WITH the festive period in full swing, the alcohol is flowing and all-day hangovers have become a constant state of being for many people.

As many of us party with friends and family, alcohol becomes the accepted form of currency for exchanging goodwill to all men during the festive period.

But for those battling to overcome alcohol addiction, the free-flowing beer, wine and champagne can cause a serious headache of a different kind - and one which probably wouldn't be eased by a day dozing on a settee while taking paracetamol by the handful.

For those fighting alcohol addiction, Christmas is not necessarily a season to be jolly. In fact, it's more a season to be terrified, as drinking in excess and plying each other with drinks becomes acceptable behaviour for the masses.

Indeed, in some quarters, refusing alcohol is taken as socially unacceptable behaviour.

"Everyone gets drunk at Christmas," said Peter, a Worcester man who did not want to be identified but has now been sober for 10 years.

"It's the time when people with a drink problem can merge with everyone else, they don't stand out like they do the rest of the year. In effect, they don't have to drink in the closet, they can come out and join everyone else.

"It's also a time when you're offered drinks, which can be very difficult to say no to if you're struggling against an alcohol addiction."

The 50-year-old, who drank for 29 years after starting at the age of 11, says he still vividly remembers his feelings of terror during his first sober Christmas.

"I was sleeping rough and lost everything, but I was still terrified I'd be lured back into drinking during the celebrations - even though I'd been given months to live if I continued to drink," he added.

He said the only way he could overcome his problem was by spending as much time as possible attending Alcoholics Anonymous and joining fellow members for the Christmas dinner where he knew alcohol would not be served.

But as Evesham woman Philippa said, for some drinkers it was not always possible to be away from free-flowing alcohol. The 52-year-old, who has been sober for two years after drinking for 21 years, said she would be getting through Christmas with "clenched teeth" this year - but added it would be easier than last year.

"It won't be the battle it was last year," said Philippa, who was told she would have 15 months to live if she didn't stop drinking.

"Going around supermarkets and finding alcohol promotions on the end of aisles can be a problem as you don't expect to see it. That can cause real panic because you are confronted with alcohol out of the blue, where the rest of the year you know where it is and avoid it.

"My husband will have wine with his meal and no doubt there will be a Champagne breakfast for the others. He doesn't have the problem with alcohol and he is quite right not to stop drinking. However, we will read the ingredients of things to ensure they've not got alcohol in them."

But, like Peter, she said regular meetings at Alcoholics Anonymous had meant she had remained sober.

"There is no way I could have coped without the AA meetings.

"It's only the meetings and the association's 12-point plan which has kept me alive."

The association, which meets six days a week in Worcester, was geared up for the fetive season and offered meals for single members or those who didn't want to be near alcohol during the festivities.

Yet, even with the support and help of AA, the stress of arranging Christmas and all the parties can prove too much for some who have put the drink behind them.

"Ninety per cent of the time I'm sober, but I have returned to drink because of the stresses of Christmas twice in previous years," said Sue, who lives in Worcester.

"It's the general stress of all the things I have to do and whether I'll complete it in time which turns me back to alcohol. But then alcoholics can be quite devious and will use the stress of Christmas as an excuse to drink, and that's why the AA is so important to offer support and help if it happens.

"I should be OK this year because it's the beginning of December when it happened before and I've gone past that point, so I hope I'll be all right again this year."

But for all those who may know an alcoholic battling with their addiction and are wondering how best to help them this Christmas, another drinker who did not want to be identified could hold a vital clue.

"I get really uncomfortable when people stand on ceremony and ask if I mind them drinking," he said.

"When people make an issue of it, it means they're uncomfortable about it, which makes me feel uncomfortable. It's quite easy really, I don't drink but others can. People don't need to change their habits on my account."