Posts Tagged ‘alcohol addiction’

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A Young Gentleman Needs Counseling For His Acute Depression, Relationship Problems, and For His Chemical Dependency

Monday, December 7th, 2009

Approximately a year ago I had lunch with a forty-three-year-old male named Alexander who suffers from severe depression, has relationship difficulties, and who is addicted to drugs and alcohol. As stated by Alexander, it is his alcohol and drug dependency and his severe depression that had the most to do with his recurring relationship difficulties.

I remember hearing that a history of mental health issues, substance abuse, and abusive and unhealthy drinking many times occur in the same family. In addiction, I have read that in such situations, a person needs to get counseling for both medical conditions and that dependency and mental health difficulties frequently take place in the same individual.

As affirmed by Alexander, he is so crushed by his relationship problems and by both of his medical conditions that he essentially has no drive to achieve much of anything. What is especially sad about this is that earlier in his life, Alexander finished four semesters of grad school in business management.

Alexander’s situation makes me wonder if he is an illustration of a person who can look in the mirror and see his drug abuse and alcohol drinking problems and do something meaningful about these issues or if he is a person who has to hit the bottom of the barrel before he gets alcohol and drug addiction counseling that leads to lasting recovery.

The Need For a Rehabilitation Program He Can Believe In and a Psychologist He Can Trust

If it would be helpful I would presume that I could recommend quite a few websites and blogs that could possibly help him find info about drug abuse symptoms, the stages of alcoholism, substance abuse information, and relationship difficulties. In my honest opinion, nonetheless, Alexander needs to find a rehabilitation regimen he can believe in and follow over the long haul and locate a psychologist he can trust.

I could be wrong but it seems logical to conclude that Alexander probably needs to look honestly at his life regarding his drug addiction signs and alcoholic symptoms and comprehend the fact that he cannot use drugs or drink at all if he wants to get sober, stay sober, and start on the path to lasting sobriety.

It may be asked how counseling would help his drug and alcohol addiction. For starters, there are a number of recently developed doctor-prescribed meds that can help Alexander avoid a drug and an alcohol drug relapse, help him through the drug and alcohol detoxification process, and help him through his withdrawal symptoms.

Second, Alexander would learn to understand the fact that there is absolutely nothing beneficial about drug abuse and negative drinking and that messing around with one or both conditions is the map to poor work and school performance, shattered relationships, legal problems, financial difficulties, a premature death, and deteriorating health.

Third, therapy for his depression and for his relationship difficulties might help him deal with these medical issues more successfully and help create less of a need for him to engage in addictive behavior.

The Importance of Support Groups Like Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous

There are realistically a lot of family members, friends, and other people who would want to help Alexander with his chemical dependency and his excessive and careless drinking. He possibly would experience greater tolerance from a support group such as Narcotics Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous, however, rather than getting advice from people who do not drink or who have never abused drugs.

When People Do Things They Love and About Which They Are Fervent

There’s a school of thought in psychology that states that people who do things they love and something about which they are dedicated arrive at an amazing place in life. In other words, when people do what they enjoy, they hardly ever experience boredom or an uneventful life. If they involve themselves in something that is fulfilling, furthermore, they become more whole and experience more contentment and joy in life and in their relationships.

When this is thought about for a few moments it becomes obvious that this uplifting mentality is diametrically opposed to a life that is grounded in alcohol and drug addiction because such a lifestyle removes the pleasure and delight that life has to offer.

Because Alexander lacks the willpower to accomplish much of anything in his life, it is plain to see that he urgently needs some hope for a more fulfilling life. And the sad thing is that hope is almost everywhere around Alexander if he could only get to the place in life to get the therapy he needs for his extreme depression and drug dependence and alcohol addiction and stick with his treatment protocol.

Better Relationships, Beneficial Change, Self Esteem, and a Wonderful Life Are a Reality

Alexander is simply too young to be defeated in life. He doesn’t realize this at this time in his life but if he can learn how to remove himself from drugs and alcohol through drug and alcohol rehab and get the counseling he needs for his acute depression, he can reorient his life and start living with direction, self-respect, and passion.

Better relationships, a meaningful life, self esteem, and positive change are certainly a reality for Alexander if only he could become motivated to seek the medical rehabilitation he needs, follow through with his treatment protocol, live his life in an addiction-free and healthy way, and learn how to acquire a more positive attitude about life.

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A Young Woman Requires Counseling for Her Bipolar Condition and For Her Drug Addiction and Alcohol Dependency

Friday, December 4th, 2009

Nearly three weeks ago I read about a twenty-nine-year-old lady named Rachael who is bipolar and who is also dependent on drugs and alcohol. I remember hearing that under such circumstances, a person needs to get counseling for both medical situations and that mental health difficulties and dependency commonly take place in the same individual. Not only this, but I recollect reading that a history of harmful drinking, drug abuse, and/or mental health concerns often happen in the same family.

Obviously, Rachael is so overwhelmed by both of her medical conditions that she in effect has little or no ambition to accomplish much of anything. What is especially sad about this is that earlier in her life, Rachael completed three years of college. Rachael’s condition makes me wonder if she is an example of a person who has to hit the very bottom before he or she gets alcohol and drug addiction rehab that leads to long lasting recovery.

The Need For a Psychologist She Trusts and a Counseling Protocol She Can Believe In

If I were in communication with Rachael I could recommend quite a lot of websites that could possibly help her learn more about addiction and alcoholic behavior, significant substance abuse information, facts about alcoholism and drugs, and information about addiction symptoms and alcoholism warning signs. From where I stand, however, Rachael needs to locate a healthcare practitioner she trusts and a rehabilitation regimen she can believe in and follow through over the long haul. I could be in the wrong but it seems logical to conclude that Rachael probably needs to recognize the fact that she cannot drink in moderation or use drugs if she wants to get sober, remain sober, and start on the path to long-lasting recovery.

I am mindful that there are some recently produced doctor-prescribed meds that can help Rachael avoid an alcohol or a drug relapse, help her through the drug and alcohol detoxification process, and help her through her withdrawal symptoms. Obviously it would be in Rachael’s best interests if she became conversant with these medications.

It is clear that Rachael needs to acknowledge the fact that there is utterly nothing beneficial about hazardous and careless drinking and drug abuse and that engaging in one or both conditions is the map to legal problems, a premature death, financial difficulties, deteriorating health, poor work and school performance, and shattered relationships.

The Significance of Recovery Groups Such as Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous

There are reasonably quite a few persons such as friends, other people, and family members who would love to help Rachael but she more likely than not would experience greater acceptance from a recovery group such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous rather than listening to individuals who rarely drink or who have never abused drugs.

When Individuals Accomplish Things They Love and About Which They Are Dedicated

There’s a philosophical viewpoint that emphasizes that people who accomplish things they love and something about which they are passionate attain an amazing place in life. Stated more precisely, when people do what they love, they hardly ever experience boredom or an uneventful life. If they involve themselves in something that is satisfying, what is more, they become more fulfilled and experience more gratification and delight in life.

To me, this sounds diametrically opposed to a life that is centered in alcohol and drug dependency because such a lifestyle removes the gratification and delight that life has to offer.

Since Rachael lacks the willpower to achieve much of anything in her life, it is apparent that she urgently needs a little hope for a better life. And the sad thing is that hope is almost everywhere around Rachael if she could only get to the point in life to get the treatment she needs for her bipolar illness and chemical dependency and continue with her treatment routine.

A Wonderful Life, Self Esteem, and Productive Change Are Possibilities

Rachael is simply too young to be overwhelmed in life. She doesn’t comprehend this at this time in her life but if she can learn how to abstain from drugs and alcohol through drug and alcohol therapy and get the treatment she needs for her bipolar issue, she can redirect her life and start living with direction, self-respect, and passion.

A meaningful life, self respect, and positive change are certainly a reality for Rachael if only she could get motivated to seek the professional rehabilitation she requires, follow through with her treatment protocol, live her life in a healthy and sober way, and foster a more positive attitude about life.

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A Young Male Hits The Bottom of the Barrel in Life, Conquers His Depression, Gets Alcohol Therapy for His Abusive and Irresponsible Drinking, and Augments His Self Esteem

Thursday, November 26th, 2009

Samuel was a forty-year-old loan officer who was sick of feeling depressed everyday and fed up with his careless drinking behavior. Stated simply, he was tired of going through shattered relationship after shattered relationship due to his excessive drinking, he was sick of feeling lackluster every morning, he was annoyed with himself for spending his hard-earned money on a useless habit, he hated the hangovers he experienced on a recurring basis, and he missed his old enthusiasm for doing the things he liked.

Additionally he was disgusted with how out-of-shape he was, he was fed up with paying for alcohol-related attorney fees, he was bored with his drinking friends, he was annoyed with the many times he failed to pass an alcohol test at work, and he hated the fact that he had to go to court for his second DUI.

On top of the identifiable alcohol-related health predicaments he was going through, almost certainly the most troublesome part of his drinking regimen was the untrustworthy and scheming individual he had turned into. In his heart he knew that he had been dishonest about his drinking behavior to his relatives, friends, and family and he also knew he had been untruthful with himself about the “healthy” effects of drinking. Not only this but he rationalized wolfing down three or four drinks before going to social events and he also made excuses for needing one or two drinks as soon as he got up so that he could cope with the “tension” at work.

His Depression and His Hazardous and Excessive Drinking Lead to Important Changes in His Life

It was apparent that Samuel was sick of putting up with the adverse outcomes of his depression and his hazardous drinking and finally made up his mind that something major had to change in his life. So he decided that he would quit drinking, develop a new circle of friends, involve himself in some worthwhile hobbies, get professional counseling, start exercising, and start focusing on becoming a more healthy person.

In brief, Samuel got to a special time in his life during which he saw that he hit the bottom of the barrel in his life and was now prepared to begin the slow climb back to health.

One of the ways that Samuel put his “plan” info operation was by requesting a transfer at his place of employment. When his request was granted, he moved 150 miles away to a new part of the U.S.. If nothing else, this definitely made making new friends and buddies and separating himself from his old friends simpler. Then he went to see a doctor in his new city and made an appointment for a thorough physical and psychological examination.

Samuel Meets With a Healthcare Professional About His Excessive and Irresponsible Drinking and His Depression

After meeting with the healthcare practitioner and taking a number of laboratory tests, it was determined that Samuel had made the transition from alcohol abuse to dependency on alcohol and therefore was in need of alcohol rehabilitation and alcohol detox. At this time, the physician made it a point to discuss the different signs of alcoholism, the symptoms of alcoholism, and information about long term effects of alcohol with Samuel.

The healthcare practitioner then told Samuel that it was concluded that he was clinically depressed and in need of counseling for this medical problem.

Samuel Decides to Revitalize His Body by Exercising, Taking Vitamins and Minerals, Living an Alcohol-Free Lifestyle, Drinking Spring Water, and Eating Nutritious Foods

Due to his readiness to follow through with the treatment program, after four weeks of residential treatment, Samuel was ready to begin rehabilitation on an outpatient basis. At this point in time, he began working at his new job and over the weeks began building up his body by eating nutritious foods, drinking distilled water, going to the gym, living an alcohol-free lifestyle, and taking vitamins.

Samuel also attended to his spiritual yearnings by joining the local Presbyterian church and going to the weekly services.

After roughly three months of outpatient therapy during which time he never suffered through an alcohol relapse, Samuel quit going to alcohol treatment and instead started going five times every week to local AA meetings. Attending these meetings helped Samuel continue his alcohol-free lifestyle, they provided him with the support he required, and they served as a frequent reminder of the destructive results that are related to hazardous drinking.

After going to AA meetings about four months Samuel felt that he was ready for a relationship and so he started dating Carmen, a young woman he met at church. It simply amazed Samuel how much more ready he was for a dating relationship now that he had his unhealthy and excessive drinking under control. In truth it also amazed Samuel how much better life was now that he wasn’t under the control of his abusive and hazardous drinking. Life was now rewarding and loaded with potential that he could have never longed for or accomplished when he was involved in abusive drinking less than a year ago.

A Success Story That is a Verification of the Importance of Alcohol Rehab and the Power of Change

Samuel’s success story is evidence of the importance of alcohol therapy and the power of change. As Samuel reflected on his newfound lofty self concept and motivation for involving himself in worthwhile, healthy activities, he was actually appreciative that he made up his mind to do something productive about his hazardous drinking instead of giving into his depression and into the lure of his dependency. The result: he is in charge of his life rather than letting himself languish under the control of his alcohol dependency, he has more energy now compared with any time in his adult life, his life now has a positive direction, he is involved in a wholesome relationship, and he likes his new job responsibilities.

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When Irresponsible and Excessive Drinking Leads to Serious Health Problems and the Significance of Education and Alcohol Rehabilitation

Friday, October 9th, 2009

For several years alcoholism research has demonstrated the fact that there is strong correlation between alcohol addiction and dangerous health conditions.

For example, in 2005, medical exploration and alcohol abuse and alcoholism statistics revealed that alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction cost the United States an estimated $220 billion per year. It can be stressed that this substantial alcohol-related cash outlay was substantially more than the cost associated with cancer ($196 billion) or with obesity ($133 billion). While it is appropriate to give emphasis to these facts, it is also important to point out that an interrelationship exists between all three of these health problems.

More to the point, chronic alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency are also highly associated with obesity and with cancer.

Undeniably, substance abuse investigation has demonstrated the fact that alcoholism can augment the risk for different types of cancer, particularly cancer of the kidneys, rectum, colon, voice box (larynx), esophagus, throat, and the liver. Excessive and repetitive drinking can also lead to immune system difficulties and harm to the fetus during pregnancy.

Irresponsible and Abusive Drinking Destabilizes the Individual’s Organs and Systems

Additionally, if alcoholism continues over a period of years, the individual’s body organs will more likely than not be affected in an unhealthy manner. For instance, long-term, excessive drinking is particularly dangerous to the liver since the liver does most of the work of processing the alcohol that has been consumed. Extreme amounts of alcohol kills liver cells and eradicates the ability of liver cells to regenerate. This condition leads to a progressive inflammatory disease of the liver that can in due course lead to cirrhosis of the liver, a precarious and possibly incurable disease.Heavy, long-term drinking not only can result in serious liver damage, but it can also result in damage to the heart and to the brain. Physical damage this critical may be unalterable and may, in turn, result in serious disease or premature death.

The Significance of Alcohol Treatment

It is essential, then, to know how to identify the different alcoholism symptoms and the “alcohol signs” so that the alcohol addicted individual can be given the opportunity to get the quality alcohol treatment he or she requires.

Alcohol Dependency and Sophisticated Brain Exploration

Fortuitously, medical examination is constantly generating original and significant information. Recent alcoholism exploration offers a high-quality illustration. More precisely, for approximately the past ten years, sophisticated brain-imaging scanning instruments have shown that repetitive and long lasting hazardous drinking modifies the makeup of the brain to a significant extent, thereby resulting in brain disease that can last months, years, or conceivably as long as the person lives.

More exactly, medical investigation has shown that individuals who have been drinking in a hazardous manner for an extensive length of time increase their risk for developing permanent and substantial transformations in the brain.

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

Abusive Drinking, Malnutrition, and Mental Disorders

As a final example of assorted health problems that are to a great extent related to alcohol addiction, consider that according to medical research, the hazardous and repeated abuse of alcohol can lead to erosive gastritis, a health problem that limits the absorption of minerals, nutrients, and vitamins.

This kind of organ malfunctioning is associated with malnutrition and to an array of acute neurological and mental disorders including memory loss, sleep disturbances, and psychosis such as Wernicke’s Encephalopathy and Korsakoff’s syndrome. This latter medical condition is a long-term debilitating medical condition that is typified by recurring learning and memory difficulties.

The Importance of Education and Alcohol Rehab

It is obvious that repetitive, excessive drinking is directly or indirectly related to a number of critical medical problems that can and do result in dangerous ailments and premature death. Such information needs to be underlined and presented to everyone in our society so that a massive amount of individuals will be able to abstain from abusive drinking while other people who have a drinking problem will get the professional treatment they require. For without professional counseling most people who drink in an irresponsible manner will not start the healing process and work towards recovery.

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When Drinking Becomes a Major Problem and the Need for Alcohol Rehab

Sunday, October 4th, 2009

How do you know that you have a drinking problem? When is it apparent that you are involving yourself in hazardous drinking?

If you have hopelessly tried to discontinue your drinking or if you have given your word to yourself that your drinking days are terminated and then you were made aware that you were drinking in an excessive way just a few days later, the probability is exceptionally good that you have drinking problems. The major point of emphasis is that if you have attempted to stop drinking and cannot get this done, 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,” you probably need to become aware that you have a drinking problem.

You may be telling yourself that the justification for your drinking is so that you can reduce your nervousness or get rid of the agony or depression that you feel. Similarly, you may be trying to stay away from an injurious situation and may be looking for something better, more positive, or less mournful.

As you keep on drinking, then again, you will understand that drinking does not produce the same high and you will also become aware that drinking doesn’t help do away with whatever produced your problem in the first place. You may also observe that the more heavily you drink, the more depressed you feel.

As you continue to drink, sadly, you may become an alcoholic and, as a consequence, you may add another significant issue to deal with rather than becoming aware of more successful and beneficial ways of dealing with your alcohol produced difficulties.

An Alcohol Assessment is Probably Needed

If you have determined that you have a problem with your drinking, maybe the most expedient thing you can do for yourself is to call your medical doctor or healthcare practitioner and schedule an appointment for a thorough physical and for a review of your drinking circumstances.

If you honestly believe that you have a crucial problem with your drinking, it might be a good idea to get prepared to hear that you need to get alcohol counseling.

At this juncture, what are your options? You can without a doubt say no and refuse to see your health care practitioner and persist with your pattern of hazardous drinking.

It certainly doesn’t take a genius, conversely, to have a handle on the fact that continuous, out-of-control drinking, if left untreated, will deteriorate over time and most likely result an early death. Consequently, your best option is to face your drinking circumstance and get the alcohol counseling you require.

The Pretext of the Functioning Alcohol Addicted Person

It is somewhat paradoxical to note the fact that several alcohol dependent individuals lead busy and active lives and have jobs, vehicles, pets, families, houses, and any number of material possessions just like people who are not alcohol dependent.

Many of these “functional” alcohol dependent people may have never been arrested for drunk driving and may have been lucky enough to avoid all alcohol-related legal predicaments. Despite this fortunate circumstance, however, these alcohol dependent people need to drink in order to function on a daily basis while sustaining 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 alcoholism, however, and they will be quick to state the legitimacy of the drinker’s situation and the essentials about the alcohol addicted individual’s drinking circumstances and about his or her alcohol produced difficulties.

Why Do Alcoholics Fail to Perceive Their Drinking Problems?

As alcohol dependency research and statistics on alcohol abuse have stressed, no matter how observable the alcohol induced difficulties seem to those who interact with the alcohol dependent person, alcoholic people usually deny that drinking is the root of their alcohol produced issues. Not only this, but alcohol dependent people characteristically blame their alcohol induced issues on other people or upon other circumstances that surround them instead of seeing their part in the problem.

The origin of the problem is that alcohol addiction is a disease of the brain. Once the person has become addicted to alcohol, he or she commonly resorts to denial, manipulation, and deceit as a way of dealing with the fact that his or her drinking is out of control. And to make things more difficult, the experience of alcohol withdrawal symptoms usually counteracts the alcohol addicted person’s rare attempts to suddenly refrain from drinking. As bleak as the alcohol dependent person’s way of life is, to the contrary, the positive news is that professional help is generally accessible – if the alcoholic reaches out and tries to get alcohol treatment.

Conclusion

Admitting the fact that drinking is eliciting difficulties in your day by day functioning is perhaps the most straightforward way to find out if you have a drinking problem. Stated differently, if your drinking is eliciting issues 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 resolved.

If you have a problem with your drinking, moreover, this means that you are engaging in excessive drinking.

While some drinkers may be able to detect their “alcohol signs,” pinpoint their difficulties, and significantly decrease the quantity and rate of their drinking, others, to the contrary, need to address their drinking difficulties by getting professional alcoholism counseling. Furthermore, due to their propensity to deny the facts and twist the truth, alcoholics certainly require professional alcohol treatment for their hazardous drinking.

And finally, if you feel more depressed the more you drink, you will probably need to obtain therapy for your drinking and for your depression.

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A Television Program About Alcohol Dependency Signs and Symptoms Leads to Some Tense and Gloomy Thoughts About a Young Female’s Hazardous and Irresponsible Drinking and Then A Sense of Anticipation

Sunday, October 4th, 2009

Daniel had been engaging in fairly heavy drinking behavior since her senior year in college. Now, nine years later, she drank more than ever. One Monday evening when she wasn’t feeling too well, Daniel made up her mind to stay home, loosen up, and watch television.

While searching for something to watch that would grab hold of her interest, she at once got interested in a special program about young adult and teenage drinking predicaments.

When Common Alcohol Addiction Symptoms and Signs are Manifested by Individuals Dependent on Alcohol

The speaker went over the difference between alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse and then got into the topic of alcohol addiction symptoms and alcoholism warning signs. When the narrator went into detail about a person’s alcoholic behavior and some of the more typical alcoholism symptoms and signs that alcohol dependent people exhibit, Daniel got quite troubled because it virtually seemed as if the narrator was talking explicitly to her.

After watching the television program, Daniel made a promise to herself that she would call her doctor the next business day and make an appointment to discuss her drinking situation.

When the following morning arrived, true to her word, Daniel called her physician and made an appointment. While she was waiting for the day of her appointment to arrive, she went on the Internet and did a search for alcoholic symptoms. Especially difficult were the following symptoms or signs: sleep problems, making excuses to drink at virtually every opportunity, sneaking extra drinks before social events, and increasing irritability, and major employment and relationship problems.

Stated simply, since Daniel experienced all of these signs she went deeper in her online search and found more than a few websites and blogs that discussed different alcohol dependency symptoms and warning signs.

One of the signs that really grabbed her interest was the following: “Do you usually drink after promising yourself that you won’t?” While Daniel never came to grips with the fact that she may have a critical drinking problem, after reading about the different alcohol addiction symptoms and warning signs, she couldn’t reject the fact that for the past two or three months, she again and again tried but was unsuccessful at notably decreasing her drinking or quitting entirely.

When Coworkers and Friends Exasperate You by Denouncing Your Hazardous Drinking Behavior

Another alcohol addiction symptom that captured her interest was the following: “Have relatives exasperated you by objecting to your problem drinking?” When Daniel read this she instantaneously reflected on a recent argument she had with her best friend about her abusive drinking behavior. In addition, Daniel plainly recalled a recent fight she had with her parents about her abusive drinking behavior. Due to the fact that Daniel frankly believed that she didn’t have a drinking problem, when friends brought up her drinking she naturally got bothered and annoyed.

A third alcohol addiction symptom was the following: “Do you want a drink when you first get up in the morning?” Until now, Daniel had been dishonest with herself about her drinking situation. After reading about the aforementioned alcoholism warning signs, nonetheless, she knew if she was really truthful with herself that she was facing a critical drinking problem, especially given the fact that she now thought that she needed a drink the first thing in the morning to diminish her constant worry.

What is more, the next alcoholic symptom really got her thinking about her drinking behavior: “Do you drink to stay away from worries or anxiety?” When she thought about her life for a few minutes, she grasped the fact that virtually in every challenging situation in the past five or six months, she told herself that she needed a drink to help manage things.

The final alcohol addiction symptom that made her feel fairly on edge about her drinking behavior was the following: “Has your enthusiasm for life shrunk since you started drinking on a more regular basis?” When Daniel read this sign she visibly realized that drinking had become a major problem in her life because of her lack of energy and also because she quit pursuing her dreams and her goals.

Summary: When Despair Turns Into Something Thrilling and A Sense of Anticipation

After reflecting on all of these injurious alcoholism signs and symptoms, Daniel at first felt depressed. Then something wonderful came about. She realized that she was going to see her doctor about her drinking and she also realized that she would discuss all of the above alcohol dependency warning symptoms and signs with her. To be sure, for the first time in quite a lot of months, Daniel sincerely felt a sense of optimism because she was facing her drinking problems and was at last ready to make the needed modifications so that she could recover the life that was sliding away.

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A Young Lady Honestly Tries to Quit Drinking, Experiences Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms, Ascertains the Fact That She is an Alcohol Addicted Person, and Decides to Get Alcohol Rehab

Sunday, October 4th, 2009

Jennifer is a thirty-four-year-old accounts receivable manager who has been drinking in an irresponsible manner since she and her boyfriend broke off their relationship. In point of fact, 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 several wine coolers throughout the day. In short, Jennifer has been drinking so excessively that it’s a miracle that she hasn’t suffered from alcohol poisoning.

After feeling discouraged because she was beginning to ignore her health, Jennifer finally told herself that enough is enough, that it’s time to quit the self pity routine, 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 Quit Drinking She Felt Horrific, Her Head Was Aching, She Was Extremely Moody and Restless, She Had Utterly No Appetite, She Started to Sweat Extensively, and She Vomited Several Times

When Jennifer stopped drinking, she figured that she would probably be tempted to take a few drinks, but she never presumed that she would feel so awful. More to the point, around an hour after she quit drinking, she vomited numerous times, she was extremely moody and uptight, she started to sweat extensively, her head was pounding, and she had utterly no appetite.

When she called her best pal and told her that she had stopped drinking and that after a couple of hours she without any warning began having flu-like symptoms, Stephanie, her best pal, told Jennifer to call her healthcare professional and go over what she was experiencing.

She Admits to Her Healthcare Professional That She Has Been Drinking In a Hazardous and Abusive Manner, That She Just Tried to Quit Drinking, and That She is Suffering Through Terrible Flu-Like Symptoms

So Jennifer called her medical practitioner, informed him that she has been drinking in a hazardous and excessive manner for several months and that when she attempted to totally 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 suffered through.

Her physician told her that she may be going through symptoms of alcohol withdrawal and that she should have a neighbor or friend drive her to the emergency room as soon as humanly possible.

As soon as Jennifer got off the phone, she got a relative 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 an alcoholic.

It appears that her medical practitioner had phoned ahead and informed the emergency room staff to expect Jennifer because when she got to the hospital, she was met by a nurse and a paramedic who promptly told her to lie down on the portable bed they had with them. After getting transported to the emergency room and undergoing a couple of basic tests, it was substantiated that Jennifer was in actual fact suffering from alcohol withdrawal symptoms and was in need of alcohol detoxification.

A physician administered some medications to lessen her flu-like symptoms and also gave her some meds to help eliminate the alcohol that was still in her circulatory system.

An Alcohol Abuse and Substance Abuse Physician Discusses That She is Alcohol Dependent and Then Discusses What Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms and Alcohol Addiction Stages Are

After a couple of hours, Jennifer was transferred from the emergency room and wheeled to the recovery room. After she was in recovery for about an hour-and-a-half, Doctor Miller, an alcoholism and alcohol abuse specialist, came to visit her. He took plenty of time and explained in laymen’s language that Jennifer had experienced alcohol withdrawal symptoms when she stopped drinking due to the fact that she had become dependent on alcohol.

He then mentioned the fact that with continuous and heavy drinking, the drinker’s brain steadily adapts to the alcohol in order to execute tasks and operations in a “normal” manner. When the individual then abruptly stops ingesting alcohol, it can be pointed out, the brain takes action by producing alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Furthermore, her doctor also discussed the different alcoholism stages that an alcohol addicted person usually suffers through as the disease progresses.

It is Verified that Jennifer is in the Earliest Stage of Alcoholism and She Obtains a Good Forecast For a Full Recovery if She Gets the Alcoholism Treatment She Requires

Fortunately for Jennifer, it was confirmed that she was in the first stage of alcohol addiction and, consequently, she got a favorable prognosis for a total recovery if she gets the alcohol addiction rehabilitation she requires.

Jennifer told the healthcare professional that she will do whatever it takes to get sober and to get back her health. She also articulated that she has an outstanding hospitalization insurance plan that will probably pay for most of the costs needed for rehabilitation. It was obvious that Jennifer was quite happy with her optimistic medical forecast and felt free from worry knowing that she will be able to get the alcoholism rehabilitation she needs so that she can start on the road to recovery.

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Enabling, Alcohol Addiction, and Alcohol Relapse

Thursday, October 1st, 2009

It is fascinating to point out something that family members who have been unfavorably affected by the alcohol dependency of another family member evidently do not comprehend. It appears that by protecting the alcohol addicted person with falsehoods and dishonesty to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have in actual fact created a condition that makes it easier for the alcohol dependent person to carry on and go forward with his or her hurtful, detrimental style of life.

In fact, rather than helping the alcohol dependent person and themselves, these family members have in fact become enablers who have mistakenly helped negatively affect the alcoholic’s drinking problem even more.

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

Relapses Can and Do Transpire

According to the research findings and statistics on alcohol addiction, another key alcoholism issue has to do with alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcoholic has effectively gone through alcohol dependency therapy and then returns to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first thought, this circumstance flies in the face of rational thinking and looks so improbable that it forces an individual to wonder why anyone who has gone through the dreadfulness of alcoholism can return to drinking a short while after successful alcohol therapy and in turn after achieving sobriety. There are, to be sure, more than a few plausible reasons for this.

It should be mentioned, nevertheless that alcoholism research that has centered on the long-term consequences of alcohol dependency has shown that long after the alcohol addicted individual has halted his or her drinking, significant transformations in the way in which the alcohol addicted person’s brain functions are still present. As a result, all a recovering alcohol dependent person has to do to involve himself or herself in actions that correspond with the changes that have taken place in the brain is to start drinking again.

The Need for A Far Reaching Lifestyle Modification

There are even more reasons why several recovering alcohol dependent persons return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after achieving sobriety. According to the alcohol dependency research literature, to make a successful recovery, the alcohol dependent individual needs new ways of responding and thinking in order to deal more competently with challenging alcohol-related situations that will take place.

Situations such as returning to the same alcohol addictive environment or to the same geographic location; interacting once again with friends from the time when the alcohol addicted person was drinking in a hazardous manner; or familiar songs, smells, or activities—all of these situations can bring forth memories that can prompt psychological stress or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcohol addicted individual to engage in abusive drinking once again. Regrettably, all of these situations may not only contradict enduring alcohol recovery for the alcohol addicted individual but they can also result in relapse and therefore circumvent one’s alcohol recovery.

The Good News: Quality Help is Readily Available

In an attempt to “protect” the family alcohol dependent person, family members can actually cause unplanned harm by enabling the harmful drinking behavior of the alcoholic.

The alcoholism research literature confirms the fact that most people who successfully complete alcohol rehabilitation go through at least one relapse. Alcohol addicted individuals and their family members need to know this so that they do not get dejected or beleaguered when a relapse manifests itself.

Luckily, participation in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up counseling and training have resulted in more successful, long standing alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction therapeutic outcomes, have helped decrease alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcohol dependent persons attain enduring alcohol recovery.

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When Hazardous and Heavy Drinking Leads to Serious Health Problems

Monday, August 24th, 2009

For a number of years alcohol dependency exploration has revealed the fact that there is strong correlation between alcoholism and life-threatening health conditions.

For instance, in 2005, scientific investigation demonstrated the fact 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 significantly more than the cost linked with cancer ($196 billion) or with obesity ($133 billion). While it is important to underline these facts, it is also noteworthy to highlight the fact that an interrelationship exists between all three of these health issues.

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

Without a doubt, substance abuse examination has revealed that alcohol addiction can amplify the risk for different types of cancer, particularly cancer of the colon, voice box (larynx), liver, rectum, throat, kidneys, and the esophagus. Abusive and recurring drinking can also lead to immune system issues and impairment to the fetus during pregnancy.

Hazardous and Abusive Drinking Destabilizes the Person’s Systems and Organs

Additionally, if alcohol addiction continues over a period of years, the person’s body organs will probably be affected in an unsafe manner. For instance, repeated, abusive drinking is especially injurious to the liver due to the fact that the liver does most of the work of processing the alcohol that has been consumed. Unwarranted amounts of alcohol kills liver cells and obliterates the ability of liver cells to redevelop. This medical circumstance results in a progressive inflammatory disease of the liver that can eventually lead to cirrhosis of the liver, an acute and possibly incurable disease.

Heavy, long-term drinking not only can result in dangerous liver damage, but it can also result in damage to the heart and to the brain. Physical damage this serious may be unalterable and may, in turn, lead to severe disease or premature death.

The Importance of Alcohol Treatment

It is vital, therefore, to know how to identify the different alcoholism signs and symptoms so that the alcohol addicted individual can be given the opportunity to get the quality alcohol treatment he or she needs.

Alcohol Dependency and Sophisticated Brain Exploration

Fortuitously, scientific examination is persistently discovering novel and significant information. Recent alcoholism research offers a good illustration. More precisely, for approximately the last ten years, sophisticated brain-imaging scanning instruments have verified that repetitive and recurring abusive drinking transforms the constitution of the brain to a great extent, consequently resulting in brain disease that can last months, years, or perhaps as long as the person exists.

More exactly, medical research has demonstrated that people who have been drinking in an excessive manner for a sizeable length of time increase their risk for developing long lasting and serious transformations 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.

Mental Disorders, Malnutrition, and Excessive Drinking

As a final example of different health problems that are substantially associated with alcohol addiction, take into consideration the fact that according to scientific research, the abusive and repeated abuse of alcohol can lead to erosive gastritis, a condition that diminishes the absorption of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.

This form of organ malfunctioning is correlated with malnutrition and to an array of critical mental and neurological syndromes including sleep disturbances, memory loss, and psychosis such as Wernicke’s Encephalopathy and Korsakoff’s syndrome. This latter medical condition is a long lasting incapacitating medical condition that is exemplified by incessant learning and memory difficulties.

Conclusion

It is plain to see that continued, abusive drinking is directly or indirectly linked to a variety of severe medical problems that can and do lead to dangerous ailments and premature death. Such information needs to be highlighted and presented to everyone in our society so that a massive amount of individuals will be able to abstain from excessive drinking while other individuals who have a drinking problem will get the professional rehabilitation they require.

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A Young Woman Makes an Honest Effort to Abstain From Drinking, Experiences Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms, Establishes the Fact That She is an Alcohol Dependent Person, and Comes to a Decision to Obtain Alcohol Counseling

Monday, August 24th, 2009

Jennifer is a twenty-eight-year-old controller who has been consuming alcohol quite extensively since she and her boyfriend broke up. Indeed, for the past ten months she has been drinking just about one-and-a-half bottles of wine every night, and on the weekends she also has been drinking several cans of beer all the way through the day.

After feeling dejected because she was beginning to forget about the importance of her health, Jennifer at last told herself that enough is enough, that it’s time to quit the self pity party, that it’s time to quit the excessive drinking, and time to move on with her life. So the next Saturday morning at 8:00 AM, she came to a decision that she would quit drinking completely and suddenly without preparation or planning.

When She Stopped Drinking She Felt Sick, She Vomited Numerous Times, Her Head Was Throbbing, She Started to Sweat Profusely, She Had Absolutely No Appetite, and She Was Extremely Restless and Moody

When Jennifer quit drinking, she reasoned that she would most likely be tempted to have a drink or two, but she never expected to feel so horrific. More exactly, approximately an hour-and-a-half after she quit drinking, she had absolutely no appetite, she vomited a number of times, she was extremely moody and tense, she started to sweat profusely, and her head was pounding.

When she called her best girlfriend and told her that she had quit drinking and that after a couple of hours she without any warning began having flu-like symptoms, Jane, her best pal, told Jennifer to call her doctor and discuss what she was going through.

She Admits to Her Physician That She Has Been Drinking In an Abusive Manner, That She Just Tried to Quit Drinking, and That She is Experiencing Terrible Flu-Like Symptoms

So Jennifer called her physician, informed him that she has been drinking in an abusive and irresponsible manner for many months and that when she tried to suddenly quit drinking earlier in the day, within a couple of hours she felt as if she had the most horrible flu-like symptoms that she had ever suffered through.

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

As soon as Jennifer got off the phone, she got a relative to take her to the hospital. 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.

It appears that her healthcare professional had called ahead and told the emergency room treatment team to expect Jennifer because when she got to the hospital, she was met by two nurses who promptly asked her to lie down on the portable bed they had with them. After getting moved to the emergency room and undergoing two or three necessary tests, it was established that Jennifer was in point of fact suffering from alcohol withdrawal symptoms and was in need of alcohol detox.

An emergency room healthcare practitioner gave her some medications to diminish her flu-like symptoms and also gave her some drugs to help eliminate the alcohol that was still in her blood.

An Alcohol Addiction Doctor Explains in a Clear Fashion That She is an Alcoholic and Then Goes Over What Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms and Alcoholism Stages Are

After an hour or two, Jennifer was transferred from the emergency room and wheeled to the recovery room. After she was in recovery for roughly two hours, Doctor Abrams, an alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse specialist, came to talk to her. He took his time and clearly explained that Jennifer had gone through alcohol withdrawal symptoms when she stopped drinking because she had become dependent on alcohol.

He then stated that with heavy drinking on a daily basis, the individual’s brain in a step-by-step fashion adapts to the alcohol in order to process things in a “routine” way. When the person then all at once abstains from ingesting alcohol, understandably, the brain takes action by giving rise to alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Not only this, but her medical practitioner also went over the various alcoholism stages that an alcohol addicted person typically goes through as the disease gradually gets worse.

It is Confirmed that Jennifer is in the Earliest Stage of Alcoholism and She Gets a Favorable Projection For a Full Recovery if She Gets the Alcoholism Treatment She Needs

Fortunately for Jennifer, it was discovered that she was in the first stage of alcohol addiction and, consequently, she got a good forecast for a complete recovery if she gets the alcohol dependency rehab she requires.

Jennifer told the doctor that she will do whatever it takes to get sober and to re-establish her life. She also articulated that she has an outstanding hospitalization insurance plan that will probably pay for most, if not all, of the treatment costs. It was obvious that Jennifer was very thankful about her encouraging medical forecast and felt at ease knowing that she will be able to get the alcohol addiction treatment she needs so that she can begin the road to recovery.

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