What is lookatyourdrinking.com?
Treatment & Costs
Does it work?
Who is lookatyourdrinking.com intended for?
How long does the programme take?
What do I have to do?
Who sees my information?
Who will be my therapist?
What is lookatyourdrinking.com?
Lookatyourdrinking.com is an alcohol information website with an online therapy programme. It is aimed at people who would like to learn more about their alcohol use as well as those who feel they need to do something about their drinking habits.
If you sign up for therapy, there is an option to cut down or quit altogether and your therapist works with you to find out the right solution. You may start off by wishing to cut down and end up quitting. Similarly, you may feel you want to quit but then wish to try to moderate your drinking. Each person is different and you and your therapist arrive at a solution that’s best for you.
You communicate with your own personal therapist via the internet and a course of treatment usually lasts between 12 and 16 weeks, but may be shorter or longer dependent on how motivated you are to do the work.
Your treatment is anonymous but you will see a picture of and know the name of your therapist. Communication is what we call ‘asynchronous’. This means that you are not in a chat room so there is no live ‘instant messaging’ type conversation. You have your own ‘pass worded’ secure part of the website where you send and receive pieces of work and other communications from your therapist. There is no email contact. Your therapist will always respond to your secure inbox on the site within 3 working days. All of our therapists are experienced professionals in the field of addiction and alcohol abuse.
You will set your own goals with the help of your therapist through a series of free text email advices and analyses as well as a series of exercises and work assignments or ‘homework’. You’ll also be able to keep an alcohol logbook to explain when, how, and why you drink using an innovative, interactive, and easy to use piece of software. And importantly, you’ll be able to tell your therapist how you feel and think when you drink.
Our therapists use a combination of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and motivational interviewing (MI) techniques; both of which are widely recognised within the medical profession as having a successful evidence base for changing peoples’ drinking habits.
Treatment & Costs
You must be at least 18 years of age to take part. The treatment comes in two parts, part 1 and part 2.
TREATMENT PART 1 (£1,250)
The first phase of the online treatment analyses your current drinking habits and at the end of part 1, a personalised report on your drinking is sent to you. The personalised report on your drinking habits is compiled by a team of therapists, an addiction-specialised physician and a psychologist (Head of Treatment). The therapist can ask for expert advice from the physician or psychologist during the entire course of therapy.
Initially, you complete a detailed intake assessment that your therapist responds to which outlines the next course of action and asks any further questions raised by the intake questionnaire. Then, in addition to your therapist contact sessions and alcohol logbook keeping, you will work through a series of exercises and assignments to help you begin to understand why you drink and identify any potential triggers. It is then up to you if you wish to continue to part 2 of the treatment programme.
TREATMENT PART 2 (£1,025)
In part 2, you’ll learn how to change your drinking habits using the knowledge you’ve gained in part 1. Continued sessions with your therapist, as well as use of your alcohol logbook combine with more detailed assignments to enable you to set and monitor concrete goals.
In addition to your therapist, a multi disciplinary medical team, headed up by our Medical Director continue to have input in to your treatment.
FOLLOW-UP CARE (included in overall price)
You will be able to access your therapy exercises and personal data for six months after completion of the treatment programme. You can also continue to continue use the innovative alcohol logbook tool, and also keep in touch with other clients on the website forum if you choose to do so. During this time you will also receive a further 2 contacts to see how your drinking habits have changed. We use this anonymous data in a study to show the effectiveness of our treatment programme.
Does it work?
Yes. You shouldn’t confuse this robust, structured, 16 week clinical programme with simple on line counselling. This type of programme is unique in the UK, and is backed up by excellent results achieved in the Netherlands.
Designed by experienced psychiatrists, psychologists, and a multi-disciplinary medical team, you can be sure that the programme is safe, effective, evidence based, and outcome driven.
You are assigned your own therapist who will guide you through the 16 week programme providing you with guidance and support to help you regain control of your life. You will also have access to a resource centre, the forum, and chat rooms.
All of the above combine to give you an effective and affordable way to either cut down your consumption (alcohol only) or stop altogether.
Who is lookatyourdrinking.com intended for?
The programme has been developed for any adult who would like to know more about his or her alcohol use, or has already decided to do something about it.
If at the end of the online therapy programme you would like to find out more about how to access help and support, we will of course be able to assist you. We will also notify your GP during your online treatment if this is something you would like us to do on your behalf.
How long does the programme take?
Each part of the programme takes 6 to 8 weeks, depending on how quickly you complete and send in the assignments. Your therapist will respond to your work each time you send it within 3 working days.
What do I have to do?
You get a number of questions and assignments to complete in your own time. One thing we ask is for you to keep a daily log of what you drink and how you feel and think. We estimate this will take about 20 minutes a day. Time for the assignments, homework, and other communications again depend on how motivated you are and how detailed you wish to be. You set the pace and complete all work at a time and in a place that’s convenient for you.
Who sees my information?
You log in with your chosen username and a password, so no one else can see your information. You can only give up your anonymity if you wish to. Thus we would only notify your GP etc if you expressly asked us to do so. Only the professional therapists (members of the online therapy team) have access to your information.
In accordance with the law, your file is kept in digital form for fifteen years; however, none of this data may be released without your permission. The information will be used for a study of the results of the online therapy programme, but all data is anonymous and aggregated.
You may of course always look at your information via a log-in code on the site, during your treatment and for six months afterwards.
We fully comply with all Data Protection Legislation and Medical Confidentiality Guidelines.
Who will be my therapist?
When you sign up, you are put in touch with your therapist. You will have the same therapist for the duration of the therapy programme. Your therapist works closely with other therapists, always consulting with the treatment coordinator and our Medical Director, a doctor specialised in addiction.