Jennifer is a thirty-eight-year-old bank cashier who has been ingesting alcohol in an excessive and irresponsible manner since she and her boyfriend decided to discontinue their relationship. Indeed, for the past eleven months she has been drinking very nearly two bottles of wine every night, and on the weekends she also has been drinking more than a few wine coolers all the way through the day.

After feeling dejected because she was beginning to disregard her health, Jennifer at long last told herself that enough is enough, that it’s time to quit feeling sorry for herself, that it’s time to quit the hazardous and excessive drinking, and time to get on with her life. So the following Saturday morning at 8:30 AM, she made up her mind to stop drinking completely and suddenly without planning or preparation.

When She Attempted to Quit Drinking She Felt Ill, 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 quit drinking, she figured that she would most likely be tempted to have a couple of drinks, but she never assumed that she would feel so awful. More accurately, roughly two hours after she quit drinking, she had utterly no appetite, she vomited numerous times, she started to sweat extensively, her head was aching, and she was extremely moody and anxious.

When she called her best pal and told her that she had quit drinking and that after a few hours she suddenly started to have flu-like symptoms, Dawn, her best pal, told Jennifer to call her doctor and go over what she was feeling.

She Admits to Her Healthcare Professional That She Has Been Drinking Excessively, That She Just Tried to Stop Drinking, and That She is Going Through Horrible Flu-Like Symptoms

So Jennifer called her healthcare practitioner, informed him that she has been drinking in an abusive manner for quite a few months and that when she honestly tried to suddenly stop drinking earlier in the day, within a few hours she felt as if she had the worst case of the flu that she had ever suffered through.

Her physician informed her that she may be suffering from alcohol withdrawal symptoms and that she should have someone take her to the emergency room as soon as humanly possible.

As soon as Jennifer got off the phone, she got a neighbor 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 was dependent on alcohol.

It seems that her family doctor had called ahead and told the emergency room staff to expect Jennifer because when she got to the hospital, she was met by two paramedics who without hesitation told her to get in the wheelchair they had with them. After getting moved to the emergency room and undergoing a few important tests, it was verified that Jennifer was indeed experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms and was in need of alcohol detox.

A medical practitioner gave her some drugs to address her flu-like symptoms and also gave her some meds to help get rid of the alcohol that was still in her system.

An Alcohol Abuse and Substance Abuse Physician Clearly Explains That She is Addicted to Alcohol and Then Discusses What Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms and Alcohol Dependency Stages Are

After a few hours, Jennifer was taken from the ER and transported to the recovery room. After she was in recovery for around two hours, Doctor Myers, an alcohol abuse and substance abuse specialist, came to see her. He took plenty of time and explained in laymen’s language that Jennifer had suffered through alcohol withdrawal symptoms when she stopped drinking because she had become an alcoholic.

He then elucidated the fact that with repeated and excessive drinking, the individual’s brain in a step-by-step fashion adjusts to the alcohol so that it can carry out tasks and operations in a “normal” fashion. When the individual then suddenly refrains from ingesting alcohol, it can be noted, the brain takes action by bringing forth alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Moreover, her physician also explained in a clear fashion the different alcoholism stages that an alcoholic commonly suffers through as the disease gets progressively worse as time goes by.

It is Confirmed that Jennifer is in the First Stage of Alcoholism and She Obtains a Good Forecast For a Total Recovery if She Gets the Alcohol Dependency Rehab She Requires

Fortunately for Jennifer, it was established that she was in the first stage of alcohol dependency and, as a consequence, she obtained a favorable prognosis for a complete recovery if she will get the alcohol dependency rehab she requires.

Jennifer told the healthcare professional that she will do whatever it takes to get sober and to restore her life and her health. She also stated that she has an excellent hospitalization plan that will more likely than not pay for most, if not all, of the costs needed for treatment. It was apparent that Jennifer was quite grateful about her optimistic medical prognosis and felt at ease knowing that she will be able to get the alcoholism rehab she requires so that she can start on the road to recovery.

How do you know that you have a problem with your drinking? When is it clear that you are involving yourself in hazardous drinking?

If you have hopelessly made an effort to stop drinking or if you have given your word to yourself that your drinking days are behind you and then you recognized that you were drinking abusively just a few days later, chances are exceptionally good that you have drinking problems. The key point is that if you have made an effort to quit drinking and cannot get this done, then your drinking is controlling you, rather than the other way around.

Similarly, 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 problem with your drinking.

You may be telling yourself that the reasoning for your drinking is so that you can reduce your nervous tension or get rid of the agony that you feel. Likewise, you may be trying to stay away from an unsafe situation and may be looking for something more useful, more constructive, or less mournful.

As you keep on drinking, to the contrary, you will become aware that drinking does not elicit the same high and you will also become aware that drinking doesn’t help get rid of whatever led to your pain in the first place.

As you continue to drink in an abusive manner, unfortunately, you may become an alcoholic and, as a result, you may add another essential predicament to manage rather than finding out about more productive and healthy ways of managing your alcohol-related difficulties.

An Alcohol Assessment is Probably Necessary

If you have decided that you have a drinking problem, conceivably the most beneficial thing you can do for yourself is to call your physician or healthcare provider and schedule an appointment for a thorough physical and for an evaluation of your drinking behavior.

If you truly think that you have a critical drinking problem, it might be a good idea to get prepared to hear that you need to get alcohol rehab.

At this point in your life, what are your alternatives? You can surely refuse to see your health care practitioner and carry on with your pattern of excessive drinking.

It truly doesn’t take a nuclear physicist, to the contrary, to comprehend that chronic, abusive drinking, if left untreated, will deteriorate over time and quite probably lead to an early death. For that reason, your most beneficial choice is to face your drinking situation and obtain the alcohol rehab you require.

The Pretense of the Functioning Alcohol Addicted Individual

It is somewhat odd to note the fact that several alcoholics lead busy and active lives and have pets, vehicles, houses, jobs, families, and any number of material possessions just like people who are not addicted to alcohol.

Many of these “functional” alcohol addicted individuals may have never been cited for drunk driving and may have been fortunate enough to avoid all alcohol generated legal issues. Despite this fortunate situation, conversely, these alcohol dependent individuals need to drink in order to live on a day by day basis while preserving their facade as they interact with the outside world.

Ask anyone who has seen them when they are out on a drunken binge or in a drunken stupor or ask a family member about the problem drinker’s alcohol dependency, nevertheless, and they will be quick to assert the reality of the drinker’s situation and the whole story about the alcohol dependent person’s drinking predicament and about his or her alcohol produced predicaments.

Why Do Alcoholics Fail to Deal With Their Drinking Problems?

As alcoholism and alcohol abuse research has underlined, no matter how observable the alcohol induced problems seem to those who interact with the alcohol dependent individual, alcoholic individuals commonly deny that drinking is the cause of their alcohol-related difficulties. Not only this, but alcohol dependent individuals usually blame their alcohol-related problems on other people or upon other situations that surround them instead of seeing their part in the problem.

The root of the issue is that alcoholism is a disease of the brain. Once the individual has become alcohol dependent, he or she normally resorts to denial, manipulation, and deceit as a way of dealing with the fact that his or her drinking is out of control. And to make the situation more problematic, the experience of alcohol withdrawal symptoms usually circumvents the alcohol dependent individual’s rare attempts to suddenly quit drinking. As depressing as the alcohol dependent person’s life is, conversely, the positive news is that competent assistance is usually available – if the alcohol dependent person reaches out and gets alcohol rehabilitation.

Summary

Admitting the fact that drinking is triggering difficulties in your day to day functioning is conceivably the simplest way to find out if you have a problem with your drinking. Stated another way, if your drinking is producing 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 addressed.

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

While some problem drinkers may be able to pinpoint their alcohol abuse problems and substantially diminish the quantity and frequency of their drinking, others, however, need to manage their drinking problems by getting professional alcohol therapy. What is more, due to their tendency to deny the facts and warp the truth, alcoholics undeniably require quality alcoholism rehab for their out-of-control drinking.

When I was in the tenth grade in high school, I took a drug abuse class. At that age, I did not grasp the fact that alcohol abuse in reality was a sub classification of drug abuse. While taking this class and learning more about drug and alcohol abuse, 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 all through the world. I also learned a lot about alcohol rehabilitation and the various alcohol rehab facilities that are often available to individuals who engage in hazardous drinking.

Some of the detrimental results related to alcoholism and alcohol abuse that I learned about in this class definitely frightened me. The ruined lives and many serious issues experienced by most alcohol dependent people made me feel like I never wanted to drink alcohol when I became old enough. In a word, I did not want to face the disaster and destruction that alcohol dependent individuals almost always experience.

Think about 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 adolescent 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 youth wants to experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms when he or she tries to quit drinking? Why would an individual engage in drinking to such an extent that it would cause serious issues in every area of his or her life? Drinking later in life after a person has a career, a family, and develops personal responsibilities makes sense. But why would a young person want to sacrifice his or her education, employment, finances, and relationships for a life that centers on abusive drinking?

These issues were so meaningful that I talked about some of them in class throughout the school year. What was downright unbelievable to me was the number of students who essentially didn’t care about the harmful results of hazardous drinking that I discussed. It was almost as if they couldn’t care less about the facts and how these outcomes can demolish their lives. For the first time in my life I started to appreciate something 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.

How do you identify the fact that you have a drinking problem? When is it apparent that you are involving yourself in irresponsible drinking?

If you have hopelessly struggled to discontinue your drinking or if you sworn to yourself that your drinking days are terminated and then you realized that you were drinking irresponsibly just a few days later, chances are quite good that you have a drinking problem. The fundamental idea is that if you have tried to stop drinking and cannot bring this about, then your drinking is controlling you, instead of the other way around.

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

You may be telling yourself that the justification for your drinking is so that you can decrease your tension or get rid of the hurt that you feel. Likewise, you may be trying to stay away from an injurious situation and may be looking for something more useful, more positive, or less mournful.

As you maintain your drinking, to the contrary, you will comprehend that drinking does not bring about the same high and you will also become aware that drinking doesn’t help remove whatever brought about your problem in the first place.

As you continue to drink in a hazardous way, regrettably, you may become addicted to alcohol and, as a consequence, you may add another key issue to manage rather than becoming aware of more successful and wholesome ways of managing your alcohol generated predicament.

An Alcohol Assessment is Probably Needed

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

If you openly think that you have a dangerous problem with your drinking, it might be a good idea to get prepared to hear that you need to get alcohol reahbilitation.

At this point in time, what are your alternatives? You can unquestionably refuse to see your general practitioner and persist with your pattern of irresponsible drinking.

It truly doesn’t take a wiz kid, nonetheless, to understand that long-term, heavy drinking, if left untreated, will deteriorate over time and most likely lead to an early death. Thus, your most practical alternative is to face your drinking problem and obtain the alcohol rehab you need.

The Pretext of the Functioning Alcohol Addicted Individual

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

Many of these “functional” alcohol addicted individuals may have never been arrested for a DUI and may have been lucky enough to avoid all alcohol generated legal issues. In spite of this fortunate situation, to the contrary, these alcohol dependent people need to drink in order to deal with life on a daily basis while keeping their facade as they interact with people outside their family.

Ask anyone who has seen them when they are bingeing or in a drunken stupor or ask a family member about the problem drinker’s alcohol dependency, nevertheless, and they will be quick to assert the legitimacy of the drinker’s situation and the particulars about the alcohol addicted person’s drinking condition and about his or her alcohol-related problems.

Why Do Alcohol Addicted Individuals Fail to Recognize Their Drinking Problems?

As alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse research has underscored, no matter how noticeable the alcohol-related problems seem to those who interact with the alcoholic, alcoholic individuals frequently deny that drinking is the cause of their alcohol produced predicaments. Not only this, but alcohol dependent people usually blame their alcohol induced difficulties on other individuals or upon other situations around them rather than seeing their part in the issue.

The origin of the predicament is that alcohol addiction is a disease of the brain. Once the person has become dependent on alcohol, he or she usually 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 matters more complex, the experience of alcohol withdrawal symptoms regularly thwarts the alcohol dependent person’s rare attempts to suddenly refrain from drinking. As gloomy as the alcohol dependent individual’s existence is, then again, the encouraging news is that professional assistance is typically available – if the alcohol dependent individual reaches out and seeks alcohol rehabilitation.

Conclusion

Admitting the fact that drinking is leading to difficulties in your daily functioning is conceivably the easiest way to find out if you have a drinking problem. In other words, if your drinking is triggering 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 dealt with.

If you have a problem with your drinking, moreover, this means that you are involving yourself in hazardous drinking.

While some problem drinkers may be able to come to grips with their alcohol abuse difficulties and substantially decrease the amount and frequency of their drinking, other drinkers, conversely, need to manage their drinking difficulties by getting professional alcoholism therapy. What is more, due to their propensity to deny the facts and alter the truth, alcohol addicted individuals positively require quality alcoholism therapy for their irresponsible drinking.

When I was a sophomore in high school, I took a substance abuse class. At that time, I did not realize that alcohol abuse in point of fact was a sub classification of drug abuse. While taking this class and learning more about drug and alcohol abuse, 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 people all over the world. I also learned a lot about alcohol rehabilitation and the different alcohol rehab clinics that are regularly available to individuals who engage in excessive drinking.

Some of the detrimental effects related to alcoholism and alcohol abuse that I learned about in this class unquestionably scared me. The ruined lives and countless difficulties experienced by most alcohol addicted people made me feel like I never wanted to drink alcohol when I became old enough. In a word, I did not want to face the wreckage and destruction that alcohol addicted people almost always experience.

Reflect on this for a moment. What fifteen-year-old teenager wants to face premature death due to his or her drinking behavior? What teenager 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 encounter alcohol withdrawal symptoms when he or she tries to quit drinking? Why would an individual engage in drinking to such an extent that it would cause serious issues 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 a young person want to sacrifice his or her education, employment, finances, and relationships for a life that centers on hazardous drinking?

These issues were so important that I talked about some of them in class during the school year. What was entirely astounding to me was the number of students who basically didn’t care about the damaging consequences of excessive drinking that I discussed. It was almost as if they couldn’t care less about reality and how these outcomes can shatter their lives. For the first time in my life I started to comprehend a saying that my grandfather used to tell me all through my adolesence: you can lead a horse to water but you can’t force it to drink.

It is remarkable to mention something that family members who have been harmfully affected by the alcoholism of another family member apparently do not realize. It appears that by shielding the alcohol addicted person with lies and deceit to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have in reality created a situation that makes it easier for the alcohol addicted person to carry on and press forward with his or her injurious, devastating lifestyle.

Indeed, rather than helping the alcohol addicted individual and themselves, these family members have in truty become enablers who have inadvertently helped worsen the alcohol dependent person’s problem drinking circumstance even further.

The Chances of a Relapse are Real

Another key alcoholism issue has to do with alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcohol dependent individual has successfully gone through alcohol addiction rehab and then returns to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first glance, this predicament flies in the face of common sense and seems so implausible that it forces an individual to question why anyone who has lived through the dreadfulness of alcoholism can return to drinking a short while after successful alcohol treatment and in turn after attaining sobriety. There are, for sure, many conceivable reasons for this.

It should be noted, however that alcohol dependency research that has focused on the long standing effects of alcohol addiction has demonstrated-proven that long after the alcohol dependent person has halted his or her drinking, key alterations in the way in which the alcohol addicted person’s brain operates 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 changes that have occurred in the brain is to engage in drinking again.

The Need for a Major Lifestyle Change

There are other reasons why quite a lot of recovering alcoholics return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after reaching sobriety. According to the alcohol addiction research literature, to make a successful recovery, the alcohol addicted individual needs new ways of responding and thinking in order to deal more successfully with taxing alcohol-related circumstances that will take place.

Situations such as returning to the same alcohol addictive atmosphere or to the same geographic location; interacting once again with friends from the days when the alcohol dependent person was drinking in a hazardous manner; or familiar songs, smells, or activities—all of these situations can elicit memories that can prompt psychological stress or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcohol dependent person to engage in hazardous drinking once again. Regrettably, all of these situations may not only counteract long lasting sobriety for the alcoholic but they can also lead to relapse and as a result short-circuit one’s alcohol recovery.

Conclusion

In an attempt to “protect” the family alcoholic, family members can in fact cause unplanned destruction by enabling the harmful drinking behavior of the alcohol dependent person.

The alcohol abuse research literature confirms the fact that most individuals who successfully complete alcohol rehab go through at least one relapse. Alcohol addicted persons and their family members need to know this so that they do not get defeated or beleaguered when a relapse takes place.