Self- esteem

Giving up alcohol

Long term

I have set Bianca a target to give up alcohol completely in the next 2 months or so.

Short Term

Short term target I have set for her is to cut down on alcohol each week.

Week 1

Decide what your aim is. Do you want to give up alcohol altogether? Or do you want to cut down to within particular daily limits? Or maybe you want to avoid binge-drinking and all the problems that go with it. The decision is yours but be clear about what you want to achieve.

Week 2

Pick a day in the next week to start cutting down. Go for a day when you are likely to be relaxed and not under pressure. Plan ahead for a day when it is easier to avoid alcohol. No more than 13 units this week.

Week 3

Work out how you can avoid situations when you know you end up drinking more. If you often drink at home, stock up on alternatives to alcohol, like alcohol-free beer or soft drinks. You might like to tell other people that you are cutting back, this should avoid them putting pressure on you to drink and they might even join in. No more than 11 units this week.

Week 4

Don't give up giving up! Changing habits like drinking takes time and hard work and sometimes it is difficult to drink less. Keep focusing on the positive things you have achieved. No more than 9 units this week.

Week 5

If Bianca continues to find it difficult to cut down she could see a trained alcohol counsellor to help her develop new strategies or contact Drink line on 0800 917 8282 for advice. No more than 7 units.

Tips

* Have at least two drink-free nights a week

* Drink one soft drink with every alcoholic drink

* Eat before starting to drink

* Dilute your drink with mixers

* Stick to the recommended weekly and daily units

How to give up Cannabis and smoking

Treatment programmes for marijuana addiction are a recent development. Now most cities offer some help for people who want to quit. There are no medications to help users give up. Rehabilitation programmes involve counselling and group therapy.

There are also programmes specifically designed to help teenagers who are addicted.

Long Term

In the next year or so I have set a long term target for Bianca to give up smoking completely, this includes both cigarettes and cannabis.

Day 1: Throwaway all cigarettes, even hidden emergency packs. You must eliminate all temptation to smoke.

Day 2: Clean and put away all ashtrays.

Day 3: Completely deodorize your house, car and clothing of stale cigarette smoke.

Day 4: Ask friends and relatives not to smoke in your house or car for one week while you are on this program.

Patches: discreet and easy to use, patches work by releasing a steady dose of nicotine into the blood stream, via the skin. Some patches are intended to be worn during the day only and other "24-hour" patches are designed for 24-hour use in order to help stave off early morning cravings. Patches should be applied to a hairless part of your body such as your upper arm but don't use in the same place two days running. You shouldn't smoke while your patch is on or use any other form of NRT unless advised by your GP. A week's supply of patches costs in the region of £15, although you can now ask your GP to make it available to you on prescription.

Gum: gum allows you to control your nicotine dose. Learning to chew the gum properly is important. The idea is to chew gently until you get the flavour and then "park" the gum in your cheek so that nicotine is absorbed through the lining of the mouth.

Nasal spray: this is the strongest form of NRT and is a small bottle of nicotine solution, which is sprayed directly into the nose. Absorbed faster than any other kind of NRT, this can help heavier smokers, especially where other forms of NRT have failed.

Cold turkey

Stopping without any kind of aid. Although physical symptoms can be more extreme in the early few days, they fade away within the first two or three weeks. Most people give up smoking using this method.

Inhalator: is a plastic device shaped like a cigarette with a nicotine cartridge fitted into it. Sucking on the mouthpiece releases nicotine vapour, which gets absorbed through your mouth and throat. Inhalators are useful for people who miss the hand-to-mouth action of smoking

Short term

In the next 4 months or so I have set a short term target for Bianca to smoking cannabis.

Day 1 :Place a limit on how much you smoke

Day 2: Avoid people and places which make you want to smoke cannabis.

Day 3 :Find a support person to cut down with

Day 4: Keep a diary of how much you using

Day 5: Have some smoke free days a week

Day 6: Reward yourself for sticking to your goal.

Day 7: Withdrawal symptoms include irritability, mood swings, headaches, and problems sleeping

Use the same symptoms for giving up smoking when your trying to give up cannabis.