Alcoholics Anonymous

I Am Not an Alcoholic: Some people get uncomfortable having a glass of wine around me and try hide it. Please stop

Part 22: Another trigger, and maybe even bigger than Christmas, is holidays

Tue Dec 17 2024 - 06:01

I Am Not an Alcoholic: Some friends are distancing themselves from me. It hurts, but there is nothing I can do about it

Part 21: A lot more people know who is writing these articles, and I have mixed feelings about this

Wed Oct 30 2024 - 05:31

‘If I was on a bigger wage, I would have gambled it all - bookies, drinking, casinos’

Chris Joyce, now part of Oisín McConville’s backroom team with the Kildare footballers, is marking five years sober

Sun Sept 08 2024 - 16:56

We are falling out of love with booze: Why Ireland is drinking less

Alcohol consumption in Ireland has fallen by almost one-third so far this century, driven by more health-conscious young people with less disposable income

Fri Aug 23 2024 - 12:15

I Am Not an Alcoholic: ‘When I stopped drinking, others were not as excited as I was to finally escape the box’

Part 20: ‘Becoming a non-drinker changes you, or, at least, it changed me’

Mon Aug 05 2024 - 06:01

I Am Not an Alcoholic: ‘I would like a non-alcoholic Guinness,’ says the man. ‘Do you want a colouring book and crayons as well?’

Part 19: Often humour is used to camouflage our inner feelings – our fears and anxiety can be assuaged by humour

Tue Jun 04 2024 - 06:33

Irish spending more on alcohol at home than in pubs as consumption drops, report finds

New law proposed by Government is in conflict with legislation introduced in 2018 to drive down drinking, particularly among young people, review says

Wed Apr 17 2024 - 00:01

I Am Not an Alcoholic: ‘I made a two-week return visit to rehab’

Part 18: ‘Even though I hadn’t relapsed, I felt as if needing help was shameful’

Mon Apr 01 2024 - 06:01

I Am Not an Alcoholic: ‘Being alone in Paris, who was to know if I had a glass? But that was the problem, wasn’t it?’

Part 17: Although most people in the cafe are drinking coffee like me, some are having absinthe in between sips of coffee. It is 9.30am. How do they do that?

Tue Feb 27 2024 - 05:31

‘I think my husband has a problem with alcohol, but he says he’s just managing his stress’

Ask the Expert: Even if someone does not identify their alcohol use as a problem, it can be a serious issue for their family

Mon Jan 29 2024 - 05:31

I Am Not an Alcoholic: ‘I had a master’s degree in hiding my dependency on alcohol’

Part 16: She’ll think I’m sick if I don’t have a glass of wine. In fact, I was sick when I was having glasses of wine

Tue Jan 23 2024 - 06:01

‘In Ireland, people struggle more to understand when someone does not drink rather than if they drink to excess’

As 15 per cent of the population in Ireland has an alcohol use disorder, it’s time we recognise the problem and its effects, and get the right support

Thu Jan 18 2024 - 05:31

I Am Not an Alcoholic: ‘I turn away, red-faced. I could not hate myself more’

Part 15: This is my third Christmas without alcohol. You’d think I’d be used to it - it doesn’t work like that. Every day is a challenge, and I must be aware that alcohol is forbidden to me

Tue Dec 19 2023 - 06:01

I Am Not an Alcoholic: ‘Abstinence has brought power back into my life’

Part 14: I have discovered who I am. I question a lot of things; things I accepted willingly before

Mon Nov 20 2023 - 05:31

‘I drink alcohol regularly. Are there any healthy activities I can do to counteract its harms?’

If you drink alcohol, it may be particularly important to prioritise other aspects of your health

Sun Sept 24 2023 - 06:01

I Am Not an Alcoholic: ‘Despite drinking so much sparkling water, I lost my sparkle before the end of the meal’

Part 13: The novelty of being sober is long gone

Sun Sept 17 2023 - 06:01

‘I’ve learned that alcohol just magnified the difficult emotions I already had’

People who have reduced – or completely cut out – alcohol tell us how it has improved their health and outlook

Tue Sept 12 2023 - 05:01

‘It is bringing justice to the local population’: A daytrip to the Aran Islands with a District Court judge

Judge Mary Fahy travels by ferry to Inis Mór three times a year to hear cases in English and Irish relating to all of the islands

Sat Sept 09 2023 - 07:00

I Am Not an Alcoholic: A misguided joke reminded me of how difficult it is to stop drinking in Ireland

Part 12: Can you imagine the looks I would get if people saw me drinking a glass of wine?

Tue Aug 15 2023 - 06:01

State’s plan to label alcohol with health warnings draws interest from other countries

British and Canadian politicians express interest in consumer health initiative to be introduced in Republic

Mon Jul 24 2023 - 05:00

I Am Not an Alcoholic: ‘You haven’t had a drink in 11 months. Go on, you deserve it’

Part 11: Life is not always going to go as planned and if we can accept this then maybe we can handle the suffering when it comes

Tue Jul 18 2023 - 06:01

I Am Not an Alcoholic: ‘Wine is a socially acceptable and sophisticated aid to combat life’s little horrors’

Part 10: I recently read that observing clouds in the sky is very good for our mental health. I thought it was just me who found it so calming

Tue Jun 20 2023 - 06:01

Ireland set to become first country with mandatory health warnings on alcohol

Display of information on dangers of drinking will be required from 2026

Mon May 22 2023 - 00:01

I Am Not an Alcoholic: ‘Lying in an alley clutching a bottle in a brown paper bag doesn’t have to be your wake-up call’

Part nine: I am wondering if I should perhaps try AA again. It might be a different experience when I’ve had several months’ sobriety. We’ll see

Tue May 16 2023 - 05:01

I Am Not an Alcoholic: ‘Will you regret taking this drink?’ Yes. ‘Will it make you feel better?’ Yes

Part six: The longer I am sober, the more incentive I have to stay sober. Do I want to throw that away?

Tue Feb 21 2023 - 05:01