Posts Tagged ‘alcohol abuse’
A Young Man’s Abusive and Hazardous Drinking Leads To a DUI and Time In The Municipal Jail
Jesse had a very hard time maintaining a job. Indeed, due to his indolence and lack of motivation, he was out of a job far more regularly than he was in a state of employment. And when he did land a job, he had an extremely difficult time getting to work on time, he characteristically received less than positive performance appraisals, and he called off sick so frequently that he typically got fired four or five weeks after he began working. Obviously, one of the outcomes of Jesse’s less than optimal employment history was the fact that he was without much money almost on an everyday basis.
Regardless of Jesse’s less than positive employment history and financial laxity, on the other hand, in some way he made it a point to drink abusively most of the time.
So it came as no big shock when Jesse received a second DUI. When he went to court, the judge told Jesse that his alcohol-related actions was awful and, as a consequence, he was going to sentence Jesse to serve five months in the municipal jail.
Time While Locked Up In Jail To Reflect On The Destructive Consequences of Abusive Drinking
During his time in the city jail, Jesse was expected to learn more about alcohol facts, about the unhealthy outcomes of thoughtless drinking, and he was expected to get alcohol rehab. The judge stressed the fact that unless Jesse receives professional alcohol rehab and discovers how to live a life of abstinence, he will more likely than not be spending quite a bit of his time in the county jail.
Jesse articulated that he grasped what the magistrate was proclaiming but he still believed that placement in the city jail was not the proper verdict. The magistrate saw things from an entirely different vantage point and proclaimed that it was his professional job to keep individuals off the streets who drive and drink and who get one or more DUIs. To corroborate this assertion, the magistrate listed some venerable, thoroughly researched alcohol statistics that underscored some of the harmful effects that are correlated with irresponsible and abusive drinking.
Even though Jesse realized that he drank in an abusive and hazardous manner, he never thought that he was alcohol dependent. So it was a rude awakening when Jesse began having alcohol withdrawal symptoms just about three hours after getting locked up in jail.
To manage his alcohol withdrawals in a safe manner, Jesse was transferred to a rehab facility for alcohol detox and then returned to the local jail. While locked up in jail Jesse was given alcohol therapy but due to the fact that he got this counseling as something that was mandated for him, he failed to take ownership of his hazardous and irresponsible drinking.
When his time in the county jail was over, the judge told Jesse that he would be under stringent observation and would be mandated to take periodic alcohol tests.
Jessie’s Abusive and Hazardous Drinking Prevents Him From Living in an Accountable and Mature Manner
After hearing how Jesse neglected to take ownership of his drinking situation and how he unenthusiastically followed the rehabilitation code of behavior while in the municipal jail, the judge knew that it was basically a matter of time before he would be seeing Jesse once again in court about his hazardous and abusive drinking behavior. As the magistrate thought about Jesse’s circumstance, he couldn’t help but think about how some people never use their intellect and learn how to live in an adult manner.
A Young Man’s Hazardous Drinking Results In a DUI and Time Behind Bars
Jesse had an unusually hard time maintaining a job. As a matter of fact, due to his laziness and lack of drive, he was without a job far more frequently than he was in a job situation. And when he did land a job, he had an exceptionally hard time getting to work on time, he often got less than positive performance reviews, and he called off sick so regularly that he almost always got fired three or four weeks after he began working. It goes without saying that one of the outcomes of Jesse’s unacceptable employment track record was the fact that he was virtually without a dime on a day-to-day basis.
Regardless of Jesse’s crummy employment record and financial lack of attention, conversely, in some way he made it his business to drink in a hazardous and excessive manner most of the time.
So it came as no big jolt when Jesse received a second DUI. When he went before the court, the judge clearly stated to Jesse that his alcohol-related conduct was terrible and, consequently, he was going to sentence Jesse to serve six months in the county jail.
Time In The Municipal Jail To Think About The Disruptive Outcomes of Excessive Drinking
During his time in jail, Jesse was expected to learn more about alcohol facts, about the destructive outcomes of irresponsible drinking, and he was expected to get alcohol rehab. The judge underlined the fact that unless Jesse gets professional alcohol treatment and discovers how to live a life of abstinence, he will most likely be spending quite a bit of his time in the city jail.
Jesse stated that he understood what the judge was saying but he still thought that placement in the municipal jail was not the most realistic sentence. The judge saw things in an entirely different way and declared that it was his job to keep individuals off the streets who drive and drink and who get arrested for multiple DWIs. To substantiate this assertion, the magistrate articulated some long-standing, thoroughly researched alcohol statistics that emphasized some of the injurious consequences that are associated with excessive and abusive drinking.
Although Jesse comprehended that he drank in an irresponsible manner, he never believed that he was an alcoholic. So it was quite a shock when Jesse started suffering from alcohol withdrawal symptoms about five-and-a-half hours after getting locked up in the municipal jail.
To treat his alcohol withdrawal symptoms in a safe and secure manner, Jesse was life flighted to a rehab center for alcohol detox and then returned to the local jail. While locked up in jail Jesse got alcohol rehabilitation but due to the fact that he got this treatment as something that was imposed upon him, he failed to take ownership of his excessive and irresponsible drinking.
When his time behind bars was over, the magistrate without reservation told Jesse that he would be under stringent observation and would be required to take periodic random breathalyzer alcohol tests.
Jessie’s Hazardous and Excessive Drinking Prevents Him From Living in an Adult and Productive Manner
After hearing how Jesse neglected to take ownership of his drinking situation and how he reluctantly followed the treatment protocol while in the municipal jail, the judge knew that it was just a matter of time before he would be seeing Jesse once again in court about his irresponsible drinking behavior. As the magistrate reflected on Jesse’s situation, he couldn’t help but think about how some people never ”get it” and discover how to live in an effective and mature manner.
A Young Man’s Hazardous Drinking Leads To a DUI and Time Incarcerated in Jail
Jesse had a hard time maintaining a job. In truth, because of his lassitude and lack of incentive, he was without a job far more frequently than he was in a job situation. And when he did secure a job, he had an unusually hard time getting to work on time, he typically got less than satisfactory performance appraisals, and he called off sick so frequently that he typically got fired a few weeks after he began working. To no one’s surprise, one of the results of Jesse’s appalling work record was the fact that he was almost totally broke almost on a daily basis.
In spite of Jesse’s appalling work track record and financial misconduct, then again, by some means he made it his business to drink in an abusive and irresponsible manner much of the time.
So it came as no big shock when Jesse got arrested for a fifth DUI. When he went before the court, the magistrate explained to Jesse that his alcohol-related actions was terrible and, as a result, he was going to sentence Jesse to serve six months in the municipal jail.
Time In The Municipal Jail To Think About The Hurtful Results of Hazardous and Excessive Drinking
During his time while locked up in jail, Jesse was expected to learn more about alcohol facts, about the disruptive effects of excessive and abusive drinking, and he was expected to get alcohol rehab. The judge underscored the fact that unless Jesse receives professional alcohol therapy and discovers how to live an alcohol-free life, he will most probably be spending a lot more time locked up.
Jesse articulated that he comprehended what the judge was asserting but he still claimed that placement in the city jail was not the most logical ruling. The magistrate thought otherwise and declared that it was his duty to keep alcohol abusers off the streets who drink and drive and who receive multiple DWIs. To give credibility to this statement, the magistrate listed some honored, comprehensively researched alcohol statistics that underscored some of the hurtful results that are correlated with hazardous drinking.
Even though Jesse realized that he drank in an excessive and hazardous manner, he never believed that he was alcohol dependent. So it was quite a surprise when Jesse started to have alcohol withdrawal symptoms about six-and-a-half hours after getting incarcerated.
To treat his alcohol withdrawal symptoms in a safe and sound manner, Jesse was taken by ambulance to a drug and alcohol treatment facility for alcohol detox and then returned to the local jail. While in jail Jesse received alcohol therapy but due to the fact that he got this rehabilitation as something that was mandated for him, he neglected to take ownership of his irresponsible and excessive drinking.
When his time in the municipal jail was over, the judge without wavering told Jesse that he would be under close surveillance and would be mandated to take random urine alcohol tests.
Jessie’s Excessive and Irresponsible Drinking Prevents Him From Living in an Accountable and Effective Manner
After hearing how Jesse neglected to take ownership of his drinking problem and how he grudgingly followed the rehab modus operandi while in the municipal jail, the magistrate knew that it was basically a matter of time before he would be seeing Jesse once again in court about his abusive and excessive drinking behavior. As the magistrate reflected on Jesse’s situation, he couldn’t help but think about how some individuals never use their intellect and learn how to live in an adult and responsible manner.
A Young Man’s Hazardous and Abusive Drinking Results In a DUI and Time Behind Bars
Jesse had an extremely difficult time maintaining a job. If truth be told, due to his slothfulness and lack of drive, he was out of work far more regularly than he was in a state of employment. And when he did get a job, he had an extremely difficult time getting to work when his shift began, he typically received less than positive performance reviews, and he called off sick so habitually that he regularly got fired four or five weeks after he started working. It goes without saying that one of the results of Jesse’s terrible work history was the fact that he was virtually broke from day-to-day.
In spite of Jesse’s less than positive employment record and financial negligence, conversely, in some way he managed to drink in an excessive manner from day-to-day.
So it came as no big jolt when Jesse received a fifth DWI. When he went to court, the judge told Jesse that his alcohol-related conduct was unacceptable and, consequently, he was going to sentence Jesse to serve twelve months in the city jail.
Time While Locked Up In Jail To Reflect On The Distressing Outcomes of Irresponsible and Hazardous Drinking
During his time in the county jail, Jesse was expected to learn more about alcohol facts, about the hurtful outcomes of abusive and irresponsible drinking, and he was required to get alcohol therapy. The magistrate accentuated the fact that unless Jesse gets professional alcohol treatment and learns how to live a life of sobriety, he will probably be spending more than a short amount of time locked up.
Jesse said that he grasped what the judge was proclaiming but he still thought that incarceration was not the right sentence. The judge saw things from an entirely different perspective and claimed that it was his obligation to keep alcohol dependent people off the streets who drink and drive and who get arrested for a DUI. To substantiate this view, the judge quoted some long-standing, comprehensively researched alcohol statistics that pointed to some of the demoralizing results that are associated with hazardous and excessive drinking.
Even though Jesse understood that he drank in an abusive and hazardous manner, he never believed that he was an individual who was dependent on alcohol. So it was a rude awakening when Jesse began having alcohol withdrawals just about three-and-a-half hours after after getting locked up in the city jail.
To manage his alcohol withdrawal symptoms in a safe manner, Jesse was transferred to a drug and alcohol rehab center for alcohol detoxification and then returned to the municipal jail. While locked up in the city jail Jesse was given alcohol treatment but because he received this rehabilitation as something that was mandated for him, he was unsuccessful in taking ownership of his abusive drinking.
When his time in the county jail was finished, the magistrate without faltering told Jesse that he would be under strict surveillance and would be required to take periodic random breathalyzer alcohol tests.
Jessie’s Excessive Drinking Prevents Him From Living in a Productive and Mature Manner
After hearing how Jesse did not take ownership of his drinking problem and how he reluctantly followed the rehab protocol while in the city jail, the magistrate knew that it was just a matter of time before he would be seeing Jesse once again in court about his hazardous and excessive drinking behavior. As the magistrate reflected on Jesse’s circumstance, he couldn’t help but think about how some people never use their brain and discover how to live in a responsible and accountable manner.
A Woman Displays Signs of Depression and Alcohol Addiction and Schedules an Appointment to See Her Medical Practitioner About Her Excessive and Irresponsible Drinking
Teresa was a forty-one-year-old legal secretary who knew that she had a problem with her drinking. For example, within the past month she has felt the need to have quite a few drinks before going to work, three weeks ago she failed a random blood alcohol test at her place of employment, five months ago she got arrested for “driving under the influence”, and finally, for going on five months she has started to fail to remember what she says and does when she goes out drinking.
Like multitudes of other individuals, Teresa’s involvement with alcohol started out at a “snail’s pace” and stayed at this level of involvement for quite a long time because from time to time she engaged in occasional social drinking. In reality, for roughly seven months, every time she went out to drink, she made sure to drink moderately. Something about her drinking behavior, however, seemed to radically change when she got divorced.
In Order To Recover From the Divorce of Her Husband In a More Pain Free Manner, Teresa Came to a Decision That She Will Start Hanging Out More Frequently With Some of Her Pals Who Love to ”Get Down” and Drink
Teresa got especially despondent about the divorce from her husband, and as a way to refrain from fixating on her negative emotions she determined that she would start associating more frequently with some of her buddies who love to whoop it up and drink.
Quite frankly, Teresa truly believed that having fun just about every day by drinking with her friends would help her overcome the loss of her husband with less misery.
Teresa’s Drinking Increases Considerably the More Routinely She Goes to Private Parties, Happy Hours, Family Get-Togethers, Dinner Dates, and Sporting Events With Her Pals
It didn’t take very long, nevertheless, before her drinking escalated considerably the more routinely she went to and drank at happy hours, sporting events, family get-togethers, private parties, and dinner dates with her pals. Moreover, the fact that her drinking buddies were all much younger than she was and therefore able to drink more carelessly was one of the reasons that she didn’t direct more of her attention to her increased drinking. Simply put, she was drinking and having a great time just like everyone else in her group of buddies without giving much thought to the consequences of her drinking.
Yet somewhere in the recesses of her mind she knew that she most likely required alcohol rehab but kept away from the thought as much as humanly possible.
Teresa Gets a Physical Exam, Discloses the Facts About Her Hazardous and Irresponsible Drinking to Her Healthcare Professional, and ”Comes Clean” About Her Melancholy
One morning during her annual physical exam, her healthcare professional asked her if she drank alcohol. Not wanting to tell falsehoods to her doctor, Teresa owned up to the truth that she often drinks more than she should. If truth be told, she said that she commonly drinks in an excessive and irresponsible manner. Then Teresa told her physician about her depression. More plainly, she stated that broken relationships more often than not set off a dismal sequence of events characterized by increased drinking which further led to more disheartening feelings that, in turn, led to even more drinking. And this is specifically what took place when she and her husband got divorced nine months ago.
When her physician heard this, he told Teresa that according to various alcoholism facts and statistics on alcoholism he was examining, alcoholism and depression commonly occur in the same individual. He then informed Teresa that some of the alcohol statistics, research investigations, and facts he has been looking into also emphasize the fact that people who drink in a hazardous and excessive manner and who also suffer from depression need to get treatment for both medical situations.
Teresa’s Healthcare Practitioner Makes an Appointment for a Psychological Evaluation and For an Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Addiction Assessment
Teresa’s doctor then stated the following: “I am not trying to make a snap diagnosis, but with your medical situation we may be confronting two separate problems. Consequently, I think we should schedule an appointment for you to get an alcohol abuse and alcoholism assessment from my partner, Dr. Gallamore, who is an alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse specialist. Whether your drinking situation is more associated with alcohol dependency or alcohol abuse is unknown at this time, but I think that further assessment is defensible. Then I believe we ought to make an appointment for you to get a psychological evaluation from another one of my partners, Dr. Knight, who is a psychologist. I want to get a better read on your melancholy and see how much your depression and drinking are related.” Teresa showed her endorsement of her doctor’s plan of attack and thanked him for his time and assistance. Now all she had to do was to try to decrease her drinking and wait for her appointments.
A Young Couple Reviews Their Heavy and Excessive Drinking and Their Short and Long-Term Dreams, Aspirations, and Goals
Augie and Merissa have been dating for five years. They met while taking the same Latin literature class at a relatively small, rural, liberal arts college located in the Midwestern part of the U.S. While they were for the most part good friends at first, they eventually began dating when they were in their first year of college.
Because both of them came from very old-fashioned backgrounds, neither one of them drank very much beyond the testing stage when they first began dating. As the time proceeded, nonetheless, they started to go to more keg parties, football bashes, happy hours, and sorority and fraternity parties. As a consequence, they little by little began to drink increasingly more as time passed by.
Their Social Life Regularly Consisted of Going to Restaurants Three or Four Nights Per Week, Going to Professional Sporting Events, Going to Parties With Their Friends, Going to Happy Hour With Their Friends, and Going With Their Friends to the Local Cabaret on the Weekends
After they graduated from college, they both found jobs in a small city that was located just about sixty miles from their undergraduate college. Then they decided to move in with one another.
Because they were far removed from the college drinking scene, nevertheless, their social life frequently consisted of going to professional sporting events, going to parties with their friends, going to happy hour with their friends, going to restaurants three or four nights per week, and going to the local watering hole with their pals on the weekends. To put it simply, Augie and Merissa began drinking in an excessive and irresponsible manner.
Now that they were living in the same apartment with one another and beginning to get more unwavering about their relationship, nonetheless, they started thinking about becoming more responsible, having children, buying a house, and getting married.
With any momentous adjustment in an individual’s life there is often something that produces the specific change in question. For Merissa and Augie the thought of buying a new house and having children was this “change agent.” Simply put, for the first time in their lives, Merissa and Augie started to critically assess their hazardous drinking and the long term alcohol effects on their health.
How Would Their Irresponsible Drinking Affect Their Finances, Their Ability to Have Children, Their Relationship With One Another, Their Mental Health, and Their Relationship With Their Parents?
Would their abusive and hazardous drinking negatively affect their ability to have children? How would they be able to continue spending almost all of their money on drinking if they were to start saving for a new house? How accountable would they be if they had children and continued to drink at their current pace? How would they be able to face their parents and tell them about their long term dreams, hopes, and aspirations while they still drank in an abusive and hazardous manner while having fun as they did when they were in college? What would their excessive drinking do to their relationship? How would their abusive and irresponsible drinking affect their mental health?
From a different viewpoint, although neither one of them ever suffered from alcohol poisoning, received a DUI, or experienced alcohol withdrawal symptoms, they realized that their heavy and hazardous drinking was becoming an issue that they could not turn their backs on anymore.
After Giving Their State of Affairs Some Serious Deliberation, Merissa and Augie Finally Comprehended That Their Goals, Aspirations, and Dreams Would not be Accomplished if They Continued Their Excessive and Hazardous Drinking
All of these inquiries unmistakably pointed to the same conclusion: Augie and Merissa needed to comprehend more clearly that they couldn’t continue their excessive and abusive drinking if their aspirations, goals, and dreams were to be realized.
Once they got to this conclusion, they advised their drinking friends about their plans to start a family, about their marital plans, and about their goal of buying or building a new house. They also told their drinking friends that they still wanted to hang out with them but that they would be drinking in strict moderation from this time forward so that they could start to realize their future aspirations, hopes, and dreams.
Unpredictably, all of their pals expressed relief because they too had been reexamining their lives and concluded that their life-styles were much too often focused on drinking. They also thought that they would have to change fundamentally if they were to become more responsible and display more concern for their careers, their health, and for their goals in the next twenty or twenty-five years.
After their heart-to-heart conversation with their buddies about their aspirations, goals, and dreams, Augie and Merissa in reality started to have more meaningful relationships with all of their buddies. The fundamental reason for this was the fact that all of them had a similar mindset regarding their heavy and hazardous drinking and their relatively short and long-term aspirations, goals, and plans.
A Young Couple Evaluates Their Hazardous and Abusive Drinking and Their Short and Long-Term Hopes, Plans, and Dreams
Merissa and Augie have been going out for five-and-a-half years. They met while taking the same music class at a relatively small, country, liberal arts college located in the Southern part of the United States. While they were for the most part good buddies at first, they at long last started dating when they were in their second year of college.
Given the fact that both of them came from very traditional backgrounds, neither one of them drank very much beyond the casual drinking stage when they first began dating. As the time advanced, nevertheless, they started to go to more happy hours, football bashes, keg parties, and sorority and fraternity parties. Consequently, they in a step-by-step fashion began to drink increasingly more the longer they dated.
Their Social Life Regularly Consisted of Going to Happy Hour With Their Friends, Going to Parties With Their Friends, Going to Professional Sporting Events, Going to Restaurants Three or Four Nights Per Week, and Going With Their Friends to the Local Nightclub on the Weekends
After they graduated, they both found jobs in a medium size city that was located just about sixty miles from their undergraduate college. Then they finally decided to move into the same apartment with one another.
Given the fact that they were far removed from the college drinking scene, then again, their social life as a rule consisted of going to restaurants three or four nights per week, going to professional sporting events, going to happy hour with their friends, going to parties with their friends, and going to the local watering hole with their buddies on the weekends. Simply put, Augie and Merissa began drinking quite extensively.
Now that they were living in the same apartment with one another and starting to get more serious about their relationship, however, they began to think about getting married, having children, buying a house, and becoming more responsible.
With any big adjustment in a person’s life there is normally something that produces the specific change in question. For Merissa and Augie the idea of having children and buying a new house was this “vehicle for change.” Stated more forcefully, for the first time in their lives, Merissa and Augie started to critically evaluate their irresponsible and excessive drinking and the alcohol long term effects on their health.
How Would Their Hazardous and Excessive Drinking Affect Their Finances, Their Ability to Have Children, Their Relationship With One Another, Their Mental Health, and Their Relationship With Their Parents?
Would their irresponsible and heavy drinking adversely affect their ability to have children? How would they be able to continue spending nearly all of their money on drinking if they were to begin saving for a new house? How adult-like would they be if they had children and continued to drink in an irresponsible and excessive manner? How would they be able to face their parents and tell them about their long term dreams, goals, and aspirations while they still drank in an abusive and irresponsible manner while having fun as they did when they were in college? What would their abusive and excessive drinking do to their relationship? How would their excessive and irresponsible drinking affect their mental health?
From a different perspective, although neither one of them ever suffered from alcohol poisoning, received a DUI, or experienced alcohol withdrawals, they realized that their abusive and irresponsible drinking was becoming a thorny issue that they could not discount any longer.
After Giving Their Circumstances Much Thought, Merissa and Augie Arrived at the Conclusion That Their Hopes, Dreams, and Plans Would not be Attained if They Continued Their Heavy and Abusive Drinking
All of these uncertainties clearly pointed to the same conclusion: Merissa and Augie needed to grasp the fact that they couldn’t continue their abusive and heavy drinking if their dreams, plans, and hopes were to be realized.
Once they settled upon this conclusion, they alerted their drinking pals about their marital plans, about their goal of buying or building a new house, and about their plans to start a family. They also told their drinking pals that they still wanted to hang out with them but that they would be drinking in strict moderation from this time forward so that they could begin realizing their future dreams, hopes, and aspirations.
Unexpectedly, all of their buddies expressed relief because they too had been reappraising their lives and concluded that their life-styles were much too often centered around drinking. They also believed that they would have to change radically if they were to become more adult-like and show more respect for their goals, their careers, and for their health in the next fifteen or twenty years.
After their heart-to-heart conversation with their pals about their dreams, hopes, and aspirations, Augie and Merissa essentially started to have more meaningful relationships with all of their buddies. The main reason for this was the fact that all of them had a similar mindset regarding their abusive and heavy drinking and their short and long-term plans, aspirations, and goals.
A Young Couple Reviews Their Heavy and Hazardous Drinking and Their Short and Long-Term Dreams, Aspirations, and Hopes
Merissa and Augie have been seeing one another for six-and-a-half years. They met while taking the same sports management class at a relatively small, rural, private liberal arts college located in the Southern part of the U.S. While they were simply good pals at first, they eventually began dating when they were in their third year of college.
Because both of them came from very ”old school” backgrounds, neither one of them drank much beyond the experimental stage when they first started to date. As the time progressed, nevertheless, they started to go to more sorority and fraternity parties, happy hours, football bashes, and keg parties. As a result, they over time began to drink increasingly more as they proceeded in their relationship.
Their Social Life Typically Consisted of Going to Professional Sporting Events, Going to Parties With Their Friends, Going to Happy Hour With Their Friends, Going to Restaurants Three or Four Nights Per Week, and Going With Their Friends to the Local Disco on the Weekends
After they graduated, they both found employment in a medium size city located just about seventy miles from their undergraduate college. Then they at long last made up their mind to move in with each other.
Due to the fact they were far removed from the college drinking scene, however, their social life frequently consisted of going to restaurants three or four nights per week, going to happy hour with their friends, going to parties with their friends, going to professional sporting events, and going to the local bar with their pals on the weekends. Stated more precisely, Merissa and Augie started to drink quite extensively.
Now that they were living in the same apartment with one another and starting to get more committed to their relationship, nonetheless, they began thinking about becoming more responsible, getting married, having children, and buying a house.
With any major change in a person’s life there is regularly something that prompts the specific transformation in question. For Augie and Merissa the thought of buying a new house and having children was this “trigger.” In brief, for the first time in their lives, Merissa and Augie started to critically evaluate their irresponsible drinking and the long term alcohol effects on their lives.
How Would Their Abusive and Hazardous Drinking Affect Their Finances, Their Relationship With One Another, Their Ability to Have Children, Their Mental Health, and Their Relationship With Their Parents?
Would their heavy drinking unfavorably affect their ability to have children? How would they be able to continue spending so much money on drinking if they were to begin saving for a new house? How responsible would they be if they had children and continued to drink in an irresponsible manner? How would they be able to face their parents and tell them about their long term dreams, goals, and aspirations while they still drank in an excessive and irresponsible manner while having fun as they did when they were in college? What would their irresponsible and hazardous drinking do to their relationship? How would their hazardous and irresponsible drinking affect their mental health?
From a different viewpoint, although neither one of them ever suffered from alcohol poisoning, received a DUI, or experienced alcohol withdrawal symptoms, they realized that their heavy and irresponsible drinking was becoming a troublesome issue that they could not overlook any longer.
After Giving Their State of Affairs Some Serious Deliberation, Merissa and Augie Concluded That Their Aspirations, Dreams, and Hopes Would not be Completed if They Continued Their Abusive and Heavy Drinking
All of these uncertainties unmistakably pointed to the same conclusion: Augie and Merissa needed to learn that they couldn’t continue their excessive and irresponsible drinking if their aspirations, hopes, and dreams were to be met.
Once they got to this conclusion, they told their drinking buddies about their goal of buying or building a new house, about their marital plans, and about their plans to start a family. They also told their drinking buddies that they still wanted to hang out with them but that they would be drinking responsibly from this time forward so that they could start realizing their future dreams, goals, and aspirations.
Surprisingly, all of their pals expressed relief because they too had been reexamining their lives and concluded that their life-styles were much too frequently focused on drinking. They also understood that they would have to change radically if they were to become more adult-like and show more forethought for their health, their plans, and for their careers in the next five or ten years.
After their frank chat with their buddies about their hopes, dreams, and aspirations, Augie and Merissa in effect started to have more meaningful relationships with all of their pals. The key reason for this was the fact that all of them had a similar way of thinking regarding their heavy and hazardous drinking and their short and long-term aspirations, plans, and goals.
A Health Instructor in the Most Popular Co-ed High School in the State Instructs Her Students About the Importance of Alcohol Addiction Signs
Miss Benning was a health instructor at the most financially challenged parochial high school in the district. Even though she had been teaching for only a few years, she had already secured a reputation as a teacher with instructional techniques that encouraged and inspired students to learn and to think.
For example, one Friday afternoon at 1:00 she addressed the pupils in her classroom and announced the following: “For the next four or five days we are going to learn about some basic alcoholism facts from a more wide-ranging point of view and we are also going to learn about a number of the best known signs of alcoholism from a more detailed standpoint.”
“Not all of these alcoholism signs will positively show that an individual with a drinking problem is an alcohol addicted person, but the more signs that a drinker manifests, the greater the probability that he or she is a person who is addicted to alcohol.”
Miss Benning then explained to the the pupils that each student would be held responsible for studying four alcoholism signs and then presenting his or her findings to the class via a six minute oral presentation.
The Pupils are Thrilled About Giving A Broad-Based Presentation to Their Fellow Pupils About Alcoholism Signs
After learning about the diverse alcohol addiction signs for quite a few days, the time had finally come for the student presentations. It was instantaneously evident that her pupils were energized about the subject matter because the information that they presented was outstanding. To say that Miss Benning was pleasantly surprised with the passion displayed by the pupils in her classroom concerning this subject matter could not be overstated.
The day after all of the pupils completed their presentations, Miss Benning passed out a piece of paper with a list of all the alcohol addiction signs that were presented and discussed in class and in the presentations. Miss Benning then asked her pupils to go over the list and rank the top six alcoholism signs that were most indicative of alcoholism. After roughly five minutes, Miss Benning collected the pieces of paper and informed the students in her class that after she reviews the numbers, she will discuss her findings the next school day.
There was some real excitement by the students while they were exiting Miss Benning’s classroom. One could swear that her pupils couldn’t wait for the next day to come so that they could find out the outcome of their in-class research.
The Pupils Compare Their Numbers With the Results From A Council of Alcohol Addiction Authorities
When the next school day arrived, Miss Benning handed out a piece of paper that listed the top four alcoholism signs according to the pupils’ rankings. To the right of these results, she added another column that was labeled “experts’ answer.” She then informed the pupils in her class that the numbers in the second column she added were the findings that were put together by a board of alcohol addiction authorities.
Miss Benning asked her students to go over the data on the sheet of paper she handed out and then to raise their hand if they had any issues, questions, or concerns. Within 20 or 30 seconds, almost every pupil in the classroom raised her or his hand. It was clear to see that the students had some concerns, issues, or questions about their results versus the answers given by the professionals. As an illustration, virtually every individual in the classroom disagreed with the highest ranked answer given by the specialists, namely, “Do you feel extremely ill when you quit drinking?”
The Central Difference Between Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Addiction is the Physical Addiction That is Experienced With Alcohol Addiction and Not With Alcohol Abuse
Miss Benning then explained to her pupils why this answer was the most clear-cut indicator of alcohol dependency. She underscored the fact that the main difference between alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency is the physical dependency that is experienced with alcoholism and not with alcohol abuse.
In essence this means that when an alcohol addicted person suddenly stops drinking, he or she will go through alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
Miss Benning then explained to her students that alcohol withdrawal symptoms are responses by the brain and by the body to the deprivation of alcohol to which they had become acclimated. Stated differently, alcohol withdrawal symptoms are signals from the brain and from the body telling a person who is alcohol dependent that something is dreadfully out of kilter and needs to be rectified. These signals consist of a number of painful, uncomfortable, and dangerous withdrawal symptoms that can potentially result in an individual’s death if the proper treatment is not promptly received.
Miss Benning then discussed the multitude of alcohol withdrawal symptoms that can be gone through when a person who is alcohol dependent suddenly stops drinking.
The fact that Miss Benning tried to underline was this: a person who engages in alcohol abuse can experience almost any and every one of the alcoholism signs that the students had ranked, but the one sign or symptom that few, if any, alcohol abusers ever experience is alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
To articulate this as overtly as possible, Miss Benning stressed the fact that alcohol abusers, unlike alcohol addicted people, are not alcohol dependent and as a consequence, when they quit drinking, they almost never suffer from alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
The Pupils Feel They Have Found A Dissimilarity With the Findings From The Council of Substance Abuse Experts
The students also had a problem with the second ranked answer given by the alcohol addiction authorities, namely, “Have you ever had a drink the first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover?”
Miss Benning informed the students in her classroom that this sign does not automatically indicate that the problem is alcohol addiction, but that it does point to the need that individuals who are addicted to alcohol have to drink in order to avert alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
After Miss Benning explained the importance of alcohol withdrawal symptoms in the life of the individual who is addicted to alcohol, the students started to recognize the fundamental difference between alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency.
To add a sense of closure to the topic, Miss Benning asked her pupils to take out a piece of paper and answer the following question: “if every individual who is alcohol dependent knew about every one of the alcohol withdrawal symptoms and alcoholism signs we have studied, what percentage of them do you think would get alcoholism rehab?”
After about two or three minutes, Miss Benning asked for the pupils’ responses. While many students believed that approximately 85 to 95 percent of alcohol addicted individuals would ask for alcohol rehabilitation if they knew about the facts related to alcohol dependency signs and alcohol withdrawal symptoms, most of the pupils figured that this number would not be less than 50 percent.
The Pupils Were Astonished to Find Out That Only 25% of People Who are Addicted to Alcohol in the U.S. Ask For Alcoholism Rehabilitation
To the shock of most of the pupils, Miss Benning stated that according to various scientific examinations, only 25% of the individuals who are alcohol dependent in the U.S. ask for alcohol dependency rehabilitation. This astonished most of the students because they believed that exposure to the overwhelming statistics and facts linked to alcoholism would motivate most of the individuals who are alcohol dependent to ask for alcohol rehabilitation.
Miss Benning then stated that alcoholics not only need alcohol everyday in order to function but they also need alcohol on a daily basis so they can steer clear of possible alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Clearly, the alcohol dependent individual’s need to drink on a daily basis is more powerful than logic or facts. In actual fact, due to the fact that the thirst for alcohol is “reality” to the person who is addicted to alcohol, this is very hard to change.
A few minutes later the bell rang, meaning that the end of class had arrived. Based on the enthusiasm manifested by the pupils when they were leaving the classroom, Miss Benning knew that she had stimulated and encouraged her students to stop and think about a significant health and social problem that exists in our culture.
When Irresponsible and Excessive Drinking Leads to Serious Health Problems
For several years alcohol addiction exploration has demonstrated the fact that there is strong relationship between alcoholism and life-threatening health conditions.
For instance, in 2005, medical research and alcohol abuse and alcoholism statistics revealed that alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction cost the United States an estimated $220 billion per year. It may be noted that this enormous alcohol-related cost was substantially more than the cost associated with cancer ($196 billion) or with obesity ($133 billion). While it is pertinent to put emphasis on these facts, it is also noteworthy to emphasize the point that an interrelationship exists between all three of these health problems.
To be exact, chronic alcohol abuse and alcoholism are also highly correlated with obesity and with cancer.
Indeed, substance abuse investigation has revealed that alcohol dependency can increase the risk for various kinds of cancer, particularly cancer of the esophagus, kidneys, throat, rectum, liver, voice box (larynx), and the colon. Excessive and repetitive drinking can also lead to immune system issues and impairment to the fetus during pregnancy.
Abusive Drinking Breaks Down the Individual’s Systems and Organs
What is more, if alcohol dependency continues over a period of years, the individual’s body organs will likely be affected in an unsafe manner. As an illustration, long-term, hazardous drinking is particularly injurious to the liver since the liver does most of the work of processing the alcohol that has been ingested. Extreme amounts of alcohol kills liver cells and obliterates the ability of liver cells to reproduce. This condition leads to a progressive inflammatory malfunction of the liver that can in the long run lead to cirrhosis of the liver, a precarious and potentially lethal disease.Excessive, long-term drinking not only can lead to serious liver damage, but it can also result in damage to the heart and to the brain. Physical damage this dangerous may be irreparable and may, in turn, result in serious ill health or an early death.
The Relevance of Alcohol Rehabilitation
It is critical, then, to know how to recognize the different alcoholism symptoms and the “alcohol signs” so that the alcoholic can be given the opportunity to seek the quality alcohol therapy he or she requires.
Alcohol Dependency and Sophisticated Brain Research
Fortuitously, scientific examination is persistently unearthing unique and significant information. Recent alcoholism exploration offers a first-rate example. Stated another way, for approximately the past ten years, sophisticated brain-imaging scanning devices have shown that repetitive and chronic abusive drinking transforms the makeup of the brain to a great extent, consequently resulting in brain disease that can last months, years, or conceivably as long as the individual lives.
More to the point, medical examination has demonstrated that individuals who have been drinking excessively for a considerable length of time increase their risk for developing permanent and severe modifications in the brain.
This type of damage may be indirectly associated with the drinker’s poor overall health or directly related to the alcohol’s effects on the brain or to severe liver disease.
Mental Disorders, Malnutrition, and Excessive Drinking
As a final example of various medical conditions that are considerably associated with alcohol addiction, take into account the fact that according to medical exploration, the excessive and repeated abuse of alcohol can lead to erosive gastritis, a health problem that limits the absorption of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.
This kind of organ failure is associated with malnutrition and to an array of acute mental and neurological maladies including memory loss, sleep disturbances, and psychosis such as Wernicke’s Encephalopathy and Korsakoff’s syndrome. This latter medical condition is a lasting incapacitating condition that is characterized by continual memory and learning difficulties.
Conclusion
It is apparent that continued, hazardous drinking is directly or indirectly linked to a number of serious medical conditions that can and do lead to serious ailments and premature death. Such information needs to be stressed and presented to everyone in our society so that a massive amount of people will be able to refrain from abusive drinking while other people who have a drinking problem will get the quality rehabilitation they need.