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ADDICTION AND MENTAL HEALTH

Addiction may affect one in three people‡. It’s a condition that can cause
physical and mental illness.




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DON’T LET ADDICTION GET IN THE WAY OF YOUR MENTAL HEALTH. WE’RE HERE TO SUPPORT
YOU IN RECOVERING, EVEN IF YOU’RE NOT A BUPA CUSTOMER.


HOW DOES ADDICTION AFFECT MENTAL HEALTH?

People may turn to substances like drugs or alcohol for enjoyment, or to try and
deal with what’s going on in their lives. But if they become an addiction, those
substances can have the opposite effect. An addiction can spiral out of control
and take over your life. So although an addiction can be the result of a mental
health problem, it can also cause them.

Bupa’s health insurance covers you for any addiction. We’ll even cover you for a
period of rehab to help you recover from your dependency†. Our health insurance
is designed to cover you for the treatment of conditions that appear after you
take out a policy with us, including mental health conditions. Because mental
health is a wide-ranging area, if you’ve struggled in the past with similar but
unrelated symptoms, we’d still look to see if we can support you.

†To support addictions, we fund one addiction treatment programme per membership
lifetime. Please call us if you would like to discuss the benefit limits on your
policy.

 


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View transcript

Dr Zoe:
So how would we know if we were drinking too much?

Siobhan Peters:
Well, lots of people use alcohol. They use it socially and it has no impact on
their lives and people may drink at weekends and everything's okay for them. But
sometimes you might notice signs like you're regularly using alcohol to
de-stress, that you routinely can't remember the events of the evening before
and that you start to regularly feel unwell. You might start to have accidents
and you might start to take risks that are not the normal risks that you would
take. And then when we are drinking a little bit more problematically and it has
more of an impact on our life, that it can have an impact on our finances, on
our day-to-day ability to do our job and to go about our normal business, you
might need to drink sort of like earlier in the day, because you started to feel
unwell and have withdrawal symptoms, like feeling hot, feeling sweaty, feeling a
little bit more confused, and you might need to take more time off work and
things like that. So once you're starting to see those sort of signs and
symptoms, it's probably the time to reach out for help.

Dr Zoe:
And it has an impact on relationships as well, doesn't it?

Siobhan Peters:
It really does have an impact on relationships. We like to think that when we're
drinking, we're under control of everything, but people around you will notice,
particularly the people that love you and care about you, so your friends and
your family, people like your children, people will start to say that they're
concerned. People will see that maybe you're a little bit more stressed or
you're short-tempered, or you're not engaged as well as you would normally be.
And people will raise those concerns with you. And when they're raising those
concerns, it's because it's having an impact on them as well.




AM I DRINKING TOO MUCH?

A drink now and then isn't usually an issue. But if you're having a drink every
night, it might be a sign of a more serious problem – even if you're not getting
drunk. The video features the charity With You. They specialise in helping
anyone going through addiction. Find out more about the support and guidance on
offer.


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Dr Zoe:
So how would we know if we were drinking too much?

Siobhan Peters:
Well, lots of people use alcohol. They use it socially and it has no impact on
their lives and people may drink at weekends and everything's okay for them. But
sometimes you might notice signs like you're regularly using alcohol to
de-stress, that you routinely can't remember the events of the evening before
and that you start to regularly feel unwell. You might start to have accidents
and you might start to take risks that are not the normal risks that you would
take. And then when we are drinking a little bit more problematically and it has
more of an impact on our life, that it can have an impact on our finances, on
our day-to-day ability to do our job and to go about our normal business, you
might need to drink sort of like earlier in the day, because you started to feel
unwell and have withdrawal symptoms, like feeling hot, feeling sweaty, feeling a
little bit more confused, and you might need to take more time off work and
things like that. So once you're starting to see those sort of signs and
symptoms, it's probably the time to reach out for help.

Dr Zoe:
And it has an impact on relationships as well, doesn't it?

Siobhan Peters:
It really does have an impact on relationships. We like to think that when we're
drinking, we're under control of everything, but people around you will notice,
particularly the people that love you and care about you, so your friends and
your family, people like your children, people will start to say that they're
concerned. People will see that maybe you're a little bit more stressed or
you're short-tempered, or you're not engaged as well as you would normally be.
And people will raise those concerns with you. And when they're raising those
concerns, it's because it's having an impact on them as well.


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View transcript

ALAN:

If you knew where I’d come from…

…you wouldn’t think I’d be here now.

But after I retired, I was drinking two litres of gin every day.

Breaking point was the day my wife said she was walking out.

When I rang Bupa, I suppose I ran out of excuses.

I had a session with a doctor who specialises in addiction. He said basically
‘you’re killing yourself’

He put together a treatment plan. I went into rehab for 28 days.

SARAH:

We’re here to get you the support and treatment you need and minimise the impact
on your family.

We do follow up calls…keep the conversation going and make sure you’re doing
okay.

ALAN:

I’ve got a lot to thank Bupa for.

I’ve got my family back.

And I suppose I’ve got myself back, too.




NORMAL FOR ALAN WAS DRINKING OVER TWO LITRES OF GIN A DAY

He hid it quite well and hoped no one would notice. But his family did. Watch
our video to see what life used to be like for him, and how we helped‡.

‡Each story refers to mental health cover and reflects the experience of one
particular Bupa member. The cover you choose will have specific terms and
conditions, and pre-existing conditions are normally excluded.


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ALAN:

If you knew where I’d come from…

…you wouldn’t think I’d be here now.

But after I retired, I was drinking two litres of gin every day.

Breaking point was the day my wife said she was walking out.

When I rang Bupa, I suppose I ran out of excuses.

I had a session with a doctor who specialises in addiction. He said basically
‘you’re killing yourself’

He put together a treatment plan. I went into rehab for 28 days.

SARAH:

We’re here to get you the support and treatment you need and minimise the impact
on your family.

We do follow up calls…keep the conversation going and make sure you’re doing
okay.

ALAN:

I’ve got a lot to thank Bupa for.

I’ve got my family back.

And I suppose I’ve got myself back, too.


WHAT IS ADDICTION?

Addictions usually start out as enjoyable habits – like a smoke or a drink with
friends, a flutter at the races, or taking drugs to relax. But if you’re no
longer in control of your habit, or it becomes harmful, that’s an addiction. You
may find you need more of something to get the same effect, whether that’s
gambling, alcohol, drugs or nicotine. Some people are especially prone to
addiction, too.

Addiction can have a lasting negative effect on your mental health. For example,
the abuse of some drugs can lead to developing schizophrenia, paranoia or
psychosis.


LISTEN TO OUR PODCAST: EXPLORING YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH ALCOHOL

In this 12-minute podcast, a Bupa colleague talks openly about how alcohol
stripped him of absolutely everything. He’s followed by two of our experts who
discuss finding the motivation to cut down on drinking.

Bupa Health · Exploring your relationship with alcohol


HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT A LOVED ONE THROUGH ADDICTION?

Addiction rarely gets better on its own. People need help and support to kick
their habit. If your friend, colleague or family member is struggling with an
addiction, there are ways we can help.

You don’t need to be a Bupa customer to use all the information and advice we
provide here. You might also find Helping someone else with their mental health
(PDF, 0.4MB) useful.

Mind, the mental health charity, has a list of specialist organisations that
help with addiction and dependency.









OUR TIPS FOR COPING WITH ADDICTION



WHAT IS ALCOHOLISM?

Alcoholism, or alcohol dependence, is when you need to have a drink to keep
going. You can’t control how much or how often you drink, and you may not
realise at first that it’s becoming a problem − or you may be in denial.
Unfortunately, alcohol addiction can cause a range of mental health problems.
This article looks at some symptoms of alcohol addiction and its treatments.

Read now


TALKING THERAPIES FOR MENTAL HEALTH

It’s important to get treatment for addiction, and admitting and exploring its
effect on your life can be a good place to start. There are many different types
of talking therapy, so even if counselling isn’t for you then there are other
options you could try.

Read now


CAN CBT HELP TO TREAT ADDICTION?

There are psychological and pharmacological interventions for all addictions,
whilst a pharmacological approach is usually considered in the early stages of
treatment, psychological approaches such as CBT may be appropriate.

CBT teaches you to recognise unhelpful patterns in the way you think and behave.
It also shows you how to challenge and change those patterns.

Read now


FIND BUPA-RECOGNISED MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS NEAR YOU

Our Finder tool lets you browse the directory of Bupa-recognised consultants,
psychologists, therapists, counsellors and other professionals.

You don’t need to be a Bupa health insurance customer to see them, just make
your own appointment and pay independently.

Use Bupa Finder

SUPPORTING YOUR MENTAL HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE

Whether you're a manager or an employee, we're here to help support your
wellbeing in the workplace, whether you have a policy with us or not.



WORKPLACE WELLBEING HUB

WE’RE HERE TO HELP YOU SUPPORT YOUR TEAM'S WELLBEING.

 * Discover how to implement a workplace wellbeing strategy
 * Get practical guidance on how to support your team's wellbeing, especially as
   they return to work
 * Use our range of guides to help support your team
 * Read our informative blog posts covering a range of topics


WORKPLACE MENTAL HEALTH

IF YOU’RE A MANAGER, WE CAN HELP YOU LOOK AFTER YOUR TEAM.

 * Learn how to set up a Wellness Action Plan
 * Improve your organisation's approach to mental health
 * Discover how to play an important role in supporting your team
 * Find out how to feel confident talking about mental health

Learn how to support your team


#OPENUP

WE WANT TO OPEN UP THE CONVERSATION IN YOUR BUSINESS.

 * Break the stigma attached to mental health in the workplace
 * Find out how we are encouraging businesses to open up
 * Get advice on talking about mental wellbeing with your team
 * Listen to our podcasts covering mental health in the workplace

Learn more about our #OpenUp campaign


SUPPORT FOR ADDICTION FROM BUPA’S EXPERTS


OUR WELLBEING PLATFORM, HEALTHY ME, IS WHERE YOU’LL FIND A RANGE OF HELP IN
COPING WITH ADDICTION.


WHAT ARE THE WEEKLY ALCOHOL UNIT RECOMMENDATIONS?

02 June 2021 Discover


HOW ARE YOU? TALKING ABOUT YOUR MENTAL HEALTH

06 February 2020 Feel



More mental health articles


IF YOU’RE IN A CRISIS OR JUST NEED SOME HELP, DON’T HESITATE. HERE ARE SOME
REALLY HELPFUL ORGANISATIONS THAT YOU CAN TURN TO FOR SUPPORT.

Samaritans
 * Samaritans
 * Mind
 * YoungMinds
 * Mental Health Foundation
 * Rethink Mental Illness

 * SAMARITANS

 * MIND

 * YOUNGMINDS

 * MENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATION

 * RETHINK MENTAL ILLNESS


SAMARITANS

When life is difficult, Samaritans are there – day or night, 365 days a year.
Whoever you are and whatever you’re facing, they won’t judge you or tell you
what to do. They’re there to listen so you don’t have to face it alone.

Call free day or night on

116 123 (UK AND ROI)

samaritans.org




MIND

Mind is a charity dedicated to mental health. They exist to make sure no one has
to face a mental health problem alone. They’ll listen to you and offer support
and advice.

0300 123 3393

Lines open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except for bank holidays

www.mind.org.uk




YOUNG MINDS

YoungMinds is the UK’s leading charity for children’s and young people's mental
health. You can text Crisis Messenger for free 24/7 and get support from trained
volunteers who are supervised by experienced clinicians. Texts are free from
most major mobile networks.

For urgent help, text YM to 85258

youngminds.org.uk







MENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATION

This charity helps people understand, protect and sustain their mental health.
The ‘Your mental health’ section has lots of useful content, including podcasts
about mindfulness and overcoming anxiety.

mentalhealth.org.uk


RETHINK MENTAL ILLNESS

Rethink offers crisis and recovery services, advocacy, online resources, support
groups and much more. Each year, they help tens of thousands of people manage
their mental wellbeing.

0300 5000 927

Lines open 9:30am to 4pm Monday to Friday

rethink.org


MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT AS PART OF BUPA HEALTH INSURANCE

I’M ALREADY A BUPA HEALTH INSURANCE CUSTOMER

If you have mental health cover as part of your Bupa health insurance, we may be
able to refer you to a consultant or therapist, and you may not even have to see
your GP first††. Or we can put you through to one of our mental health nurses.

0808 256 1766^

^Calls may be recorded and to maintain the quality of our service we may monitor
some of our calls, always respecting the confidentiality of the call.

I’M NOT A BUPA CUSTOMER, BUT I’M INTERESTED IN HEALTH INSURANCE

If you’re looking for mental health support as part of a broader health
insurance policy, we can look after you, your family, or your employees. For
more information on what conditions we can cover you for, speak to us directly.

For individuals

For small businesses

^We may record or monitor our calls.

††Direct Access telephone services are available as long as the symptoms are
covered under the policy. If your cover excludes conditions you had before your
policy started, we’ll ask you to provide evidence from your GP that your
symptoms are not pre-existing for a period of up to two years from policy start
date (or up to five years in the case of mental health). We can then refer you
to a consultant or therapist through the Direct Access service. Always call us
first to check your eligibility.

‡Action on Addiction. Addiction widespread in society with more than half of
Britons knowing a victim, new poll finds.
https://www.actiononaddiction.org.uk/news/latest-news/yougov-poll, published 10
June 2019.

Bupa health insurance is provided by Bupa Insurance Limited. Registered in
England and Wales No. 3956433. Bupa Insurance Limited is authorised by the
Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority
and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Arranged and administered by Bupa
Insurance Services Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial
Conduct Authority. Registered in England and Wales No. 3829851. Registered
office: 1 Angel Court, London EC2R 7HJ.

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