Cirrhosis Is Nasty

Alcoholism

The Banana Man

I’ve seen Cirrhosis and it made me swear off the booze. One of my lifelong friends and my former business partner is an alcoholic. His name is John and he promised to stay on the wagon to entice me to work with him, and it proved to be the biggest mistake of my life. He worked out of his house on the West Coast and I was in Chicago, so it was difficult to see what he was up to every day.His wife had  died after a short illness and he took it badly, and I suspected he was drinking again. Those fears were confirmed when I received a phone call four or five months after his wife’s passing from a mutual friend who said John had been taken to the hospital after a binge.He said John had only a fifty per cent chance of making it.

I hopped on the next plane and got to California and took a cab to the hospital. I was astounded by what I saw. My friend was the color of a fresh banana–sort of like the Incredible Hulk but the color of French’s mustard. He was babbling incomprehensible phrases. He recognized me but quickly forgot I was there. A group of our Bay Area friends met at the hospital. The doctors said he was is very bad shape. One pulled me aside and said my friend had Cirrohisis, which wasn’t a surprise from his appearance.His liver had shut down–liver failure, and as I learned over the next few days, when your liver goes, so does everything else in your body, The liver controls most of your major organs, at least in a dependant way. His kidneys were failing and he had to go on dialysis treatments three times a day.

Bedside Vigil

Most of the next week he really didn’t know where he was. The doctors said the next few days were critical but that he probaby wouldn’t make it six months even if he survived this immediate crisis. I literally spent thirty minutes talking to him one morning trying to get him to give me the details on how to retrieve his phone messages back at his apartment. He couldn’t remember the password. And this entire time his body was still 100% pure banana colored. It was an awful experience for everybody.

Kidney Dialysis 3 Times A Day

A week passes and he starts to get better. Gradually. He’s still on dialysis three times a day, but at least he can talk fairly cogently. And slowly he regains his personality–starts kidding with all the nurses and telling stories. After three weeks he was discharged but had to go to a half-way house that could take care of his dialysis and other medical needs. He would get transported three times a day in a van to a clinic where the dialysis was done. I flew home as I had been there a month and had a lot of business matters to attend to and see my wife, who was very supportive during this period.

A month goes by and my friend’s best friend in SF calls and says John is going home–he’s getting out of the half-way house after six weeks, but still requires dialysis daily, but now just once a day. I flew back to San Francisco and we all (there were about six of us) go out to celebrate John’s birthday. As dinner ended and we were having a cognac (not John!our mutual friend says he wants to make a special toast. He makes a toast and says that today is a special day. It’s John’s birthday, and he’s pleased to announce that the doctors have decided he no longer needs dialysis! There was a hurrah that filled the restaurant!

It was truly a remarkable experience. On the plane back to Chicago, Icouldn’t help remembering all the good times I had with John over the past thirty years. We threw down a lot of beers and told lies, but he ended up in a drunk ward and I was untouched by it all. We had a lot of laughs, something we repeated many times together over the years. It was really part of our culture.

But this is where it led. And there were no laughs and jokes being told. If it weren’t so personally tragic, I wish we could have fast-forwarded into the future from those early care-free days to see what drinking and alcoholism is all about and where it leads.

Luck Of The Irish (At Least Some Of Them)

John was lucky, and his liver bounced back and healed. But the doctors told him that he could never drink alcohol again–that it would poison him, like drinking a glass of cyanide.  And you know what? John hasn’t touched a drop of alcohol since. He still goes to bars and shoots the bull with his friends. Now he drinks ice tea instead of alcohol. And he’s enjoying his life just as much as before. Lucky for him. He got a second chance.

Alcohol Is A Killer

If you or someone you know is a heavy drinker and  has looked a little jaundiced of late, it’s probably a sign that the liver is damaged. Before it gets to the point my friend faced there are some  natural homeopathic remedies to detox your liver and get you back on the right track. Of course, once you go through this process, you need to be committed to a life of alcohol abstinance if you want to live a longer life. Not lecturing here, but those are just the facts.

Good luck!

Published By Rehab Help Online

A Married Couple Becomes Uptight About Their Excessive and Abusive Drinking and Wonders If They Exhibit Any Alcohol Addiction Signs

Sarah and Jerry have been married for seven years. They wanted to experience some excitement and fun before they made up their minds to have children and so they purposely constructed an exceptionally vigorous social life.

The primary difficulty, it needs to be highlighted, is that almost everything they do with their family and friends has something to do with drinking. For example, all of the sporting events, family get-togethers, parties with friends, dinner engagements, and happy hours they go to are associated with drinking.

Jerry and Sarah Start to Observe Some Definite Alcohol Related Problems That are Centered On Their Hazardous Drinking

If they were infrequent drinkers, this wouldn’t be a major problem. Due to the fact they drink in an irresponsible manner, nonetheless, they are starting to perceive some instantly recognizable alcohol-related difficulties in their lives.

As an illustration, just a few weeks ago Jerry was apprehended by the police for a second DUI and has been showing up late for work because of alcohol-related health issues. Not only this, but Jerry’s last two performance evaluations at his place of employment have been less than adequate and he has started to fail to remember what he says or does while he drinks. As a final point, Jerry has been experiencing sleep-related problems and his family has begun to exhibit some disquiet about his drinking situation.

Sarah, on the other hand, has been feeling unhappy about things in her life and to come to grips with these feelings, she has been drinking more regularly than any time in the past year. In addition, Sarah has been experiencing more than a few throbbing headaches and experiencing painful hangovers due to her drinking. Lastly, Sarah has been feeling notably less energetic in the morning, she has been getting to work late at least every other day, and she has been getting some unhelpful criticism from her friends, relatives, family members, and coworkers about her heavy drinking.

Watching the Television and Flipping the Channels and Discovering A Special Program About the Signs of Alcoholism

One Tuesday evening while watching TV, Sarah and Jerry went through the channels and found an enchanting documentary about the signs of alcoholism.

This TV program was a real surprise to Sarah and Jerry because quite a few of the alcoholism signs that were talked about looked like they were unwaveringly associated with more than a few of the alcohol-related drinking problems Sarah and Jerry had been suffering through.

A Truthful Talk About Drinking Circumstances Exposes Alcohol Related Legal, Relationship, Financial, Employment, and Health Problems

After watching the TV documentary, Jerry and Sarah arrived at a decision to have a truthful chat about their drinking behavior. They both were in agreement that most, if not all, of their social pursuits somehow included drinking, that they were drinking excessively, and that as a couple, they were beginning to make note of alcohol related employment, health, legal, relationship, and financial problems for the first time since they were married.

With thoughts of the TV documentary still fresh in her mind, Sarah asked Jerry if some of the alcohol dependency signs they have been displaying could be a signal that they are dependent on alcohol or maybe becoming alcoholic. Jerry didn’t know the answer to Sarah’s inquiry and so he recommended that they schedule an appointment with one of the doctors at the nearby drug and alcohol abuse treatment facility to find out more about the gravity of their drinking situation.

Attending To Your Drinking Problems Might Lessen Your Nervousness and Give You Some Peace of Mind

Paradoxically, even though their drinking situation hadn’t yet changed, it was clear to see that Jerry and Sarah were at the very least addressing their drinking difficulties, they were willing to find out more about their drinking situation, and they were interested in learning how they could appreciably lessen or do away with the alcohol-related difficulties that had started to emerge.

When Sarah and Jerry went to bed that evening, they came to a decision that the next afternoon, Jerry would call and make an appointment for both of them at the drug and alcohol abuse rehabilitation center located just North of the State Capital. After they made a promise to one another that they would do whatever it takes to cope with the drinking problems that had manifested themselves in their lives, they actually had the most revitalizing night’s sleep they could recall in the last ten months.

Just before he fell asleep, Jerry turned to Sarah and commented how simple it is to decrease one’s apprehension and truly experience a sense of calm by attending to one’s problems with personal integrity and deciding to do something affirmative about them.

A Woman Manifest Signs of Depression and Alcohol Abuse and Schedules an Appointment to See Her Physician About Her Hazardous and Excessive Drinking and Mental Health Difficulties

Teresa was a forty-one-year-old graphic designer who knew that she had some problems with her drinking. For instance, within the past six months she has felt the need to have two or three drinks before going to work, seven weeks ago she failed a random breathalyzer test where she works, six weeks ago she got pulled over by the police for a DUI, and lastly, for nearly two months she has started to forget what she says and does when she goes out drinking.

Similar to multitudes of other drinkers, Teresa’s involvement with alcohol started out at a “snail’s pace” and stayed at this pace for quite a long period of time because at times she engaged in sporadic social drinking. In point of fact, for about ten months, every time she went out with her coworkers to drink, she made sure to drink responsibly. Something about her drinking, however, seemed to completely change when her husband divorced her.

In Order To Get Beyond the Divorce of Her Husband With Less Grief, Teresa Made Up Her Mind That She Will Begin Going Out More Frequently With Some of Her Pals Who Love to Whoop it Up and Drink

Teresa got dreadfully down in the dumps about the divorce from her husband, and as a way to refrain from fixating on her dismal feelings she arrived at a decision that she would begin hanging out more frequently with some of her buddies who love to party.

Quite frankly, Teresa concluded that having fun almost every day by partying and drinking with her friends would help her come to terms with the divorce of her husband more quickly.

Teresa’s Drinking Increases Significantly the More Often She Goes to Private Parties, Dinner Dates, Happy Hours, Sporting Events, 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, sporting events, family get-togethers, and dinner dates with her friends. In addition, the fact that her drinking pals 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 that she didn’t concentrate more on her increased drinking. To put it briefly, she was having a great time drinking just like everyone else in her group of buddies without much reflection about the negative results of her hazardous and irresponsible drinking.

Yet somewhere in her mind she realized that she more likely than not required alcohol rehabilitation but sidestepped the thought as much as humanly possible.

Teresa Gets a Physical Exam, Discloses the Truth About Her Hazardous and Abusive Drinking to Her Healthcare Practitioner, and ”Comes Clean” About Her Sadness

One morning during her annual physical exam, her physician asked her if she drank alcohol. Not wanting to tell “stories” to her healthcare professional, Teresa owned up to the truth that she commonly drinks more than she should. In reality, she stated that she regularly drinks in a hazardous and excessive manner. Then Teresa told her doctor about her depression. More to the point, she articulated that ruined relationships many times initiated a negative sequence of events typified by increased drinking which further resulted in more dismal feelings that, in turn, resulted in more drinking. And this is specifically what happened when her husband and she got divorced five years ago.

When her healthcare professional heard this, he told Teresa that according to various alcoholism facts and statistics on alcoholism he was reviewing, alcoholism and depression many times take place in the same individual. He then informed Teresa that some of the alcohol statistics, research investigations, and facts he has been reading about also underline the fact that individuals who drink in an abusive and hazardous manner and who also experience depression need to receive treatment for both medical conditions.

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

Teresa’s healthcare practitioner then said the following: “I am not trying to make a sudden analysis, but with your medical situation we may be confronting two separate concerns. As a result, I think we probably should schedule an appointment for you to get an alcoholism and alcohol abuse evaluation from my partner, Dr. Jacobs, who is an alcoholism and alcohol abuse specialist. Whether your drinking situation is more linked to alcohol addiction or alcohol abuse is unclear, but I feel that further assessment is needed. Then I feel we probably should make an appointment for you to get a psychological exam from another one of my partners, Dr. Dubas, who is a psychologist. I want to get a better handle on your depression and see how much your depression and drinking are interlinked.” Teresa expressed her satisfaction with her healthcare practitioner’s “game plan” and thanked him for his assistance. Now all she had to do was to try to cut back on her drinking and get ready for her appointments.

An Academic Study about Alcoholism Statistics, Alcoholism Symptoms and Alcoholic Symptoms

Mr. Blake was one of the health instructors at a small countryside community college in the Southern part of the United States. For “Alcohol Responsiveness Month” he decided that he would concentrate on the following three topics for a class project: alcoholism symptoms, alcoholism statistics, and alcoholic symptoms.

After Mr. Blake finalized the topics that would be given to his students, he came to a decision that he would present their assignment the following Wednesday morning.

When “assignment day” eventually came, Mr. Blake met with the pupils in his classroom, handed out some important research literature, and then notified his students about the topics he picked.

Why It Is Vital to Learn How to Correlate Alcoholism Symptoms, Alcoholic Symptoms, and Alcoholism Statistics with Day-To-Day Situations of Alcohol Addicted Individuals

He then gave his students a general idea of some key alcoholism statistics and alcoholism symptoms and signs and noted how critical it is to gain knowledge about and learn how to link these statistics, facts, and symptoms with the real-life circumstances of alcoholics. He then gave the members of his class a concise description about the significance of learning more about alcoholics and how they perform their activities on a daily basis.

Mr. Blake informed his pupils that they could concentrate on one of the three topics or research all three topics and how they are interconnected. In essence this would be not unlike a simple overview but done more completely.

Another option that he provided for the pupils in his classroom was the following: take a topic such as alcohol dependency symptoms and signs, dig into things in a more comprehensive way, and then discuss three or four symptoms and signs. Mr. Blake then stated that the same logic applies to the other two topics, namely, alcoholic symptoms and alcoholism statistics.

The end result of their examination would be a four thousand word essay and then a twenty minute oral presentation that would be presented in front of all the members of the class.

Presenting The Outcome of An Educational Study at the Community Drug and Alcohol Abuse Symposium

As acknowledgment for their outstanding intellectual accomplishment, those with the top two overall grades on the composition and on the oral presentation will be asked to present the outcome of their study at the community chemical dependency convention during the last two days of April.

After the students were given the information about their assignment, several of them raised their hands and asked for an illustration or a demonstration of a sub-topic that they could concentrate on for their assignment.

In response, Mr. Blake determined that he would quickly chat about three or four alcohol addiction signs and symptoms that the pupils could build upon.

As a case in point, Mr. Blake underscored the following alcoholism signs and symptoms: boasting and a “big shot” complex, cloudy thinking, an obsession with drinking, and loss of control.

Articulating How Alcoholic Symptoms, Alcoholism Statistics, and Alcoholism Symptoms Manifest Themselves in the Life of an Alcoholic

After listing these alcohol addiction signs and symptoms, Mr. Blake then informed the pupils in the classroom that they could do some additional investigation on each symptom, gather some applicable data, give a number of illustrations of each symptom or sign, and state how each sign or symptom translates itself in the life of an alcoholic.

As affirmed by Mr. Blake, due to the fact that there are quite a few alcohol dependency signs and symptoms to select, he talked about the fact that he was not awfully alarmed about several students opting for the same signs and symptoms for their class assignment.

To be sure, even if more than one student was to pick the same symptoms and signs, the examples that are associated with each sign or symptom would certainly add enough multiplicity to avoid several pupils presenting the same content.

Mr. Blake then pointed out the fact that while there are numerous alcohol dependency symptoms and signs that could be selected, the magnitude of alcohol dependency statistics and facts that could be mentioned were very nearly without limit. When the topic of alcoholic symptoms was added to the equation, additionally, the students grasped rather promptly that the three topics would provide a vast amount of information from which to choose.

Why Mr. Blake Opted For Alcoholism Statistics, Alcoholism Symptoms, and Alcoholic Symptoms as the Topics For This Project

Why did Mr. Blake choose alcoholic symptoms, alcoholism symptoms, and alcoholism statistics as the topics for this project? Mr. Blake’s aspiration was that by requiring all of his pupils to dig into one or more of the three alcohol dependency topics, all the students would have a better conception of a complex yet relevant topic such as alcohol addiction.

Mr. Blake also thought that by augmenting the comprehension of his students about the damaging effects of alcohol addiction and the gloomy existence suffered by alcohol addicted individuals, his pupils might think more carefully before they engage in abusive and irresponsible drinking behavior.

An Impatient High School Student Displays Numerous Alcohol-Related Difficulties, Gets Discharged From School, and Has to See the School Therapist

Dante was a fifteen year old high school sophomore who was manifesting a number of alcohol-related issues at school. For that reason, the principal informed him that he had to see Miss Johnson, the school counselor, before he would be permitted to come back to school.

Later that day when Dante went home after school, he had to clarify his school situation to his parents. His Mom and Dad were “old school” and explained to Dante that getting thrown out of school was not a doable educational option. They informed Dante that failing to graduate from high school would more likely than not be like a lead weight around his feet that could quite possibly harm his educational attainment for the rest of his adult life. Moreover, Dante’s Mom and Dad were extremely dismayed that he was drinking in the first place and drinking with his buddies in the second.

His Mother and Father informed Dante that even though he may be a teenager, he has to comprehend fairly promptly that drinking is the road to failure, pain, ill health, and financial problems.

It was evident that his Mom and Dad were absolutely in agreement with Dante’s principal and explained to Dante that he needs to see Miss Johnson, the school therapist. After his discussion with his Mom and Dad, Dante at 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 fifth period class.

The Therapist Asks Dante if He Comprehends Why His Recent Alcohol-Related Behavior Caused Quite a Bit of Apprehension By the School Administrators

When Dante got to his scheduled appointment with Miss Johnson, she instantaneously reviewed all of the alcohol-related problems Dante had experienced and asked him if he comprehended why his recent alcohol-related behavior was such a cause for concern.

Quite sincerely, Dante wondered why the principal explained to him that he had to see a school counselor. As he stated to Miss Johnson, why should he see a professional psychologist about his drinking situation? Since virtually all of his buddies drink as much if not more than he does, fundamentally, drinking shouldn’t be such a big issue. Stated more precisely, if just about everybody 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 buddies introduced him to drinking hard liquor when he was twelve or thirteen years old and getting ready to enter junior high school.

Miss Johnson explained to Dante that while his classmates may indeed drink as much as 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 absenteeism, fighting, and delinquency, not his friends. Not only this but Miss Johnson also underscored the fact that Dante, and not his buddies, is the one who is failing and who is missing almost two days of class per week due to his alcohol related difficulties. Lastly, Miss Johnson emphasized the fact that because of his drinking behavior, Dante is getting into a harmful cycle of alcohol abuse that can in time ruin his hopes, dreams and aspirations.

In a word, Dante’s involvement with youth alcohol abuse was starting to impede his ability to act like a responsible young man. As put into words by Miss Johnson, “Just because most of your pals drink wine coolers, hard liquor, beer, or wine does not mean that it is the best option for you.”

Dante Learns That At the End of the Day He Must Be Responsible For Himself In Order to Prevent Unhealthy, Destructive, Dangerous, and Damaging Consequences In the Future

Miss Johnson informed Dante that one’s buddies can definitely influence a person in an unhealthy way, but that the person herself or himself has to ultimately be accountable for herself or himself in order to keep away from destructive, unhealthy, dangerous, and damaging outcomes down the road.

Fortunately, Miss Johnson was quite organized for her appointment with Dante. She showed him research studies and reports she had highlighted that listed different drinking statistics and facts that applied to most people in general. Then she showed Dante a lot of information that applied especially to underage drinkers.

For example, Miss Johnson stressed the difference between alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse and told Dante that people who continue to drink in an excessive manner often become dependent on alcohol.

Miss Johnson also discussed the concept of binge drinking that 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 States Quite a Few Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse Statistics and Facts

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

1. The 25.9% of adolescent drinkers in the United States who are alcohol abusers and alcoholic drink 47.3% of the alcohol that is ingested by all teenage drinkers.

2. Fifty percent of U.S. homicides are related to alcohol.

3. In 2002, U.S. alcohol addiction facts and statistics revealed that 2.6 million binge drinkers were between the ages of 12 and 17.

4. It is projected that more than 3 million teens in the United States between the ages of 14 to 17 are alcoholic or alcohol abusers.

5. In the United States, more than 40 percent of those who start drinking at the age 14 or younger become alcohol dependent.

6. Very few of the more than 18 million U.S. alcohol abusers receive the alcohol treatment they require.

7. Teen drinking costs Americans nearly billion annually. If this cost were shared equally by each congressional district, the amount would total more than 0 million per district.

8. Alcohol-related problems are unevenly found among both juvenile and adult criminal offenders.

Dante Receives An Important Wake Up Call Regarding the Long Term and the Short Term Results of Teen Alcohol Dependency and Alcohol Abuse

After Miss Johnson articulated the aforementioned alcoholism and alcohol abuse facts and statistics, it was obvious that what Miss Johnson made known to Dante was a real source of revelation for him. Why? Because for the first time in his young life, someone not only made the effort to articulate the long term and the short term effects of alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction, but she also made the effort to validate what she was saying with alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse facts and statistics that related to everyone in general, and chiefly to teenagers.

As a matter of fact, it was almost as if a light went on and Dante at once comprehended why he should not be engaging in excessive and hazardous drinking with or without his friends anymore. 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 assessment for the alcohol abuse or alcohol addiction rehabilitation he would probably need.

Dante thought about this for few minutes and then agreed to get an extensive physical and to go through a comprehensive assessment of his drinking condition so that he could start an alcohol abuse or alcohol addiction rehab program immediately.

The Important Components in A Fruitful Alcohol Addiction Intervention

What are the necessary components in a fruitful alcohol intervention? Why do some alcohol abuse interventions succeed as planned while several bomb?

The Need for a Distinguished Track Record of Intervention Success

Scientific investigation makes evident the fact that an effective alcohol addiction intervention needs to be managed by an intervention professional who has a time-honored track record of intervention attainment.

In essence this means that instead of opting for a “typical” addiction healthcare practitioner or psychotherapist for an alcohol dependency intervention, the individual who is decided upon to carry out the intervention needs to be trained in addiction intervention methods and needs to exhibit a record of fruitful addiction interventions.

A Few Essential Examples of The Most Productive Time For an Alcohol Intervention

Scientific inquiry and alcoholism facts about interventions has also shown that the most fruitful time for an alcoholism intervention is following a meaningful event in the life of the alcohol addicted individual or hazardous drinker. The following represents a few examples of these types of meaningful incidents:

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

In situations such as these, the alcoholic or abusive drinker is more apt to feel sorry or to be embarrassed, therefore making him or her more open to getting the professional alcohol counseling that is required.

At this time, moreover, it is also important to underline the fact that the abusive drinker or alcohol addicted person needs to be free of alcohol during the alcohol dependency intervention. In brief, if the alcohol abuser or alcohol addicted individual is drunk during an alcohol dependency intervention, failure is virtually certain.

In the same way, scientific examination has also revealed the fact that the alcohol abuser or alcohol addicted individual has to at least try to listen to what is said in an alcohol abuse intervention. Stated more exactly, during an alcohol addiction intervention, the hazardous drinker or alcohol addicted individual needs to listen to what his or her problem drinking has done to those who care for him or her the most.

The Importance of Alcohol Therapy For the Hazardous Drinker

And finally, scientific inquiry reveals that the key reason for an alcohol addiction intervention in the first place is to persuade the abusive drinker or alcohol addicted individual to get the professional alcohol treatment he or she needs. Stated more clearly, even if the individual who directs the intervention has a splendid record of successful interventions and even if the abusive drinker or alcohol addicted person actually listens to every single word that is articulated during an intervention, if the alcohol abuser or alcohol-dependent person is not stimulated to request quality alcohol addiction counseling after the alcohol dependency intervention, then the intervention will be a fiasco.

Unmistakably all of these factors are needed for a productive alcohol intervention. If, nevertheless, the alcohol abuser or alcohol-dependent person is not encouraged to request alcohol addiction counseling after listening to his or her family members communicate the pain, irritation, and disenchantment they feel about the alcohol abuser’s or alcohol addicted individual’s excessive drinking behavior and the care they feel for the problem drinker, then every other aspect of the alcoholism intervention will fundamentally be meaningless.

Even Effective Alcoholism Interventions Can Go Wrong In the Future

It also needs to be emphasized that in spite of the fact that the alcohol addiction intervention can be identified as productive in that it helped put the hazardous drinker or alcohol addicted person in a more amenable framework and truly helped the alcohol-dependent person or abusive drinker deduce that he or she needed alcohol counseling or quality help for alcoholism or alcohol abuse, the plain fact that the intervention happened might result in bitterness, wrath, and distrust in the future.

Briefly, even when alcohol dependency interventions are seen as effective in the short term, in the long term, however, they may backfire and, therefore, might make the family and/or the alcohol abuser’s situation even worse than it was before the alcoholism intervention occurred.

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

Enabling, Alcohol Relapse, and Alcohol Addiction

It is fascinating to articulate something that family members who have been unfavorably affected by the alcoholism of another family member clearly do not understand. It seems to be that by protecting the alcohol addicted person with untruths and deceit to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have in effect created a circumstance that makes it easier for the alcohol addicted person to persevere and move forward with his or her negative, detrimental way of living.

To be sure, instead of helping the alcohol addicted individual and themselves, these family members have basically 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 addicted person will continue drinking in an excessive and irresponsible manner and suffer from different “alcohol side effects.” Some of these side effects include diminished mental functioning, deteriorating relationships, serious financial problems, legal issues (such as getting arrested for one or more DWIs), employment difficulties, and ill health.

Relapses Can and Do Happen

According to the research findings and statistics on alcohol addiction, another key alcoholism issue concerns alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcohol addicted individual has fruitfully gone through alcoholism therapy and then resorts to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first glance, this predicament seems contradictory to sound thinking and looks so implausible that it forces a person to wonder why anyone who has gone through the awfulness of alcoholism can return to drinking a short while after successful alcohol rehab and in turn after achieving recovery. There are, of course, many credible reasons for this.

It should be highlighted, nevertheless that alcohol addiction research that has centered on the enduring outcomes of alcohol addiction has shown that long after the alcohol addicted person has discontinued his or her drinking, major transformations in the way in which the alcohol dependent person’s brain works are still present. As a result, all a recovering alcohol dependent person has to do to involve himself or herself in behaviors that correspond with the transformations that have occurred in the brain is to start drinking once again.

The Need for A Drastic Lifestyle Modification

There are other reasons why quite a few recovering alcohol addicted individuals return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after attaining sobriety. According to the alcohol addiction research literature, to make an effective recovery, the alcohol dependent person needs new ways of reacting and thinking in order to deal more successfully with difficult alcohol-related situations that will take place.

Conditions such as returning to the same alcohol addictive environment or to the same geographic location; interacting once again with friends from the days when the alcohol dependent individual was drinking excessively; or familiar songs, smells, or activities—all of these conditions can elicit memories that can trigger psychological stress or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcohol addicted individual to engage in excessive drinking once again. Sadly, all of these circumstances may not only work against lasting sobriety for the alcohol addicted person but they can also result in relapse and as a result work against one’s sobriety.

The Good News:  There’s Light at the End of the Tunnel

In an attempt to “protect” the family alcoholic, family members can essentially cause unintentional harm by enabling the unhealthy drinking behavior of the alcohol addicted person.

The drug abuse research literature highlights the fact that most individuals who effectively complete alcohol therapy experience at least one relapse. Alcoholics and their family members need to know this so that they do not get depressed or stressed out when a relapse takes place.

Happily, involvement in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up rehab and education have resulted in more productive, lasting alcohol abuse and alcoholism treatment results, have helped diminish alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcohol addicted persons reach long standing alcohol recovery.

What I Learned About Drug Addiction and Alcohol Dependency in High School

When I was a sophomore in high school, I registered for a substance abuse class. At that age, I did not grasp the fact that alcohol abuse actually was a sub division of drug abuse. While taking this class and learning more about drug and alcohol abuse and particularly about alcohol side effects, I read a lot about Alcoholic Anonymous, their meetings, how their programs have twelve steps, and how successful the Alcoholics Anonymous recovery program has been for individuals throughout the world. I also learned a lot about alcohol rehab and the various alcohol rehab clinics that are usually available to alcohol abusers.

Injurious Outcomes That are Correlated With Alcohol Addiction and Alcohol Abuse

Some of the detrimental results associated with alcoholism and alcohol abuse that I learned about in this class certainly alarmed me. The ruined lives and countless serious issues experienced by most alcohol addicted people made me feel like I never wanted to drink alcohol when I became old enough. Stated briefly, I did not want to face the damage and ruination that alcohol dependent individuals almost always experience.

Reflect on this for a moment. What fifteen-year-old individual wants to face premature death due to his or her drinking behavior? What adolescent wants to become so out-of-control regarding his or her drinking that drinking alcohol becomes the object of one’s life? What teen wants to go to one of the local alcoholic rehabilitation centers to deal with alcohol-related problems before he or she becomes twenty-one?

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

These issues were so important that I discussed some of them in class throughout the school year. What was entirely astonishing to me was the number of students who openly didn’t care about the injurious results of hazardous drinking that I discussed. It was almost as if they couldn’t be bothered with reality and how these outcomes can demolish their lives. For the first time in my life I started to grasp a saying that my grandfather used to articulate all through my teen and pre-teen years: you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.

It’s Beneficial, Important, and Energizing to Keep Yourself From the Unhealthy and Destructive Results of Drug and Alcohol Abuse

And even at my young age, I also started to understand how important, liberating, and beneficial it is in life to keep away from the unhealthy and destructive end results of alcohol and drug abuse.

An Impulsive High School Student Displays Numerous Alcohol-Related Difficulties, Gets Expelled From School, and Has to See the School Therapist

Dante was a sixteen year old high school junior who was displaying more than a few alcohol-related problems at school. Consequently, the principal informed him that he had to see Miss Johnson, the school counselor, before he would be permitted to return to class.

Later that day when Dante went home after school, he had to explain his school situation to his parents. His Mother and Father were “relatively traditional” and told Dante that getting thrown out of school was not a satisfactory educational game plan. They explained to Dante that failing to graduate from high school would likely be like a lead weight around his feet that could probably hurt his educational achievement for the rest of his life. What is more, Dante’s parents were extremely upset that he was drinking in the first place and drinking with his peers in the second.

His Mom and Dad informed Dante that although he may be an adolescent, he has to realize rather quickly that drinking is the pathway to pain, ill health, failure, and financial problems.

It was obvious that his Mother and Father were completely in agreement with Dante’s principal and informed Dante that he had better come to the realization that he needs to see Miss Johnson, the school psychologist. After his conversation with his Mom and Dad, Dante in due course 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 lunch.

The Psychologist Asks Dante if He Understands Why His Recent Alcohol-Related Behavior Caused Quite a Bit of Apprehension By the School Administrators

When Dante got to his scheduled appointment with Miss Johnson, she promptly analyzed all of the alcohol-related problems Dante had experienced and asked him if he understood why his recent alcohol-related behavior caused quite a bit of apprehension by the school administrators.

Quite truthfully, Dante was unsure why the principal told him he had to see a school therapist. As he stated to Miss Johnson, why should he see a professional psychologist about his drinking circumstances? In view of the fact that virtually all of his friends drink the same amount that he does, primarily, drinking shouldn’t be such a big thing. Stated another way, if just about everybody is drinking, why is this such a big thing?

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

Miss Johnson explained to Dante that while his classmates may in fact drink as much as he does and that they may be a negative influence on him, the facts are that he is the one who is getting suspended from school due to alcohol-related absenteeism, fighting, and delinquency, not his peers. Moreover, Miss Johnson also underscored the fact that Dante, and not his buddies, is the one who is failing and who is missing almost two days of school every week due to his alcohol related issues. Finally, Miss Johnson emphasized the fact that because of his drinking situation, Dante is getting into a destructive cycle of hazardous drinking that can in due course wreck his dreams, hopes, and aspirations.

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

Dante Learns That In Due Course He Must Take Responsibility For Himself In Order to Steer Clear of Dangerous, Damaging, Destructive, and Unhealthy Circumstances Down the Road

Miss Johnson informed Dante that one’s peers can undeniably influence a person in an unhealthy manner, but that the individual himself or herself has to in the end claim responsibility for herself or himself in order to stay away from dangerous, destructive, unhealthy, and damaging consequences in the future.

Luckily, Miss Johnson was well prepared for her discussion with Dante. She showed him research studies and reports she had underlined that summarized diverse drinking statistics and facts that targeted most people in general. Then she showed Dante a lot of information that applied principally to adolescents.

As an illustration, Miss Johnson underscored the difference between alcoholism and alcohol abuse and told Dante that drinkers who continue to drink abusively habitually become alcohol dependent.

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

The Therapist States More Than a Few Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Dependency Facts and Statistics

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

1. Alcohol dependence and alcohol abuse cost the U.S. an estimated 0 billion in 2005. This dollar amount was more than the cost related to obesity (3 billion) or with cancer (6 billion).

2. More than one-half of American adults have a close relative or family member that has or has had alcoholism.

3. More than seventy-five percent of female victims of nonfatal, domestic violence reported that their assailant had been drinking or using drugs.

4. In the United States on a yearly basis, more than 33% of pedestrians killed by autos were legally drunk.

5. One national survey uncovered the fact that students are less likely to use alcohol if they are socially accepted by individuals at school and feel that teachers treat students in a fair manner.

6. Research reveals that adolescents who use alcohol may remember 10 percent less of what they have learned than youth who don’t drink.

7. Approximately ten to twenty percent of the individuals who drink abusively in time develop cirrhosis of the liver (i.e., a scarring of the liver that can be fatal).

8. Up to forty percent of the U.S. industrial deaths and forty-seven percent of industrial injuries are linked to alcohol dependency or alcohol abuse.

Dante Receives A Meaningful Wake Up Call About the Short Term and the Long Term Consequences of Underage Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Addiction

After Miss Johnson conveyed the aforementioned alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency statistics and facts, it was clear that what Miss Johnson taught Dante was a real bombshell to him. Why? Because for the first time in his young life, someone not only took the time to give an explanation of the long term and the short term outcomes of alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency, but she also took the time to confirm what she was saying with alcohol abuse and alcoholism facts and statistics that related to people in general, and mainly to adolescents.

Without a doubt, it was almost as if a light went on and Dante without pause realized why he should not be engaging in hazardous and excessive drinking with or without his classmates any longer. Dante thanked Miss Johnson for her concern and for the information she reviewed.

Miss Johnson then asked Dante how he felt about getting a physical exam and an alcohol appraisal for the alcohol abuse or alcoholism treatment 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 appraisal of his drinking condition so that he could start an alcohol abuse or alcohol addiction treatment program without pause.

The Key Elements in A Productive Alcoholism Intervention

What are the basic elements in a fruitful alcohol intervention? Why do some alcoholism interventions succeed as expected while others bomb?

The Necessity for a Recognized Reputation of Intervention Achievement

Scientific investigation shows that a successful alcohol dependency intervention needs to be directed by an intervention specialist who has a proven history of intervention attainment.

In effect this means that instead of selecting a “normal” addiction healthcare professional or psychologist for an alcohol addiction intervention, the person who is chosen to direct the intervention needs to be trained in addiction intervention procedures and needs to possess a record of fruitful alcohol interventions.

A Few Fundamental Examples of The Best Time For an Alcohol Abuse Intervention

Scientific examination and alcoholism facts about interventions has also demonstrated that the most favorable time for an alcoholism intervention is following a meaningful incident in the life of the alcohol dependent individual or alcohol abuser. The following represents a few illustrations of these types of noteworthy occasions:

• The alcohol addicted individual or abusive drinker has been caught stealing something of worth.
• The abusive drinker or alcoholic has been caught lying about something of import.
• The alcohol-dependent person or alcohol abuser has been imprisoned for a DUI or DWI.

In situations like these, the alcohol dependent individual or abusive drinker is more likely to feel contrite or to feel ashamed, thusly making him or her more amenable to getting the professional alcohol therapy that he or she requires.

At this point in time, moreover, it is also essential to call attention to the fact that the abusive drinker or alcohol-dependent person needs to be free of alcohol during the alcoholism intervention. Briefly, if the abusive drinker or alcohol addicted person is drunk during an alcohol addiction intervention, failure is in effect certain.

Furthermore, scientific investigation has also revealed the fact that the alcohol abuser or alcoholic has to at least try to listen to what is communicated in an alcohol abuse intervention. Stated more explicitly, during an alcoholism intervention, the hazardous drinker or alcohol-dependent person needs to listen to what his or her drinking problems have done to those who care for him or her the most.

The Critical Nature of Alcohol Rehab For the Problem Drinker

And finally, scientific study reveals that the key reason for an alcohol abuse intervention in the first place is to influence the alcohol abuser or alcohol-dependent person to get the professional alcoholism counseling that is required. Stated differently, even if the individual who directs the intervention has a wonderful track record of productive interventions and even if the hazardous drinker or alcohol-dependent person in all honesty listens to every word that is said during an intervention, if the abusive drinker or alcohol-dependent person is not encouraged to obtain professional alcohol addiction rehabilitation after the alcoholism intervention, then the intervention will be a flop.

Apparently all of these factors are needed for an effective alcohol addiction intervention. If, alternatively, the hazardous drinker or alcohol dependent individual is not inspired to get alcoholism treatment after listening to his or her family members communicate the grief, irritation, and dissatisfaction they feel about the hazardous drinker’s or alcohol dependent person’s hazardous drinking behavior and the care they feel for the problem drinker, then every other aspect of the alcohol addiction intervention will more or less be insignificant.

Even Successful Alcohol Abuse Interventions Can Backfire Down the Road

It also needs to be highlighted that in spite of the fact that the alcohol dependency intervention can be perceived as successful in that it helped put the abusive drinker or alcohol dependent individual in a more “open” framework and honestly helped the alcohol-dependent person or alcohol abuser decide that he or she needed alcohol rehab or quality help for alcoholism or alcohol abuse, the plain reality that the intervention occurred may lead to resentment, irritation, and uncertainty in the future.

When all’s said and done, even when alcohol addiction interventions are seen as fruitful in the short run, in the long term, then again, they may boomerang and, as a consequence, might make the family and/or the alcohol dependent person’s situation even worse than it was before the alcohol addiction intervention was undertaken.

No matter how unjust or paradoxical this seems, try to keep in mind that it is essentially one of the key alcohol facts that has to be tackled when doing an alcohol intervention.

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