym combination proved successful, allowing her to enjoy social occasions and maintain her desired level of participation without excessive drinking. Surprisingly, her change in drinking habits went unnoticed by her husband and friends, alleviating her fear of being perceived as the "boring one."
This newfound ability to moderate her drinking has led to a sense of accomplishment and a greater willingness to be transparent about her habits with healthcare professionals. Jowitt feels better equipped to address future health concerns, such as the risk of Alzheimer's, by proactively managing her alcohol consumption. The journey has culminated in a feeling of being "lighter and brighter, eyes wide open."