RedChair

17/12/2025

🎁 Christmas 2025: A Quick Word from Bill
Look, I know most of you reading this don’t need my help. You’ll enjoy your Christmas, have a few drinks with mates, eat too many mince pies, and wake up in January ready to go. That is exactly how it should be.
But at RedChair, we see the other side of the coin. The festive season often brings a spike in accidents, arrests, and regrets—not because people are "bad," but because good people get caught in traps they didn’t see coming.
This guide isn’t here to lecture you. It’s here to offer a bit of foresight so you can protect yourself, your licence, and your family. And if you are one of the few who feels the chaos creeping in? Don't wait for the unwanted consequences. Call us now. Let’s intervene before the crash happens.

🍻 Alcohol: The "Home Pour" Trap
Alcohol is legal, social, and everywhere. That’s precisely what makes it tricky. We underestimate it because we’re used to it. But at Christmas, our routines go out the window.
The "Glass" Deception When you’re at the pub, measures are standard. At home? Not so much.
A "large" glass of wine at home is often 250ml (half a pint). If it’s 13% ABV, that’s 3.3 units in one glass.
Two of those? You’ve consumed half your weekly recommended limit in under two hours.
Free-pouring spirits often means a "single" is actually a double or triple.
The Morning After Myth Here is the cold truth: Sleep does not reset your breath alcohol level. You can go to bed feeling fine, sleep for seven hours, and still blow over the limit on your way to work or the shops the next morning. Breath tests don’t care how sober you feel; they only care about the chemistry in your blood.

❄️ Co***ne: The Invisible Legal Risk
Forget about how "high" you feel. The danger with co***ne and driving isn’t just impairment; it’s the law. The UK drug-driving limits are set exceptionally low—essentially a zero-tolerance approach.
The Numbers Game
The Limit: 10 micrograms per litre of blood.
The Reality: One line can put you over this limit.
The Trap: Police also test for Benzoylecgonine (BZE), a chemical your liver makes when processing co***ne. BZE stays in your system long after the high is gone. You could feel completely sober on Tuesday, but still test positive from the weekend party.
The "Cocaethylene" Cocktail If you mix alcohol and co***ne, your liver manufactures a third substance called Cocaethylene.
It is far more toxic to the heart than either drug alone.
It creates a longer, more aggressive high.
It is a leading cause of sudden cardiac issues in young, healthy people.

🌿 Cannabis: It Stays Longer Than You Think
Attitudes towards cannabis might be softening, but the traffic laws haven’t. The limit is based on presence, not just impairment.
The Limit: 2 micrograms per litre of blood. This is microscopic.
The Risk: THC (the active part of cannabis) dissolves in fat, meaning it lingers in your body. If you are a regular smoker, you could be constantly over the drive limit, even days after your last smoke.
Passive Smoking: Highly unlikely to trigger a blood test failure, but direct use? You are almost certainly over the limit.

🚨 The Roadside Check: It Doesn't Take Much
You don’t need to be swerving all over the road to get stopped. A broken brake light or a routine winter stop is all it takes.
If the police suspect anything, they will use a DrugWipe saliva test. It detects Co***ne and Cannabis instantly.
Positive Result? You are arrested and taken to the station for a blood test.
The Outcome: If the blood comes back over the limit, it’s a minimum 12-month ban, a hefty fine, and a criminal record. There is very little room for negotiation here.

❤️ The "ACT" Pause: A Moment of Clarity
In Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), we talk about moving towards what matters, rather than just reacting to impulses.
Before you head out, or when you feel that pressure to have "just one more," take a breath and ask: "Is this choice moving me toward the person I want to be, or away from it?"
Connection: Do I want to be present for my family tomorrow?
Safety: Do I want to keep my licence and my job?
Self-Respect: Do I want to wake up with clarity or regret?
Making a safe choice—switching to water, booking a taxi, leaving the car—isn’t boring. It’s a brave move that protects your future.

📍 Need a Hand?
Most of you will sail through this season. But if you find yourself struggling to stop, or if the consequences are starting to pile up, you don't have to do it alone.
RedChair | Bill Stevens Addictions Intervention & Recovery Coaching 📧 info@redchair.co.uk | 🌐 www.redchair.co.uk

12/12/2025

10/12/2025

A Friendly Message for Anyone Feeling the Strain This Season
From Bill Stevens, Red Chair Therapy & Counselling

As we move towards Christmas, this time of year can bring both warmth and pressure. Many people find themselves quietly worried about their own drinking, or about someone they love. You’re not alone in that.

I’m Bill Stevens, an addictions therapist and intervention specialist, and I wanted to offer a simple, friendly explanation of what really happens when someone sits down with an addiction therapist who uses ACT (Acceptance & Commitment Therapy). It’s nothing heavy or shaming. It’s human, calm, and genuinely helpful.

Clearing two big myths

Most people have heard something like:

“You can’t help an alcoholic until they hit rock bottom.”
“You can’t help someone unless they ask for help.”

These ideas linger, but in modern life they simply don’t hold up.

Rock bottoms today often show themselves quietly:
• changes in health
• friction at home
• drifting confidence
• worries about work or money

These are not moral failings. They’re side effects of a struggle – and side effects are information. They tell us that something needs attention long before life becomes unmanageable.

And a person doesn’t have to “ask for help” before help becomes possible. Often the very nature of the struggle makes asking the hardest part.

What actually happens in a first conversation

Most people are surprised by how safe the first meeting feels.
There’s no judgement, no blame, no pressure.

We gently explore three things:

1. What really matters to you

Your values: family, honesty, peace of mind, health, being dependable, being present.
These are your signposts, not mine.

2. What thoughts and feelings show up when alcohol isn’t doing the numbing

For many, it’s anxiety, overwhelm, loneliness, guilt, or stress.
These are human experiences, not character flaws.

3. How drinking becomes a way of trying to manage those feelings

Alcohol can offer temporary relief… but then come the side effects: arguments, shame, secrecy, physical symptoms, financial strain, a sense of drifting from the person you want to be.

ACT helps us map that cycle clearly and compassionately.
Not to point fingers – but to free you to choose a different direction.

We simply look at whether certain actions are carrying you towards or away from the values you named at the start.

What’s in it for you

You gain:
• clarity about what’s actually happening
• a sense of dignity – you’re not a bad person, you’re a stuck person
• a safe space to breathe and make sense of things
• practical ways to move closer to the life you want
• support for partners and families as part of the process

Most people say, “I thought I’d be judged… but I’ve never felt so understood.”

You don’t have to wait for a crisis

If alcohol is taking up too much space in your life, or someone you love is drifting, you can reach out early.
Early help is kind. Early help is wise. Early help works.

If any of this speaks to you, I’m here to talk in confidence.

Bill Stevens
Addictions Interventionist, Therapist & Coach
Red Chair Therapy & Counselling
📍 23 Hawthorn Street, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5EH
📞 07894 80286
📧 bill@redchair.co.uk

🌐 www.redchair.co.uk

A conversation can be the start of something lighter, steadier, and more hopeful.

20/11/2025

https://youtu.be/Exk1I_gf0-I?si=jLg3mN6IJMTjDzqj

Welcome to the first episode of Woody Unscripted.This episode Woody and Karen sit down with footballer Mick McCarthy, Mike's best mate of 40 years. Full of h...

19/11/2025

“Why Logic Loses: What Really Drives Someone to Pick Up Again”

When someone you love is caught in the grip of addiction, it’s baffling to watch. You point to the future – the risks, the damage, the consequences – and it feels so obvious. If they keep doing this, it’s going to blow their life apart. And you say it with love, fear, and hope all mixed together.

But they still pick up the drink.
Or the doughnut.
Or the drug.
Or the gambling app.
Or whatever helps them escape the pain of the moment.

From the outside, it can look heartless… reckless… selfish.
From the inside, it’s something very different.

The Science Bit: Behavioural Discounting

There’s a simple truth about the human brain: the further away a consequence is in time, the less power it has over our behaviour right now.
This is behavioural discounting.

The future gets discounted.
The present gets magnified.

And if someone is in emotional pain or discomfort, the pull of immediate relief is unbelievably strong. The drink, the drug, the bet – they promise a shift now. Not in an hour, not tomorrow, not next year. Now.

Even when the person knows the long-term cost.
Even when it terrifies them.
Even when they adore their family, long for health, or desperately want to stop.

Love Isn’t the Problem

Your loved one does love you.
They do value health, purpose, family, stability.
But values live slightly outside the skin – in the head, heart, and imagination.

Addictive behaviour, on the other hand, lives in the gut:
the craving, the discomfort, the urge to escape, the “just this once”.
It’s quick, powerful, and close.

And when someone feels trapped in that intensity, the fear of future consequences simply can’t compete.

Why Arguments Don’t Work

“If you loved me, you wouldn’t do this.”
“If you carry on, you’ll lose everything.”

These comments are understandable. They come from fear, sadness, and sheer exhaustion.

But they rarely work because they’re aimed at the future, and addiction pulls attention into the present. That mismatch widens the gap between you rather than closing it.

What We Do at Red Chair

At Red Chair Therapy & Counselling, we specialise in helping people change their relationship with the urges, cravings, and obsessions that control behaviour in the moment.

Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), we teach very practical ways to:

handle cravings without obeying them
soften the intensity of the “do it now” brain
create small pockets of psychological breathing space
rebuild motivation from values rather than fear

This is, in effect, a dopamine detox – not a fad, but a steady, workable return to calm, clarity, and self-direction. It helps people find genuine value in sobriety rather than being terrified into it.

If You’re Watching Someone You Love Struggle

And your normal arguments fall flat…
And the gap between you is getting wider…
And you’re losing hope because nothing you say seems to land…

It isn’t that they don’t care.
It’s that the pain of the moment is drowning out the person they want to be.

Understanding behavioural discounting helps take the sting out of the blame. It opens space for new conversations, new strategies, and new possibilities.

If you need support – for yourself, your family, or your loved one – I’m here.

Bill Stevens
Addictions Interventionist, Therapist & Coach
Red Chair Therapy & Counselling
23 Hawthorn Street, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5EH
📞 07894 80286
📧 bill@redchair.co.uk
🌐 www.redchair.co.uk

12/11/2025

Talking Together When Addiction Is in the Room

When someone you love is caught up in drink or drugs, conversations can quickly turn into arguments, silence, or worry. Yet small changes in how we talk can make a big difference — for them and for you.
Here are some simple steps that can help your family start to steady the ground again.
1. Start with calm, not chaos
Before you speak, take a breath. Ask yourself, what state am I in? If you’re angry, scared, or tired, wait. A calmer voice reaches further than a raised one ever will. You can’t pour calm into chaos.
2. Notice what’s still good
Addiction can take over, but it doesn’t erase the person underneath. Look for moments when they’re kind, helpful, or sober — and name them. A simple “I really appreciate that” can open a door that shouting keeps closed.
3. Speak from your heart, not from blame
Talk about what you see and how you feel.
“When you don’t come home, I feel scared.”

“I’ve noticed you’re drinking more lately and I’m worried.”
Avoid “you always” or “you never”. Keep it short, kind, and real. The aim isn’t to win an argument; it’s to keep the bridge standing.

4. Invite, don’t insist
You can’t force someone to get help — but you can show them the door. Try gentle invitations:
“Would you be open to talking about some support?”

“When you’re ready, I’ll help you find somewhere to start.”
It plants a seed, even if they’re not ready yet.

5. Protect your own peace
You’re allowed boundaries.
“I can’t give you money if you’ve been drinking.”

“If you don’t come home, I’ll need to get some help.”
Boundaries aren’t punishments — they’re ways of keeping love alive without being dragged under.

And remember: your wellbeing matters too. Get your own support, talk to someone who understands, and take time to breathe.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone.
I’m Bill Stevens — addictions interventionist, therapist, and coach — helping families and individuals find freedom from addiction and freedom to live again.
🔴 Red Chair Therapy & Counselling
📍 23 Hawthorn Street, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5EH
📞 07894 80286
📧 bill@redchair.co.uk
🌐 www.redchair.co.uk
A different conversation can start today.