Posts Tagged ‘alcoholism’

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

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.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in General | No Comments »

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.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in General | No Comments »

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.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in General | 1 Comment »

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.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in General | No Comments »

The Vital Features in A Productive Alcohol Intervention

Thursday, October 1st, 2009

What are the fundamental elements in a successful alcohol intervention? Why do some addiction interventions succeed as projected while several flop?

The Need for a Celebrated History of Intervention Success

Scientific exploration makes obvious the fact that a productive alcohol abuse intervention needs to be conducted by an intervention professional who has a recognized history of intervention achievement.

Basically this means that rather than making a choice for a “normal” alcohol dependency counselor or psychotherapist for an alcoholism intervention, the person who is chosen to carry out the intervention needs to be educated in chemical dependency intervention methods and needs to possess a track record of effective alcoholism interventions.

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

Scientific investigation and alcoholism facts about interventions has also made evident the fact that the best possible time for an alcoholism intervention is following a meaningful incident in the life of the alcohol addicted person or hazardous drinker. The following represents a few examples of these types of important happenings:

  • The alcohol-dependent person or abusive drinker has been caught stealing something of significance.
  • The abusive drinker or alcoholic has been caught lying about something of importance.
  • The alcohol addicted individual or alcohol abuser has been locked up for driving under the influence.

In events such as these, the alcohol dependent individual or alcohol abuser is more apt to be repentant or to feel guilty, thusly making him or her more open to getting the professional alcohol rehab that is required.

At this point in time, additionally, it is also important to state that the abusive drinker or alcohol addicted individual needs to be sober during the alcohol intervention. To sum up, if the abusive drinker or alcoholic is smashed during an alcohol dependency intervention, the lack of success is in effect a sure thing.

In the same way, scientific study has also made obvious the fact that the abusive drinker or alcohol addicted individual has to at least try to listen to what is articulated in an alcohol abuse intervention. Stated more precisely, during an alcohol addiction intervention, the abusive drinker or alcohol dependent individual needs to listen to what his or her drinking behavior has done to those who care for him or her the most.

The Impact of Alcohol Treatment For the Alcohol Abuser

And lastly, scientific exploration displays that the key reason for an alcohol addiction intervention in the first place is to influence the abusive drinker or alcoholic to get the professional alcoholism rehab that is required. Stated more specifically, even if the individual who directs the intervention has a splendid reputation of effective interventions and even if the abusive drinker or alcohol-dependent person openly listens to every word that is said for the duration of an intervention, if the hazardous drinker or alcohol-dependent person is not motivated to seek quality alcohol treatment after the alcoholism intervention, then the intervention will be a fiasco.

Plainly all of these factors are needed for a fruitful alcohol addiction intervention. If, on the other hand, the abusive drinker or alcohol addicted person is not encouraged to get alcohol dependency rehabilitation after listening to his or her family members put into words the sorrow, irritation, and dissatisfaction they feel about the hazardous drinker’s or alcohol dependent individual’s hazardous drinking behavior and the affection they feel for the problem drinker, then every other facet of the alcoholism intervention will effectively be meaningless.

Even Successful Alcohol Abuse Interventions Can Go Wrong Down the Road

It also needs to be emphasized that regardless of the fact that the alcoholism intervention can be seen as effective in that it helped put the hazardous drinker or alcohol addicted individual in a more “open” state of mind and frankly helped the alcohol addicted individual or alcohol abuser come to a decision that he or she required alcohol treatment or professional help for alcoholism or alcohol abuse, the simple fact that the intervention occurred might lead to bitterness, wrath, and mistrust in the long term.

In a nutshell, even when alcohol dependency interventions are seen as successful in the short run, in the long run, alternatively, they may fail to go as planned and, for that reason, might make the family and/or the alcohol dependent individual’s situation even worse than it was before the alcoholism intervention was undertaken.

No matter how unwarranted or ironic this seems, try to keep in mind that it is basically one of the central alcohol facts that has to be dealt with when engaging in an alcohol intervention.

A Reason For Elation and Joy

Also keep in mind how gratifying and moving it can be when an alcohol intervention is successful. Why? When an alcohol dependency intervention is successful, this means that the person with a drinking problem realizes what he or she has been doing to those who care the most about him or her and is now ready and willing to get rehabilitation and begin the road to recovery.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in General | No Comments »

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.

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in General | No Comments »

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.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in General | No Comments »

An Academic Examination about Alcoholism Symptoms, Alcoholism Statistics, and Alcoholics Info

Wednesday, July 1st, 2009

Mr. Blake was one of the health instructors at a medium size country junior high school in the Midwestern part of the United States. For “Alcohol Insight Month” he arrived at a decision that he would give his attention to the following three topics for a class assignment: alcoholism symptoms alcoholics info and alcoholism statistics.

After Mr. Blake finished the topics that would be dispensed to his pupils, he determined that he would furnish them with their assignment the following Monday morning.

When “assignment day” eventually arrived, Mr. Blake met with the pupils in his class, disseminated some relevant statistics and facts, and then told the students in his classroom about the topics he picked.

Why It Is Important to Learn How to Correlate Alcoholism Statistics, Alcoholics Info, and Alcoholism Symptoms with Real-Life Situations of Alcohol Addicted People

He then gave the students in his classroom an outline of some important alcoholism statistics and alcohol addiction signs and symptoms and emphasized how necessary it is to gain knowledge about and learn how to associate these statistics, symptoms, and facts with the real-life experiences of alcohol dependent people. He then gave the pupils in his class a concise explanation about the relevance of learning more about alcohol addicted individuals and how they exist on a daily basis.

Mr. Blake informed the members of his class that they could consider focusing on one of the three topics or investigate all three topics and how they are interrelated. In a word this would be similar to a general abstract but done in a more far-reaching way.

Another alternative that he gave to the pupils in his classroom was the following: take a topic such as alcohol dependency symptoms and signs, delve into things in a more comprehensive fashion, and then discuss two or three signs and symptoms. Mr. Blake then discussed the fact that the same rationale applies to the other two topics, namely, alcoholics info and alcoholism statistics.

The end result of their research project would be a four thousand word essay and then a thirty minute oral presentation that would be given in front of the class.

Presenting The Outcome of A Research Project at the Regional Drug and Alcohol Dependency Symposium

As recognition for their outstanding academic attainment, those with the top five overall grades on the essay and on the oral presentation will be asked to present the findings from their inquiry at the community substance abuse convention during the last six days of May.

After the students in the class got hold of the information about their assignment, more than a few of them raised their hands and asked for an example of a sub-topic that they could concentrate on for their assignment.

In reaction, Mr. Blake came to a decision that he would concisely talk about three or four alcohol addiction symptoms and signs that the class could develop.

For instance, Mr. Blake called attention to the following alcohol addiction signs and symptoms: cloudy thinking, an obsession with drinking, loss of control, and boasting and a “big shot” complex.

Discussing How Alcoholics Info, Alcoholism Statistics, and Alcoholism Symptoms Are Manifested in the Life of an Alcohol Dependent Individual

After going over these alcoholism signs and symptoms, Mr. Blake then informed the students in the classroom that they could do some supplementary examination on each symptom, gather some pertinent information, give a number of illustrations of each symptom or sign, and articulate how each symptom or sign is disclosed in the life of an alcoholic.

As declared by Mr. Blake, because there are several alcohol dependency symptoms and signs to select, he discussed the fact that he was not overly anxious about different students deciding upon the same symptoms and signs for their class assignment.

To be sure, even if more than one student was to choose virtually the same symptoms and signs, the illustrations that are linked to each sign or symptom would clearly add enough diversity to steer clear of duplicate content.

Mr. Blake then mentioned that while there are several alcohol addiction symptoms and signs that could be selected, the variety of alcohol addiction facts and statistics that could be itemized were practically without limit. When the topic of alcoholics info was added to the equation, moreover, the students in the classroom grasped somewhat swiftly that the three topics would provide an extensive amount of data from which to choose.

Why Mr. Blake Selected Alcoholics Info, Alcoholism Symptoms, and Alcoholism Statistics as the Topics For This Undertaking

Why did Mr. Blake decide upon alcoholics info, alcoholism statistics, alcoholism symptoms as the topics for this project? Mr. Blake’s goal was that by asking all of his students to research one or more of the three alcohol addiction topics, all the students in the class would have greater awareness about a multifaceted yet important topic such as alcohol dependency.

Mr. Blake also thought that by raising the comprehension of his students about the debilitating consequences of alcoholism and the depressing existence suffered by alcoholics, his students might think more intelligently before they get involved in hazardous and abusive drinking behavior.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in General | No Comments »

The Main Factors in A Successful Alcohol Intervention

Monday, June 29th, 2009

What are the important elements in a productive alcohol intervention? Why do some alcoholism interventions happen as expected while many bomb?

The Necessity for a Distinguished History of Intervention Accomplishment

Scientific examination demonstrates that a fruitful alcohol intervention needs to be carried out by an intervention specialist who has a time-honored reputation of intervention accomplishment.

In effect this means that instead of deciding upon a “normal” alcohol addiction counselor or psychotherapist for an alcohol intervention, the person who is decided upon to conduct the intervention needs to be instructed in chemical dependency intervention techniques and needs to possess a reputation of effective alcohol abuse interventions.

A Few Elementary Illustrations of The Most Optimal Time For an Alcohol Abuse Intervention

Scientific investigation has also made evident the fact that the most productive time for an alcohol dependency intervention is following a meaningful “happening” in the life of the alcohol addicted individual or alcohol abuser. The following represents a few illustrations of these kinds of significant occasions:

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

In events such as these, the alcohol dependent individual or abusive drinker is more apt to feel contrite or to be embarrassed, therefore making him or her more interested in getting the professional alcohol counseling that is necessary.

At this point in time, moreover, it is also imperative to articulate that the abusive drinker or alcohol addicted person needs to be free of alcohol during the alcohol intervention. To put it briefly, if the alcohol abuser or alcohol-dependent person is “under the influence” during an alcohol addiction intervention, failure is practically assured.

In much the same way, scientific analysis has also demonstrated the fact that the abusive drinker or alcohol dependent individual has to at least try to listen to what is articulated in an alcohol abuse intervention. Stated more explicitly, during an alcohol abuse intervention, the abusive drinker or alcoholic needs to listen to what his or her drinking problems have done to those who care for him or her the most.

The Importance of Alcohol Rehabilitation For the Problem Drinker

And lastly, scientific analysis makes obvious the fact that the key reason for an alcohol abuse intervention in the first place is to persuade the abusive drinker or alcohol dependent individual to get the quality alcohol abuse therapy he or she needs. In other words, even if the person who monitors the intervention has a marvelous reputation of fruitful interventions and even if the hazardous drinker or alcohol addicted individual genuinely listens to every single word that is declared all through an intervention, if the hazardous drinker or alcoholic is not stimulated to ask for professional alcohol abuse treatment after the alcohol abuse intervention, then the intervention will be a debacle.

Clearly all of these factors are needed for a successful alcohol dependency intervention. If, however, the alcohol abuser or alcohol addicted individual is not inspired to obtain alcoholism treatment after listening to his or her family members communicate the grief, anger, and frustration they feel about the abusive drinker’s or alcohol addicted person’s excessive drinking behavior and the care they feel for the problem drinker, then every other phase of the alcohol addiction intervention will more or less be unimportant.

Even Fruitful Alcoholism Interventions Can Backfire Down the Road

It also needs to be emphasized that in spite of the fact that the alcohol abuse intervention can be seen as productive in that it helped put the abusive drinker or alcohol dependent individual in a more “open” mindset and in truth helped the alcohol dependent individual or abusive drinker conclude that he or she required alcohol rehab or quality help for alcoholism or alcohol abuse, the plain reality that the intervention occurred may result in resentment, irritation, and distrust in the future.

To be brief, even when alcoholism interventions are seen as productive in the short term, in the long term, then again, they may boomerang and, for that reason, may make the family and/or the alcoholic’s situation even poorer than it was before the alcohol abuse intervention occurred.

No matter how unjust or ironic this seems, try to keep in mind that it is merely one of the central alcohol facts that has to be dealt with when doing an alcohol intervention.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in General | No Comments »

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.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in General | No Comments »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »