Cheltenham Addiction Treatment and Recovery Advice (CATRA) is a telephone-based advice line – we
provide free and confidential advice on residential treatment options for substance abuse.

Recovery from Alcohol & Drug Addiction is possible, so long as one thing is understood – you have
to WANT to be free of your addiction.

Are you ready to be free of addiction? We can help you today.

Admission into a rehab clinic specialising in alcohol addiction is possible within 24 hours. There are a
few simple steps to go through prior to admission – the best thing to do, is give us a call
and we can help you through the process.

What is alcohol addiction?

Lots of people drink. Many do within safe limits as recommended by government guidelines. For
some people, however, what may have begun as recreational ‘letting off steam’ has become
something else.

When drinking becomes something that is necessary, as opposed to a simple social choice – it might
be the right time to seek advice.

Common images of ‘the alcoholic’ are far from the truth, in reality – most people continue very well
in the home and work lives despite having an addiction to alcohol for many years.

Eventually, despite a variety of negative consequences – the drinker continues to drink.

There are a number of reasons why, despite poor outcomes at home and at work –
such as a relationship breakdown or a verbal warning from the boss, the drinker cannot stop.

Way can’t an alcoholic quit?

Following a period of alcohol abuse, which basically means drinking despite poor consequences the
alcoholic’s brain has changed. The neural pathways have altered, so the need is felt very strongly,
because the brain is telling us we NEED the next drink.

OUR BRAIN does this because, over a period of sustained alcohol abuse, where we’ve used alcohol to
cope with life’s problems and traumas, including simple stuff – like confidence in socialising our brain has made the connection between

DRINKING and COPING, regardless of the ‘thing’ we are trying to cope with.

THE GOOD NEWS IS these ‘pathways’ can be re-routed in therapy. Clients in therapy report that have
felt ‘re-booted’. Here, then mean that they really feel that they don’t NEED alcohol anymore,
because they have other, much more effective strategies inside them.

Clients learn skills in therapy whereby THINKING and COPING is far more useful and authentic.
The authentic nature of thinking leading to problem solving is truly wonderful.
These are skills clients take with them for the rest of their lives.

These strategies were always there, but squashed and blinded by alcohol intoxication.