Free Health Articles

It is fascinating to bring up something that family members who have been unfavorably affected by the alcohol dependency of another family member clearly do not grasp. It appears that by shielding the alcohol dependent person with falsehoods and deceitfulness to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have actually created a situation that makes it easier for the alcohol dependent individual to continue and proceed with his or her harmful, detrimental existence.

Indeed, rather than helping the alcohol addicted person and themselves, these family members have essentially become enablers who have mistakenly helped deteriorate the alcohol addicted person’s drinking problem even further.

Perhaps the real downside of this is that the alcohol addicted person will continue drinking in an excessive manner and experience different “alcohol side effects.” Some of these side effects include legal issues (such as getting arrested for one or more DWIs), diminished mental functioning, deteriorating relationships, serious financial problems, ill health, and employment difficulties.

The Likelihood of a Relapse is Real

According to the research literature and statistics on alcohol dependency, another key alcoholism issue has to do with alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcohol addicted person has effectively gone through alcohol dependency treatment and then resorts to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first thought, this situation flies in the face of common sense and sounds so unbelievable that it forces one to wonder why anyone who has lived through the awfulness of alcohol addiction can return to drinking a short while after successful alcohol therapy and in turn after reaching sobriety. There are, to be sure, more than a few plausible reasons for this.

It should be explained, however that alcoholism research that has centered on the enduring effects of alcohol addiction has demonstrated-proven that long after the alcohol addicted person has stopped his or her drinking, fundamental transformations in the way in which the alcohol addicted person’s brain operates are still present. As a result, all a recovering alcohol dependent person has to do to involve himself or herself in actions that correspond with the alterations that have occurred in the brain is to start drinking again.

The Necessity for A Fundamental Lifestyle Transformation

There are additional reasons why quite a few recovering alcohol dependent individuals return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after reaching sobriety. In accordance to the alcohol dependency research literature, to make a successful recovery, the alcohol addicted individual needs new ways of acting and thinking in order to deal more efficiently with taxing alcohol-related circumstances that will take place.

Circumstances such as returning to the same alcohol addictive environment or to the same geographic location; interacting once again with friends from the time when the alcoholic was drinking irresponsibly; or familiar songs, smells, or activities—all of these conditions can bring forth memories that can trigger psychological stress or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcohol addicted individual to engage in irresponsible drinking once again. Unfortunately, all of these circumstances may not only contradict ongoing alcohol recovery for the alcoholic but they can also lead to relapse and as a result counteract one’s alcohol recovery.

The Good News: There’s a Lot of Hope for a Lasting Recovery

In an attempt to “protect” the family alcohol dependent person, family members can in point of fact cause inadvertent harm by enabling the unhealthy drinking behavior of the alcohol dependent person.

The alcoholism research literature validates the fact that most people who effectively complete alcohol counseling experience at least one relapse. Alcohol addicted persons and their family members need to know this so that they do not get crestfallen or stressed out when a relapse takes place.

Fortunately, participation in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up therapy and education have resulted in more successful, ongoing alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency rehab outcomes, have helped reduce alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcohol dependent persons attain ongoing sobriety.

Tweet This Post

When I was a sophomore in high school, I enrolled into a drug abuse class. At that time, I did not grasp the fact that alcohol abuse actually was a sub category of drug abuse. While taking this class and learning more about drug and alcohol abuse and especially about alcohol side effects, I read a lot about Alcoholic Anonymous, their meetings, how their programs have twelve steps, and how successful the Alcoholics Anonymous recovery program has been for people all through the world. I also learned a lot about alcohol rehabilitation and the various alcohol rehab facilities that are normally available to people who engage in heavy drinking.

Damaging Outcomes That are Associated With Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse

Some of the dangerous consequences associated with alcoholism and alcohol abuse that I learned about in this class certainly terrified me. The ruined lives and many problems experienced by most alcohol dependent individuals made me feel like I never wanted to drink alcohol when I became old enough. Stated differently, I did not want to face the wreckage and devastation that alcohol dependent individuals almost always go through.

Let this sink in for a moment. What fifteen-year-old teenager wants to face premature death due to his or her drinking behavior? What teenager wants to become so out-of-control regarding his or her drinking that consuming alcohol becomes the object of one’s life? What teenager wants to go to one of the local alcoholic rehabilitation centers to deal with alcohol-related issues before he or she becomes twenty-one?

What teenager wants to go through alcohol withdrawals when he or she tries to stop drinking? Why would an individual engage in drinking to such an extent that it would cause problems in every area of his or her life? Drinking later in life after a person has a career, a family, and develops personal responsibilities makes sense. But why would a young person want to sacrifice his or her education, employment, finances, and relationships for a life that focuses on hazardous drinking?

These issues were so meaningful that I discussed some of them in class throughout the school year. What was totally inconceivable to me was the number of students who openly didn’t care about the injurious consequences of abusive drinking that I discussed. It was almost as if they couldn’t be bothered with the facts and how these effects can shatter their lives. For the first time in my life I started to appreciate something that my grandfather used to tell me throughout my teen and pre-teen years: you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.

It’s Liberating, Beneficial, and Important to Keep Away From the Unhealthy and Destructive End Results of Alcohol and Drug Abuse

And even at my young age, I also started to comprehend how liberating, important, and beneficial it is in life to keep away from the unhealthy and destructive results of drug and alcohol abuse.

Tweet This Post

What are the key elements in a fruitful alcohol intervention? Why do some alcohol dependency interventions succeed as anticipated while quite a few fail?

The Need for a Well-Known Track Record of Intervention Achievement

Scientific exploration displays that a successful alcohol addiction intervention needs to be managed by an intervention professional who has a celebrated reputation of intervention success.

Essentially this means that rather than opting for a “normal” alcohol dependency healthcare practitioner or psychologist for an alcohol intervention, the person who is hand picked to carry out the intervention needs to be instructed in addiction intervention methods and needs to exhibit a history of effective alcoholism interventions.

A Few Basic Illustrations of The Best Time For an Alcohol Abuse Intervention

Scientific inquiry and alcoholism facts about interventions has also revealed that the most advantageous time for an alcoholism intervention is following a noteworthy event in the life of the alcoholic or abusive drinker. The following represents a few illustrations of these types of noteworthy happenings:

• The alcohol dependent individual or abusive drinker has been caught stealing something of significance.
• The alcohol abuser or alcohol addicted individual has been caught lying about something of import.
• The alcohol dependent individual or alcohol abuser has been arrested for driving under the influence.

In events like these, the alcohol addicted person or alcohol abuser is more likely to feel apologetic or to feel guilt-ridden, thereby making him or her more open to getting the professional alcohol rehabilitation that is needed.

At this juncture, additionally, it is also necessary to stress the fact that the abusive drinker or alcohol-dependent person needs to be free of alcohol during the alcoholism intervention. When all’s said and done, if the abusive drinker or alcohol dependent individual is “under the influence” during an alcohol dependency intervention, failure is practically a sure thing.

Furthermore, scientific analysis has also made obvious the fact that the abusive drinker or alcohol dependent individual has to at least try to listen to what is said in an alcohol dependency intervention. Stated more exactly, during an alcohol addiction intervention, the alcohol abuser or alcohol-dependent person needs to listen to what his or her problem drinking has done to those who care for him or her the most.

The Significance of Alcohol Rehab For the Abusive Drinker

And lastly, scientific exploration displays that the key reason for an alcoholism intervention in the first place is to induce the hazardous drinker or alcohol addicted person to get the professional alcohol rehabilitation that is required. Stated more specifically, even if the person who directs the intervention has a wonderful track record of successful interventions and even if the alcohol abuser or alcoholic in all honesty listens to every single word that is stated all the way through an intervention, if the alcohol abuser or alcohol dependent individual is not encouraged to ask for professional alcohol rehab after the alcoholism intervention, then the intervention will be a debacle.

Obviously all of these factors are needed for a fruitful alcohol dependency intervention. If, on the other hand, the hazardous drinker or alcoholic is not encouraged to seek alcohol abuse treatment after listening to his or her family members state the pain, irritation, and discontent they feel about the abusive drinker’s or alcohol addicted individual’s excessive drinking behavior and the affection they feel for the problem drinker, then every other phase of the alcohol addiction intervention will basically be insignificant.

Even Productive Alcohol Abuse Interventions Can Go Wrong Down the Road

It also needs to be highlighted that in the face of the fact that the alcohol dependency intervention can be perceived as effective in that it helped put the abusive drinker or alcoholic in a more amenable frame of mind and actually helped the alcohol dependent individual or hazardous drinker decide upon the fact that he or she needed alcohol counseling or quality help for alcoholism or alcohol abuse, the mere fact that the intervention happened might lead to acrimony, irritation, and suspicion in the long term.

To be brief, even when alcohol interventions are seen as successful in the short term, in the long term, to the contrary, they may backfire and, accordingly, might make the family and/or the alcohol dependent individual’s circumstance even worse than it was before the alcohol dependency intervention was undertaken.

No matter how unwarranted or paradoxical this seems, try to keep in mind that it is essentially one of the fundamental alcohol facts that has to be addressed when performing an alcohol intervention.

Tweet This Post

Recent alcohol abuse statistics show that alcohol abuse among teenagers is increasing in the United States. What are some of the reasons for this? More than a few alcoholism authorities affirm that alcohol advertisements generated by the media are a major reason for the spread of teen alcohol abuse.

Other alcohol dependency professionals assert that the increase in adolescent alcohol abuse is due to the toleration and convenience of beer, liquor, and wine in our society.

Still other alcohol addiction consultants emphasize the point that more than a few of our adolescents get involved in harmful drinking because of the increased anxiety that they experience.

From a slightly different standpoint, because both parents in quite a few families work, the lack of parental guidance obviously has to play a fundamental role in the escalation of teen alcohol abuse. And as a final point, an assortment of chemical dependency authorities claim that the rise in youth alcohol abuse is due, to some extent, to our laissez-faire society.

Coping Skills and Hazardous Drinking

One element of youth alcohol abuse that seems to be poorly reported in the alcohol dependency research results, nonetheless, is the nonexistence of educational courses that teach teenagers how to augment their coping skills so that their hazardous drinking behavior is notably reduced or eliminated.

Stated more explicitly, scientific research has uncovered the fact that there is an indirect connection between poor coping skills and abusive drinking. For all intents and purposes, this means that the worse the coping skills, the higher the frequency of alcohol abuse. To the degree that this is a truthful allegation , why isn’t coping skills instruction a key part of the educational core curriculum in all of our high schools, junior high schools, and elementary schools?

A Society That Emphasizes Youth Coping Skills

Let us manufacture a scenario for the purpose of explanation. Let us imagine a society in which students are taught how to achieve good coping skills all the way from kindergarten up to and including their final year in high school.

In such a society, when life gets difficult, individuals who are “coping skills masters” will be able to respond in a healthier and more productive manner, as opposed to others who are unsuccessful in their attempts to implement their coping skills.

Stated more explicitly, students who reveal superior coping skills will be more able to think proactively and demonstrate top-shelf decision making as opposed to teenagers who, because they are deficient in outstanding coping skills, are drawn to the “quick fix” of abusive drinking.

What would happen in the above “ideal” society, furthermore, if young people not only got excellent coping skills education but also got a top quality education that accentuated the long term and short term destructive results associated with drug abuse and alcohol abuse? Such an emphasis on drug and alcohol abuse facts, along with more highly developed coping skills instruction, it is advocated, would help teenagers avoid the obvious charm interlinked with teenage drinking and, for that reason, would fundamentally decrease the injurious drinking behavior displayed by teens in our country.

Teenage Hazardous Drinking: Conclusion

There are obviously a number of justifiable reasons why so many of our adolescents drink in a risky manner. Such a thorny subject demands a broad based and more pertinent preventative and educational response by our students, parents, politicians, and educators so that our teenagers can learn how to cope with life’s problems in a more rewarding and accountable way instead of gravitating to destructive drinking behavior to solve their difficulties.

Tweet This Post

Denny is a nineteen-year-old teen who has eventually decided that he needs to go and see his family healthcare practitioner about his abusive and excessive drinking. At first, Denny thought he would be able to merely go on the world wide web, look for some essential alcohol info and decide whether or not he was dependent on alcohol.

Not surprisingly, he discovered numerous websites that itemized some of the commonplace alcoholism symptoms. That’s the good news. The less than encouraging news, sorry to say, was that Denny manifested several of these alcoholism symptoms.

Alcohol Dependency Symptoms: Some Illustrations

As a case in point, Denny has been drinking much more than normal and he has started to have more heated arguments with the female he is dating. What is more, for the first time in his young life he has been encountering sleeping problems. Likewise, Denny often has felt depressed and on an ever increasing basis he has been manifesting poor concentration while at school. What is more, he has felt stressed out and more tense on a day-to-day basis and for the past eight or nine months he has demonstrated hazy thinking in the classroom. Due to the fact that Denny has been exhibiting all of these symptoms, he was understandably worried about his abusive and hazardous drinking.

So Denny finally made up his mind that he needed to place a phone call to his doctor and ask for an appointment. Actually, this was challenging for Denny because his physician was also his parents’ family healthcare practitioner. The root of his anxiety was this: at the risk of embarrassing his family, he had to go and reveal his careless and hazardous drinking behavior to his healthcare professional.

When Denny arrived at the family doctor’s office, he overtly notified the family physician about the fear he feels about his abusive drinking behavior. When the family physician asked what was prompting this concern, Denny confirmed that he had gone on the Internet and read about dependency on alcohol and especially about alcoholism symptoms. He then outlined all of the alcohol dependency symptoms that he undeniably thought he possesses.

A Thorough Physical Assessment and Outpatient Alcohol Rehab

The family physician told Denny that it was intelligent of him to deal with his drinking difficulties, he gave Denny a thorough physical appraisal, and suggested that he talk to his Mom and Dad about enrolling in an out-patient alcohol rehabilitation program that was supervised by Doctor Nardi, one of his doctor accomplices who is a substance abuse and chemical dependency specialist.

In much the same way, when Denny articulated that he has been feeling depressed more regularly, the family physician informed Denny that alcoholism and depression often come about in the same individual. For that reason, the healthcare practitioner also recommended that Denny talk to his parents about getting counseling to concentrate on his depression. In fact, Denny can go to the local mental health center and make an appointment with Doctor Glosik, a distinguished psychologist who specializes in treating teens.

The Advantage of Dealing With Your Drinking Issues and Getting Enthused About Making Healthy and Positive Changes in Your Life

The healthcare professional made it a point to tell Denny that he might not inevitably be addicted to alcohol, but that he was plainly drinking in an irresponsible manner. Stated differently, Denny was engaging in teen alcohol abuse. The healthcare practitioner then notified Denny that the reason he recommended alcohol treatment in the first place was because he wanted him to sort out his drinking problems, make sure that he prevented them from proliferating, and start to live in a more healthy manner, even if it meant that he had to absolutely quit drinking.

In a word, by productively treating his drinking difficulties, Denny would be able to get his drinking problems under control and quit the negative series of events that could almost certainly lead to alcoholism.

Denny understandably did not look forward to facing his Mom and Dad about his depression and his drinking problems. And he undoubtedly did not want to face the thought of getting admitted into an alcohol treatment program. And last but not least, he was not elated about going to a counselor about his excessive sadness. Regardless of these anxieties, however, Denny in actual fact felt some emotional relief for the first time in quite a few months because he finally stopped making excuses for himself and finally made up his mind that he needed to do something positive about his hazardous and careless drinking.

Tweet This Post

Jeffrey was a ninth grader who usually seemed to be living on the edge. Jeffrey had an adventurous personality and as a rule wanted to do what his older brothers were doing for fun. The underlying difficulty with this was that all three of his brothers were at least 21 years old and were consequently legally allowed to drive a car and to drink alcohol.

Jeffrey, nevertheless, had a tough time comprehending the fact that as a fifteen-year-old teen he should not be drinking alcoholic beverages. In fact, then again, Jeffrey generally drank with his guy friends after school, largely on the weekends.

One weekend, Jeffrey made up his mind to drive around with some of his older buddies. One of his pals was old enough to buy alcohol. After buying some wine coolers, beer, and wine, Jeffrey and his cronies went to a park and drank for approximately two hours.

A Young Man Passes Out

After drinking around ten bottles of beer, Jeffrey started to feel queasy and then vomited. When he lost consciousness on the soccer field, one of his pals called 911 for immediate help. It was fortunate that the call for medical help was made because when his pals went to the hospital to see Jeffrey, they were informed that Jeffrey had been exhibiting alcohol poisoning symptoms. More specifically, Jeffrey had experienced an alcohol overdose.

When Your Buddies Drink Too Much

Jeffrey had learned that drinking heavily can result in an alcohol overdose but he never thought that this would affect him. After all, some of his buddies repeatedly claimed that they could drink twenty or more cans of beer in a day without going through any significant difficulties.

Based on this, Jeffrey was actually flabbergasted to discover that he had overdosed on alcohol because he “only” had approximately ten drinks. When he stated this to the attending healthcare professional at the hospital, in spite of this, the physicain informed Jeffrey that drinking ten alcoholic beverages over a two or three hour time frame could in reality be significantly more alcohol than can be metabolized by the body. The doctor further verbalized how significant amounts of alcohol can cause the brain to shut down a person’s respiratory system and that when this comes about, a person can expire.

The First Sign of Excessive Drinking

This was the first cautionary message to Jeffrey that he was drinking in an unsafe fashion and that there are ramifications for such actions. The doctor told Jeffrey that he was a fortunate young man because he almost perished from an alcohol overdose the night before.

The doctor also had a word with Jeffrey’s parents and suggested that they get alcohol treatment for Jeffrey. His parents were pleased that Jeffrey was safe and sound and informed the healthcare professional that they would look into getting Jeffrey alcohol therapy.

While conversing with his parents, Jeffrey notified them that there must be a good reason why he did not perish and that he felt a sense of thankfulness that he was still alive. He also told his parents that the strangest part about the entire drinking situation was that he had learned about alcohol poisoning the past week at school in Mr. Franklin’s health class.

When Learning Something in Class Can Affect Your Life

At the time, what his health instructor, Mr. Franklin, was articulating didn’t seem to make a lot of sense to Jeffrey. Due to the fact that he almost passed away, nevertheless, he felt that he should have listened more alertly in health class and applied what he had learned to his life.

Jeffrey told his parents that he couldn’t wait to go back to school and apologize to Mr. Franklin for not demonstrating more attention to a subject that was as pertinent as learning about alcohol abuse and how to stay away from alcohol poisoning.

His parents smiled at Jeffrey and said that they were happy with the way he was taking responsibility for his risky behavior. All he had to do now was to let this near fatal experience make an impact his life in a productive way so that he would never again experience an alcohol overdose.

Tweet This Post

Mr. Blake was one of the health teachers at a medium size rural community college in the far Western part of the United States. For “Alcohol Insight Month” he came to a decision that he would consider focusing on the following three topics for a class assignment: alcoholism symptoms, alcoholism statistics, and alcoholic symptoms.

After Mr. Blake finished the topics that would be given to his pupils, he made a decision that he would give them their assignment the following Friday morning.

When “assignment day” finally came, Mr. Blake met with his class, handed out some appropriate reading material, and then told the students in his class about the topics he decided upon.

Why It Is Important to Gain Knowledge and Learn How to Associate Alcoholic Symptoms, Alcoholism Symptoms, and Alcoholism Statistics with Day-To-Day Circumstances of Alcohol Dependent People

He then gave the pupils in his class a summary of some relevant alcoholism statistics and alcoholism symptoms and signs and noted how imperative it is to figure out how to associate these facts, statistics, and symptoms with the day-to-day situations of people addicted to alcohol. He then gave the students in his class a succinct articulation about the relevance of learning more about alcoholics and how they exist on a daily basis.

Mr. Blake informed the students in his class that they could give their attention to one of the three topics or talk about all three topics and how they are interconnected. Fundamentally this would be similar to a general summary but done in a more comprehensive manner.

Another choice that he gave to the members of his class was the following: take a topic such as alcohol dependency symptoms and signs, dig into things more comprehensively, and then discuss four or five signs and symptoms. Mr. Blake then brought up the fact that the same logic applies to the other two topics, namely, alcoholic symptoms and alcoholism statistics.

The end result of their investigation would be a four thousand word composition and then a twenty minute oral presentation that would be given in front of the class.

Presenting The Outcome of An Academic Investigation at the Tri-State Alcohol and Drug Addiction Convention

As acknowledgment for their superior academic achievement, the students with the top three overall grades on the essay and on the oral presentation will be invited to present the outcome of their research exploration at the regional alcoholism and alcohol abuse convention at the beginning of January.

After the pupils received the details about their assignment, several of them raised their hands and asked for an illustration or a demonstration of a sub-topic that they could consider focusing on for their research project.

In reply, Mr. Blake determined that he would concisely discuss two or three alcohol addiction symptoms and signs that the pupils could elaborate on.

As an illustration, Mr. Blake underscored the following alcoholism symptoms and signs: boasting and a “big shot” complex, loss of control, cloudy thinking, and an obsession with drinking.

Articulating How Alcoholism Symptoms, Alcoholic Symptoms, and Alcoholism Statistics Are Revealed in the Life of an Alcoholic

After mentioning these alcoholism symptoms and signs, Mr. Blake then informed the pupils that they could do some additional investigation on each symptom, gather some related information, give a number of examples of each symptom or sign, and state how each symptom or sign is manifested in the life of an alcohol addicted individual.

As noted by Mr. Blake, because there are more than a few alcohol dependency symptoms and signs to select, he talked about the fact that he was not awfully concerned about different students picking the same signs and symptoms for their research project.

Without a doubt, even if more than one student was to decide upon the same signs and symptoms, the illustrations that are related to each sign or symptom would undoubtedly add enough diversity to keep away from different students presenting exactly the same content.

Mr. Blake then remarked that while there are quite a few alcohol dependency signs and symptoms that could be picked, the total number of alcohol addiction facts and statistics that could be itemized were practically inexhaustible. When the topic of alcoholic symptoms was added to the equation, additionally, the pupils comprehended pretty promptly that the three topics would supply a huge amount of material from which to choose.

Why Mr. Blake Opted For Alcoholic Symptoms, Alcoholism Statistics, Alcoholism Symptoms as the Topics For This Research Project

Why did Mr. Blake choose alcoholic symptoms, alcoholism statistics, alcoholism symptoms as the topics for this assignment? Mr. Blake’s aspiration was that by asking all of his students to delve into one or more of the three alcohol addiction topics, all the students would have a better conception of a complex yet pertinent topic such as alcohol dependency.

Mr. Blake also thought that by augmenting the comprehension of his students about the unhealthy consequences of alcohol dependency and the disappointing lifestyles experienced by alcohol dependent individuals, his pupils might think more shrewdly before they involve themselves in abusive and excessive drinking behavior.

Tweet This Post

Daniel had been engaging in abusive drinking behavior since her senior year in college. Now, nine years later, she drank more than ever.  One Tuesday evening when she was feeling queasy, Daniel decided to stay home, unwind, and watch TV.

While seeking to find a program to watch that she would find appealing, she instantly became fascinated with a program about young adult and teen drinking troubles.

When Normal Alcohol Addiction Symptoms and Signs are Displayed by People Dependent on Alcohol

The commenter discussed the difference between alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction and then got into the topic of alcohol addiction symptoms and alcoholism warning signs. When the speaker went into detail about a person’s alcoholic behavior and some of the more normal alcohol dependency symptoms and signs that people dependent on alcohol reveal, Daniel got quite alarmed because it virtually seemed as if the speaker was talking directly to her.

After watching the television special, Daniel made a promise to herself that she would call her health care professional the following morning and make an appointment to discuss her drinking problem.

When the next workday arrived, true to her word, Daniel called her doctor and made an appointment.  While she was waiting for the day of her appointment to arrive, she went on the web and did a search for alcoholic symptoms.  Especially noteworthy were the following symptoms or signs: increasing stress, important relationship and work-related problems, sneaking extra drinks before social activities, making excuses to drink at virtually every opportunity, and sleep problems.

Simply put, due to the fact that Daniel experienced all of these symptoms she went deeper in her online search and found more than a few websites and blogs that discussed various alcoholism symptoms and warning signs.

One of the symptoms that really captured her awareness was the following: “Do you ever drink after making a promise to yourself that you won’t?”  While Daniel never concluded that she may have a major drinking difficulty, after reading about the diverse alcohol dependency symptoms and warning signs, she couldn’t refute the fact that for the past ten or eleven months, she continually tried but was not successful at significantly decreasing her drinking or totally quitting.

When Relatives Irritate You by Passing Judgment on Your Abusive Drinking

Another alcohol dependency sign that caught her awareness was the following:  “Have relatives exasperated you by condemning your problem drinking?”  When Daniel read this she immediately thought about a recent fight she had with her best friend about her hazardous drinking.  In addition, Daniel noticeably recalled a recent spat she had with her parents about her abusive drinking.  Due to the fact that Daniel honestly thought that she didn’t have a drinking problem, when relatives talked about her drinking behavior she as you would expect got bothered and angry.

A third alcoholism warning sign was the following:  “Do you crave a drink when you first awaken in the morning?”  Until now, Daniel had been lying to herself about her drinking circumstance.  After reading about the aforementioned alcoholism warning signs, however, she knew if she was really forthright with herself that she was facing a major drinking difficulty, especially given the fact that she now believed that she required a drink the first thing when she got up to cut down on her nervousness.

What is more, the next alcohol addiction warning sign really got her thinking about her drinking behavior: “Do you drink to avoid worries or anxiety?” When she thought about her life for a few minutes, she comprehended that nearly in every difficult circumstance in the past two or three months, she told herself that she needed a drink to help deal with things.

The final alcohol addiction warning sign that made her feel relatively ill at ease about her drinking situation was the following:  “Has your ambition shrunk since you started drinking more repeatedly?” When Daniel read this sign she visibly comprehended that drinking had become a serious difficulty in her life because of her lack of energy and also because she stopped pursuing her dreams and her goals.

Conclusion:  When Getting Disheartened Turns Into Something Exciting and A Sense of Expectation

After thinking about all of these damaging alcohol addiction signs and symptoms, Daniel at first felt dejected. Then something wonderful  transpired.  She reflected on the fact knew that she was going to see her physician about her drinking problems and she also realized that she would discuss all of the above alcoholism warning symptoms and signs with her. In fact, for the first time in several months, Daniel frankly felt a sense of optimism because she was facing her drinking concerns and was finally ready to make the required adjustments so that she could recapture the life that was drifting away.

Tweet This Post

When Janice was in high school, she had established a reputation as a person who studied a lot and who rarely, if ever, whooped it up by drinking with her friends.  She seemed passionate about “standing out” academically so that she would be able to go after a career that she not only liked but one that also gave her a degree of security from a financial standpoint.

After much deliberation, eventually she made up her mind that she wanted to be a lawyer.  In order to reach this goal, nonetheless, she would first have to get four years of undergrad education.

After Graduating From High School Janice Gets Accepted Into A Leading Undergrad University as a Springboard For a Career as an Attorney

After Janice finished high school, she applied to and was accepted into an illustrious program in history.  Her logic for this decision was that this subject area would be a good springboard for law school and wouldn’t be comparable to the preponderance of law school applicants who major in political science at the undergraduate level.

After graduating with a 3.8 GPA at the undergraduate level, she applied to and was accepted at a distinguished law school at one of the Big 12 universities.

She was energized by her legal studies but at times she was weighed down from all the work that had to be undertaken at law school.  Reminiscent of the way in which she conducted herself in her high school and undergraduate days, however, she made pals effortlessly but barely got involved in social activities until the term had been concluded.

After Being Delighted With the Fact That She Had Done a Super Job on Her Finals, Janice Wanted to Let Her Hair Down and Do Something Besides Studying For a Change

Janice was the type of individual who worked hard to reach her goal and then would take a break when she could.  As is the case, nonetheless, virtually all of the things she did between terms or during summer breaks were unrelated to drinking.  Clearly, Janice was anything but a party-girl.  Now that her finals for her second year in law school were over and feeling proud of the fact that she had done very well on her finals, nonetheless, she wanted to let her hair down and do something enjoyable.

Drinking at a Local Pub Results in Alcohol Poisoning, Calling 911, The Emergency Services Number, and a Visit to The Rehab Hospital

So Janice and some of her friends went to a local saloon where they had a few beers.  As the hours flew by, Janice continued to drink without having a care in the world about term papers or tests the following day.  Indeed, Janice mentioned to her buddies how much fun it was to have fun drinking with her pals from school.

As the evening advanced, Janice and her buddies continued to drink.  In truth, she was having such a great time that she didn’t want the night to end.  It was almost as if she was making up for lost time and making an effort to cram a year’s worth of fun and enjoyment into a single evening.  Such a “game plan,” it needs to be emphasized, does not often work. Indeed, when Janice went to the lady’s room and threw up, her friends started to feel apprehensive about her wellbeing.

About twenty-five minutes later when Janice started to slur her words, speak in a confused manner, and then pass out, nonetheless, her pals without delay knew that they needed to call the emergency number and ask for emergency assistance because they believed that Janice was exhibiting alcohol poisoning symptoms.

Once Janice was in the drug and alcohol rehab hospital, the head emergency room doctor substantiated what her classmates had thought, to be exact, that Janice consumed significantly more alcohol than her body could metabolize and, as a consequence, she suffered from an alcohol overdose.

After the emergency room treatment team pumped her stomach until no gastric contents were identifiable, Janice was relocated to the recovery room.  After staying about two hours in recovery, Janice was then relocated to one of the regular hospital rooms.  Fortunately, the most serious part of her hospitalization had passed and all of her vital signs returned to normal.

In response to Janice’s medical situation, her buddies kindheartedly phoned her Mother and Father.  Consequently, early the next morning, her Mother and Father and her best friends went to the hospital to see Janice.

Janice Dodges a Bullet, is Grateful to be Alive, and Promises to Never Again Drink in an Irresponsible and Hazardous Manner

Janice was very aware that she came an inch from losing her life and, consequently, was pleased to be alive.  Her Mom and Dad knew how relentlessly she studied in graduate school and how little she let herself socialize with her buddies.  Nevertheless, they also were aware that Janice needed to stay away from hazardous drinking.

Consequently, they recommended that down the road, whenever a drinking circumstance develops, that she always drink responsibly and in moderation.  Janice was fine with this and gave her word to her friends and to her Mom and Dad that she would never again drink in an abusive and hazardous manner.  In Janice’s own words, “I never had an inkling that I would become one of the alcohol abuse and alcoholism statistics in the local newspaper. I now understand that excessive and hazardous drinking is not for me.  I give my word of honor that this will never happen again.”

Fortunately, Janice was not only “book smart” but she also had a lot of common sense.  In other words, she rapidly grasped the fact that she had made a mistake and made up her mind that she would never make the same error in judgment again.  In fact, she now understood that she had involved herself in “binge drinking” and that even one instance of this type of alcohol abuse can end in a fatality.

Tweet This Post

Heather is a sixty-one-year-old woman who is the top administrator in the human resources department at a large copper molding company. To help decrease the costs associated with employee alcohol abuse and alcoholism, work related injuries, increasing absenteeism, poor employee work performance, and excessive sick days, Heather and the other company leaders established quite a few programs that made the work environment substantially more productive, safe, and healthy.

As an example, ten years ago Heather and the other company administrators established an Employee’s Assistance Program so that all the workers had access to quality therapy for their personal problems that could unfavorably affect their health, personal well-being, and their work performance.

The Company Leaders Build a Technologically Advanced Workout and Exercise Room Complete With a Personal Trainer During Business Hours, Exercise Charts, Mirrors, Weights, Scales, and Exercise Equipment

As another example, roughly seven years ago Heather and the other members of upper management constructed a technologically advanced exercise and workout room complete with scales, exercise charts, weights, mirrors, many different types of exercise equipment, and a professional trainer during business hours.

Moreover, roughly five years ago Heather and the other company administrators invested in a purification system that filters all the drinking water that is obtainable in the building. Likewise, a year-and-a-half ago, Heather and the other company executives started a “walking club” that is intended for workers who want to enhance their cardiovascular system.

The Company Administrators Initiate a Weight-Watchers Class and Hire a Weight-Loss Nurse to Manage the Program

As another illustration, about two years ago, Heather and the other company administrators instituted a “Weight-Watchers” class that at this moment in time meets every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 11 AM until noon. Moreover, the company administrators employed a weight-loss nurse to oversee the program.

Similarly, a year ago Heather and the other members of upper management initiated a “Stop Smoking Club” for workers who want to quit or cut back on their smoking.

In the last six months, in conjunction with the Employee’s Assistance Program, Heather and the other members of top management established an “Anger Management” class for employees who want to learn how to better control their anger issues.

Top Management Implements a Drug and Alcohol Testing Program

In the last three-and-a-half months, Heather and the other company executives established a alcohol and drug testing program that is related to their drug and alcohol abuse prevention program. Indeed, Heather is the key person in the company responsible for getting the message out to all the employees about the drug and alcohol abuse prevention program as well as the drug and alcohol testing program.

One of the major components of the drug and alcohol abuse prevention program is a class entitled “Alcoholism and Depression” that meets every Thursday after work. The fundamental idea with this class is informing workers that excessive drinking and depression often occur in the same person. It is hoped that understanding this information will be able to help a person address both medical conditions and get the alcohol rehabilitation and mental health counseling he or she needs.

The VIPs Initiate an Alcohol Statistics and Facts Class

Another fairly recent enhancement to the drug and alcohol abuse prevention program is a class entitled “Alcohol Statistics and Facts.” The reasoning behind this alcohol statistics facts class is the reality that more than a few people do not appreciate the full impact of the effects of alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency without first getting exposed to some of the alcoholism and alcohol abuse facts and statistics that are available. Consequently, one of the goals of this class is to provide a range of alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency statistics and facts to help employees gain a better understanding of the massive number of difficulties that are associated with excessive and hazardous drinking and how they can prevent these difficulties from transpiring.

Most recently, Heather and the other members of top management, by way of observations from workers, developed a class that focuses directly on severe drinking entitled “What is Alcoholism”? This class meets every Friday morning a half hour before work and focuses mostly on the differences between alcohol abuse and alcoholism, on the stages of alcoholism, and on the different types of rehabilitation that are available for people who have alcohol drinking problems such as people who drink in an abusive manner.

Although every single one of these health and preventative maintenance programs was fairly expensive, the company executives reason that they are many thousands of dollars ahead by providing all of their workers with a safe, more productive, and healthy work atmosphere.

Tweet This Post