Wedding Favors

Posts Tagged ‘alcoholism’

Miss Benning was a health teacher at the largest private high school in the local community. Even though she had been teaching for only four years, she had already achieved a reputation as an educator with a teaching methodology that encouraged and stimulated pupils to learn and to think.

As an illustration, one Wednesday morning at 11:30 she addressed her pupils and said the following: “For the next four or five days we are going to learn about some basic alcoholism facts from a more wind-ranging perspective and we are also going to learn about several of the most basic signs of alcoholism from a more specific viewpoint.”

“Not all of these alcoholism signs will positively establish that someone with a drinking problem is an alcohol addicted person, but the more signs that a drinker displays, the stronger the probability that he or she is an alcoholic.”

Miss Benning then told the the pupils that each pupil would be held responsible for investigating four alcoholism signs and then presenting his or her results to the other members in the class via a twenty-five minute oral presentation.

The Students are Energized About Giving An Extensive Presentation to Their Fellow Students About The Signs of Alcohol Addiction

After learning about the diverse signs of alcohol dependency for a number of days, the time had finally come for the individual presentations. It was at once noticeable that her pupils were thrilled about the subject because the information that they presented was first-rate. To say that Miss Benning was pleasantly surprised with the eagerness manifested by the pupils in her classroom concerning this subject could not be overstated.

The day after all of the pupils completed their presentations, Miss Benning passed out a sheet of paper with a list of all the alcoholism signs that were presented and discussed in class and in the presentations. Miss Benning then asked the pupils in her classroom to go over the list and rank the top nine alcohol addiction signs that were most indicative of alcohol dependency. After roughly ten minutes, Miss Benning collected the pieces of paper and explained to the pupils in her classroom that after she analyzes the results, she will present her findings the next school day.

There was some real excitement by the pupils while they were exiting Miss Benning’s classroom. One could swear that her students couldn’t wait for the next day to arrive so that they could learn about the results of their in-class research.

The Students Compare Their Numbers With the Evaluations From A Panel of Alcohol Dependency Professionals

When the next school day came, Miss Benning passed out a sheet of paper that listed the top five alcohol addiction signs according to the pupils’ rankings. Next to these results, she included another column that was labeled “experts’ response.” She then informed the pupils in her classroom that the numbers in the second column she added were the responses that were given by a panel of alcohol dependency specialists.

Miss Benning told the students in her classroom to go over the information on the sheet of paper she passed out and then to raise their hand if they had any concerns, questions, or issues. Within 30 or 40 seconds, virtually every pupil in the classroom raised her or his hand. It was evident that the pupils had some issues, questions, or concerns about their results versus the answers given by the professionals. For instance, just about every person in the classroom disagreed with the highest ranked answer given by the professionals, that is, “Do you feel very sick when you abstain from drinking?”

The Essential Difference Between Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism is the Physical Addiction That is Experienced With Alcoholism and Not With Alcohol Abuse

Miss Benning then explained to the students in her class why this answer was the most accurate sign of alcohol addiction. She pointed out the fact that the principal difference between alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction is the physical addiction that is experienced with alcohol addiction and not with alcohol abuse.

In effect this means that when an alcohol addicted individual suddenly stops drinking, he or she will go through alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

Miss Benning then informed the pupils in her classroom that alcohol withdrawal symptoms are responses by the brain and by the body to the deprivation of alcohol to which they had become accustomed. Stated another way, alcohol withdrawal symptoms are messages from the brain and from the body telling an alcoholic that something is dreadfully incorrect and needs to be rectified. These signals consist of a number of painful, dangerous, and uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms that can potentially result in a fatality if the proper treatment is not promptly received.

Miss Benning then discussed the multitude of alcohol withdrawal symptoms that can be gone through when an alcohol dependent individual suddenly stops drinking.

The point that Miss Benning tried to underscore was this: an alcohol abuser can experience almost any and every one of the alcohol dependency signs that the students had ranked, but the one symptom or sign that few, if any, people who engage in alcohol abuse ever experience is alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

To articulate this as precisely as possible, Miss Benning stressed the fact that alcohol abusers, unlike individuals who are alcohol dependent, are not alcohol dependent and as a result, when they stop drinking, they almost never suffer from alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

The Pupils Believe They Have Uncovered A Discrepancy With the Findings From The Council of Drug and Alcohol Addiction Authorities

The pupils also had a problem with the second ranked answer given by the drug and alcohol addiction specialists, specifically, “Have you ever had a drink the first thing in the morning to get rid of a hangover or to steady your nerves?”

Miss Benning informed the pupils in her class that this sign does not automatically suggest that the problem is alcohol addiction, but that it does highlight the need that people who are addicted to alcohol have to drink in order to avoid alcohol withdrawals.

After Miss Benning explained the importance of alcohol withdrawal symptoms in the life of the person who is addicted to alcohol, the pupils started to understand the basic difference between alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction.

To add a sense of closure to the subject matter, Miss Benning asked the pupils in her class to take out a piece of paper and answer the following question: “if every person who is alcohol dependent knew about every one of the alcohol withdrawal symptoms and alcoholism signs we have studied, what percentage of them do you think would get alcohol dependency treatment?”

After approximately one or two minutes, Miss Benning asked for the students’ responses. While many pupils figured that approximately 75 to 85 percent of people who are alcohol dependent would ask for alcoholism rehabilitation if they knew about the facts related to alcoholism signs and alcohol withdrawal symptoms, most of the students reasoned that this number would not be less than 65 percent.

The Pupils Were Shocked to Discover That Only 25% of Alcoholics in the U.S. Get Alcohol Dependency Treatment

To the surprise of most of the students, Miss Benning acknowledged that according to various scientific investigations, only 25% of the individuals who are alcohol dependent in the United States ask for alcoholism rehabilitation. This surprised most of the pupils because they thought that first-hand knowledge of the overwhelming statistics and facts correlated with alcohol dependency would motivate the majority of the people who are addicted to alcohol to obtain alcoholism rehab.

Miss Benning then stated that people who are alcohol dependent not only need alcohol on an everyday basis in order to function but they also need alcohol on an everyday basis so they can stay away from possible alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Apparently, the alcoholic’s need to drink on a daily basis is more powerful than logic or facts. Undeniably, since the desire for alcohol is “reality” to the person who is addicted to alcohol, this is a demanding issue that is difficult to negate.

The Combination of Alcohol Dependency and Mental Health Issues Commonly Results in Marital, Friendship, Relationship, and Divorce Problems

Lastly, Miss Benning explained to her pupils that it is relevant to understand that alcohol addiction and diverse mental health problems such as depression are highly interlinked. In addition, the incidence of mental health problems and alcohol dependency commonly result in marital, relationship, divorce, and friendship problems.

The Pupils are Eager to Learn About Alcoholism Signs and Symptoms in Today’s Society

A few minutes later the bell rang, indicating the end of the class. Based on the enthusiasm displayed by the students when they were leaving the room, Miss Benning recognized that she had stimulated and encouraged the students in her class to stop and think about an essential health and social problem that exists in our society.

Sarah and Jerry have been married for three years. They wanted to have some fun and excitement before they decided to have children and so they purposely fashioned an especially active social life.

The chief difficulty, it needs to be pointed out, is that nearly everything they do with their family and friends somehow includes drinking. For instance, all of the happy hours, sporting events, family get-togethers, parties with friends, and dinner engagements they patronize somehow include drinking.

Sarah and Jerry Start to Perceive Some Obvious Alcohol Related Issues That are Linked to Their Abusive Drinking

If they were casual drinkers, this wouldn’t be such a big problem. Because they drink rather excessively, however, they are starting to see some noticeable alcohol-related difficulties in their lives.

For example, just two weeks ago Jerry was placed in custody for a second DWI and has been shirking responsibilities at work due to alcohol-related health problems. Moreover, Jerry’s last three performance assessments at the office have been less than passable and he has begun to fail to remember what he says or does when he drinks. As a final point, Jerry has been experiencing sleep-related problems and his family is starting to exhibit anxiety about his drinking difficulties.

Sarah, on the other hand, has been feeling disheartened with life and to cope with these feelings, she has been drinking more habitually than any time in the past six months. In addition, Sarah has been getting more than a few throbbing headaches and suffering from awful hangovers because of her drinking. Lastly, Sarah has been feeling appreciably less energetic when she gets up in the morning, she has been getting to work late at least once per week, and she has been receiving some harsh criticism from her friends, family members, coworkers, and relatives about her irresponsible drinking.

Watching the TV and Accidently Finding A Captivating Documentary About the Signs of Alcoholism

One Sunday evening while watching TV, Sarah and Jerry accidently discovered an enchanting program about the signs of alcoholism.

This television special was a real jolt to Sarah and Jerry because more than a few of the alcoholism signs that were talked about looked like they were unshakably correlated with several of the alcohol-related drinking problems Sarah and Jerry had been going through.

A Frank Dialogue About Drinking Situations Discloses Alcohol Related Relationship, Financial, Legal, Health, and Employment Problems

After watching the television special, Sarah and Jerry determined that they needed to have a straightforward talk about their drinking behavior. They both concurred that most, if not all, of their social pursuits somehow involved drinking, that they were drinking abusively, and that as a couple, they were beginning to see alcohol related health, financial, legal, employment, and relationship problems for the first time since they were married.

With thoughts of the TV special still running through her mind, Sarah asked Jerry if some of the alcoholism signs they have been manifesting could mean that they are dependent on alcohol or maybe becoming alcohol dependent. Jerry didn’t know the answer to Sarah’s inquiry and so he recommended that they make an appointment with one of the doctors at the local substance abuse treatment facility to find out more about the severity of their drinking issues.

Attending To Your Drinking Problems Might Reduce Your Sense of Dread and Give You Some Quietude

Ironically, although their drinking circumstances hadn’t yet changed, it was plain to see that Jerry and Sarah were at least focusing on their drinking difficulties, they were eager to find out more about their drinking circumstances, and they were interested in finding out how they could significantly lessen or do away with the drinking-related difficulties that had started to intensify.

When Sarah and Jerry went to bed that night, they determined that the next morning, Jerry would call and schedule an appointment for both of them at the drug and alcohol rehab clinic located just South of the State Capital. After they promised one another that they would do whatever it takes to deal with the alcohol-related problems that had developed in their lives, they truly had the most energizing night’s sleep they could think of in the last eight months.

Just before he fell asleep, Jerry turned to Sarah and stated how simple it is to lessen one’s nervousness and in point of fact experience a degree of peacefulness by coming to terms with one’s problems head-on and making a decision to do something affirmative about them.

How do you know that you have a drinking problem? When is it apparent that you are engaging in abusive drinking?

If you have hopelessly struggled to quit drinking or if you promised yourself that your drinking days are terminated and then you were made aware that you were drinking abusively just a few days later, chances are quite good that you have drinking problems. The fundamental idea is that if you have attempted to quit drinking and cannot complete the task, then your drinking is controlling you, instead of the other way around.

In a similar manner, if it takes increasingly more amounts of alcohol to get the same “high,” more likely than not you need to recognize the fact that you have a drinking problem.

You may be telling yourself that the reasoning for your drinking is so that you can lessen your nervous tension or get rid of the sorrow or depression that you feel. In much the same way, you may be trying to stay away from a hurtful situation and may be looking for something more useful, more favorable, or less mournful.

As you maintain your drinking, conversely, you will become aware that drinking does not bring forth the same high and you will also comprehend that drinking doesn’t help eliminate whatever led to your distress in the first place. You may also notice that the more excessively you drink, the more depressed you feel.

As you continue to drink in an excessive manner, sadly, you may become alcohol dependent and, as a consequence, you may add another critical difficulty to manage rather than becoming aware of more successful and healthy ways of managing your alcohol generated problems.

When an Alcohol Assessment is Necessary

If you have decided that you have a drinking problem, maybe the most expedient thing you can do for yourself is to call your physician or healthcare professional and schedule an appointment for a complete physical and for an assessment of your drinking activities.

If you honestly think 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 reahbilitation.

At this point, what are your choices? You can definitely decide against seeing your family doctor and persevere with your pattern of hazardous drinking.

It actually doesn’t take a nuclear physicist, nonetheless, to realize that repeated, heavy drinking, if left untreated, will worsen over time and most likely bring about an early death. Consequently, your most positive alternative is to address your drinking situation and obtain the alcohol rehabilitation you require.

The Pretext of the Functioning Alcohol Dependent Person

It is somewhat paradoxical to note the fact that numerous alcohol dependent individuals lead busy and active lives and have families, jobs, houses, vehicles, pets, and any number of material possessions similar to non-alcoholics.

Many of these “functional” alcohol dependent individuals may have never been arrested for drunk driving and may have been lucky enough to avoid all alcohol induced legal issues. In spite of this fortunate circumstance, nevertheless, these alcohol dependent individuals need to drink in order to live on a regular basis while sustaining their facade as they associate with people outside their family.

Ask anyone who has seen them when they are out on a drunken binge or in a drunken stupor or ask a family member about the problem drinker’s alcohol addiction, nonetheless, and they will be quick to state the reality of the drinker’s situation and the essentials about the alcohol addicted individual’s drinking circumstances and about his or her alcohol generated problems.

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

As alcohol addiction research and statistics on alcohol abuse have underlined, no matter how evident the alcohol induced issues seem to those who interact with the alcohol dependent person, alcohol dependent individuals regularly deny that drinking is the origin of their alcohol induced issues. Not only this, but alcohol dependent individuals commonly blame their alcohol induced issues on other people or upon other circumstances that surround them instead of seeing their part in the problem. In a similar manner, alcohol dependent individuals typically manifest marital difficulties and divorce and especially post divorce issues.

The source of the difficulty is that alcohol dependency is a disease of the brain. Once the problem drinker has become dependent on alcohol, he or she commonly resorts to denial, manipulation, and dishonesty as a way of coping with the fact that his or her drinking is out of control. And to make things more problematic, the experience of alcohol withdrawal symptoms frequently thwarts the alcohol addicted individual’s rare attempts to suddenly abstain from drinking. As bleak as the alcohol addicted person’s life is, conversely, the positive news is that professional help is extensively available – if the alcohol addicted individual reaches out and tries to get alcohol rehabilitation.

Conclusion

Conceding the fact that drinking is leading to problems in your day to day functioning is perchance the most straightforward way to find out if you have a problem with your drinking. Stated differently, if your drinking is producing issues with your health, with your employment, in your relationships, with your finances, at school, or with the legal system, then you have a drinking problem that needs to be tackled.

If you have a drinking problem, additionally, this means that you are engaging in alcohol abuse.

While some individuals may be able to recognize their “alcohol signs,” pinpoint their problems, and greatly reduce the quantity and rate of their drinking, other drinkers, to the contrary, need to manage their drinking difficulties by getting quality alcoholism counseling. Furthermore, due to their tendency to deny the facts and warp the truth, alcohol addicted individuals without a doubt need competent alcoholism rehabilitation for their hazardous drinking.

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

For a number of years alcoholism research has demonstrated the fact that there is strong relationship between alcohol addiction and dangerous health conditions and mental health issues such as depression.

For example, in 2005, medical investigation and alcohol abuse and alcoholism statistics demonstrated the fact that that alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency cost the United States an estimated $220 billion on an annual basis. It may be noted that this immense alcohol-related expenditure was significantly more than the cost linked with cancer ($196 billion) or with obesity ($133 billion). While it is pertinent to give emphasis to these facts, it is also noteworthy to point out that an interrelationship exists between all three of these health issues.

That is to say, chronic alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction are also highly correlated with obesity and with cancer.

Certainly, substance abuse investigation has demonstrated the fact that alcohol addiction can increase the risk for different forms of cancer, particularly cancer of the liver, voice box (larynx), kidneys, colon, esophagus, rectum, and the throat. Excessive and repetitive drinking can also result in immune system problems and impairment to the fetus during pregnancy.

Abusive and Excessive Drinking Weakens the Person’s Systems and Organs

What is more, if alcohol dependency continues over a period of years, the person’s body organs will likely be affected in a harmful manner. As an illustration, chronic, hazardous drinking is particularly damaging to the liver since the liver does most of the work of processing the alcohol that has been ingested. Extreme amounts of alcohol kills liver cells and obliterates the ability of liver cells to redevelop. This medical circumstance results in a progressive inflammatory injury to the liver that can in the end lead to cirrhosis of the liver, a serious and possibly lethal medical problem. Abusive, 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 irreversible and may, in turn, lead to severe disease or an untimely death.

The Importance of Alcohol Counseling

It is essential, then, to know how to identify the different alcoholism symptoms and the “alcohol signs” so that the alcohol dependent person can be given the opportunity to seek the professional alcohol treatment he or she needs.

Alcohol Addiction and Sophisticated Brain Exploration

Fortunately, medical investigation is persistently unearthing original and important information. Recent alcoholism exploration provides a first-rate illustration. Stated differently, for roughly the last ten years, complicated brain-imaging scanning devices have verified that continuous and long-term hazardous drinking modifies the constitution of the brain to a substantial extent, thereby resulting in brain disease that can last months, years, or perchance as long as the individual exists.

Stated differently, medical examination has demonstrated that individuals who have been drinking in an excessive manner for an extensive length of time increase their risk for developing lasting and substantial changes 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 substantially associated with alcoholism, take into account the fact that in accordance with medical examination, the excessive and repeated abuse of alcohol can lead to erosive gastritis, a medical problem that lessens the absorption of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients.

This form of organ breakdown is correlated with malnutrition and to a variety of acute mental and neurological syndromes including memory loss, sleep disturbances, and psychosis such as Wernicke’s Encephalopathy and Korsakoff’s syndrome. This latter medical problem is a long-term debilitating health problem that is epitomized by persistent memory and learning difficulties.

Hazardous and Abusive Drinking Also Leads to Relationship and Friendship Issues and Conflicts

In addition to major health problems, excessive and irresponsible drinking also results in relationship and friendship issues. For instance, people who involve themselves in hazardous drinking often experience sexuality problems, affairs, divorce, and marital issues.

Summary: The Significance of Education

It is obvious that repetitive, hazardous drinking is directly or indirectly linked to many acute medical conditions that can and do result in dangerous illness and premature death. Such information needs to be underlined and presented to everyone in our society, especially to all students, so that a massive amount of individuals will be able to abstain from excessive drinking while others who have a drinking problem will get the quality rehabilitation they require.

Let us look at this with a common sense perspective. Yes, alcohol rehab is important, but alcohol rehabilitation is something that is typically done AFTER the fact. Education, from a different perspective, is something that is done BEFORE the problem materializes. Stated a different way, whereas alcohol treatment is “reactive,” education is “proactive.” It is claimed that both approaches are necessary when discussing alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency.

It took several years but Emily finally made up her mind that she had enough with her husband’s careless and abusive drinking. She was tired of seeing Barry come home after midnight from drinking instead of spending quality time with her and their son and daughter. She was also tired of the second DUI Barry recently received. In addition she was drained from manufacturing reasons for Barry when he couldn’t show up for work due to his problems with drinking. In a similar manner she was apprehensive and depressed about the fact that their relationship was in constant conflict due to Barry’s careless drinking. And finally she was sick and tired of the unstable financial dilemma into which he had placed his family due to his harmful drinking behavior. In sum, Emily felt that her mental health was fading away because of her husband’s drinking problems.

When Hazardous Drinking Motivates a Person to do Something Affirmative About a Person’s Drinking Problem

One Saturday afternoon when Emily was pondering what she could do about her husband’s abusive and hazardous drinking, she got to the point that she frankly had to do something positive to cut into the harmful cycle of Barry’s careless drinking behavior.

So she looked online under “alcohol rehabilitation” and located numerous treatment facilities that were all located less than twenty-five miles away from where Barry and she lived. Due to the fact that she didn’t know a lot about these rehabilitation facilities, she at long last finally decided to call some of them and ask some pertinent questions. When she called each rehab facility she introduced herself and stated that her husband was exhibiting unhealthy and excessive drinking behavior. She also mentioned that Barry, her husband, had a comprehensive health insurance program at his place of employment and that residential or outpatient alcoholism treatment would be covered if a health care practitioner in the company health program recommended the treatment.

At one treatment center, Emily was shocked that she was able to talk directly with a psychologist who suggested that she come to the rehab facility to go over her husband’s excessive and careless drinking behavior in much greater detail.

Emily Talks to a Physician About Her Husband’s Abusive and Hazardous Drinking

When Emily got to the rehab center, she filled out some necessary paperwork and then after about five or ten minutes got to see a physician. After listening to Emily describe her husband’s careless drinking, the healthcare practitioner in an encouraging but firm manner told Emily how she may have played a part in her spouse’s careless and excessive drinking through the months and the years by making excuses for him instead of allowing him to experience the outcomes of his unhealthy drinking behavior.

Emily Discovers She Has Been Enabling Her Husband’s Abusive Drinking

Stated somewhat more forcefully, the healthcare practitioner told Emily that she may have been inadvertently enabling Barry’s hazardous and careless drinking behavior. The doctor also highlighted the fact that although Emily could not control her husband’s actions, with the encouragement and support of the rehabilitation team at the rehabilitation center she would not only be able to learn how to stop contributing to Barry’s unhealthy and abusive drinking but she could also learn how to help him schedule an appointment at the treatment center so that he could go over his negative drinking behavior with a healthcare professional.

Fortunately after Emily discussed this with Barry, and he saw that she was serious, Barry told her that he had been very anxious about his abusive and careless drinking behavior and that he was very relieved to hear that Emily wanted to do something positive about his hazardous and careless drinking behavior. As a consequence, he made an appointment to see a physician at the local alcohol rehabilitation facility. Needless to say this augmented Emily’s self esteem.

Barry Agrees to See a Healthcare Practitioner About His Irresponsible and Abusive Drinking

While simply calling a treatment program does not mean that an individual’s abusive and hazardous drinking behavior will become less problematic or that one’s warning signs of alcoholism or the alcohol abuse signs one manifests will simply go away, calling for an appointment is plainly an indispensable factor in the rehabilitation process. And since Barry was serious about getting help for his unhealthy and excessive drinking, the likelihood of a successful recovery was substantially augmented.

Samuel was a forty-nine-year-old bookkeeper who was tired of feeling depressed everyday of his life and tired of his excessive and careless drinking behavior. In a word, he missed his old motivation for doing various things he enjoyed, he hated the hangovers he went through on a regular basis, he was sick of feeling tired every morning, he was irate with himself for spending his hard-earned money on a worthless habit, and he was tired of going through broken relationship after broken relationship due to his heavy drinking.

In addition he was fed up with paying for alcohol-related attorney fees, he was disgusted with how physically unfit he was, he hated the fact that he had to go to court for his second DWI, he was bored with his drinking friends, and he was aggravated with the many times he failed an alcohol test at his place of employment.

As well as the noticeable alcohol-related health problems he was experiencing, perhaps the most troublesome part of his drinking behavior was the untrustworthy and fraudulent individual he had turned into. In his heart of hearts he realized that he had been untruthful about his drinking behavior to his family, friends and relatives and he also knew he had been untruthful with himself about the “positive” consequences of drinking. What is more, he justified guzzling four or five drinks before going to social events and he also justified needing two or three drinks as soon as he got up so that he could manage the “anxiety” at his place of employment.

His Depression and His Irresponsible Drinking Result in Important Life Changes

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

Stated briefly, Samuel got to a time in his life during which he realized that he hit the bottom of the barrel in his life and was now prepared to commence the gradual and slow path that leads to health.

One of the ways that Samuel operationalized his “plan” was by asking for a transfer at his place of employment. When his request was approved, he moved 750 miles away to a new state. If nothing else, this absolutely made making new pals and dissociating himself from his old pals much simpler. Then he went to see a healthcare professional in his new city and made an appointment for a comprehensive exam.

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

After meeting with the healthcare professional and taking a number of laboratory tests, it was concluded that Samuel had crossed the line from alcohol abuse to alcohol addiction and consequently was in need of alcohol detoxification and alcohol rehab. At this time, the physician made it a point to discuss the different signs of alcoholism, the symptoms of alcoholism, and information about long term alcohol effects with Samuel.

The healthcare professional then told Samuel that it was decided that he was clinically depressed and in need of treatment for this medical issue.

Samuel Makes up His Mind to Revitalize His Body by Taking Vitamins, Drinking Spring Water, Living an Alcohol-Free Lifestyle, Eating Wholesome Foods, and Working Out

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

Samuel also came to grips with his spiritual life by joining the local Congregational church and participating in the weekly services.

After approximately five weeks of outpatient treatment during which time he never went through an alcohol relapse, Samuel stopped going to alcohol therapy and instead started going four times every week to local Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Attending these meetings helped Samuel continue his alcohol-free way of life, they gave him the support he wanted, and they served as a frequent reminder of the adverse outcomes that are correlated with abusive and hazardous drinking.

After going to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings about eight months Samuel felt that he was ready for a relationship and so he started dating Gail, a young lady he met at church. It clearly astonished Samuel how much more prepared he was for a dating relationship now that he had his careless drinking under control. In truth it also astonished Samuel how much better life was now that he wasn’t under the control of his careless and excessive drinking. Life was now meaningful and full of possibilities that he could have never longed for or achieved when he was engaged in abusive and hazardous drinking less than a year ago.

A Success Story That is Evidence of the Significance of Alcohol Therapy and the Power of Positive Thinking

Samuel’s success story is evidence of the significance of alcohol rehabilitation and the power of change. As Samuel reflected on his newfound self worth and drive for involving himself in worthwhile, healthy activities, he was actually thankful that he decided to do something productive about his excessive and careless drinking instead of giving into his depression and into the lure of his alcohol dependency. The result: he enjoys his new job responsibilities, his life now has a positive direction, he is in command of his life rather than letting himself languish under the control of his alcohol addiction, he has more energy now compared with any time in his adult life, and he is involved in a more loving relationship with his wife.

Jesse had a difficult time maintaining a job. As a matter of fact, due to her slothfulness and lack of motivation, she was without a job far more frequently than she was in a job situation. And when she did find a job, she had an extremely hard time getting to work when her shift started, she regularly got less than positive performance evaluations, and she called off sick so often that she regularly got fired a few weeks after she started working. To no one’s wonder, one of the consequences of Jesse’s unacceptable employment track record was the fact that she was virtually penniless almost everyday.

Despite Jesse’s less than positive work track record and financial negligence, on the other hand, somehow she made it a point to drink in an irresponsible and abusive manner almost everyday. Not surprisingly, her hazardous drinking also resulted in a number of marital issues over the years.

Based on her thoughtless drinking, it came as no big jolt when Jesse got arrested for a second DWI. When she went to court, the judge told Jesse that her alcohol-related behavior was unacceptable and, as a result, he was going to sentence Jesse to serve nine months in jail.

Time In The Municipal Jail To Think About The Negative Consequences of Hazardous and Abusive Drinking

During her time while locked up in jail, Jesse was required to learn more about alcohol facts, about the disruptive results of excessive and hazardous drinking, and she was expected to get alcohol rehab. The judge emphasized the fact that unless Jesse gets professional alcohol counseling and learns how to live an alcohol-free life, she will probably be spending quite a bit of her time imprisoned.

Jesse stated that she comprehended what the magistrate was uttering but she still stated that placement in the municipal jail was not the most productive response. The judge saw things differently and stated that it was his job to keep individuals off the streets who drive under the influence and who get multiple DUIs. To support this view, the magistrate listed some honored, extensively researched alcohol statistics that pointed to some of the adverse consequences that are related to hazardous and excessive drinking.

Even though Jesse understood that she drank in an irresponsible and abusive manner, she never thought that she was an alcohol addicted person. So it was quite a shock when Jesse started to have symptoms of alcohol withdrawal just about four-and-a-half hours after getting placed behind bars.

To deal with her alcohol withdrawals in a safe and secure manner, Jesse was taken to a rehab facility for alcohol detoxification and then brought back to the county jail. While locked up in the local jail Jesse received a mental health examination for her depression and got alcohol therapy but since she received this rehab as something that was mandated for her, she was unsuccessful in taking ownership of her abusive and irresponsible drinking.

When her time in the city jail was finished, the magistrate without vacillation told Jesse that she would be under strict surveillance and would be mandated to take random breathalyzer alcohol tests.

Jessie’s Excessive and Hazardous Drinking Prevents Her From Living in an Accountable and Adult Manner

After hearing how Jesse neglected to take ownership of her drinking situation and how she unenthusiastically followed the rehabilitation regimen while in the city jail, the judge knew that it was essentially a matter of time before he would be seeing Jesse once again in court about her excessive and hazardous drinking behavior. As the judge reflected on Jesse’s circumstance, he couldn’t help but think about how some individuals never “connect the dots” and learn how to live in a mature and accountable manner.

Barry used to brag to his friends how he could keep a 40 hour per week job and get smashed virtually every night. Unfortunately, after involving himself in this “party” lifestyle for nearly seven years, he started to exhibit several alcohol related problems.

Barry Begins to Exhibit Several Alcohol Related Problems

As an illustration, he had a real difficult time getting up for work because he felt so little energy when he awoke. Not only this, but most mornings Barry had an intense hangover. Undoubtedly, the combination of his lack of get-up-and-go and his hangovers did not make it easy for him to get up and feel like he wanted to go to work. To make matters worse, about a week ago he received his third driving under the influence citation in the past eight months.

To further compound things, at his place of employment his last two work assessments were less than adequate. And lastly, his five-and-a-half-year marriage with his wife had gotten worse due to his depression, lack of patience, angry outbursts, and his financial difficulties.

Even though Barry was only twenty-five years old, he frankly started looking like he was in his mid forties. Regrettably, this is what irresponsible and excessive drinking can do to an individual. And in all candor he knew that he was going through the adverse outcomes of alcohol abuse or alcohol dependency and that he was too young to fritter away his life to hazardous drinking. So at first he tried to drink in moderation. Regrettably, he soon comprehended the fact that he lost all control after ingesting his first drink. Stated more precisely, after his first drink he invariably proceeded to get smashed. Since this was an event that was repeated over and over again, this bothered him greatly. In actual fact, he started to wonder if he was manifesting some of the signs of alcoholism and alcohol abuse.

Barry Makes up His Mind To Schedule an Appointment to See His Healthcare Practitioner

After articulating his excessive alcohol drinking and his hazardous and abusive drinking with his wife, he finally decided to schedule an appointment to see his healthcare professional. When Barry saw his healthcare practitioner, he frankly mentioned that he has been drinking in an excessive manner, that he may be manifesting alcoholic signs, and that he wants to quit drinking. He then mentioned that drinking in moderation doesn’t work well for him and, consequently, he wants to learn how he can develop an alcohol-free lifestyle.

Barry also told his healthcare practitioner about his depression and how this mental health issue was negatively influencing his relationship with his wife. His family doctor referred Barry to Doctor Harris, a drug and alcohol addiction therapist, who persuaded Barry to enroll in an alcohol and drug rehab clinic as an in-patient for alcohol detoxification and alcohol treatment. Fortunately, Barry would also be able to get treatment for his depression at this treatment center.

Stopping Drinking Was the Best Decision Barry Had Ever Made

After six months of rigorous rehabilitation, Barry left the residential rehab center and continued his recovery via going to local Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and via outpatient therapy. Inspired to change his life in a healthier manner, Barry went to a health store and bought some vitamins and a cookbook. He then joined a gym and began working out two or three times per week. Within seven months Barry was a new man. He wasn’t depressed anymore, he was in shape, he was eating nutritious meals, he now looked younger than he was, and most significant of all, he maintained his sobriety for many months. He also became more patient, he didn’t resort to angry outbursts, and he became a more caring individual in his relationship with his wife. In a word, quitting drinking was the best decision Barry had ever made.