Alcoholism Treatments

Russ dropped out of high school when he was sixteen years old and eventually got a job at a local tire manufacturer. For the past five-and-a-half years he has gained a reputation as a reliable and hard-working employee who infrequently calls off work due to sickness.

Nearly four-and-a-half months ago he started dating a young lady named Emma. They appeared to get along real well immediately and looked like they had a lot of fun together.

The Hazardous Drinking Begins

When Russ met Emma, he almost never drank. This situation totally changed when Russ and Emma started seeing one another on a fairly usual basis. In truth, everything was going great until Emma called Russ one night roughly 4:30 AM and said that she had to stop dating him and that she couldn’t tell him the reasons for her decision at that moment.

The next morning before he went to work, Russ went to Emma’s apartment and found out right away that she had already moved out. Russ took this exceptionally hard. If truth be told, he was surprised because they appeared to be getting along so well.

When Abusive and Excessive Drinking Leads to Work Problems

So what did Russ do about Emma’s departure? Instead of letting himself go through the grieving process, he began getting intoxicated just about every night. It didn’t take long for his fellow employees or for his manager to notice that Russ was coming to work late at least twice per week and that he over and over again called off ill. Furthermore, some of his fellow employees made an appointment with staff in the HR Department and mentioned that Russ again and again came to work with a strong odor of alcohol on his breath or on his clothes.

Russ’s boss heard about all of this from Human Resources and also from Russ’s co-workers. So one Thursday morning he invited Russ into his office. He told Russ that he had recently noticed a distinct change in his work performance, attendance, behavior, and in his sick time.

When a Boss Can Motivate an Employee to Get Help For His or Her Irresponsible and Heavy Drinking

Russ’s boss also said that a number of his fellow employees reported him to Human Resources because he had been coming to work with the strong smell of alcohol. His supervisor then stated the following: “Russ, your co-workers are not reporting you to the Human Resources Department to get you into trouble or because they dislike you but rather because they care about you. And I care too. I don’t want to meddle with your business, but it is apparent that you are exhibiting some of the common signs and symptoms of alcohol abuse. As a result, I want you to go and see a psychologist in the employee’s assistance program to discuss your drinking behavior and your depression.”

“Russ, I’m no healthcare professional or a therapist, but I have seen several of my friends and relatives go through some very bad alcohol side effects. What is more, I have also witnessed the signs of alcoholism first-hand in my own family. When individuals experience problems with drinking, these issues not only affect the drinker, but they also make an impact on his or her family, co-workers, friends, relatives, and neighbors.”

Russ respected his boss quite a lot and as a consequence followed through with his suggestion the next morning when he called and scheduled an appointment with a counselor in the employee’s assistance program.

Russ is Still Depressed But Feels Some Hope That He Will Get His Life Back on Track

Even though Russ didn’t necessarily feel any better or less depressed about the sorrow he still feels for Emma, he felt comfort knowing that his boss and his co-workers wanted what’s best for him and cared about him. This gave Russ some psychological relief for the first time in quite a few weeks and he frankly felt some hope that he would get back on track with his life.

How many people get injured or lose their lives in alcohol related traffic accidents every year? On an annual basis, how many alcoholics fail to get the professional alcohol treatment they require? How many people are the victims of alcohol related crime or violence each and every year? How many people face serious consequences in their lives because they received a DWI conviction? How many junior high, high school, and college students lose their lives every year due to an alcohol overdose? How many people’s lives are cut short due to unhealthy and hazardous drinking? How many individuals lose their lives every year because of drinking problems? How many children are born each year with fetal alcohol syndrome? How many individuals lose their lives each year from a condition that is one hundred percent preventable, such as alcohol poisoning?

Why Would Anyone Want to Drink in an Irresponsible and Hazardous Manner?

So what’s the point in asking these questions? Basically to highlight the destructive and devastating nature of abusive and careless drinking. Indeed, and based on the above questions, I wonder why anyone would choose to drink in an irresponsible manner.

Stated more forcefully, with the host of relationship dilemmas, employment issues, financial problems, legal proceedings, and health difficulties that are associated with chronic alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency, why would any individual with average intelligence want to drink in an excessive manner? In fact when some of the above topics are put under the microscope more closely, abusive and hazardous drinking makes even less sense and becomes more illogical.

Wouldn’t you think that chronic alcohol abusers would be able to see some of the alcohol symptoms that they exhibit? In a similar manner doesn’t it seem reasonable to think that many more families would involve themselves in an alcohol intervention for the individual in the household who is an alcohol abuser or an alcoholic? Not only this but wouldn’t you think that individuals who drink excessively would try to learn more about their drinking behavior by researching various alcohol related statistics?

After reviewing the alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse research literature, the point is so critical that it needs to be reiterated: With all of the dangerous and disastrous consequences that are directly or indirectly correlated with continuous and repetitive alcoholism and alcohol abuse, why would any person want to engage in excessive and careless drinking?

What Can be Done About the Extensive Nature of Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Dependency in the U.S.?

So what can be done about the pervasive nature of alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction in the U.S.?

1. Our students need more relevant and more meaningful educational and preventative approaches and methods so that more students at all grade levels, including those at college, are “reached.
2. With a similar line of reasoning, our students need to learn how to become problem solvers in life rather than getting easily drawn to the ”quick fix” and the “instant gratification” of a drug or alcohol abuse ”high” or “buzz”.
3. People who are alcohol dependent or alcohol abusers need to look look at themselves candidly and ask why they are not getting the professional alcohol treatment they need.
4. Society needs to get the message to more people about the unhealthy and dangerous effects of unhealthy and excessive drinking.

There’s Room For Optimism if Those Who Engage in Abusive Drinking Can Become Motivated to Get the Alcohol Rehabilitation They Need

There’s lots of room for optimism and hope if individuals can start drinking responsibly and those who engage in hazardous and abusive drinkingcan become encouraged to get the alcohol rehab they need. Indeed, why put your loved ones through suffering, turmoil, and pain because of your careless and hazardous drinking when you have the power to control your life by drinking responsibly or even quitting drinking if you can’t control your drinking behavior?

Around nine months ago I had dinner with a forty-two-year-old man named Alexander who suffers from extreme depression, has relationship difficulties, and who is addicted to drugs and alcohol. As stated by Alexander, it is his alcohol and drug addiction and his acute depression that had the most to do with his endless relationship difficulties.

I remember hearing that a history of mental health concerns, chemical dependency, and harmful drinking frequently occur in the same family. Moreover, I have read that under such circumstances, an individual needs to get treatment for both medical problems and that addiction and mental health difficulties often occur in the same person.

As declared by Alexander, he is so crushed by his relationship issues and by both of his medical problems that he in effect has no driving force to achieve much of anything. What is particularly sad about this is that earlier in his life, Alexander completed five semesters of grad school in middle Eastern studies.

Alexander’s circumstance makes me wonder if he is an example of a person who can look within and perceive his drug abuse and alcohol drinking problems and do something positive about these difficulties or if he is a person who has to hit the very bottom before he gets alcohol and drug addiction rehabilitation that results in lasting recovery.

The Need For a Rehabilitation Protocol He Can Believe In and a Healthcare Practitioner He Can Trust

If it would be beneficial I would imagine that I could suggest numerous blogs and websites that could possibly help him locate information about drug abuse symptoms, the stages of alcoholism, chemical dependency information, and relationship problems. In my opinion, however, Alexander needs to find a rehabilitation protocol he can believe in and follow over the long haul and locate a therapist he can trust.

I could be in the wrong but it seems to make sense that Alexander probably needs to look within himself regarding his drug addiction signs and alcoholic symptoms and comprehend the fact that he cannot abuse drugs or drink at all if he wants to get sober, remain sober, and start on the path to long-term recovery.

It may be asked how therapy would help his drug and alcohol addiction. First of all, there are a number of recently created doctor-prescribed medications that can help Alexander avoid a drug or an alcohol relapse, help him through the drug and alcohol detox process, and help him through his withdrawal symptoms.

Second, Alexander would learn to admit the fact that there is utterly nothing useful about substance abuse and abusive and excessive drinking and that engaging in one or both conditions is the route to a premature death, shattered relationships, deteriorating health, legal problems, financial difficulties, and poor work and school performance.

Third, counseling for his relationship difficulties and his depression might help him deal with these medical issues more effectively and possibly create less of a need for him to engage in addictive behavior.

The Importance of Recovery Groups Like Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous

There are probably quite a few friends, other individuals, and family members who would want to help Alexander with his chemical dependency and his negative drinking. He more likely than not would experience greater tolerance from a recovery group such as Narcotics Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous, on the other hand, rather than listening to people who rarely drink or who have never taken drugs.

When People Do Things They Like and About Which They Are Passionate

There’s a philosophical attitude that declares that individuals who do things they love and something about which they are ardent attain an amazing place in life. That is, when people do what they enjoy, they rarely if ever experience boredom or an uneventful life. If they get involved in something that is worthwhile, moreover, they become more fulfilled and experience more satisfaction and delight in life and in their relationships.

When this is thought about even for a few minutes it becomes clear that this positive orientation is worlds apart from a life that is grounded in chemical dependency because such a lifestyle removes the satisfaction and delight that life offers.

Because Alexander doesn’t have the ambition to carry out much of anything in his life, it is obvious that he desperately needs a little hope for a healthier life. And the unfortunate thing is that hope is virtually everywhere around Alexander if he could only get to the point in life to get the therapy he needs for his intense depression and addiction and continue with his treatment routine.

More Positive Relationships, Constructive Change, Self Esteem, and a Wonderful Life Are a Reality

Alexander is simply too young to be defeated in life. He doesn’t realize this right now but if he can learn how to abstain from alcohol and drugs through drug and alcohol rehabilitation and get the counseling he needs for his severe depression, he can redirect his life and start living with self-respect, direction, and passion.

More solid relationships, positive change, self respect, and a wonderful life are certainly possibilities for Alexander if only he could get motivated to seek the professional treatment he needs, follow through with his therapy regimen, live his life in a healthy and alcohol and drug-free manner, and learn how to foster a more positive attitude about his existence.

It took more than a few years but Emily eventually made up her mind that she had it with her husband’s abusive and excessive drinking. She was exhausted from seeing Barry come home late at night from drinking instead of spending time with the family. She was also worn-out from the third DUI Barry recently got. Moreover she was exhausted from manufacturing reasons for her spouse when he couldn’t make it to his job due to his problems with drinking. In a similar manner she was worried about the fact that their relationship was getting worse due to Barry’s excessive and careless drinking. And finally she was weary from the uncertain financial quandary into which he had placed his family because of his negative drinking behavior.

When Careless and Hazardous Drinking Motivates a Person to do Something Helpful About a Person’s Drinking Problem

One Sunday morning when Emily was thinking about what she could do about her husband’s excessive and careless drinking, she got to the point that she honestly had to do something constructive to cut into the negative cycle of Barry’s abusive drinking behavior.

So she looked in the yellow pages under “alcohol treatment” and located a number of rehabilitation clinics that were all located less than fifteen miles away from where Barry and she resided.

Due to the fact that she didn’t know much at all about these rehabilitation facilities, she finally decided to call some of them and ask some pertinent questions. When she called each rehab clinic she identified who she was and articulated that her husband was engaging in excessive and careless drinking behavior. She also mentioned that Barry, her spouse, had a quality health insurance program at his job and that residential or outpatient alcohol treatment would be covered if a physician in the company health network authorized the treatment.

At one rehab clinic, Emily was stunned that she was able to converse directly with a physician who asked her to come to the rehabilitation facility to describe her husband’s hazardous and careless drinking behavior in much greater detail.

Emily Talks to a Doctor About Her Husband’s Abusive and Irresponsible Drinking

When Emily got to the rehab clinic, she filled out some required forms and then after approximately five or ten minutes got to see a therapist.

After listening to Emily talk about her husband’s unhealthy and excessive drinking, the doctor in an accommodating but resolute way explained to Emily how she more likely than not adding to her spouse’s careless drinking through the months and the years by covering for him instead of letting him go through the results of his abusive drinking behavior.

Emily Learns That She Has Been Enabling Her Husband’s Excessive Drinking

In a word, the psychologist told Emily that she may have been inadvertently enabling Barry’s abusive and hazardous drinking behavior. The psychologist also emphasized the fact that while Emily would not be able to control Barry’s actions, with the support and encouragement of the treatment team at the healthcare center she would not only be able to learn how to avoid contributing to Barry’s unhealthy drinking but she would also be able to learn how to encourage him to make an appointment at the treatment facility so that he could talk about his negative drinking behavior with a psychologist.

Fortunately after Emily mentioned this to her husband, and he saw that she was serious, Barry told her that he had been very concerned about his abusive and unhealthy drinking behavior and that he was somewhat thankful to realize that Emily wanted to do something positive about his unhealthy drinking behavior. Consequently, he scheduled an appointment to see a healthcare practitioner at the local alcohol rehabilitation facility.

Barry Agrees to Meet With a Healthcare Professional About His Hazardous and Excessive Drinking

While simply calling a rehabilitation program does not mean that an individual’s unhealthy drinking behavior will become less problematic or that one’s warning signs of alcoholism or the alcohol abuse signs one manifests will simply disappear, calling for an appointment is clearly a requisite aspect in the treatment process. And since Barry was serious about getting treatment for his careless and abusive drinking, the probability for a successful recovery was considerably augmented.