Publication:Sea Talk Spring 2004/Help for problem drinking
Advice from National Convenor for Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs Program - Donna Bull
Problems with alcohol manifest themselves in a variety of forms - ranging through overweight and absenteeism to blackouts and drink-driving to violence and destructive behaviour - which will wreck furniture and relationships.
If a member of the Navy seems to have a drinking problem, what can a partner or spouse do?
Probably the first step is to get the person to recognise it.
This is one of the more difficult things to achieve and presents a challenge for around 500 ADF and allied health professionals who have received training through the Training Stream of Defence's Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs Service (ATODS).
" For a spouse having difficulties because of the drinking habits of a Service member, probably the best thing to do is to contact their local Defence Community Organisation office, if necessary, going through the Family Information Network for Defence (FIND) on 1800 020 031," said National Coordinator of ATODS, Ms Donna Bull.
" DCO is staffed by professional social workers, family liaison officers and Defence personnel all of whom are well placed to help those with difficulties."
First contact Ms Bull said if members themselves recognised difficulties with their drinking habits, their first contact should be their local health provider.
" They should contact their local medical or nursing officer, psychology officer or even the DCO where they have access to social workers and so on," she said.
Ms Bull pointed out that members of the Navy have one further option for help not available to members of the public or the other Services.
" The Navy has had its own alcohol and drug program for some time," she said. "This is a system of peer education and peer support in contrast to the ADF one which is within the health and allied health arena.
" Alcohol and Drug Program Advisors (ADPAs) - on virtually every ship and establishment in the Navy - are well placed to provide information about alcohol and other drugs. They can also point people towards our website at www.defence.gov.au/dpe/dhs/mentalhealth.
Ms Bull said that, in alcohol-related matters, Defence takes its lead from the civilian community. " We think that people in the Defence Force probably do not vary very much in their drinking patterns from people elsewhere in the Australian community. So we take our cues from that."
Support Lines Defence has avoided duplicating the extensive network of hotlines and treatment available through civil authorities in states and territories throughout Australia.
" People can find the Alcohol and Drug Information Services (ADIS) lines through the community pages of their phone book or in most medical centres, websites and so on.
They're 24 hours a day, seven days a week," Ms Bull said.
Defence also has an all-hours support line on 1800 628 036 or (outside Australia) +61 2 9425 3878 set up for people with mental health and a wide range of problems." If a person calls on an alcohol or other drug-related issue, they'll certainly be able to refer them to the most appropriate provider," Ms Bull said.
Ms Bull said ATODS focus is on is health promotion, prevention and early intervention." Our reasoning is that, if we can get all of our health and allied health professionals trained in up-to-date screening techniques, they will recognise the questions to ask when somebody comes in with what might be an alcohol-related issue," she said.
" We're trying to give all the people concerned - medical, nursing, psychology and social workers - skills to be able to talk with confidence about low-risk drinking with their clients.
" ATODS is providing training in motivational interviewing built on a theory that people will go through a series of stages in changing behaviour," Ms Bull said.
No problem? " They might not even think there is an issue. They don't recognise the negative consequences attached to the behaviour they're engaging in but in the rewards for the behaviour - the good things they are getting out of doing that.
" And this is where you might say that people don't acknowledge that there is a problem."
A variety of methods were used to encourage people to recognise negative aspects of their current behaviour and some of their short and long-term goals." Certainly, you can't get anybody to see a problem by anything you say to them," Ms Bull said. "People need to come to that conclusion themselves.
" Sometimes you can nudge them along a bit but, if someone says 'My drinking really isn't a problem for me. I'm quite committed to continuing with the behaviour as I have done in the past and anything negative that comes as a consequence, I'm prepared to deal with - I'm not changing', what you can do is not farewell them out the door.
" You can still provide them with some information that they might want to read later - some guidelines for cutting down their drinking."
