Jesse had an awfully hard time maintaining a job. Indeed, because of his sluggishness and lack of motivation, he was out of a job far more frequently than he was gainfully employed. And when he did secure a job, he had a hard time getting to work when his shift started, he often got less than satisfactory performance assessments, and he called off sick so frequently that he typically got fired a few weeks after he began working. To no one’s amazement, one of the effects of Jesse’s less than positive work track record was the fact that he was just about flat broke from day-to-day.
Regardless of Jesse’s less than positive work record and financial misconduct, however, somehow he made it his business to drink in an excessive and hazardous manner on a daily basis.
So it came as no big jolt when Jesse received a third DUI. When he went before the court, the magistrate told Jesse that his alcohol-related actions was irresponsible and, as a consequence, he was going to sentence Jesse to spend eight months locked up in jail.
Time In Jail To Think About The Hurtful Effects of Careless Drinking
During his time in jail, Jesse was required to learn more about alcohol facts, about the negative results of abusive drinking, and he was expected to get alcohol treatment. The magistrate underscored the fact that unless Jesse gets professional alcohol counseling and discovers how to live a life of sobriety, he will probably be spending a considerable amount of time in the city jail.
Jesse articulated that he understood what the judge was proclaiming but he still proclaimed that jail was not the proper ruling. The magistrate saw things from an entirely different vantage point and stated that it was his job to keep alcohol dependent people off the streets who drink and drive and who get arrested for a DUI. To corroborate this assertion, the magistrate outlined some respected, thoroughly researched alcohol statistics that underlined some of the destructive effects that are associated with abusive and excessive drinking.
Although Jesse understood that he drank in an irresponsible and hazardous manner, he never believed that he was an individual who was addicted to alcohol. So it was a rude awakening when Jesse started to experience alcohol withdrawals around three hours after getting locked up in jail.
To treat his alcohol withdrawals in a safe manner, Jesse was taken to a rehab center for alcohol detoxification and then returned to the municipal jail. While locked up in the municipal jail Jesse undertook alcohol rehabilitation but since he received this therapy as something that was forced upon him, he was unsuccessful in taking ownership of his irresponsible and abusive drinking.
When his time behind bars was finished, the magistrate without wavering announced to Jesse that he would be under strict observation and would be mandated to take periodic blood alcohol tests.
Jessie’s Abusive Drinking Prevents Him From Living in a Productive and Mature Manner
After hearing how Jesse neglected to take ownership of his drinking situation and how he reluctantly followed the rehab protocol while in the city jail, the judge knew that it was basically a matter of time before he would be seeing Jesse once again in court about his irresponsible and hazardous drinking behavior. As the magistrate thought about Jesse’s situation, he couldn’t help but think about how some people never “connect the dots” and learn how to live in an accountable and productive manner.
Filed under Health by on Nov 6th, 2009. 
It is interesting to articulate something that family members who have been harmfully affected by the alcoholism of another family member plainly do not comprehend. It seems that by shielding the alcohol dependent individual with falsehoods and deceit to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have in actual fact created a circumstance that makes it easier for the alcohol addicted person to persevere and press forward with his or her unsafe, destructive way of living.
Undeniably, rather than helping the alcohol addicted person and themselves, these family members have essentially become enablers who have involuntarily helped worsen the alcohol dependent individual’s drinking problem even more.
Perhaps the real downside of this is that the alcohol dependent person will continue drinking in a hazardous and irresponsible manner and go through various “alcohol side effects.” Some of these side effects include legal issues (such as getting arrested for one or more DWIs), diminished mental functioning, deteriorating relationships, serious financial problems, ill health, and employment difficulties.
The Probability of a Relapse is Real
According to the research findings and statistics on alcohol addiction, another key alcoholism issue concerns alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcohol dependent individual has effectively gone through alcoholism rehab and then returns to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first thought, this circumstance flies in the face of sound thinking and looks so implausible that it forces an individual to wonder why anyone who has gone through the misery of alcohol addiction can return to drinking a short while after successful alcohol rehab and in turn after reaching sobriety. There are, without a doubt, many conceivable reasons for this.
It should be highlighted, conversely that alcoholism research that has centered on the long-term consequences of alcohol dependency has demonstrated-proven that long after the alcoholic has discontinued his or her drinking, major transformations in the way in which the alcohol addicted individual’s brain works are still present. As a result, all a recovering alcohol dependent individual has to do to involve himself or herself in behaviors that correspond with the changes that have occurred in the brain is to begin drinking once again.
The Need for A Significant Lifestyle Change
There are other reasons why many recovering alcohol dependent persons return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after achieving sobriety. In accordance to the alcoholism research literature, to make an effective recovery, the alcohol addicted individual needs new ways of responding and thinking in order to deal more effectively with tough alcohol-related situations that will take place.
Conditions such as returning to the same alcohol addictive atmosphere or to the same geographic location; interacting once again with friends from the time when the alcohol addicted individual was drinking abusively; or familiar songs, smells, or activities—all of these circumstances can bring about memories that can set off psychological tension or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcoholic to engage in hazardous drinking once again. Regrettably, all of these situations may not only counteract long lasting alcohol recovery for the alcoholic but they can also result in relapse and as a result work against one’s sobriety.
The Good News: There’s a Lot of Hope for Lasting Sobriety
In an attempt to “protect” the family alcohol dependent individual, family members can in fact cause inadvertent destruction by enabling the destructive drinking behavior of the alcohol addicted person.
The addiction research literature highlights the fact that most people who successfully complete alcohol therapy experience at least one relapse. Alcoholics and their family members need to know this so that they do not get defeated or overwhelmed when a relapse takes place.
Happily, taking part in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up counseling and education have resulted in more productive, long-term alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction therapeutic results, have helped diminish alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcoholics reach ongoing sobriety.
Filed under Health by on Nov 5th, 2009.
Daniel had been engaging in abusive drinking behavior since her freshman year in college. Now, five years later, she drank more than ever. One Monday night when she wasn’t feeling all that well, Daniel decided to stay home, unwind, and watch TV.
While seeking to find a special program to watch that would capture her attention, she instantly became attracted to a program about young adult and adolescent drinking difficulties.
When Common Alcoholism Signs and Symptoms are Displayed by Individuals Dependent on Alcohol
The commenter articulated the difference between alcohol abuse and alcoholism and then got into the subject of alcohol addiction symptoms and alcoholism warning signs. When the narrator went into detail about a person’s alcoholic behavior and some of the more usual alcoholic symptoms and signs that alcohol addicted people reveal, Daniel got quite alarmed because it virtually seemed as if the commenter was talking explicitly to her.
After watching the TV documentary, Daniel promised herself that she would call her physician the next business day and make an appointment to discuss her drinking behavior.
When the next workday arrived, true to her word, Daniel called her doctor and made an appointment. While she was waiting for the day of her appointment to arrive, she went on the web and did a search for alcoholic symptoms. Especially noteworthy were the following signs or symptoms: sleep problems, substantial relationship and work-related problems, making excuses to drink at virtually every opportunity, sneaking extra drinks before social events, and increasing irritability.
Simply put, since Daniel experienced all of these symptoms she went deeper in her Internet search and found quite a lot of websites and blogs that discussed different alcohol dependency warning signs and symptoms.
One of the signs that really caught her interest was the following: “Do you often drink after telling yourself that you won’t?” While Daniel never accepted the fact that she may have a serious drinking difficulty, after reading about the various alcohol addiction warning signs and symptoms, she couldn’t reject the fact that for the past ten or eleven months, she frequently tried but was unsuccessful at greatly decreasing her drinking or stopping entirely.
When Coworkers and Friends Pester You by Passing Judgment on Your Hazardous Drinking Behavior
Another alcohol dependency sign that took hold of her awareness was the following: “Have relatives aggravated you by condemning your drinking behavior?” When Daniel read this she without delay recalled a recent squabble she had with her husband about her excessive drinking. Additionally, Daniel visibly thought about a recent disagreement she had with her parents about her abusive drinking behavior. Due to the fact that Daniel sincerely believed that she didn’t have a drinking problem, when family members talked about her drinking behavior she naturally got aggravated and irritated.
A third alcoholic warning sign was the following: “Do you crave a drink when you first get up in the morning?” Until now, Daniel had been dishonest with herself about her drinking behavior. After reading about the aforementioned alcoholism warning signs, however, she knew if she was really being straightforward with herself that she was facing a significant drinking problem, especially given the fact that she now felt that she required a drink the first thing when she got up to lessen her tension.
What is more, the next alcoholism warning sign really got her thinking: “Do you drink to avoid difficulties or worries?” When she reflected on her life for a few moments, she comprehended that almost in every difficult circumstance in the past six or seven months, she told herself that she needed a drink to help manage the stressful situations in her life.
The final alcoholism warning sign that made her feel rather apprehensive about her drinking situation was the following: “Has your motivation declined since you started drinking more repeatedly?” When Daniel read this sign she plainly realized that drinking had become a critical issue in her life because of her lack of energy and also because she gave up pursuing her passions and her dreams.
Summary: When Dejection Turns Into Something Wonderful and A Sense of Optimism
After thinking about all of these injurious alcohol dependency signs and symptoms, Daniel at first felt miserable. Then something remarkable happened. She realized that she was going to see her doctor about her drinking and she also realized that she would discuss all of the above alcoholic warning signs and symptoms with her. In truth, for the first time in more than a few months, Daniel truthfully felt a sense of optimism because she was facing her drinking issues and was after all has been said and done ready to make the necessary modifications so that she could reclaim the life that was slipping away.
Filed under Health by on Nov 3rd, 2009.
For several years alcohol addiction exploration has demonstrated the fact that there is strong linkage between alcoholism and serious health conditions.
As an illustration, in 2005, scientific examination and alcohol abuse and alcoholism statistics revealed that alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction cost the United States an estimated $220 billion per year. It may be noted that this massive alcohol-related cost was significantly more than the cost associated with cancer ($196 billion) or with obesity ($133 billion). While it is relevant to emphasize these facts, it is also important to point out that an interrelationship exists between all three of these health issues.
To be more precise, chronic alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency are also highly interrelated with obesity and with cancer.
Definitely, substance abuse examination has shown that alcohol addiction can increase the risk for different types of cancer, particularly cancer of the colon, voice box (larynx), liver, rectum, throat, kidneys, and the esophagus. Hazardous and repetitive drinking can also lead to immune system issues and harm to the fetus during pregnancy.
Hazardous and Excessive Drinking Enfeebles the Individual’s Systems and Organs
What is more, if alcoholism continues over a period of years, the person’s body organs will likely be affected in a negative manner. For instance, long-term, abusive drinking is especially hurtful to the liver since the liver does most of the work of processing the alcohol that has been ingested. Unwarranted amounts of alcohol kills liver cells and eradicates the ability of liver cells to regenerate. This medical circumstance leads to a progressive inflammatory malfunction of the liver that can in due course lead to cirrhosis of the liver, an acute and potentially fatal 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 dangerous may be irreparable and may, in turn, lead to severe disease or an early death.
The Significance of Alcohol Rehabilitation
It is essential, then, to know how to recognize the various alcoholism symptoms and the “alcohol signs” so that the alcohol addicted individual can be given the opportunity to seek the professional alcohol rehab he or she needs.
Alcohol Addiction and Sophisticated Brain Exploration
Fortunately, scientific research is constantly generating innovative and important information. Recent alcoholism exploration supplies an excellent illustration. More exactly, for roughly the past ten years, sophisticated brain-imaging scanning instruments have shown that repetitive and chronic excessive drinking modifies the configuration of the brain to a great extent, therefore resulting in brain disease that can last months, years, or perhaps as long as the individual lives.
More exactly, medical investigation has shown that people who have been drinking in an irresponsible manner for an extensive length of time increase their risk for developing lasting and substantial 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 illustration of various medical problems that are considerably related to alcohol dependency, take into consideration the fact that according to medical investigation, the excessive and repeated abuse of alcohol can result in erosive gastritis, a health problem that limits the absorption of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.
This kind of organ failure is associated with malnutrition and to an array of severe mental and neurological syndromes including memory loss, sleep disturbances, and psychosis such as Wernicke’s Encephalopathy and Korsakoff’s syndrome. This latter medical condition is a long lasting incapacitating medical condition that is typified by persistent learning and memory complications.
Conclusion
It is evident that repetitive, excessive drinking is directly or indirectly associated with a variety of critical medical problems that can and do result in serious ailments and premature death. Such information needs to be stressed and presented to everyone in our society so that a massive amount of people will be able to abstain from abusive drinking while other people who have a drinking problem will get the quality rehab they require.
Filed under Health by on Nov 3rd, 2009.
Teresa was a forty-six-year-old financial analyst who realized that she had a problem with her drinking. For instance, within the past six months she has experienced the need to have one or two drinks before going to work, two weeks ago she failed a random urine alcohol test at her place of employment, three months ago she got pulled over by the police for “driving under the influence”, and last but not least, for nearly two months she has begun to fail to remember what she does and says when she drinks.
Not unlike multitudes of other individuals, Teresa’s alcohol involvement began at a “snail’s pace” and continued at this level for quite a long period of time because every once in a while she engaged in occasional social drinking. As a matter of fact, for about nine months, every time she drank, she made sure to drink in moderation. Something about her drinking situation, however, seemed to totally change when she divorced her husband.
In Order To Endure the Divorce of Her Husband In a More Pain Free Manner, Teresa Made Up Her Mind To Start Palling Around More Regularly With Some of Her Buddies Who Love to Whoop it Up and Drink
Teresa got awfully dejected about the divorce from her husband, and as a way to refrain from obsessing about her dismal emotions she made up her mind that she would start palling around more routinely with some of her pals who love to ”get down” and drink.
Quite candidly, Teresa concluded that having fun nearly every day by drinking and partying with her buddies would help her come to terms with the breakup of her husband in a more pain free manner.
Teresa’s Drinking Escalates Greatly the More Habitually She Goes to Private Parties, Dinner Dates, Family Get-Togethers, Sporting Events, and Happy Hours With Her Friends
It didn’t take long, nevertheless, before her drinking escalated significantly the more routinely she went to and drank at dinner dates, private parties, family get-togethers, sporting events, and happy hours with her pals. Not only this, but the fact that her drinking buddies were all many years younger than she was and therefore able to drink more intensely was one of the reasons that she didn’t direct more of her attention to her increased drinking. In a word, she was drinking and having fun just like everyone else in her group of friends without giving much thought to the negative effects of her excessive drinking.
Yet someplace in her mind she realized that she more likely than not needed alcohol rehabilitation but sidestepped the thought as much as humanly possible.
Teresa Gets a Physical Exam, ”Comes Clean” About Her Abusive and Irresponsible Drinking to Her Healthcare Practitioner, and Admits Her Melancholy
One late afternoon during her twelve month physical examination, her doctor asked her if she drank alcohol. Not wanting to tell falsehoods to her healthcare professional, Teresa acknowledged that she frequently drinks more than she should. As a matter of fact, she said that she routinely drinks in an excessive and irresponsible manner. Then Teresa told her healthcare professional about her depression. More plainly, she mentioned that shattered relationships frequently started a dismal sequence of events characterized by increased drinking which further led to more disheartening feelings that, in turn, resulted in even more drinking. And this is specifically what happened when her husband and she got divorced three years ago.
When her healthcare practitioner heard this, he told Teresa that according to various alcoholism facts and statistics on alcoholism he was researching, alcoholism and depression many times occur in the same person. He then informed Teresa that some of the alcohol statistics, facts, and research investigations he has been looking into also underline the fact that individuals who drink in an irresponsible and hazardous manner and who also suffer from depression need to receive treatment for both medical situations.
Teresa’s Physician Schedules an Appointment for a Psychological Assessment and For an Alcohol Dependency and Alcohol Abuse Assessment
Teresa’s doctor then said the following: “I am not trying to make a sudden judgment, but with your medical condition we may be facing two separate issues. As a consequence, I think we ought to schedule an appointment for you to get an alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency assessment from my partner, Dr. Ballas, who is an alcohol and drug abuse specialist. Whether your drinking situation is more correlated with alcohol dependency or alcohol abuse is not clear at this time, but I believe that further assessment is needed. Then I feel we should make an appointment for you to get a psychological evaluation from another one of my partners, Dr. Bodnar, who is a clinical psychologist. I want to get a better grip on your dejection and see how much your drinking and depression are interrelated.” Teresa showed her approval of her physician’s plan of attack and thanked him for his help and concern. Now all she had to do was to try to trim down on her drinking and wait for her appointments.
Filed under Health by on Oct 27th, 2009.