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Posts Tagged ‘alcohol treatment’

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.

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.

Jennifer is a twenty-five-year-old call center manager who has been ingesting alcohol in an irresponsible and hazardous manner since she and her fiancée decided to discontinue their relationship. In truth, for the past ten months she has been drinking very nearly one-and-a-half bottles of wine every night, and on the weekends she also has been drinking several bottles of beer throughout the day. In a word, Jennifer has been drinking so abusively and hazardously that it’s a miracle that she hasn’t suffered from alcohol poisoning.

After feeling dispirited because she was starting to ignore her health, Jennifer finally told herself that enough is enough, that it’s time to stop feeling sorry for herself, that it’s time to stop the excessive and hazardous drinking, and time to make a new start with her life. So the following Saturday morning at 10:00 AM, she determined that she would stop drinking suddenly and completely without planning or preparation.

When She Quit Drinking She Felt Awful, Her Head Was Throbbing, She Vomited Several Times, She Started to Sweat Profusely, She Was Extremely Anxious and Moody, and She Had Absolutely No Appetite

When Jennifer quit drinking, she assumed that she would most likely be tempted to take a few drinks, but she never pictured that she would feel so terrible. More accurately, roughly two hours after she quit drinking, she was extremely stressed out and moody, she vomited several times, her head was pounding, she had absolutely no appetite, and she started to sweat extensively.

When she called her best friend and informed her that she had stopped drinking and that after a few hours she without any warning began experiencing flu-like symptoms, Rebecca, her best pal, told Jennifer to call her medical practitioner and discuss what was transpiring.

She Admits to Her Healthcare Practitioner That She Has Been Drinking In a Hazardous and Excessive Manner, That She Just Tried to Quit Drinking, and That She is Experiencing Awful Flu-Like Symptoms

So Jennifer called her healthcare practitioner, told him that she has been drinking excessively for several months and that when she tried to completely stop drinking earlier in the day, within a few hours she felt as if she had the nastiest flu-like symptoms that she had ever gone through.

Her medical practitioner informed her that she may be going through symptoms of alcohol withdrawal and that she should have a neighbor or relative take her to the emergency room as soon as humanly possible.

As soon as Jennifer got off the phone, she got a family member to take her to the emergency room. Interestingly, as sick as Jennifer was, all she could think about all the way to the hospital was whether or not she might be addicted to alcohol.

Obviously her doctor had phoned ahead and told the emergency room medical team to expect Jennifer because when she got to the hospital, she was met by two emergency room employees who without hesitation asked her to get in the wheelchair they had with them. After getting taken to the emergency room and undergoing a few basic tests, it was established that Jennifer was in fact suffering from alcohol withdrawal symptoms and was in need of alcohol detoxification.

A medical practitioner gave her some drugs to lessen the intensity of her flu-like symptoms and also gave her some drugs to help eliminate the alcohol that was still in her bloodstream.

A Substance Abuse and Chemical Dependency Medical Practitioner Goes Over the Fact That She is Alcohol Dependent and Then Goes Over What Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms and Alcohol Dependency Stages Are

After a few hours, Jennifer was taken from the emergency room and wheeled to the recovery room. After she was in recovery for just about two hours, Doctor Parker, an alcohol dependency specialist, came to talk to her. He took quite a bit of time and explained that Jennifer had experienced alcohol withdrawal symptoms when she quit drinking because she had become dependent on alcohol.

He then stated that with excessive drinking on a daily basis, the individual’s brain progressively becomes accustomed to the alcohol in order to process things in a “normal” way. When the individual then suddenly refrains from consuming alcohol, it can be pointed out, the brain takes action by bringing forth alcohol withdrawal symptoms. What is more, her doctor also explained the different alcoholism stages that an alcohol dependent individual commonly experiences as the disease gets worse over time.

It is Discovered that Jennifer is in the First Stage of Alcoholism and She Obtains a Favorable Prognosis For a Full Recovery if She Gets the Alcohol Addiction Treatment She Requires

Fortunately for Jennifer, it was established that she was in the first stage of alcoholism and, consequently, she was given a good diagnosis for a total recovery if she obtains the alcoholism treatment she requires.

Jennifer told the doctor that she will do whatever it takes to get sober and to recover her health and her life. She also mentioned that she has a first class hospitalization insurance plan that will almost certainly pay for most, if not all, of the costs required for treatment. It was obvious that Jennifer was quite pleased with her positive medical forecast and felt at peace knowing that she will be able to get the alcohol dependency treatment she requires so that she can start on the path to recovery.

Jennifer is a thirty-three-year-old mortgage processor who has been ingesting alcohol in a hazardous and irresponsible manner since she and her boyfriend decided to discontinue their relationship. In truth, for the past four months she has been drinking almost one-and-a-half bottles of wine every night, and on the weekends she also has been drinking more than a few cocktails all the way through the day. In short, Jennifer has been drinking so abusively and excessively that it’s amazing that she hasn’t suffered from alcohol poisoning.

After feeling dejected because she was starting to disregard her health, Jennifer at long last told herself that enough is enough, that it’s time to quit feeling sorry for herself, that it’s time to stop the irresponsible and hazardous drinking, and time to make a new start with her life. So the next Saturday morning at 8:30 AM, she decided to stop drinking completely and suddenly without planning or preparation.

When She Attempted to Quit Drinking She Felt Horrific, Her Head Was Throbbing, She Vomited Several Times, She Started to Sweat Profusely, She Was Extremely Anxious and Moody, and She Had Absolutely No Appetite

When Jennifer quit drinking, she reasoned that she would quite possibly be tempted to ”steal” a few drinks, but she never presumed that she would feel so horrific. More directly, around three hours after she quit drinking, she was extremely moody and anxious, she had utterly no appetite, she started to perspire extensively, her head was pounding, and she vomited several times.

When she called her best friend and informed her that she had stopped drinking and that after a few hours she all of a sudden began having flu-like symptoms, Leslie, her best friend, told Jennifer to call her physician and explain what she was going through.

She Admits to Her Medical Practitioner That She Has Been Drinking Excessively, That She Just Tried to Stop Drinking, and That She is Going Through Awful Flu-Like Symptoms

So Jennifer called her medical practitioner, informed him that she has been drinking in an irresponsible and hazardous manner for quite a few months and that when she tried to suddenly quit drinking earlier in the day, within a few hours she felt as if she had the most unpleasant flu-like symptoms that she had ever gone through.

Her physician told her that she may be suffering from symptoms of alcohol withdrawal and that she should have a friend or relative drive her to the emergency room as soon as possible.

As soon as Jennifer got off the phone, she got a family member to drive her to the hospital. Interestingly, all the way to the hospital, as sick as Jennifer felt, the only thing she could think about was whether or not she might be alcohol dependent.

Apparently her family doctor had called ahead and told the emergency room personnel to expect Jennifer because when she got to the hospital, she was met by two nurses who promptly asked her to get in the wheelchair they had with them. After getting transported to the emergency room and undergoing a few necessary tests, it was validated that Jennifer was in actual fact suffering from alcohol withdrawal symptoms and was in need of alcohol detox.

A physician gave her some drugs to address her flu-like symptoms and also administered some meds to help get rid of the alcohol that was still in her bloodstream.

An Alcohol Abuse and Substance Abuse Healthcare Practitioner Explains in a Clear Fashion That She is Dependent on Alcohol and Then Clearly Explains What Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms and Alcohol Addiction Stages Are

After an hour or two, Jennifer was taken from the ER and transported to the recovery room. After she was in recovery for approximately an hour-and-a-half, Doctor Brill, a drug and alcohol abuse specialist, came to talk to her. He took quite a bit of time and explained in laymen’s language that Jennifer had suffered through alcohol withdrawal symptoms when she quit drinking due to the fact that she had become dependent on alcohol.

He then stated that with heavy drinking on an everyday basis, the drinker’s brain progressively adjusts to the alcohol so that it can process things in a “routine” fashion. When the person then abruptly refrains from drinking alcohol, it can be noted, the brain takes action by creating alcohol withdrawal symptoms. What is more, her medical practitioner also explained in a clear fashion the various alcoholism stages that a person who is alcohol dependent almost always experiences as the disease gets worse over time.

It is Confirmed that Jennifer is in the First Stage of Alcohol Addiction and She Receives a Good Diagnosis For a Complete Recovery if She Gets the Alcohol Treatment She Needs

Fortunately for Jennifer, it was determined that she was in the earliest stage of alcoholism and, as a consequence, she was given a good projection for a complete recovery if she will get the alcohol rehab she needs.

Jennifer told the doctor that she will do whatever it takes to get sober and to get back her health and her life. She also stated that she has an exceptional hospitalization insurance plan that will probably pay for most, if not all, of the costs needed for rehab. It was clear to see that Jennifer was quite thankful about her encouraging medical forecast and felt reassured knowing that she will be able to get the alcohol therapy she needs so that she can begin the path to recovery.

For a number of years alcohol dependency exploration has demonstrated the fact that there is strong association between alcohol dependency and critical health conditions and mental health issues such as depression.

For example, in 2005, scientific investigation and alcohol abuse and alcoholism statistics showed that alcohol abuse and alcoholism cost the United States an estimated $220 billion per year. It can be emphasized that this very large alcohol-related expense was substantially more than the cost linked with cancer ($196 billion) or with obesity ($133 billion). While it is pertinent to underline these facts, it is also important to emphasize the point that an interrelationship exists between all three of these health problems.

More exactly, chronic alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction are also highly interrelated with obesity and with cancer.

To be sure, substance abuse investigation has shown that alcoholism can augment the risk for various types of cancer, particularly cancer of the kidneys, rectum, colon, voice box (larynx), esophagus, throat, and the liver. Hazardous and recurring drinking can also lead to immune system issues and harm to the fetus during pregnancy.

Excessive and Irresponsible Drinking Destabilizes the Problem Drinker’s Systems and Organs

Furthermore, if alcoholism continues over a period of years, the person’s body organs will probably be affected in an unsafe manner. For instance, chronic, hazardous drinking is particularly detrimental to the liver since the liver does most of the work of processing the alcohol that has been ingested. Excessive amounts of alcohol kills liver cells and eradicates the ability of liver cells to regenerate. This medical circumstance leads to a progressive inflammatory disease of the liver that can in the long run lead to cirrhosis of the liver, a grave and possibly lethal medical problem.Abusive, long-term drinking not only can result in dangerous liver damage, but it can also lead to damage to the heart and to the brain. Physical damage this serious may be irreversible and may, in turn, lead to severe ill health or an untimely death.

The Importance of Alcohol Counseling

It is critical, consequently, to know how to recognize the various alcoholism symptoms and the “alcohol signs” so that the alcohol addicted individual can be given the opportunity to get the quality alcohol counseling he or she needs.

Alcohol Dependency and Sophisticated Brain Research

Fortunately, scientific exploration is persistently finding unique and important information. Recent alcoholism research supplies a high-quality example. More accurately, for approximately the past ten years, technologically advanced brain-imaging scanning devices have confirmed that repetitive and recurring hazardous drinking alters the constitution of the brain to a substantial extent, as a consequence resulting in brain disease that can last months, years, or possibly as long as the person lives.

Stated another way, medical examination has demonstrated that individuals who have been drinking excessively for an extensive length of time increase their risk for developing long lasting and substantial alterations in the brain.

This type of damage may be directly related to the alcohol’s effects on the brain, to severe liver disease, or might be indirectly associated with the drinker’s poor overall health.

Malnutrition, Abusive Drinking, and Mental Disorders

As a final example of different medical problems that are substantially related to alcoholism, consider that in accordance with scientific examination, the excessive and repeated abuse of alcohol can lead to erosive gastritis, a health problem that decreases the absorption of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.

This type of organ breakdown is associated with malnutrition and to a number of acute neurological and mental syndromes including sleep disturbances, memory loss, and psychosis such as Wernicke’s Encephalopathy and Korsakoff’s syndrome. This latter medical problem is a long lasting debilitating health problem that is typified by recurring memory and learning complications.

Conclusion

It is apparent that continued, hazardous drinking is directly or indirectly correlated with numerous dangerous medical problems that can and do result in serious diseases and premature death. Such information needs to be underlined and presented to everyone in our society so that most individuals will be able to abstain from excessive drinking while other individuals who have a drinking problem will get the professional rehabilitation they need.

It is worthy of note to point out something that family members who have been negatively affected by the alcohol dependency of another family member plainly do not realize. It appears that by shielding the alcohol dependent person with untruths and dishonesty to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have in reality created a situation that makes it easier for the alcohol dependent person to persist and proceed with his or her harmful, destructive existence.

In fact, instead of helping the alcohol addicted individual and themselves, these family members have essentially become enablers who have unintentionally helped negatively affect the alcohol dependent person’s drinking problem even more.

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

Relapses Can and Do Transpire

According to the research findings and statistics on alcohol dependency, another key alcohol dependency issue concerns alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcohol dependent individual has effectively gone through alcohol addiction therapy and then returns to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first thought, this circumstance flies in the face of logical thinking and seems so far-fetched that it forces an individual to wonder why anyone who has gone through the awfulness of alcohol dependency can return to drinking a short while after successful alcohol counseling and in turn after attaining recovery. There are, for sure, many plausible reasons for this.

It should be pointed out, on the other hand that alcoholism research that has focused on the enduring effects of alcohol dependency has revealed that long after the alcohol addicted individual has stopped his or her drinking, critical alterations in the way in which the alcohol addicted individual’s brain works are still present. As a consequence, all a recovering alcohol addicted person has to do to involve himself or herself in behaviors that correspond with the alterations that have come about in the brain is to engage in drinking again.

The Necessity for A Major Lifestyle Transformation

There are other reasons why many recovering alcohol dependent persons return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after reaching sobriety. According to the alcohol addiction research literature, to make a successful recovery, the alcohol dependent individual needs new ways of acting and thinking in order to deal more competently with demanding alcohol-related circumstances that will take place.

Situations such as returning to the same alcohol addictive atmosphere or to the same geographic location; interacting once again with friends from the time when the alcohol dependent individual was drinking irresponsibly; or familiar songs, smells, or activities—all of these conditions can bring forth memories that can set off psychological tension or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcohol addicted individual to engage in excessive drinking once again. Sadly, all of these circumstances may not only negate long-term sobriety for the alcohol dependent individual but they can also lead to relapse and thus go against one’s alcohol recovery.

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

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

The alcohol abuse research literature validates the fact that most people who successfully complete alcohol rehabilitation experience at least one relapse. Alcohol addicted persons and their family members need to know this so that they do not get down in the dumps or stressed out when a relapse happens.

Fortunately, taking part in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up rehab and education have resulted in more effective, long-term alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction treatment results, have helped reduce alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcohol addicted individuals reach enduring alcohol recovery.

Teresa was a thirty-year-old executive secretary who realized that she had some problems with her drinking. As an illustration, within the past month she has experienced the need to have one or two drinks before going to work, seven weeks ago she tested positive for a hair alcohol test where she is employed, six weeks ago she got arrested for “driving under the influence”, and last but not least, for nearly five months she has begun to forget what she says and does when she drinks with her friends.

Like hosts of other people, Teresa’s experiences with alcohol started out little by little and continued at this pace for quite some time due to the fact once in a “blue moon” she engaged in occasional social drinking. In fact, for almost two years, every time she went out with her friends to drink, she made sure to drink in moderation. Something about her drinking situation, nonetheless, seemed to completely change when she got divorced from her husband.

In Order To Overcome the Breakup of Her Husband With Less Distress, Teresa Came to a Decision That She Will Begin Hanging Around More Repeatedly With Some of Her Buddies Who Love to ”Get Down” and Drink

Teresa got especially dejected about the breakup with her husband, and as a way to quit obsessing about her disheartening feelings she determined that she would start hanging around more often with some of her pals who love to have fun and drink.

Quite frankly, Teresa thought that having fun just about every day by getting an alcohol “buzz” with her friends would help her come to terms with the loss of her husband more quickly.

Teresa’s Drinking Escalates Considerably the More Habitually She Goes to Sporting Events, Private Parties, Family Get-Togethers, Dinner Dates, and Happy Hours With Her Buddies

It didn’t take long, nonetheless, before her drinking escalated substantially the more routinely she went to and drank at sporting events, dinner dates, family get-togethers, private parties, and happy hours with her friends. In addition, the fact that her drinking pals were all considerably younger than she was and therefore able to party and drink more recklessly was one of the reasons why she didn’t focus more on her increased drinking. To put it briefly, she was having fun drinking just like everybody else in her group of friends without paying much attention to the negative effects of her hazardous and irresponsible drinking.

Yet someplace in her brain she realized that she most likely needed alcohol rehabilitation but avoided the thought as much as humanly possible.

Teresa Gets a Physical, Discloses the Truth About Her Abusive Drinking to Her Doctor, and Discloses the Truth About Her General State of Gloom

One morning during her yearly physical exam, her healthcare practitioner asked her if she drank alcohol. Not wanting to lie to her healthcare practitioner, Teresa acknowledged that she often drinks more than she should. In truth, she articulated that she routinely drinks in an excessive and hazardous manner. Then Teresa informed her healthcare professional about her dejection. More plainly, she mentioned that broken relationships commonly triggered a negative progression of events characterized by increased drinking which further led to more disheartening feelings that, in turn, resulted in even more drinking. And this is exactly what happened when her husband and she got divorced ten months ago.

When her healthcare practitioner heard this, he told Teresa that according to various alcoholism facts and statistics on alcoholism he was investigating, alcoholism and depression commonly occur in the same person. He then informed Teresa that some of the alcohol statistics, research investigations, and facts he has been studying also underline the fact that people who drink in an excessive and irresponsible manner and who also experience depression need to obtain treatment for both medical circumstances.

Teresa’s Doctor Makes an Appointment for a Psychological Evaluation and For an Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Appraisal

Teresa’s doctor then said the following: “I am not trying to make an unprofessional diagnosis, but with your medical circumstances we may be confronting two separate issues. Consequently, I think we ought to schedule an appointment for you to get an alcoholism and alcohol abuse evaluation from my partner, Dr. Jeffries, who is a chemical dependency and substance abuse specialist. Whether your drinking situation is more linked to alcohol abuse or alcohol addiction is not clear at this time, but I feel that further assessment is warranted. Then I feel we need to make an appointment for you to get a psychological assessment from another one of my partners, Dr. Davis, who is a psychologist. I want to get some more information about your dejection and see how much your depression and drinking are interlinked.” Teresa displayed her satisfaction with her healthcare practitioner’s treatment plan and thanked him for his assistance and concern. Now all she had to do was to try to decrease her drinking and get ready for her appointments.

When I was a sophomore in high school, I enrolled into a drug abuse class. At that age, I did not comprehend that alcohol abuse actually was a sub division 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 throughout the world. I also learned a lot about alcohol rehabilitation and the diverse alcohol rehab facilities that are repeatedly available to people who engage in excessive drinking.

Detrimental Results That are Associated With Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse

Some of the dangerous consequences linked to alcoholism and alcohol abuse that I learned about in this class definitely alarmed me. The ruined lives and frequent problems experienced by most alcohol addicted individuals made me feel like I never wanted to drink alcohol when I became old enough. In short, I did not want to face the wreckage and ruination that alcohol dependent individuals almost always experience.

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

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

These issues were so significant that I discussed some of them in class during the school year. What was utterly astounding to me was the number of students who essentially didn’t care about the harmful effects of abusive drinking that I discussed. It was almost as if they couldn’t care less about reality and how these consequences can wreck their lives. For the first time in my life I started to understand something that my grandfather used to articulate throughout my younger years: you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.

It’s Important, Beneficial, and Liberating to Keep Yourself From the Unhealthy and Debilitating Outcomes of Drug and Alcohol Abuse

And even at my young age, I also began to realize how beneficial, liberating, and important it is in life to keep yourself from the debilitating and unhealthy results of drug and alcohol abuse.

How do you know that you have a drinking problem? When is it plain to see that you are engaging in irresponsible drinking?

If you have ineffectively tried to stop drinking or if you promised yourself that your drinking days are over and then you were made aware that you were drinking in an excessive manner just a few days later, the odds are exceptionally good that you have drinking problems. The key point is that if you have made an effort to terminate your drinking and cannot accomplish this, then your drinking is controlling you, rather than the other way around.

In a similar manner, if it takes larger amounts of alcohol to get the same “high,” more likely than not you need to become aware that you have a problem with your drinking.

You may be telling yourself that the reasoning for your drinking is so that you can lessen your nervous tension or get rid of the pain that you feel. In much the same way, you may be trying to stay away from a negative circumstance and may be looking for something more beneficial, more favorable, or less regretful.

As you continue to drink, however, you will understand that drinking does not result in the same high and you will also become aware that drinking doesn’t help remove whatever triggered your pain in the first place.

As you continue to drink irresponsibly, sadly, you may become an alcoholic and, as a consequence, you may add another key difficulty to deal with rather than learning about more efficient and healthy ways of managing your alcohol induced difficulties.

An Alcohol Evaluation is Probably Necessary

If you have concluded that you have a drinking problem, conceivably the healthiest thing you can do for yourself is to call your doctor or healthcare provider and arrange for an appointment for a physical and for an evaluation of your drinking circumstances.

If you honestly think that you have a critical problem with your drinking, it may be a good idea to get prepared to find out that you need to get alcohol rehab.

At this point in time, what are your alternatives? You can indisputably say no and refuse to see your doctor and persist with your pattern of abusive drinking.

It actually doesn’t take a mastermind, nonetheless, to realize that chronic, abusive drinking, if left untreated, will degenerate over time and quite probably set in motion an early death. Thus, your most practical alternative is to face your drinking problem and obtain the alcohol rehab you require.

The Facade of the Functioning Alcohol Addicted Person

It is almost counter intuitive to note the fact that many people who are alcohol dependent lead busy and active lives and have jobs, vehicles, pets, families, houses, and any number of material possessions similar to people who are not alcohol dependent.

Many of these “functional” alcohol dependent people may have never been cited for drunk driving and may have been fortunate enough to avoid all alcohol generated legal issues. Despite this good fortune, nevertheless, these alcohol addicted individuals need to drink in order to operate on a regular basis while continuing their facade as they interact with people outside their family.

Ask anyone who has seen them when they are bingeing or in a drunken stupor or ask a family member about the problem drinker’s alcohol addiction, on the other hand, and they will be quick to maintain the truth of the drinker’s situation and the facts about the alcohol addicted individual’s drinking condition and about his or her alcohol-related issues.

Why Do People Addicted to Alcohol Fail to Recognize Their Drinking Problems?

As alcohol dependency research and statistics on alcohol abuse have accentualted, no matter how clear the alcohol generated difficulties seem to those who interact with the alcohol dependent individual, alcohol dependent individuals usually deny that drinking is the root of their alcohol generated predicaments. Not only this, but alcohol addicted people commonly blame their alcohol induced predicaments on other people or upon other circumstances that surround them instead of seeing their part in the issue.

The origin of the problem is that alcoholism is a disease of the brain. Once the individual has become addicted to alcohol, he or she regularly resorts to denial, manipulation, and dishonesty as a way of coping with the fact that his or her drinking is out of control. And to make the situation more problematic, the experience of alcohol withdrawal symptoms typically circumvents the alcohol dependent person’s rare attempts to suddenly quit drinking. As depressing as the alcoholic’s life is, to the contrary, the positive news is that professional help is widely obtainable – if the alcohol dependent individual reaches out and tries to get alcohol treatment.

Summary

Owning up to the fact that drinking is eliciting problems in your day to day functioning is perchance the easiest way to find out if you have a problem with your drinking. More to the point, if your drinking is producing difficulties with your health, at work, in your relationships, with your finances, at school, or with the legal system, then you have a drinking problem that needs to be tackled.

If you have a problem with your drinking, moreover, this means that you are getting involved with alcohol abuse.

While some individuals may be able to detect their “alcohol signs,” pinpoint their problems, and significantly reduce the quantity and occurrence of their drinking, others, on the other hand, need to tackle their drinking difficulties by getting quality alcohol counseling. What’s more, due to their penchant to deny the facts and bend the truth, alcohol dependent people absolutely require quality alcohol counseling for their hazardous drinking.

Dante was a seventeen year old high school senior who was displaying quite a few alcohol-related difficulties at school. Therefore, the principal explained to him that he had to see Miss Johnson, the school counselor, before he would be permitted to return to school.

Later that afternoon when Dante went home after school, he had to explain his school expulsion to his Mother and Father. His parents were “fairly old-fashioned” and explained to Dante that dropping out of school was not a doable educational game plan. They explained to Dante that failing to graduate from high school would probably be like a lead weight around his ankles that could quite possibly impair his educational attainment for the rest of his adult life. Moreover, Dante’s parents were very discontented that he was drinking in the first place and drinking with his classmates in the second.

His Mom and Dad told Dante that even though he may be young, he has to realize fairly rapidly that drinking is the pathway to ill health, failure, pain, and financial problems.

It was obvious that his Mom and Dad were completely in concurrence with Dante’s principal and informed Dante that he had better make plans to see Miss Johnson, the school therapist. After his conversation with his parents, Dante eventually agreed to see Miss Johnson the next day. So Dante phoned the school and scheduled an appointment to see Miss Johnson the next day during his second period class.

The Therapist Asks Dante if He Understands Why His Recent Alcohol-Related Actions Caused Quite a Bit of Concern By the School Administrators

When Dante arrived at his scheduled appointment with Miss Johnson, she instantly looked at all of the alcohol-related problems Dante had gotten into and asked him if he knew why his recent alcohol-related activities were such a cause for concern.

Quite honestly, Dante was not sure why the principal told him he had to see a school counselor. As he expressed to Miss Johnson, why should he see a professional psychologist about his drinking situation? Since nearly all of his peers drink as much if not more than he does, for all intents and purposes, drinking shouldn’t be such a big thing. Stated more directly, if just about everyone is drinking, why is this such a major problem?

Miss Johnson asked Dante when he started to drink. He said that some of his older friends introduced him to drinking beer when he was twelve or thirteen years old and between the sixth and seventh grades.

Miss Johnson informed Dante that while his pals may in fact drink more than he does and that they may be a bad influence on him, the facts are that he is the one who is getting thrown out of school due to alcohol-related fighting, delinquency, and absenteeism, not his pals. What is more, Miss Johnson also stressed the fact that Dante, and not his peers, is the one who is failing and who is missing almost two days of class per week because of his alcohol related issues. Finally, Miss Johnson stressed the fact that because of his drinking behavior, Dante is getting into a damaging cycle of alcohol abuse that can finally destroy his aspirations, hopes, and dreams.

In short, Dante’s involvement with teenage alcohol abuse was starting to short-circuit his ability to behave like a responsible young man. As pronounced by Miss Johnson, “Just because most of your friends drink wine coolers, beer, wine, or hard liquor does not mean that it is right for you.”

Dante Learns That In the End He Must Be Responsible For Himself In Order to Avoid Dangerous, Damaging, Unhealthy, and Destructive Situations In the Future

Miss Johnson explained to Dante that other people can without a doubt influence a person in an unhealthy manner, but that the person herself or himself has to at the end of the day be accountable for herself or himself in order to prevent unhealthy, damaging, dangerous, and destructive outcomes down the road.

Fortunately, Miss Johnson was well prepared for her scheduled appointment with Dante. She showed him reports and research studies she had underlined that summarized various drinking facts and statistics that targeted most people in general. Then she showed Dante quite a bit of data that applied particularly to teens.

For example, Miss Johnson stressed the difference between alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction and told Dante that individuals who continue to drink abusively frequently become alcohol dependent.

Miss Johnson also went over the concept of binge drinking that she defined as follows: consuming four or more drinks in one sitting for females and drinking five or more drinks in one sitting for males.

The Therapist States Quite a Few Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse Facts and Statistics

Then Miss Johnson conveyed various alcohol facts and the following eight alcohol abuse statistics:

1. As demonstrated by the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, there are 105,000 yearly alcohol-related deaths in the U.S. because of intoxicated drivers and related diseases, medical conditions, or injuries.

2. Nearly one-fourth of all U.S. people who register in general hospitals have alcohol problems or are undiagnosed alcoholics who are being treated for the consequences of their heavy drinking.

3. Alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse are the third leading cause of preventable deaths in the U.S..

4. More than 7% of the population that is 18 years old and older — approximately 13.8 million Americans — has drinking problems, including 8.1 million people who suffer from alcohol addiction.

5. 500,000 Americans who are alcoholics are between the ages of 9 and 12.

6. As revealed by one U.S. research study of 18 to 24 year-old current drinkers who did not complete high school, almost 60 percent began to drink before the age of 16.

7. Currently, almost 14 million Americans, 1 in every 13 adults, abuse alcohol or are alcoholic.

8. According to the research literature, non-alcoholic members of alcoholic’s families use 10 times as much sick time as families who do not display alcohol addiction or alcohol abuse.

Dante Gets An Important Wake Up Call About the Long Term and the Short Term Effects of Underage Alcohol Dependency and Alcohol Abuse

After Miss Johnson listed the aforementioned alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse facts and statistics, it was evident that what Miss Johnson taught Dante was a real surprise to him. Why? Because for the first time in his young life, someone not only made the effort to put in plain words the short term and the long term results of alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse, but she also made the effort to demonstrate what she was saying with alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction facts and statistics that related to everybody in general, and mainly to underage drinkers.

To be sure, it was almost as if a light went on and Dante without pause comprehended why he should not be engaging in excessive and hazardous drinking with or without his peers any longer. Dante thanked Miss Johnson for her concern and for the information she went over.

Miss Johnson then asked Dante how he felt about getting a physical exam and an alcohol evaluation for the alcohol abuse or alcohol addiction rehab he would probably need.

Dante thought about this for a minute and then agreed to get an extensive physical and to go through a comprehensive assessment of his drinking condition so that he could start an alcohol abuse or alcohol addiction rehabilitation program as reasonable as possible.