Alcoholism Treatments

Wendy was the mother of five children. Wendy had been feeling quite nervous lately and started to “medicate” herself by having three or four shots of burbon every night after she put her children to bed. After around six months of this drinking routine, she finally realized that rather than helping her ”lighten up” and ”manage” her problems, drinking made her feel less restful when she got up in the morning. This, in turn, made her feel even more tense all through the day.

After thinking about her predicament for several days, Wendy decided to talk about her problem drinking with her best friend. In fact, roughly twenty minutes into their chat, Wendy’s friend, Victoria, mentioned that she knew about a very proficient and highly qualified doctor at the local drug and alcohol rehab center. After talking to her friend, Wendy immediately got motivated to call the rehabilitation center and schedule an appointment.

Twelve days later she finally got to meet the psychiatrist her best friend had talked about. After their short-and-to-the-point introduction, Wendy told the psychiatrist that ever since she and her husband got divorced, she has been having an extremely difficult time psychologically, spiritually, and financially.

At times, she felt that she was totally over the divorce. Recently, however, she has been feeling extremely depressed about the fact that her former husband and she couldn’t stay married and “make it”. When asked by the doctor how long she and her former husband went together before they got married, Wendy explained to the doctor that she and her ex-husband dated for two-and-a-half years and then lived together for a-year-and-a-half before they got married.

As Wendy was talking to the doctor, she underlined the point that she honestly thought that Robert and she waited long enough to know one another well enough before they got married. After the kids started to arrive, conversely, everything appeared to deteriorate. To make matters worse, both Robert and she began to drink, and their hazardous and careless drinking adversely affected their love for one another, their finances, and their relationship.

When things went from bad to worse, Robert got a divorce attorney and filed for a divorce. Although things were plainly not going well and even though she was habitually depressed, Wendy told the doctor that she didn’t want to bring an end to their relationship. Once she received her divorce papers, however, she knew that their marriage was over.

The psychiatrist explained to Wendy that the tension, stress, and anxiety that she has been suffering from regarding her abusive and irresponsible drinking are some of the more commonplace alcohol abuse effects and that the best solution for this state of affairs is treatment for one’s alcohol abuse. In fact, getting alcohol abuse treatment is very important because repeated drinking can get the drinker into even more serious alcohol and alcoholism difficulties.

After five or six treatment sessions with her doctor, Wendy was little by little able to see that the real origin of her anxiety and her depression was that she had not gotten to the bottom of her angry feelings she has for her ex-husband who had divorced her a year-and-a-half ago. With these insights and with the drugs her physician prescribed, she eventually abstained from drinking, she began to feel considerably less depressed, and she started making time for social activities with her family and friends. A few months after getting treatment from her physician, she even started to date once again.

It was evident that Wendy had come a long way. In truth, just about five months after she completed her therapy, Wendy had finally laid the negative emotions of Robert, her former husband, to rest and was beginning to feel better about herself and more spiritually “sound” and emotionally “together” than she had ever felt in her life.

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?

Shelly was identified at work as an incredibly conservative person who had a superb work record. She in no way went to any of the happy hours immediately after work and it was known through the entire department that she was an incredibly spiritual person who regularly talked about the risks of alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency in our country.

Try to think of the surprise in the department when one Monday morning Shelly didn’t show up for work and not a soul had heard from her. In fact, it wasn’t until about 9:30 in the morning that the human resources department received a phone call about Shelly from the local city jail.

Shelly Goes Out Drinking Together With a Number of Her College Pals

Evidently, Shelly went out drinking along with several of her college pals Saturday night and at some time about 3:00 Sunday morning, Shelly was arrested for “driving under the influence”. Because her blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was very elevated, she was mandated to spend a day-in-a-half in the city jail.

Shelly Has a Talk With Her Manager and The Human Resources Manager

When Shelly arrived at work on Tuesday morning, she immediately told her boss what had occurred and she asked if she might possibly go and talk with the Human Resources director about her DWI arrest.

When she got to the HR department and met with the director, she articulated that she had not been intoxicated since her college days and that she was very humiliated about her “driving while intoxicated” arrest. She also emphasized the point that she required some help finding an experienced and productive “driving under the influence” attorney who would represent her DUI case. Stated another way, Shelly really wanted the Human Resources manager to agree that she needed to see a DUI attorney.

The Human Resources manager told Shelly that she ought to schedule an appointment with someone within the company employee’s assistance program to discuss any future drinking issue that she might have. The HR manager also stated that she needs to go over her desire to employ a DUI attorney to represent her regarding her “driving under the influence” case.

Not only this but the Human Resources director told Shelly that it was a good thing that she hoped to hire a “drunk driving” lawyer because of the complexities and problematic implications that happen to be linked to a DUI conviction.

The Human Resources director could tell that Shelly was plainly depressed and embarrassed by this whole problem. For this reason he told Shelly that while he doesn’t believe that conscientious individuals really should ever get behind the steering wheel right after consuming alcohol, regrettably these circumstances at times come to pass to pretty good individuals.

The Human Resources manager then stated that since such a circumstance cannot be undone, what’s critical is what the man or women does from this moment in time forward. As articulated by the Human Resources manager, “does the person learn from his/her blunders or does the individual develop a pattern of alcohol related complications that cause the particular person chronic pain and suffering”?

Fortunately, Shelly Did Not Have a History of Hazardous and Excessive Drinking

Just before finishing their conversation, the Human Resources director explained to Shelly that it was very positive that she doesn’t have a track record of irresponsible and excessive drinking. Furthermore, she hasn’t had an alcohol-related predicament since her college days (which was around 15 years ago). As a consequence, Shelly should be able to face her DUI arrest with embarrassment but also with a degree of self-confidence knowing that she will face and process this difficulty and turn out to be a better person in the long run.

Shelly thanked the Human Resources manager for his caring and encouraging words and then walked over towards the company employee’s assistance program to discuss her “driving under the influence” arrest, her participation in excessive and unhealthy drinking drinking over the past weekend, and her wish to employ a DUI attorney to represent her DUI case.

After hearing Shelly’s “story,” the nurse that was part of the company employee’s assistance program described Shelly’s immediate “plan of action” that she needed to address and follow. First, she would be required to take a DUI class to learn more DUI facts and information. Second, she would also be required to take an alcohol abuse class to address her possible drinking problem. And finally, it would be an especially wise thing to do if she were to consult with a DUI lawyer about her DUI arrest.

Shelly Feels Comfort Knowing That She Will Learn From Her Oversight and Become More Accountable

It was apparent that Shelly was very distressed with the whole DWI state of affairs, but after talking to the Human Resources director and to the physician in the company employee’s assistance program, she felt a sense of relief knowing that she would actually learn from her error in judgment and grow to be even more healthy, much more accountable, and an even more thankful woman.