Posts Tagged ‘alcohol rehab’

A Young Man Drinks in a Hazardous Manner, Gets Inspired to Get Treatment for Depression and Alcohol Dependency, and Improves Upon His Life

Saturday, May 29th, 2010

Stanley started drinking abusively when he was a sophomore in high school. Fortunately for him, even though he drank abusively and excessively when he was a teen and a young adult, when he got beyond the age of thirty he almost always drank in moderation.

After he finished his education he eventually found employment at a local metal recycling plant where he worked his way up from stock person, to office assistant, to purchasing assistant, to purchasing manager. Unlike his other work positions, as the purchasing manager he often took potential vendors and existing vendors to lunch and to various sporting events.

Alhough it was not written in concrete, meeting with existing vendors and potential vendors time after time involved situations in which alcohol was present. In truth, over the past eleven months, Stanley had begun to notably increase his social and his work-related drinking. This has led to quite a predicament. To be precise, the more successful he became as a purchasing agent, the more heavily he began to drink.

His Almost Constant Feelings of Depression Also Made Him Question Whether He Was Becoming Alcohol Dependent

Indeed, it didn’t take much time at all before Stanley’s abusive and careless drinking started to adversely affect his relationships, the money in his savings account, his health, his mental health, and his work efficiency. After many weeks of heavy drinking, Stanley, if truth be told, began to get concerned about his excessive and careless drinking and questioned whether his alcohol related issues were alcoholism signs. Moreover, his increasing bouts of depression also made him question if he was becoming an alcohol addicted person. In a word, Stanley clearly needed to learn more about the facts about alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction.

Stanley Needs Alcohol Detoxification and Alcohol Rehabilitation For His Alcoholism and a Medical Evaluation Regarding His Depression

So Stanley used his common sense, called his physician, and scheduled an appointment for a physical exam. The next week when he saw his family doctor, Stanley unfortunately was told that he was addicted to alcohol. His physician informed Stanley that he needed to get alcohol detox and alcohol rehab for his alcoholism and that he also needed to get treatment for his depression. In a word, Stanley needed treatment for his alcoholism and depression.

The Positive News is That After His Treatment For Alcohol Addiction and For Depression, He Felt Like a New Individual

His healthcare practitioner recommended to Stanley that he take a one-month leave of absence from work and get admitted into a quality residential alcohol rehab facility where his depression could also be appraised and treated. This is exactly what Stanley did. Fortunately after his treatment for alcohol dependency and for depression, he felt like a different individual. In fact, now that he was living an alcohol-free life he hardly ever got depressed and he now comprehended how to more productively and efficiently manage his finances, his job, his health, and his relationships.

Not unexpectedly, the most challenging “test” Stanley ran into was at work. More precisely, he still took his existing vendors and potential vendors to various sporting events and to lunch, but after his alcohol rehabilitation he was able to stay away from drinking while entertaining his clients.

Interestingly, Stanley also learned that none of his potential vendors or his existing vendors thought any less of him because of his alcohol-free lifestyle. Instead, he learned that his existing vendors and potential vendors thought even more highly of him for staying true to his convictions.

After Stanley went through alcohol treatment, however, he learned that he was an individual who for whatever reason, could not drink responsibly and in moderation. In point of fact he learned the hard way that if he stayed away from drinking, all of the other meaningful parts of his life would be enhanced. At times, Stanley missed drinking, but the better health, relationships, finances, and the better work performance he experienced more than counterbalanced his love of drinking.

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The Vicious Cycle of Excessive Work and Irresponsible and Abusive Drinking and The Necessity of Alcohol Rehab

Friday, May 28th, 2010

Work was becoming too chaotic for a young police officer named Gary. Although he had only been on the police force for two-and-a-half years, he was already known as a hard worker who almost never refused working overtime. Actually, he was now working twenty-five to thirty hours of overtime each week and, consequently, he felt like he was losing his hold on his personal life. What made the situation more complicated, however, was the fact that Gary started going out drinking with a gang of fellow officers after work.

What Began as Fun With The Guys Soon Became Unhealthy and Excessive Drinking

What began as fun soon turned into unhealthy and irresponsible drinking and then into a viscous cycle of feeling tired each morning when he got up for his shift, working more long hours, and then going drinking with his friends after work.

Obviously Gary was in a health related and psychological rut and going through some adverse alcohol effects on the body. Where Gary really observed drinking related issues and alcohol short term effects, conversely, was in his family life and in his marriage. His wife wasn’t really a complainer, but she often encouraged him to stay at home more with the family rather than going out and spending money while drinking with his fellow officers.

Gary’s Hazardous Drinking Negatively Affects His Personality

In a similar manner, Gary’s abusive drinking also adversely affected his personality. More to the point, the more abusively he drank, the less patience he had with any difficulties or issues that arose regarding his children or his wife.

It Was Obvious to Gary That His Unhealthy and Excessive Drinking Was Adversely Affecting His Pocketbook, Health, Work, and His Relationship With His Family

In his heart of hearts, it was apparent to Gary that his irresponsible drinking was adversely affecting his health, pocketbook, relationship with his family, and his work. So one Wednesday afternoon Gary came to a decision to talk to Jerry, a trusted old police officer buddy that he greatly admired.

Gary mentioned to Jerry how abusive drinking was adversely affecting his health, work, relationship with his family, and his pocketbook. Jerry told Gary that he totally understood because just around five years ago, he too got involved in hazardous and careless drinking. In fact, Jerry told Gary that excessive and irresponsible drinking can create so many issues in a person’s life that almost everything of importance can be destroyed. And lastly, Jerry suggested that Gary schedule an appointment with an alcohol therapist at the work-affiliated substance abuse rehab facility.

Since his employee’s assistance program was affiliated with this treatment clinic, it was not only convenient but also quite affordable to seek guidance about his careless and excessive drinking. And due to the fact that the staff at the alcohol abuse center was supportive, non-judgmental, and competent, Gary would be able to get alcohol rehabilitation that was doable and something he could follow through on.

After talking to his psychologist about how his drinking was adversely affecting his relationship with his family, work, pocketbook, and his health, Gary realized that he was burning the candle at both ends with his excessive work hours and his hazardous and abusive drinking. Once he comprehended that he was getting himself into a rut, with the help of his therapist, and after four months in therapy, he was at long last able to quit drinking and stop working overtime.

Due to His Alcohol Therapy Gary Felt More Healthy and Had Much More Energy

The result was that Gary viewed life differently now that he was in alcohol recovery. More precisely, due to his alcohol counseling he not only noticed that he actually had more money now even though he was working far fewer hours each week, but he was more patient when interacting with his wife and his children, he felt better and more healthy, and he had more quality time to spend with his family. Strangely enough, now that he quit drinking, Gary and his wife were not only starting to save some money for a new house but he also felt more alert and more energized than anytime since he and his wife got married.

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A Sunday School Teacher Gets Arrested for Driving Under the Influence, Gets Inspired and Motivated To Seek Alcohol Therapy for Her Irresponsible and Excessive Drinking, and Augments Her Positive Attitude About Herself

Saturday, October 24th, 2009

For the past twenty-three years Jenny has been a registered nurse at a large Veteran’s hospital. Not only this, but she has also been teaching Sunday school at the local Methodist Church. Even though she lived in a medium size countryside town where it seemed like everybody knew everyone’s business, little if nothing was known about Jenny. Without a doubt everyone knew that she had worked many years as a licensed practical nurse and that she taught Sunday school for as long as she was a resident of their small town. Other than that, however, it almost appeared as if Jenny was simply a visitor in their community.

You can imagine the hubbub that took place when it was learned that one Sunday morning Jenny had lost consciousness due to drinking and driving. Indeed, the article in the local weekly paper reported that Jenny not only became unconscious, but that she also received a DUI because her blood alcohol concentration was substantially higher than the legal limit for intoxication. This is certainly one of the alcohol effects on the body that no Sunday school teacher wants to have publicized by the whole community. But this is specifically what occurred, much to the sorrow of Jenny.

Jenny Gets Quite Saddened About Her Arrest For Driving While Inebriated

Needless to say, Jenny was very troubled about her arrest for drunk driving. Not only should she have known better about driving while intoxicated because of her nursing position, but she also should have held herself accountable to a higher yardstick because of the basic fact that she taught Sunday school.

After her arrest for driving while under the influence, Jenny thought about moving out of town so that she would not have to feel dismayed about her arrest and also so she wouldn’t have to give details about her actions for the millionth time to other town residents. After talking to her pastor, nevertheless, she decided that she would get alcohol counseling at a local rehabilitation center. She did this for two basic reasons. First, it was easy for her to drive to a local rehabilitation center. And second, she frankly wanted the word to get distributed among all the residents in town that she was genuinely addressing her careless drinking.

Jenny Goes Through Alcohol Detox and Gets a Complete Exam

After Jenny went through alcohol detoxification, she was completely checked by a healthcare practitioner at the drug and alcohol rehab hospital. She then underwent various laboratory tests where it was determined that she was not an alcoholic but instead was engaging in abusive drinking. In a word Jenny was engaging in long term alcohol abuse.

Jenny was presented with the choice of getting alcohol rehabilitation as a residential patient or getting admitted as an outpatient. Jenny, nonetheless, felt that she could still work as an RN and carry on with her Sunday school teaching position if she were to be admitted as an out-patient and this is specifically what she did.

According to her rehab game plan, Jenny went to three rehabilitation sessions per week, she learned more than she ever wanted to know about alcohol info, she worked on her take home “tasks,” and she discovered how to involve herself doing things in life without having a need for alcohol.

After eleven weeks, Jenny concluded that her excessive and careless drinking was under control and so she got released from the drug and alcohol rehab hospital under the specification that she would return for follow up treatment once every two months for the next twelve months. Jenny signed an agreement form and followed through on her “word of honor.”

Jenny Makes up Her Mind to Stay Away From All Drinking Situations and Learns That Her Self Worth Becomes More Pronounced

After she went through her therapy Jenny reasoned that she would be able to drink in moderation. After reflecting on things more extensively, however, she concluded that she would totally remove herself from all drinking situations.

When Jenny arrived at this determination, she learned that her self-worth increased the more she took charge of her life. And as her self image grew stronger, it appeared that she became more friendly and started going to more local activities such as rib roasts, flower festivals, carnivals, strawberry festivals, Christmas tree lighting ceremonies, local high school basketball and football games, and music festivals.

Jenny Faces Her Abusive and Excessive Drinking, Makes up Her Mind To Do Something Beneficial About It, and Rediscovers Her Faith

Over time, the residents in the community expressed more care for Jenny because she was involving herself with them more routinely and also because she addressed her careless and hazardous drinking and made up her mind to do something constructive about it. It may have been her imagination, but it also appeared that her Sunday school pupils exhibited more respect and admiration for her.

Jenny is a living illustration of an individual who faced a serious predicament and who did something constructive about it. She is also a person who learned that her religious faith is not only something that is private, but that it is also something that affects the way in which a person intermingles with other people.

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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 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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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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When Drinking Becomes Problematic

Monday, June 22nd, 2009

How do you recognize that you have a problem with your drinking? When is it evident that you are engaging in excessive drinking?

If you have unsuccessfully attempted to stop drinking or if you promised yourself that your drinking days are finished and then you were made aware that you were drinking in an excessive manner just a few days later, the probability is quite good that you have a drinking problem. The point to highlight is that if you have made an effort to quit drinking and cannot accomplish this, then your drinking is controlling you, rather than the other way around.

In much the same way, if it takes greater amounts of alcohol to get the same “high,” more likely than not you need to realize that you have a drinking problem.

You may be telling yourself that the rationale for your drinking is so that you can lower your apprehension or get rid of the hurt that you feel. In much the same way, you may be trying to avoid a negative circumstance and may be looking for something better, more helpful, or less sorrowful.

As you continue to drink, however, you will realize that drinking does not produce the same high and you will also comprehend that drinking doesn’t help stamp out whatever elicited your distress in the first place.

As you continue to drink in an abusive way, regrettably, you may become an alcoholic and, as a consequence, you may add another major issue to deal with rather than unearthing more effective and healthy ways of managing your alcohol induced predicament.

When an Alcohol Assessment is Required

If you have figured out that you have a problem with your drinking, perchance the most positive thing you can do for yourself is to call your medical doctor or healthcare practitioner and arrange for an appointment for a physical and for a review of your drinking situation.

If you sincerely believe that you have a dangerous drinking problem, it might be a good idea to get prepared to hear that you need to get alcohol therapy.

At this juncture, what are your choices? You can unquestionably refuse to see your doctor and persevere with your pattern of excessive drinking.

It actually doesn’t take a mastermind, however, to understand that repeated, heavy drinking, if left untreated, will deteriorate over time and almost certainly set in motion an early death. Accordingly, your most expedient option is to confront your drinking problem and get the alcohol rehab you require.

The Deception of the Functioning Alcohol Addicted Person

It is almost counter intuitive to note the fact that numerous alcoholics lead busy and active lives and have pets, vehicles, houses, jobs, families, and any number of material possessions just like individuals who are not addicted to alcohol.

Many of these “functional” alcohol dependent individuals may have never been apprehended for a DUI and may have been lucky enough to avoid all alcohol generated legal difficulties. In spite of this fortunate situation, nonetheless, these alcohol dependent individuals need to drink in order to operate on a regular basis while keeping 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, then again, and they will be quick to affirm the legitimacy of the drinker’s situation and the particulars about the alcohol addicted person’s drinking condition and about his or her alcohol generated problems.

Why Do People Addicted to Alcohol Fail to Focus On Their Drinking Difficulties?

As alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse research has stressed, no matter how apparent the alcohol induced difficulties seem to those who interact with the alcohol dependent person, alcohol addicted people commonly deny that drinking is the root of their alcohol induced difficulties. Not only this, but alcohol addicted people frequently blame their alcohol-related problems on other people or upon other situations around them instead of seeing their part in the difficulty.

The origin of the predicament is that alcoholism is a disease of the brain. Once the person has become addicted to alcohol, he or she frequently resorts to denial, manipulation, and lying as a way of coping with the fact that his or her drinking is out of control. And to make things worse, the experience of alcohol withdrawal symptoms usually circumvents the alcohol addicted individual’s rare attempts to suddenly quit drinking. As depressing as the alcohol dependent person’s life is, on the other hand, the positive news is that competent assistance is widely accessible – if the alcohol addicted individual reaches out and tries to get alcoholism counseling.

Conclusion

Admitting the fact that drinking is triggering problems in your day by day functioning is perchance the most trouble-free way to find out if you have a problem with your drinking. Stated differently, if your drinking is bringing about problems with your health, with your employment, in your relationships, with your finances, at school, or with the law, then you have a drinking problem that needs to be dealt with.

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

While some individuals may be able to identify their drinking difficulties and substantially decrease the amount and frequency of their drinking, others, to the contrary, need to deal with their drinking problems by getting professional alcoholism therapy. Moreover, due to their inclination to deny the facts and twist the truth, alcohol addicted people without a doubt require quality alcoholism counseling for their hazardous drinking.

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Alcoholism, Enabling, and Alcohol Relapse

Friday, June 12th, 2009

It is remarkable to articulate something that family members who have been unfavorably affected by the alcoholism of another family member plainly do not grasp. It appears that by protecting the alcohol addicted person with falsehoods and dishonesty to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have actually created a situation that makes it easier for the alcohol addicted person to persevere and go forward with his or her injurious, devastating style of life.

Clearly, instead of helping the alcoholic and themselves, these family members have basically become enablers who have unintentionally helped negatively affect the alcohol addicted individual’s problem drinking circumstance even more.

Relapses Can Occasionally Take Place From Time to Time

Another key alcohol dependency issue involves alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcohol dependent individual has fruitfully undergone alcohol addiction rehab and then returns to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first glance, this situation flies in the face of rational thinking and sounds so unbelievable that it forces an individual to question why anyone who has lived through the dreadfulness of alcohol dependency can return to drinking a short while after successful alcohol treatment and in turn after attaining recovery. There are, of course, more than a few possible reasons for this.

It should be mentioned, however that alcoholism research that has focused on the enduring effects of alcohol dependency has demonstrated-proven that long after the alcoholic has quit his or her drinking, significant modifications in the way in which the alcohol dependent individual’s brain functions are still present. As a consequence, all a recovering alcohol dependent person has to do to involve himself or herself in behaviors that correspond with the transformations that have taken place in the brain is to begin drinking again.

A Requirement for A Crucial Lifestyle Modification

There are even more reasons why many recovering alcohol addicted individuals return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after attaining sobriety. In accordance to the alcohol addiction research literature, to make an effective recovery, the alcoholic needs new ways of responding and thinking in order to deal more efficiently with demanding alcohol-related circumstances that will take place.

Conditions such as returning to the same alcohol addictive atmosphere or to the same geographic location; interacting once again with friends from the days when the alcohol dependent person was drinking abusively; or familiar songs, smells, or activities—all of these circumstances can bring about memories that can prompt psychological stress or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcoholic to engage in hazardous drinking once again. Unfortunately, all of these situations may not only negate ongoing sobriety for the alcohol dependent individual but they can also result in relapse and as a result negate one’s sobriety.

Conclusion

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

The drug abuse research literature confirms the fact that most individuals who successfully complete alcohol rehab go through at least one relapse. Alcohol addicted persons and their family members need to know this so that they do not get defeated or overwhelmed when a relapse takes place.

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What I Learned About Alcohol and Drug Abuse in High School

Friday, June 12th, 2009

When I was in the tenth grade in high school, I enrolled into a substance abuse class. At that age, I did not understand that alcohol abuse in reality was a sub classification of drug abuse. While taking this class and learning more about drug and alcohol abuse, I read a lot about Alcoholic Anonymous, their meetings, how their programs have twelve steps, and how successful the Alcoholics Anonymous recovery program has been for people all through the world. I also learned quite a bit about alcohol treatment and the various alcohol rehab clinics that are commonly available to alcohol abusers.

Some of the negative consequences associated with alcoholism and alcohol abuse that I learned about in this class definitely terrified me. The ruined lives and frequent problems experienced by most alcohol dependent people 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 destruction that alcohol addicted individuals almost always go through.

Reflect on 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 ingesting 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 problems before he or she becomes an adult?

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

These issues were so noteworthy that I discussed some of them in class during the school year. What was entirely unbelievable to me was the number of students who essentially didn’t care about the harmful outcomes of hazardous drinking that I talked about. It was almost as if they couldn’t be bothered with the truth and how these effects can shatter their lives. For the first time in my life I started to appreciate a saying that my grandfather used to articulate throughout my younger years: you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.

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