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

If you have hopelessly struggled to discontinue your drinking or if you have given your word to yourself that your drinking days are gone and then you recognized that you were drinking in an excessive way just a few days later, chances are very good that you have drinking problems. The fundamental idea is that if you have made an effort to quit drinking and cannot get this done, then your drinking is controlling you, instead of the other way around.

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

You may be telling yourself that the reasoning for your drinking is so that you can lower your stress or get rid of the distress that you feel. In a similar manner, you may be trying to stay away from an unsafe circumstance and may be looking for something better, more favorable, or less mournful.

As you keep on drinking, nevertheless, you will realize that drinking does not produce the same high and you will also realize that drinking doesn’t help remove whatever produced your problem in the first place.

As you continue to drink in an excessive manner, sadly, you may become an alcoholic and, as a result, you may add another essential difficulty to manage rather than discovering more efficient and healthy ways of coping with your alcohol induced issues.

The Requirement for an Alcohol Assessment

If you have determined that you have a problem with your drinking, conceivably the best thing you can do for yourself is to call your doctor or healthcare practitioner and schedule an appointment for a thorough physical and for an assessment of your drinking activities.

If you truthfully feel that you have a dangerous problem with your drinking, it might be a good idea to get prepared to find out that you need to get alcohol treatment.

At this point in time, what are your choices? You can certainly refuse to see your doctor and continue your pattern of irresponsible drinking.

It certainly doesn’t take a rocket scientist, then again, to comprehend that chronic, out-of-control drinking, if left untreated, will deteriorate over time and most likely lead to an early death. As a result, your best choice is to address your drinking situation and get the alcohol therapy you need.

The Deceit of the Functioning Alcohol Dependent Person

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

Many of these “functional” alcoholics may have never been arrested for drunk driving and may have been fortunate enough to avoid all alcohol induced legal predicaments. Despite this fortunate circumstance, on the other hand, these alcohol dependent individuals need to drink in order to deal with life on a day to day basis while maintaining their facade as they associate with the outside world.

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 articulate the reality of the drinker’s situation and the facts about the alcohol addicted individual’s drinking circumstances and about his or her alcohol-related predicaments.

Why Do Individuals Addicted to Alcohol Fail to Address Their Drinking Difficulties?

As alcohol dependency research and statistics on alcohol abuse have highlighted, no matter how clear the alcohol-related problems seem to those who interact with the alcohol dependent person, alcohol dependent people typically deny that drinking is the basis of their alcohol produced problems. Not only this, but alcohol dependent people often blame their alcohol induced predicaments on other people or upon other circumstances that surround them instead of seeing their part in the issue.

The source of the problem is that alcohol dependency is a disease of the brain. Once the person has become alcohol dependent, he or she characteristically 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 often thwarts the alcohol addicted individual’s rare attempts to abruptly quit drinking. As grim as the alcohol dependent person’s way of life is, nonetheless, the encouraging news is that quality assistance is widely accessible – if the alcohol dependent person reaches out and seeks alcoholism rehabilitation.

Summary

Admitting the fact that drinking is producing issues in your daily functioning is probably the simplest way to determine if you have a drinking problem. Stated more precisely, if your drinking is bringing about difficulties 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 tackled.

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

While some people may be able to identify their “alcohol signs,” pinpoint their difficulties, and greatly reduce the quantity and occurrence of their drinking, other individuals, nonetheless, need to tackle their drinking difficulties by getting quality alcohol counseling. Additionally, due to their penchant to deny the facts and bend the truth, alcohol dependent people definitely require professional alcohol rehabilitation for their irresponsible drinking.

Teresa was a thirty-year-old fashion designer who realized that she had a drinking problem. As an illustration, within the past month she has felt the need to have a drink or two before going to work, two months ago she failed to pass a random urine alcohol test at work, seven weeks ago she got arrested by the police for “driving under the influence”, and finally, for nearly two months she has started to fail to remember what she does and says when she drinks with her pals.

Not unlike huge numbers of other people, Teresa’s experiences with alcohol began slowly and remained at this pace for quite some time due to the fact every so often she engaged in intermittent social drinking. In point of fact, for around two years, every time she went out with her buddies to drink, she made sure to drink in a responsible manner. Something about her drinking situation, nevertheless, seemed to totally change when she divorced her husband.

So She Can Endure the Breakup of Her Husband With Less Sorrow, Teresa Determined That She Will Begin Hanging Around More Repeatedly With Some of Her Friends Who Love to Have Fun and Drink

Teresa got dreadfully despondent about the loss of her husband, and as a way to stop dwelling on her discouraging emotions she determined that she would begin hanging out more frequently with some of her buddies who love to drink.

Quite honestly, Teresa figured that having fun almost every day by getting an alcohol “buzz” with her buddies would help her come to terms with the breakup of her husband more rapidly.

Teresa’s Drinking Escalates Significantly the More Often She Goes to Sporting Events, Happy Hours, Private Parties, Dinner Dates, and Family Get-Togethers With Her Buddies

It didn’t take long, nevertheless, before her drinking increased to a significant degree the more frequently she went to and drank at happy hours, private parties, family get-togethers, dinner dates, and sporting events with her buddies. Moreover, the fact that her drinking friends were all quite a bit younger than she was and therefore able to drink and party more frequently and harder was one of the reasons why she didn’t concentrate more on her increased drinking. In a word, she was drinking and having tons of fun just like everyone else in her group of pals without paying much attention to the unhealthy results of her hazardous and irresponsible drinking.

Yet somewhere in the recesses of her mind she realized that she most probably needed alcohol rehab but stayed away from the thought as much as humanly possible.

Teresa Gets a Physical Exam, Owns up to the Truth About Her Irresponsible and Hazardous Drinking to Her Physician, and Owns Up to the Truth About Her General State of Despair

One late afternoon during her annual physical exam, her doctor asked her if she drank alcohol. Not wanting to lie to her healthcare practitioner, Teresa owned up to the truth that she often drinks more than she should. In truth, she stated that she frequently drinks in an excessive manner. Then Teresa informed her healthcare professional about her constant negativity. More explicitly, she mentioned that shattered relationships often caused a negative chain of events characterized by increased drinking which further led to more depressing feelings that, in turn, resulted in more drinking. And this is exactly what happened when she and her husband got divorced eight months ago.

When her physician heard this, he told Teresa that according to various alcoholism facts and statistics on alcoholism he was investigating, alcoholism and depression commonly happen in the same individual. He then informed her that some of the alcohol statistics, research investigations, and facts he has been looking into also underline the fact that people who drink in an irresponsible and hazardous manner and who also suffer from depression need to receive treatment for both medical situations.

Teresa’s Doctor Makes an Appointment for a Psychological Evaluation and For an Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Appraisal

Teresa’s healthcare practitioner then stated the following: “I am not trying to make an overly quick judgment, but with your medical condition we may be dealing with two separate matters. Consequently, I think we ought to make an appointment for you to get an alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse assessment from my partner, Dr. Cerny, who is an alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse specialist. Whether your drinking situation is more linked to alcohol dependency or alcohol abuse is unknown, but I think that further exploration is defensible. Then I feel we should schedule an appointment for you to get a psychological assessment from another one of my partners, Dr. Rudnick, who is a psychologist. I want to get a deeper understanding about your sadness and see how much your drinking and depression are correlated.” Teresa expressed her approval of her healthcare professional’s strategy and thanked him for his assistance. Now all she had to do was to try to lessen her drinking and wait for her appointments.

Dante was a seventeen year old high school senior who was displaying several alcohol-related problems at school. As a result, the principal informed him that he had to see Miss Johnson, the school therapist, before he would be allowed to come back to school.

Later that afternoon when Dante went home after school, he had to go over his school discharge with his Mom and Dad. His parents were “relatively old fashioned” and told Dante that getting removed from school was not a doable educational plan of action. They explained to Dante that failing to graduate from high school would likely be like a lead weight around his legs that could probably impede his educational aspirations for the rest of his adult life. What is more, Dante’s Mother and Father were quite dismayed that he was drinking in the first place and drinking with his friends in the second.

His Mother and Father explained to Dante that even though he may be a teenager, he needs to realize without much delay that drinking is the map to ill health, failure, pain, and financial problems.

It was plain to see that his Mom and Dad were out and out in full accord with Dante’s principal and explained to Dante that he needs to see Miss Johnson, the school counselor. After his talk with his Mom and Dad, Dante at long last agreed to see Miss Johnson the next day. So Dante called the school and scheduled an appointment to see Miss Johnson the next day during his first period class.

The Therapist Asks Dante if He Knows Why His Recent Alcohol-Related Activities Were Such a Cause For Concern By the School Administrators

When Dante got to his scheduled appointment with Miss Johnson, she promptly looked at all of the alcohol-related problems Dante had gotten into and asked him if he understood why his recent alcohol-related actions were such a cause for concern.

Quite sincerely, Dante questioned why the principal told him he had to see a school therapist. As he expressed to Miss Johnson, why should he see a professional psychologist about his drinking behavior? Because nearly all of his classmates drink the same amount that he does, fundamentally, drinking shouldn’t be such a big deal. Stated more precisely, if nearly everyone is drinking, why is this such a big deal?

Miss Johnson asked Dante when he started to drink alcoholic beverages. He said that some of his older classmates introduced him to drinking beer when he was twelve or thirteen years old and getting ready to enter the seventh grade.

Miss Johnson told Dante that while his pals may in fact drink more than he does and that they may be an unhealthy influence on him, the facts are that he is the one who is getting kicked out of school due to alcohol-related delinquency, absenteeism, and fighting, not his peers. Moreover, Miss Johnson also stressed the fact that Dante, and not his peers, is the one who is failing and who is missing almost two days of school per week because of his alcohol related problems. Finally, Miss Johnson emphasized the fact that due to his drinking situation, Dante is getting into a destructive cycle of hazardous drinking that can in due course wreck his aspirations, hopes, and dreams.

In short, Dante’s involvement with teenage alcohol abuse was starting to foil his ability to act like a responsible young man. As verbalized by Miss Johnson, “Just because most of your pals drink wine coolers, beer, hard liquor, or wine does not mean that it is the healthiest thing in the world for you.”

Dante Learns That Eventually He Must Claim Responsibility For Himself In Order to Stay Away From Dangerous, Unhealthy, Damaging, and Destructive Consequences In the Future

Miss Johnson told Dante that one’s pals can without a doubt influence a person in an unhealthy manner, but that the person himself or herself has to eventually claim responsibility for herself or himself in order to keep away from dangerous, destructive, damaging, and unhealthy situations in the foreseeable future.

Fortunately, Miss Johnson was well prepared for her scheduled time with Dante. She showed him research studies and reports she had underlined that outlined diverse drinking facts and statistics that targeted most people in general. Then she showed Dante quite a lot of information that applied especially to adolescents.

For instance, Miss Johnson highlighted the difference between alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction and explained to Dante that drinkers who continue to drink in an excessive manner commonly become alcoholic.

Miss Johnson also explained the concept of binge drinking which she defined as follows: drinking five or more drinks in one sitting for males and consuming four or more drinks in one sitting for females.

The Counselor Verbalizes More Than a Few Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Facts and Statistics

Then Miss Johnson listed various alcohol facts and the following eight alcohol abuse statistics:

1. Alcohol is a contributing factor in roughly 50% of America’s suicides, accidental deaths, and suicides.

2. Accidents related to alcohol are the leading cause of deaths among adolescents.

3. Each year in the United States, approximately 5,000 young people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking. This includes around 1,900 fatalities from motor vehicle crashes.

4. Research has demonstrated that U.S. teenagers who drink alcohol are 50 times more likely to use cocaine than teenagers who never consume alcohol.

5. Approximately 1,700 college students in the United States are killed annually–approximately 4.65 a day–as a result of injuries that are alcohol related.

6. In 2005, 2.1 million American college students between the ages of 18 and 24 claimed that they engage in driving under the influence of alcohol.

7. The World Health Organization estimates that nearly 76 million people throughout the world suffer from disorders that are related to alcohol abuse or alcohol dependency.

8. According to recent drug and alcohol abuse studies, it has been learned that roughly 53% of the adults in the U.S. have stated that one or more of their close family members is a problem drinker.

Dante Gets A Relevant Primer on the Facts About the Long Term and the Short Term Effects of Teenage Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Dependency

After Miss Johnson articulated the aforementioned alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse facts and statistics, it was apparent that what Miss Johnson disclosed to Dante was a real surprise to him. Why? Because for the first time in his young life, someone not only took the time to go over the long term and the short term consequences of alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse, but she also took the time to corroborate what she was saying with alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction statistics and facts that related to everyone, and chiefly to young people.

As a matter of fact, it was almost as if a light went on and Dante instantly understood why he should not be engaging in excessive and abusive drinking with or without his friends any longer. Dante thanked Miss Johnson for her concern and for the materials she discussed.

Miss Johnson then asked Dante how he felt about getting a physical examination and an alcohol evaluation for the alcohol abuse or alcoholism rehab he would probably need.

Dante thought about this for few minutes and then agreed to get a thorough physical examination and to go through an extensive evaluation of his drinking situation so that he could start an alcohol rehabilitation program in a practical time frame.

Jennifer is a twenty-nine-year-old controller who has been drinking quite abusively since her fiancée and she broke off their relationship. In actual fact, for the past six months she has been drinking very nearly one-and-a-half bottles of wine every night, and on the weekends she also has been drinking a number mixed drinks throughout the day. In a word, Jennifer has been drinking so excessively and abusively that it’s a miracle that she hasn’t suffered from alcohol poisoning.

After feeling discouraged because she was beginning to forget about the importance of her health, Jennifer finally told herself that enough is enough, that it’s time to stop feeling sorry for herself, that it’s time to stop the excessive and hazardous drinking, and time to make a new start with her life. So the next Saturday morning at 8:00 AM, she determined that she would quit drinking suddenly and completely without preparation or planning.

When She Quit Drinking She Felt Terrible, She Had Utterly No Appetite, She Was Extremely Restless and Moody, She Started to Perspire Profusely, She Vomited Numerous Times, and Her Head Was Pounding

When Jennifer stopped drinking, she figured that she would probably be tempted to take a couple of drinks, but she never guessed that she would feel so sick. More correctly, roughly two-and-a-half hours after she quit drinking, she started to sweat profusely, she had absolutely no appetite, she was extremely tense and moody, she vomited numerous times, and her head was aching.

When she called her best friend and informed her that she had quit drinking and that after a few hours she abruptly began experiencing flu-like symptoms, Marie, her best pal, told Jennifer to call her medical practitioner and discuss what was transpiring.

She Admits to Her Healthcare Professional That She Has Been Drinking In a Hazardous and Excessive Manner, That She Just Tried to Stop Drinking, and That She is Going Through Extremely Unpleasant Flu-Like Symptoms

So Jennifer called her healthcare practitioner, told him that she has been drinking in an irresponsible manner for a number of months and that when she attempted to abruptly quit drinking earlier in the day, within a few hours she felt as if she had the most awful flu-like symptoms that she had ever suffered through.

Her medical practitioner told her that she may be going through symptoms of alcohol withdrawal and that she should have a neighbor or relative take her to the emergency room as soon as possible.

As soon as Jennifer got off the phone, she got a friend 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.

Apparently her healthcare professional had phoned ahead and told the emergency room treatment team to expect Jennifer because when she got to the hospital, she was met by two ER workers who without hesitation asked her to get in the wheelchair they had with them. After getting moved to the emergency room and undergoing two or three necessary tests, it was substantiated that Jennifer was in truth going through alcohol withdrawal symptoms and was in need of alcohol detoxification.

A healthcare professional administered some meds to lessen the discomfort of her flu-like symptoms and also administered some meds to help get rid of the alcohol that was still in her circulation system.

A Drug and Alcohol Addiction Healthcare Professional Explains in a Clear Fashion That She is an Alcoholic and Then Discusses What Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms and Alcohol Dependency Stages Are

After a few hours, Jennifer was transferred from the ER and transported to the recovery room. After she was in recovery for about three hours, Doctor Carlson, an alcohol addiction specialist, came to talk to her. He took his time and explained that Jennifer had experienced alcohol withdrawal symptoms when she quit drinking due to the fact that she had become an alcoholic.

He then elucidated the fact that with heavy drinking on an everyday basis, the individual’s brain little by little adjusts to the alcohol in order to work in a “semi-normal” way. When the individual then abruptly abstains from drinking alcohol, however, the brain takes action by giving rise to alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Furthermore, her doctor also went over the various alcoholism stages that an alcohol addicted individual regularly goes through as the disease progressively gets worse.

It is Confirmed that Jennifer is in the First Stage of Alcohol Dependency and She Receives a Favorable Prognosis For a Full Recovery if She Gets the Alcohol Addiction Therapy She Requires

Fortunately for Jennifer, it was determined that she was in the first stage of alcoholism and, consequently, she obtained a good projection for a full recovery if she receives the alcoholism therapy she requires.

Jennifer told the healthcare professional that she will do whatever it takes to get sober and to re-establish her health. She also mentioned that she has an outstanding hospitalization insurance plan that will quite possibly pay for most of the costs needed for treatment. It was obvious that Jennifer was extremely thankful about her optimistic medical forecast and felt reassured knowing that she will be able to get the alcoholism rehab she needs so that she can start on the road to recovery.

Jennifer is a thirty-eight-year-old accounts receivable clerk who has been drinking in an abusive manner since her fiancée and she decided to discontinue their relationship.  In actual fact, for the past ten months she has been drinking nearly one-and-a-half bottles of wine every night, and on the weekends she also has been drinking a number bottles of beer during the day.  In short, Jennifer has been drinking so abusively and hazardously that it’s a wonder that she hasn’t suffered from alcohol poisoning.

After feeling unhappy because she was beginning to overlook her health, Jennifer finally told herself that enough is enough, that it’s time to stop the self pity party, that it’s time to quit the abusive and hazardous drinking, and time to move on with her life.  So the following Saturday morning at 10:00 AM, she decided to stop drinking completely and suddenly without preparation or planning.

When She Quit Drinking She Felt Terrible, 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 Jennifer quit drinking, she reasoned that she would more likely than not be tempted to have a couple of drinks, but she never supposed that she would feel so dreadful.  More specifically, about an hour after she stopped drinking, she had absolutely no appetite, her head was aching, she started to sweat extensively, she was extremely moody and restless, and she vomited a number of times.

When she called her best buddy and informed her that she had stopped drinking and that after a few hours she without any warning began experiencing flu-like symptoms, Ellen, her best pal, told Jennifer to call her healthcare practitioner and explain in a clear manner what was going on.

She Admits to Her Family Doctor That She Has Been Drinking In an Excessive and Hazardous Manner, That She Just Tried to Quit Drinking, and That She is Going Through Extremely Painful Flu-Like Symptoms

So Jennifer called her healthcare practitioner, informed him that she has been drinking in an irresponsible manner for more than a few months and that when she tried to abruptly quit drinking earlier in the day, within a few hours she felt as if she had the most terrible flu-like symptoms that she had ever gone through.

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

As soon as Jennifer got off the phone, she got a friend to drive her to the hospital.  Interestingly, all the way to the hospital, as sick as Jennifer felt, the only thing she could think about was whether or not she might be an alcoholic.

Evidently her healthcare practitioner had phoned ahead and informed the emergency room treatment team to expect Jennifer because when she got to the hospital, she was met by two nurses who without hesitation told her to get in the wheelchair they had with them.  After getting transferred to the emergency room and undergoing two or three essential tests, it was validated that Jennifer was in fact experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms and was in need of alcohol detoxification.

A healthcare professional gave her some medications to lessen her flu-like symptoms and also gave her some medications to help eliminate the alcohol that was still in her system.

An Alcohol and Drug Abuse Healthcare Professional Explains in a Clear Manner That She is Dependent on Alcohol and Then Discusses What Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms and Alcohol Addiction Stages Are

After a couple of hours, Jennifer was transferred from the ER and wheeled to the recovery room.  After she was in recovery for just about three-and-a-half hours, Doctor Levine, a drug and alcohol abuse specialist, came to talk to her.  He took plenty of time and explained that Jennifer had gone through alcohol withdrawal symptoms when she quit drinking due to the fact that she had become dependent on alcohol.

He then explained that with heavy drinking on an everyday basis, the individual’s brain over time adjusts to the alcohol so that it can execute tasks and operations in a “normal” manner.  When the individual then all at once refrains from drinking alcohol, it can be pointed out, the brain takes action by eliciting alcohol withdrawal symptoms.  In addition, her physician also explained in a clear fashion the different alcoholism stages that an alcoholic commonly suffers through as the disease gets progressively worse over time.

It is Established that Jennifer is in the First Stage of Alcohol Addiction and She Gets a Good Projection For a Total Recovery if She Gets the Alcohol Therapy She Requires

Fortunately for Jennifer, it was discovered that she was in the first stage of alcohol dependency and, as a consequence, she got a good forecast for a total recovery if she gets the alcohol dependency therapy she needs.

Jennifer told the healthcare practitioner that she will do whatever it takes to get sober and to re-establish her life.  She also stated that she has an exceptional hospitalization insurance plan that will probably pay for most of the costs required for treatment.  It was apparent that Jennifer was extremely pleased with her encouraging medical forecast and felt free from anxiety knowing that she will be able to get the alcoholism therapy she needs so that she can begin the road to recovery.

Teresa was a thirty-year-old public relations manager who knew that she had some drinking issues. As an illustration, within the past three months she has felt the need to have several drinks before going to work, three months ago she tested positive for a breathalyzer test where she is employed, three months ago she got arrested by the state highway patrol for a DWI, and finally, for nearly three months she has begun to forget what she does and says when she drinks with her buddies.

Like hosts of other individuals, Teresa’s alcohol involvement began slowly and stayed at this pace for quite a long period of time due to the fact once in a “blue moon” she engaged in intermittent social drinking. In truth, for nearly two years, every time she drank, she made sure to drink responsibly. Something about her drinking activities, nonetheless, seemed to completely change when she got divorced.

So She Can Endure the Divorce of Her Husband With Less Misery, Teresa Came to a Decision That She Will Begin Going Out More Frequently With Some of Her Pals Who Love to ”Get Down” and Drink

Teresa got especially despondent about the loss of her husband, and as a way to refrain from obsessing about her dismal emotions she determined that she would start going out more often with some of her friends who love to drink.

Quite sincerely, Teresa reasoned that having fun almost every day by getting a “buzz” by drinking with her friends would help her get beyond the divorce of her husband in a less wearisome manner.

Teresa’s Drinking Increases Considerably the More Frequently She Goes to Happy Hours, Family Get-Togethers, Private Parties, Sporting Events, and Dinner Dates With Her Friends

It didn’t take very long, nevertheless, before her drinking escalated significantly the more often she went to and drank at dinner dates, sporting events, happy hours, private parties, and family get-togethers with her buddies. Not only this, but the fact that her drinking buddies were all quite a few years younger than she was and therefore able to party harder and more frequently was one of the reasons that she didn’t direct more of her attention to her increased drinking. Simply put, she was having fun drinking just like everybody else in her group of buddies without giving much thought to the negative effects of her irresponsible and hazardous drinking.

Yet somewhere in her awareness she realized that she more likely than not needed alcohol treatment but kept away from the thought as much as she could.

Teresa Gets a Physical Examination, Acknowledges Her Irresponsible and Abusive Drinking to Her Doctor, and Owns Up to the Truth About Her General State of Gloom

One afternoon during her annual physical exam, her healthcare practitioner asked her if she drank alcohol. Not wanting to lie to her physician, Teresa disclosed the truth that she routinely drinks more than she should. In actual fact, she articulated that she routinely drinks in an excessive and hazardous manner. Then Teresa told her physician about her general state of despair. More explicitly, she stated that wrecked relationships frequently elicited a depressing progression of events characterized by increased drinking which further led to more dismal feelings that, in turn, resulted in more drinking. And this is specifically what took place when her husband and she got divorced seven months ago.

When her physician heard this, he told Teresa that according to various alcoholism facts and statistics on alcoholism he was researching, alcoholism and depression often happen in the same person. He then told her that some of the alcohol statistics, research investigations, and facts he has been looking into also stress the fact that individuals who drink in an excessive and irresponsible manner and who also go through depression need to receive treatment for both medical circumstances.

Teresa’s Healthcare Professional Makes an Appointment for a Psychological Appraisal and For an Alcohol Addiction and Alcohol Abuse Assessment

Teresa’s healthcare practitioner then stated the following: “I am not trying to make an overly quick diagnosis, but with your medical condition we may be confronting two separate concerns. Consequently, I think we ought to make an appointment for you to get an alcoholism and alcohol abuse assessment from my partner, Dr.
Glosik, who is an alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency specialist. Whether your drinking situation is more related to alcohol abuse or alcohol dependency is not clear at this time, but I feel that further exploration is reasonable. Then I think we ought to schedule an appointment for you to get a psychological examination from another one of my partners, Dr. Manning, who is a psychologist. I want to get a better grip on your depression and see how much your depression and drinking are interlinked.” Teresa showed her endorsement of her doctor’s “game plan” and thanked him for his help. Now all she had to do was to try to lessen her drinking and get ready for her appointments.

For more than a few years alcoholism exploration has demonstrated the fact that there is strong correlation between alcohol dependency and dangerous health conditions.

For instance, in 2005, medical research 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 considerable alcohol-related cash disbursement was significantly more than the cost linked with cancer ($196 billion) or with obesity ($133 billion). While it is pertinent to accentuate these facts, it is also important to point to the fact that an interrelationship exists between all three of these health issues.

More precisely, chronic alcohol abuse and alcoholism are also highly correlated with obesity and with cancer.

Definitely, substance abuse investigation has shown that alcohol dependency can increase the risk for different forms of cancer, particularly cancer of the colon, voice box (larynx), liver, rectum, throat, kidneys, and the esophagus. Hazardous and recurring drinking can also result in immune system difficulties and injury to the fetus during pregnancy.

Irresponsible and Hazardous Drinking Weakens the Person’s Organs and Systems

Furthermore, if alcohol dependency continues over a period of years, the person’s body organs will likely be affected in an unhealthy manner. For example, long-term, excessive drinking is especially injurious 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 destroys the ability of liver cells to regenerate. This medical condition leads to a progressive inflammatory injury to the liver that can ultimately lead to cirrhosis of the liver, a precarious and possibly terminal disease.Excessive, long-term drinking not only can lead to serious liver damage, but it can also lead to damage to the heart and to the brain. Physical damage this serious may be unalterable and may, in turn, result in serious illness or an early death.

The Significance of Alcohol Therapy

It is vital, as a result, to know how to identify the various alcoholism symptoms and the “alcohol signs” so that the alcoholic can be given the opportunity to get the quality alcohol rehab he or she requires.

Alcohol Addiction and Sophisticated Brain Research

Fortuitously, medical research is constantly unearthing new and important information. Recent alcoholism exploration offers an excellent illustration. Stated another way, for roughly the last ten years, technologically advanced brain-imaging scanning devices have verified that continuous and long-term abusive drinking alters the makeup of the brain to a significant extent, therefore resulting in brain disease that can last months, years, or possibly as long as the person exists.

More explicitly, medical examination has revealed that people who have been drinking in an excessive manner for an extensive length of time increase their risk for developing long lasting and significant alterations 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.

Mental Disorders, Malnutrition, and Abusive Drinking

As a final illustration of diverse medical conditions that are largely associated with alcoholism, take into account the fact that according to medical research, the excessive and repeated abuse of alcohol can lead to erosive gastritis, a medical condition that decreases the absorption of minerals, nutrients, and vitamins.

This type of organ breakdown is linked to malnutrition and to a number of critical neurological and mental problems including memory loss, sleep disturbances, and psychosis such as Wernicke’s Encephalopathy and Korsakoff’s syndrome. This latter health problem is a long-term debilitating health problem that is characterized by continual memory and learning complications.

Summary

It is evident that continued, hazardous drinking is directly or indirectly linked to numerous critical medical problems that can and do result in serious diseases and premature death. Such information needs to be emphasized and presented to everyone in our society so that a multitude of people will be able to abstain from excessive drinking while others who have a drinking problem will get the quality rehab they require.

Jennifer is a thirty-four-year-old legal assistant who has been consuming alcohol in an excessive and irresponsible manner since she and her fiancée severed their relationship. In point of fact, for the past seven 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 during the day. In short, Jennifer has been drinking so excessively and abusively that it’s a miracle that she hasn’t suffered from alcohol poisoning.

After feeling dispirited because she was beginning to let her health go downhill, Jennifer finally told herself that enough is enough, that it’s time to quit the self pity party, that it’s time to quit the hazardous and excessive drinking, and time to get going with her life. So the following Saturday morning at 10:00 AM, she came to a decision that she would stop drinking completely and suddenly without planning or preparation.

When She Attempted to Stop Drinking She Felt Horrific, She Started to Sweat Profusely, She Was Extremely Nervous and Moody, Her Head Was Pounding, She Vomited Numerous Times, and She Had Utterly No Appetite

When Jennifer quit drinking, she figured that she would probably be tempted to sneak a drink or two, but she never assumed that she would feel so terrible. More accurately, about an hour-and-a-half after she quit drinking, she had utterly no appetite, she was extremely restless and moody, she started to perspire profusely, she vomited numerous times, and her head was pounding.

When she called her best girlfriend and told her that she had stopped drinking and that after a few hours she abruptly began having flu-like symptoms, Nicole, her best buddy, told Jennifer to call her doctor and explain in a clear manner what she was going through.

She Admits to Her Healthcare Practitioner That She Has Been Drinking In an Irresponsible and Hazardous Manner, That She Just Tried to Stop Drinking, and That She is Experiencing Nasty Flu-Like Symptoms

So Jennifer called her healthcare professional, informed him that she has been drinking heavily for quite a few months and that when she attempted to suddenly stop drinking earlier in the day, within a few hours she felt as if she had the worse flu-like symptoms that she had ever gone through.

Her medical practitioner told her that she may be suffering from symptoms of alcohol withdrawal 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 friend to take her to the hospital. Interestingly, all the way to the hospital, as sick as Jennifer felt, the only thing she could think about was whether or not she might be an alcoholic.

Apparently her physician had called ahead and informed the emergency room medical team to expect Jennifer because when she got to the hospital, she was met by two emergency room workers who without hesitation asked her to get in the wheelchair they had with them. After getting transported to the emergency room and undergoing a couple of essential tests, it was verified that Jennifer was in fact going through alcohol withdrawal symptoms and was in need of alcohol detox.

A doctor administered some meds to reduce the discomfort of her flu-like symptoms and also gave her some drugs to help eliminate the alcohol that was still in her circulation system.

An Alcohol Dependency Healthcare Practitioner Goes Over the Fact That She is Addicted to Alcohol and Then Clearly Explains What Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms and Alcoholism Stages Are

After a couple of hours, Jennifer was taken from the emergency room and wheeled to the recovery room. After she was in recovery for about an hour-and-a-half, Doctor

Glosik, an alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse specialist, came to talk to her. He took plenty of time and explained in laymen’s language that Jennifer had gone through alcohol withdrawal symptoms when she stopped drinking because she had become dependent on alcohol.

He then elucidated the fact that with continuous and heavy drinking, the individual’s brain over time adjusts to the alcohol so that it can execute tasks and operations in a “routine” manner. When the person then suddenly stops consuming alcohol, it can be pointed out, the brain takes action by creating alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Moreover, her medical practitioner also explained in a clear fashion the various alcoholism stages that a person who is alcohol dependent commonly experiences as the disease gets progressively worse over time.

It is Discovered that Jennifer is in the First Stage of Alcohol Dependency and She Gets a Good Projection For a Complete Recovery if She Gets the Alcohol Addiction Rehabilitation She Requires

Fortunately for Jennifer, it was verified that she was in the first stage of alcohol dependency and, as a consequence, she received a favorable forecast for a full recovery if she receives the alcohol treatment she needs.

Jennifer told the healthcare professional that she will do whatever it takes to get sober and to get back her health and her life. She also articulated that she has a first class hospitalization insurance policy that will probably pay for most, if not all, of the costs needed for treatment. It was obvious that Jennifer was very pleased with her positive medical forecast and felt at ease knowing that she will be able to get the alcohol dependency rehab she requires so that she can begin the road to recovery.

Jennifer is a thirty-nine-year-old network consultant who has been ingesting alcohol in an excessive and irresponsible manner since she and her live-in boyfriend broke up their relationship. In truth, for the past five months she has been drinking nearly a bottle of wine every night, and on the weekends she also has been drinking several cans of beer all through the day. In short, Jennifer has been drinking so excessively and abusively that it’s a miracle that she hasn’t suffered from alcohol poisoning.

After feeling disheartened because she was beginning to neglect her health, Jennifer at long last told herself that she’s had enough, that it’s time to stop the self pity act, that it’s time to quit the hazardous and abusive drinking, and time to get going with her life. So the following Saturday morning at 10:00 AM, she came to a decision that she would stop drinking completely and suddenly without preparation or planning.

When She Attempted to Quit Drinking She Felt Terrible, Her Head Was Aching, She Vomited Numerous Times, She Had Utterly No Appetite, She Started to Perspire Extensively, and She Was Extremely Moody and Nervous

When Jennifer stopped drinking, she reasoned that she would probably be tempted to have a drink or two, but she never believed that she would feel so terrible. More specifically, just about three-and-a-half hours after she stopped drinking, she started to sweat extensively, her head was aching, she was extremely moody and tense, she had utterly no appetite, and she vomited a number of times.

When she called her best pal and informed her that she had stopped drinking and that after a couple of hours she without any warning began experiencing flu-like symptoms, Brittany, her best friend, told Jennifer to call her medical practitioner and go over what was going on.

She Admits to Her Medical Practitioner That She Has Been Drinking In an Irresponsible Manner, That She Just Tried to Quit Drinking, and That She is Going Through Extremely Painful Flu-Like Symptoms

So Jennifer called her physician, told him that she has been drinking in a hazardous manner for a number of months and that when she tried to completely stop drinking earlier in the day, within a couple of hours she felt as if she had the most unpleasant flu-like symptoms that she had ever experienced.

Her medical practitioner told her that she may be suffering from symptoms of alcohol withdrawal and that she should have a friend or family member drive her to the emergency room as soon as humanly possible.

As soon as Jennifer got off the phone, she got a friend to drive her to the emergency room. Interestingly, all the way to the hospital, as sick as Jennifer felt, the only thing she could think about was whether or not she was dependent on alcohol.

Apparently her physician had phoned ahead and told the emergency room personnel to expect Jennifer because when she got to the hospital, she was met by two emergency room employees who without hesitation asked her to lie down on the portable bed they had with them. After getting wheeled to the emergency room and undergoing a few important tests, it was validated that Jennifer was in truth suffering from alcohol withdrawal symptoms and was in need of alcohol detoxification.

An emergency room healthcare professional gave her some drugs to lessen the intensity of her flu-like symptoms and also administered some medications to help get rid of the alcohol that was still in her circulation system.

A Substance Abuse and Alcohol Abuse Medical Practitioner Explains in a Clear Fashion That She is Alcohol Dependent and Then Discusses What Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms and Alcohol Dependency Stages Are

After a few hours, Jennifer was removed from the emergency room and transported to the recovery room. After she was in recovery for around two-and-a-half hours, Doctor Hults, an alcohol and drug addiction specialist, came to talk to her. He took quite a bit of time and explained in laymen’s language that Jennifer had suffered through alcohol withdrawal symptoms when she quit drinking because she had become an alcoholic.

He then explained that with excessive drinking on a daily basis, the individual’s brain steadily adapts to the alcohol in order to process things in a “normal” fashion. When the drinker then all at once abstains from consuming alcohol, understandably, the brain reacts by giving rise to alcohol withdrawal symptoms. What is more, her doctor also explained in a clear fashion the different alcoholism stages that an alcohol dependent individual almost always suffers through as the disease progresses.

It is Verified that Jennifer is in the Earliest Stage of Alcohol Addiction and She Obtains a Favorable Prognosis For a Full Recovery if She Gets the Alcohol Dependency Rehab She Requires

Fortunately for Jennifer, it was discovered that she was in the first stage of alcoholism and, as a result, she obtained a favorable forecast for a complete recovery if she obtains the alcoholism therapy she requires.

Jennifer told the healthcare practitioner that she will do whatever it takes to get sober and to restore her life. She also stated that she has a very comprehensive hospitalization plan that will quite possibly pay for most of the costs required for rehabilitation. It was apparent that Jennifer was quite thankful about her positive prognosis and felt free from anxiety knowing that she will be able to get the alcohol dependency therapy she needs so that she can begin the path to recovery.

Dante was a sixteen year old high school sophomore who was exhibiting numerous alcohol-related problems at school. For that reason, the principal explained to him that he had to see Miss Johnson, the school psychologist, before he would be allowed to return to class.

Later that afternoon when Dante went home after school, he had to explain his school situation to his parents. His parents were “relatively conservative” and told Dante that dropping out of school was not a possible educational plan of action. They told Dante that failing to graduate from high school would likely be like a lead weight around his feet that may inhibit his educational aspirations for the rest of his life. Furthermore, Dante’s Mother and Father were very disappointed that he was drinking in the first place and drinking with his peers in the second.

His parents informed Dante that although he may be young, he has to realize fairly promptly that drinking is the pathway to pain, ill health, financial problems, and failure.

It was evident that his parents were in total concurrence with Dante’s principal and explained to Dante that he had better come to the understanding that he needs to see Miss Johnson, the school therapist. After his chat with his parents, Dante at long last agreed to see Miss Johnson the next day. So Dante phoned the school and made an appointment to see Miss Johnson the next day during his sixth period class.

The Psychologist Asks Dante if He Knows Why His Recent Alcohol-Related Activities Caused Quite a Bit of Concern By the School Administrators

When Dante went to see Miss Johnson, she promptly looked at all of the alcohol-related problems Dante had experienced and asked him if he understood why his recent alcohol-related behavior was such a cause for concern.

Quite frankly, Dante questioned why the principal informed him that he had to see a school psychologist. As he stated to Miss Johnson, why should he see a professional counselor about his drinking activities? Since almost all of his buddies drink about as much as he does, essentially, drinking is no big thing. Stated more explicitly, if almost everyone is drinking, why is this such a major issue?

Miss Johnson asked Dante when he started to drink. He said that some of his older classmates introduced him to drinking hard liquor when he was twelve or thirteen years old and getting ready to enter the seventh grade.

Miss Johnson informed Dante that while his classmates may indeed drink more than he does and that they may be a negative influence on him, the facts are that he is the one who is getting kicked out of school due to alcohol-related fighting, delinquency, and absenteeism, not his classmates. Moreover, Miss Johnson also underscored the fact that Dante, and not his classmates, is the one who is failing and who is missing at least one day of school every week because of his alcohol related difficulties. Finally, Miss Johnson underlined the fact that due to his drinking situation, Dante is getting into a negative cycle of excessive drinking that can in time wreck his aspirations, hopes, and dreams.

In short, Dante’s involvement with teenage alcohol abuse was beginning to foil his ability to function as an accountable young man. As pronounced by Miss Johnson, “Just because most of your friends drink hard liquor, wine, beer, or wine coolers does not mean that it is the right thing to do for you.”

Dante Learns That Eventually He Must Be Responsible For Himself In Order to Stay Away From Damaging, Unhealthy, Dangerous, and Destructive Circumstances Down the Road

Miss Johnson told Dante that others can certainly influence a person in a negative manner, but that the individual herself or himself has to in the long run be accountable for herself or himself in order to prevent dangerous, destructive, unhealthy, and damaging effects down the road.

Luckily, Miss Johnson was very well equipped for her conference with Dante. She showed him research studies and reports she had highlighted that outlined various drinking statistics and facts that targeted most people in general. Then she showed Dante quite a bit of figures and reports that applied mainly to teens.

For example, Miss Johnson emphasized the difference between alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse and told Dante that people who continue to abuse alcohol more often than not become dependent on alcohol.

Miss Johnson also explained the concept of binge drinking which she defined as follows: consuming five or more drinks in one sitting for males and drinking four or more drinks in one sitting for females.

The Counselor Presents Quite a Few Alcohol Dependency and Alcohol Abuse Statistics and Facts

Then Miss Johnson stated various alcohol facts and the following eight alcohol abuse statistics:

1. Alcohol is an issue in nearly fifty percent of America’s murders, suicides, and accidental deaths.

2. Alcohol-related accidents are the leading cause of fatalities among adolescents.

3. Each year in the United States, just about 5,000 young people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking. This includes around 1,900 deaths from motor vehicle accidents.

4. Research has demonstrated that U.S. teens who drink alcohol are 50 times more likely to use cocaine than teens who never consume alcohol.

5. Nearly 1,700 college students in the U.S. lose their lives annually–around 4.65 per day–as a consequence of injuries that are alcohol related.

6. In 2005, 2.1 million American college students between the ages of 18 and 24 stated that they involve themselves in drinking while driving.

7. The World Health Organization estimates that roughly 76 million people throughout the world have disorders that are related to alcohol dependency or alcohol abuse.

8. As demonstrated by recent alcohol abuse research findings, it has been discovered that approximately 53% of the adults in the U.S. have reported that one or more of their close family members is alcohol dependent or is an alcohol abuser.

Dante Gets A Meaningful Wake Up Call Regarding the Long Term and the Short Term Outcomes of Teen Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Addiction

After Miss Johnson articulated the aforementioned alcoholism and alcohol abuse statistics and facts, it was clear that what Miss Johnson taught Dante was a real surprise to him. Why? Because for the first time in his young life, someone not only made the effort to explain the short term and the long term results of alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse, but she also took the time to support what she was saying with alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse facts and statistics that related to people in general, and particularly to underage drinkers.

In actual fact, it was almost as if a light went on and Dante without pause understood why he should not be engaging in hazardous and excessive drinking with or without his friends any longer. Dante thanked Miss Johnson for her concern and for the material she presented.

Miss Johnson then asked Dante how he felt about getting a physical examination and an alcohol appraisal for the alcohol abuse or alcohol dependency rehab he would probably need.

Dante thought about this for a minute and then agreed to get a comprehensive physical and to go through a comprehensive assessment of his drinking circumstances so that he could start an alcohol rehab program immediately.



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