Alcohol can be an escape from problems and reality of every day life which can become addictive. For some, this gets beyond their control causing serious health and social issues.
There is a wide range of supports
in Dublin 15 and beyond that can
help people struggling with addiction.

What is Alcohol?
Pure alcohol is a colourless, odourless and inflammable fluid
Alcohol as a drug does not contain any nutrients for the body.
Alcoholic beverages have been used in many societies for many purposes.
Alcohol Facts
Alcohol is also a factor in a great number of problems – accidents, fights, rows, headaches and heartaches, health problems and even deaths. Alcohol leads to increased absenteeism at work, reduced work performance and to increased costs in healthcare and admissions to hospitals.
Why do people drink alcohol?
Express feelings, Mask feelings or Avoid feelings altogether.
For a man or a woman, young or old, who by their nature or by their upbringing is not skilled or is held back in their ability to express their feelings, alcohol allows that expression. With inhibitions gone, someone can be the witty or playful person that their shyness normally prevents. The person lets themselves go, can laugh and chat, express opinions and argue a case, can dance and sing and not have to be on one’s guard about what to say or how to say it. Or alcohol may allow a person to express a long held grievance or sorrow that is real and runs deep and sore and badly needs to be spoken about. This may otherwise never break the surface of consciousness and just leave a person with a part of their life that is sore or sour and only ever expresses itself indirectly in moodiness or grumpiness or in always being negative.
This is why we have the person who drinks alone in a quiet anonymous pub; or the person who drinks alone at home, drinking until sleep comes and often waking up in the early hours of the morning in an armchair. For the person avoiding feelings this can become a regular feature of their drinking style.
Recognising problem drinking
For instance, on an occasion when there is a lot of alcohol available, one person may drink too much and get drunk and sick. Another may end up having a fight, or an accident, or do things they later regret, taking foolish risks, or driving under the influence. Some people learn from this to manage their drinking better.
Others are not so fortunate or wise. The memory of the early drinking, and the euphoria, is strong in their brain. They want to experience that again, so they continue to drink. If they keep drinking in a way that causes problems, we call this Problem Drinking or Harmful Drinking.
Problem drinking is drinking that causes harm – to the drinker or to other people.

Support Services & Help in Dublin 15
Al-Anon
Al-Anon offers understanding and support for families and friends of problem drinkers in an anonymous environment, whether the alcoholic is still drinking or not. The parents, children, wives, husbands, friends and colleagues of alcoholics could all be helped by Al-Anon and Alateen whether or not the drinker in their lives recognises that a problem exists
Dublin 15

Alateen
Alateen is part of Al‑Anon Family Groups. Alateen is a fellowship of young Al-Anon members, usually teenagers, whose lives have been affected by someone else’s drinking. Alateen groups are sponsored by Al-Anon members who help the group to stay on track.
Dublin 15

Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism.
Dublin 15

Lifewise
Lifewise addresses all aspects of alcohol misuse including mental health. All help takes place on-line. However where people need a face to face service within Ireland we can recommend alternative services as we work in partnership with other organisations.
Dublin 15


ADAPT ( Addressing Drug and Alcohol Problem Together ) is a community drug team providing services to people experiencing problems related to their addiction to, or use of, drugs and/or alcohol, and to people who are affected by the drug and/or alcohol addiction/use of others.
37A Coolmine Industrial Estate,
Blanchardstown, Dublin 15
Phone
(01) 8211385
elaine@adapt15.ie
Web

Support & services for teens relating to Alcohol abuse.
Blanchardstown Youth Service,
Blanchardstown, Dublin 15
Phone
(086) 8224388
Web

Support & services for people relating to Alcohol abuse.
2nd Floor Parkside, Main Street,
Mulhuddart, Dublin 15
Phone
(01) 8249590
linda@bldtf.ie
Web

Coolmine is a drug and alcohol treatment centre providing community, day and residential services to men and women with problematic substance use and their families in Ireland.
Damastown Walk,
Damastown Industrial Estate, Dublin 15
Phone
087 122 9307
linda@bldtf.ie
Web

The TC is primarily a self-help approach in which residents are responsible for their own recovery with peers and staff acting as facilitators of change. Hence there is deep commitment to ‘community as method’ where the primary therapy and the main agent for change is the community itself. The most common features of TCs include that they are operated by residents, are based on a hierarchical structure according to seniority (length of time in the programme) and abstinence is the ultimate goal.
Damastown Walk,
Damastown Industrial Estate, Dublin 15
Phone
(01) 8251100
info@coolminetc.ie
Web

The TC is primarily a self-help approach in which residents are responsible for their own recovery with peers and staff acting as facilitators of change. Hence there is deep commitment to ‘community as method’ where the primary therapy and the main agent for change is the community itself. The most common features of TCs include that they are operated by residents, are based on a hierarchical structure according to seniority (length of time in the programme) and abstinence is the ultimate goal.
Damastown Walk,
Damastown Ind Estate, Dublin 15
Phone
(01) 821 4545
info@coolminetc.ie
Web

HSE Counselling Addiction Service – Mulhuddart
Counselling for substance misuse
Parlickstown House, Parlickstown,
Mulhuddart, Dublin 15
Phone
(01) 8097180
karen.walsh1@hse.ie
Web

We offer an addiction programme to help you to reach your recovery goals. We promote the involvement of family as part of the process and we provide specific support to family members affected by addiction.
1 The Avenue,
Ongar Village, Dublin 15
Phone
(01) 6991369
info@onestepclinic.ie

Information on this page was sourced from the Drugs.ie website for more comprehensive information including access to supports and programmes, please visit the Drugs.ie website