The Adverse Effects of Excessive Work and Irresponsible Drinking and The Necessity of Alcohol Rehab And Relationship Therapy
May 14, 2010 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
Work was starting to be too frantic for a young police officer named Gary. Although he had only been on the police force for five-and-a-half years, he was already known as a hard worker who hardly ever said no to working overtime. As a matter of fact, he was now working fifteen to twenty hours of overtime each week and, as a consequence, he felt like he was losing his hold on his personal life. What complicated the situation was the fact that Gary started going out drinking with a group of fellow officers after his shift.
What Began as Fun Soon Turned Into Unhealthy and Excessive Drinking
What began as fun with the guys soon turned into irresponsible and hazardous drinking and then into a negative cycle of feeling tired every morning when he got up for work, working more long hours, and then going drinking with his buddies after work.
Plainly Gary was in a emotional and health related rut and experiencing some negative alcohol effects on the body. Where Gary really observed alcohol related issues and alcohol short term effects, on the other hand, was in his marriage and in his family life. His wife wasn’t really a nag, but she regularly asked him to stay at home more with her and with the children instead of going out and wasting money while drinking with his buddies.
Gary’s Excessive and Hazardous Drinking Negatively Affects His Personality
In a similar way, Gary’s hazardous and excessive drinking also adversely affected his personality. Simply put, the more he drank, the less patience he had with any problems or issues that came up regarding his children or his wife.
It Was Obvious to Gary That His Careless and Excessive Drinking Was Negatively Affecting His Pocketbook, Health, Work, and His Relationship With His Family
In his heart of hearts, it was apparent to Gary that his excessive and abusive drinking was negatively affecting his health, pocketbook, relationship with his family, and his work. So one Wednesday morning Gary came to a decision to talk to Jerry, a trusted old police officer buddy that he greatly admired.
Gary mentioned to Jerry how hazardous and abusive drinking was negatively affecting his pocketbook, health, work, and his relationship with his family. Jerry mentioned to Gary that he really understood because roughly twelve years ago, he too got involved in abusive and careless drinking. In fact, Jerry told Gary that hazardous and irresponsible drinking can create so many issues in a person’s life that almost everything of importance can be destroyed. And lastly, Jerry suggested that Gary schedule an appointment with an alcohol therapist at the work-affiliated alcohol abuse center.
Due to the fact that his employee’s assistance program was affiliated with this rehab facility, it was not only quite affordable but also very convenient to get some quality counseling about his hazardous and careless drinking. And due to the fact that the staff at the alcohol abuse center was supportive, non-judgmental, and competent, Gary would be able to get alcohol treatment that made sense to him and something he could follow through on.
After talking to his therapist about how his drinking was negatively affecting his work, health, relationship with his family, and his pocketbook, Gary grasped the fact that he was burning the candle at both ends with his hectic work hours and his abusive and excessive drinking. Once he understood that he was getting himself into a rut, with the assistance of his psychiatrist, and after three months in rehabilitation, he was finally able to quit drinking and stop working overtime.
Due to His Alcohol Rehab Gary Felt More Healthy and Had Much More Energy
The result was that Gary perceived life in a different way now that he was in alcohol recovery. To be more specific, due to his alcohol rehabilitation he not only had more quality time to spend with his family, but he felt better and more healthy, he actually had more money now even though he was working far fewer hours each week, and he was more patient when interacting with his wife and his children. As luck would have it, now that he stopped drinking, Gary and his wife were not only beginning to save some money for a different house but he also felt more energized and alert than anytime since he and his wife were married.
The Adverse Effects of Excessive Work and Irresponsible Drinking and The Motivation For Alcohol Rehabilitation And Relationship Therapy
Work was starting to be too frantic for a young police officer named Gary. Although he had only been on the police force for five-and-a-half years, he was already known as a hard worker who hardly ever said no to working overtime. As a matter of fact, he was now working fifteen to twenty hours of overtime each week and, as a consequence, he felt like he was losing his hold on his personal life. What complicated the situation was the fact that Gary started going out drinking with a group of fellow officers after his shift.
What Began as Fun Soon Turned Into Unhealthy and Excessive Drinking
What began as fun with the guys soon turned into irresponsible and hazardous drinking and then into a negative cycle of feeling tired every morning when he got up for work, working more long hours, and then going drinking with his buddies after work.
Plainly Gary was in a emotional and health related rut and experiencing some negative alcohol effects on the body. Where Gary really observed alcohol related issues and alcohol short term effects, on the other hand, was in his marriage and in his family life. His wife wasn’t really a nag, but she regularly asked him to stay at home more with her and with the children instead of going out and wasting money while drinking with his buddies.
Gary’s Excessive and Hazardous Drinking Negatively Affects His Personality
In a similar way, Gary’s hazardous and excessive drinking also adversely affected his personality. Simply put, the more he drank, the less patience he had with any problems or issues that came up regarding his children or his wife.
It Was Obvious to Gary That His Careless and Excessive Drinking Was Negatively Affecting His Pocketbook, Health, Work, and His Relationship With His Family
In his heart of hearts, it was apparent to Gary that his excessive and abusive drinking was negatively affecting his health, pocketbook, relationship with his family, and his work. So one Wednesday morning Gary came to a decision to talk to Jerry, a trusted old police officer buddy that he greatly admired.
Gary mentioned to Jerry how hazardous and abusive drinking was negatively affecting his pocketbook, health, work, and his relationship with his family. Jerry mentioned to Gary that he really understood because roughly twelve years ago, he too got involved in abusive and careless drinking. In fact, Jerry told Gary that hazardous and irresponsible drinking can create so many issues in a person’s life that almost everything of importance can be destroyed. And lastly, Jerry suggested that Gary schedule an appointment with an alcohol therapist at the work-affiliated alcohol abuse center.
Due to the fact that his employee’s assistance program was affiliated with this rehab facility, it was not only quite affordable but also very convenient to get some quality counseling about his hazardous and careless drinking. And due to the fact that the staff at the alcohol abuse center was supportive, non-judgmental, and competent, Gary would be able to get alcohol treatment that made sense to him and something he could follow through on.
After talking to his therapist about how his drinking was negatively affecting his work, health, relationship with his family, and his pocketbook, Gary grasped the fact that he was burning the candle at both ends with his hectic work hours and his abusive and excessive drinking. Once he understood that he was getting himself into a rut, with the assistance of his psychiatrist, and after three months in rehabilitation, he was finally able to quit drinking and stop working overtime.
Due to His Alcohol Rehab Gary Felt More Healthy and Had Much More Energy
The result was that Gary perceived life in a different way now that he was in alcohol recovery. To be more specific, due to his alcohol rehabilitation he not only had more quality time to spend with his family, but he felt better and more healthy, he actually had more money now even though he was working far fewer hours each week, and he was more patient when interacting with his wife and his children. As luck would have it, now that he stopped drinking, Gary and his wife were not only beginning to save some money for a different house but he also felt more self esteem than anytime since he and his wife were married.
A Young Man’s Excessive and Hazardous Drinking Results In a DUI, Time Behind Bars, and Then Inspiration to Change His devastating and Destructive Lifestyle
Jesse had a particularly difficult time keeping a job. Indeed, because of his sluggishness and lack of incentive, he was unemployed far more often than he was in a state of employment. And when he did secure a job, he had a hard time getting to work when his shift began, he usually received less than optimal performance assessments, and he called off sick so regularly that he typically got fired two or three weeks after he began working. To no one’s amazement, one of the consequences of Jesse’s appalling employment track record was the fact that he was virtually without a dime almost on an everyday basis.
Regardless of Jesse’s irresponsible work record and financial lack of attention, then again, one way or another he managed to drink abusively most of the time.
So it came as no big shock when Jesse got arrested for a fourth DWI. When he went to court, the magistrate clearly stated to Jesse that his alcohol-related behavior was deplorable and, as a consequence, he was going to sentence Jesse to serve five months in the city jail.
Time In Jail To Reflect On The Unhealthy Results of Hazardous and Excessive Drinking
During his time in the county jail, Jesse was expected to learn more about alcohol facts, about the hurtful effects of careless drinking, and he was required to get alcohol counseling. The judge highlighted the fact that unless Jesse gets professional alcohol counseling and learns how to live a life of abstinence, he will quite possibly be spending a lot more time placed behind bars.
Jesse stated that he comprehended what the judge was declaring but he still proclaimed that placement in the county jail was not the best verdict. The magistrate saw things from an entirely different orientation and claimed that it was his obligation to keep alcohol addicted individuals off the streets who drive under the influence and who get arrested for one or more DUIs. To support this statement, the judge listed some long-standing, comprehensively researched alcohol statistics that emphasized some of the injurious results that are correlated with irresponsible and abusive drinking.
Although Jesse realized that he drank abusively, he never thought that he was an alcoholic. So it was a real shocker when Jesse began having alcohol withdrawals just about three hours after getting incarcerated.
To deal with his alcohol withdrawals in a safe manner, Jesse was life flighted to a drug and alcohol treatment hospital for alcohol detox and then brought back to the municipal jail. While locked up in the city jail Jesse got alcohol treatment but due to the fact that he got this counseling as something that was imposed upon him, he did not take ownership of his excessive and irresponsible drinking.
When his time in the local jail was over, the magistrate without reservation told Jesse that he would be under careful scrutiny and would be mandated to take periodic random breath alcohol tests.
Jessie’s Hazardous and Excessive Drinking Prevents Him From Living in a Productive and Responsible Manner
After hearing how Jesse failed to take ownership of his drinking situation and how he grudgingly followed the treatment protocol while in the city jail, the judge knew that it was just a matter of time before he would be seeing Jesse once again in court about his irresponsible drinking behavior. As the judge reflected on Jesse’s situation, he couldn’t help but think about how some people never use their intellect and discover how to live in a responsible and mature manner.
An Old Relationship Motivates and Inspires Jesse to Completely Change His Life
But something happened in Jesse’s life that significantly changed his lifestyle. One day when he was at the store buying chewing tobacco, he met Alice, a girl he hadn’t seen since the ninth grade. After exchanging pleasantries, Alice openly told Jesse that due to her alcohol and drug abuse she was fortunate to be alive.
When Jesse asked her what happened that changed her life in such a positive way, she explained to Jesse that when her cousin Jenny passed away from drug poisoning, this made her see the destructive and detrimental life she had been living.
She emphasized the point that the first thing she did after her cousin’s funeral service was to start going back to church. That was five years ago and with the help, support, and guidance of her minister and other people who went to her parish, she started going to Alcoholics Anonymous and she also got drug and alcohol rehab at the local drug and alcohol treatment facility. Alice told Jesse that despite a few rough moments, she is at last on the path to long term recovery and feeling a sense of happiness and bliss for the first time in her adult life. When Jesse accepted Alice’s invitation to attend her church she was pleasantly surprised. After going to roughly four or five church services, for the first time since he was twenty-one years old, Jesse began thinking that maybe there was hope for him and that he could finally confront his alcohol and drug issues and start living a more productive and rewarding life.
Is Your Drinking Starting to Become a Problem? and When You Need to Get Inspired and Motivated to Receive Alcohol Counseling
How do you identify the fact that you have a drinking problem? When is it obvious that you are involving yourself in alcohol abuse?
If you have ineffectively tried to quit drinking or if you sworn to yourself that your drinking days are behind you and then you were made aware that you were drinking in an abusive manner just a few days later, the odds are especially good that you have drinking problems. The point of emphasis is that if you have tried to stop drinking and cannot accomplish this, then your drinking is controlling you, instead of the other way around.
In a similar manner, if it takes larger amounts of alcohol to get the same “high,” more likely than not you need to become aware that you have a drinking problem.
You may be telling yourself that the rationale for your drinking is so that you can reduce your nervous tension or get rid of the sorrow or depression that you feel. Likewise, you may be trying to steer clear of a negative situation and may be looking for something more useful, more favorable, or less regretful.
As you continue to drink, conversely, you will realize that drinking does not result in the same high and you will also become aware that drinking doesn’t help do away with whatever was causing your distress in the first place. You may also notice that the more often you drink, the more depressed you feel.
As you continue to drink, unfortunately, you may become addicted to alcohol and, as a consequence, you may add another key problem to manage rather than becoming aware of more successful and beneficial ways of managing your alcohol produced predicament.
An Alcohol Assessment is Probably Required
If you have determined that you have a problem with your drinking, possibly the most beneficial thing you can do for yourself is to call your medical doctor or healthcare professional and arrange for an appointment for a complete physical and for an appraisal of your drinking activities.
If you honestly feel that you have a critical problem with your drinking, it might be a good idea to get prepared to hear that you need to get alcohol therapy.
At this point in time, what are your choices? You can indisputably refuse to see your health care professional and continue your pattern of irresponsible drinking.
It actually doesn’t take a wiz kid, on the other hand, to have a handle on the fact that continuous, out-of-control drinking, if left untreated, will go downhill over time and quite probably result an early death. For that reason, your most positive alternative is to face up to your drinking problem and get the alcohol therapy you need.
The Pretext of the Functioning Alcoholic
It is almost counter intuitive to note the fact that several alcohol addicted individuals lead busy and active lives and have vehicles, jobs, pets, houses, families, and any number of material possessions just like people who are not addicted to alcohol.
Many of these “functional” alcohol dependent people may have never been cited for a DWI and may have been lucky enough to avoid all alcohol generated legal difficulties. Despite this fortunate situation, however, these alcohol dependent individuals need to drink in order to function on a daily basis while upholding their facade as they interact with the outside world.
Ask anyone who has seen them when they are bingeing or in a drunken stupor or ask a family member about the problem drinker’s alcohol addiction, nevertheless, and they will be quick to maintain the validity of the drinker’s situation and the whole story about the alcohol dependent individual’s drinking condition and about his or her alcohol generated predicaments.
Why Do Alcohol Addicted People Fail to See Their Drinking Difficulties?
As alcohol addiction research and statistics on alcohol abuse have emphasized, no matter how clear the alcohol generated problems seem to those who interact with the alcohol addicted individual, alcohol dependent people regularly deny that drinking is the basis of their alcohol induced problems. Not only this, but alcohol addicted individuals often blame their alcohol-related problems on other people or upon other circumstances that surround them rather than seeing their part in the problem.
The source of the problem is that alcohol dependency is a disease of the brain. Once the problem drinker has become addicted to alcohol, he or she regularly resorts to denial, manipulation, and dishonesty as a way of coping with the fact that his or her drinking is out of control. And to make the situation more complex, the experience of alcohol withdrawal symptoms often thwarts the alcohol dependent individual’s rare attempts to suddenly stop drinking. As depressing as the alcohol addicted person’s existence is, to the contrary, the good news is that professional help is generally available – if the alcohol addicted individual reaches out and tries to get alcoholism therapy.
Conclusion
Owning up to the fact that drinking is triggering difficulties in your daily functioning is perchance the easiest way to find out if you have a problem with your drinking. More to the point, if your drinking is bringing about problems with your health, at work, in your relationships, with your finances, at school, or with the law, then you have a drinking problem that needs to be addressed.
If you have a problem with your drinking, furthermore, this means that you are involving yourself in excessive drinking.
While some problem drinkers may be able to pinpoint their “alcohol signs,” pinpoint their problems, and greatly decrease the quantity and rate of their drinking, others, then again, need to deal with their drinking difficulties by getting professional alcohol treatment. What’s more, due to their penchant to deny the facts and warp the truth, alcoholics unquestionably need quality alcoholism therapy for their abusive drinking.
And finally, if you feel more depressed the more you drink, it is likely that you will need to get motivated or inspired to receive treatment for your problem drinking and for your depression.
A Married Couple Becomes Distressed About Their Irresponsible and Excessive Drinking and Wonders If They Exhibit Any Alcohol Addiction Signs and Then Feels Invigorated About Addressing Their Difficulties
Sarah and Jerry have been married for five years. They wanted to have some fun and excitement before they made up their minds to have children and so they willfully established a super vigorous social life.
The major problem, it needs to be stressed, is that practically everything they do with their family and friends is associated with drinking. As an illustration, all of the dinner engagements, sporting events, happy hours, family get-togethers, and parties with friends they go to somehow include drinking.
Jerry and Sarah Begin to See Some Instantly Noticeable Alcohol Related Issues That are Linked to Their Abusive Drinking
If they were moderate or responsible drinkers, this wouldn’t be such a difficult situation. Because they drink quite irresponsibly, however, they are starting to observe some unmistakable alcohol-related issues in their lives.
For instance, just four days ago Jerry got a second DUI and has been taking time off from work due to alcohol-related health issues. What is more, Jerry’s last two performance appraisals at work have been less than commendable and he has begun to fail to recall what he says or does when he drinks. As a final point, Jerry has been experiencing sleep-related problems and his family has begun to exhibit some uneasiness about his drinking activities.
Similar to Jerry’s situation, Sarah has been feeling disheartened with life and to handle these feelings, she has been drinking more often than any time in the past ten months. Moreover, Sarah has been experiencing more than a few migraine headaches and having severe hangovers because of her drinking. Finally, Sarah has been feeling considerably less active when she awakens, she has been getting to work late almost every Monday, and she has been getting some unsupportive criticism from her coworkers, friends, family members, and relatives about her hazardous drinking.
Watching the TV and Flipping the Channels and Finding A Remarkable Documentary About the Signs of Alcohol Dependency
One Sunday evening while watching TV, Sarah and Jerry flipped through the channels and found an interesting documentary about the signs of alcoholism.
This television program was a real eye opener to Sarah and Jerry because numerous alcoholism signs that were listed looked like they were unswervingly correlated with several of the alcohol-related drinking problems Jerry and Sarah had been going through.
A Straightforward Dialogue About Drinking Circumstances Exposes Alcohol Related Legal, Employment, Health, Financial, and Relationship Problems
After watching the TV documentary, Jerry and Sarah determined that they needed to have a truthful conversation about their drinking situation. They both concurred that most, if not all, of their social pursuits somehow involved drinking, that they were drinking irresponsibly, and that as a couple, they were starting to observe alcohol related financial, employment, health, relationship, and legal problems for the first time in their lives.
With thoughts of the TV documentary still imprinted in her mind, Sarah asked Jerry if some of the alcohol addiction signs they have been displaying could be a warning that they are addicted to alcohol or perhaps becoming dependent on alcohol. Jerry didn’t know the answer to Sarah’s question and so he recommended that they schedule an appointment with one of the healthcare professionals at the local substance abuse rehab clinic to find out more about the severity of their drinking difficulties.
Focusing On Your Drinking Issues Just May Lower Your Anxiety and Give You Some Serenity
Strangely enough, although their drinking circumstances hadn’t yet changed, it was clear that Sarah and Jerry were at least focusing on their drinking problems, they were excited about finding out more about their drinking behavior, and they were interested in learning how they could substantially cut back on or eliminate the alcohol-related difficulties that had begun to get worse.
When Jerry and Sarah went to bed that night, they arrived at a decision that the next morning, Jerry would call and schedule an appointment for both of them at the substance abuse treatment facility located in the next town. After they promised one another that they would do whatever it takes to triumph over the drinking problems that had developed in their lives, they actually had the most peaceful night’s sleep they could think of in the last four weeks.
Just before she fell asleep, Sarah turned to Jerry and observed how painless it is to lessen one’s fear and actually experience a sense of calm by facing one’s problems head-on and deciding to do something constructive about them.
A Teenager Decides to See His Family Doctor About His Alcoholism Symptoms and His Depression
Denny is a fifteen-year-old adolescent who has finally made up his mind that he needs to go and see his family healthcare practitioner about his abusive and excessive drinking. At first, Denny thought he would be able to simply go on the Internet, look for some fundamental alcohol info and determine whether or not he was an alcoholic.
Not unexpectedly, he discovered a number of websites that spelled out some of the commonplace alcoholism symptoms. That’s the positive news. The less than positive news, regrettably, was that Denny presented quite a few of these alcoholism symptoms.
Alcohol Dependency Symptoms Revisited
As a case in point, Denny has been drinking much more than usual and he has begun to have more highly charged spats with the female he is dating. Moreover, for the first time in his life he has been experiencing sleeping difficulties. In a similar manner, Denny habitually has felt depressed and on an escalating basis he has been demonstrating less than usual attention to detail while at school. What is more, he has felt highly stressed and more anxious on a daily basis and for the past seven or eight months he has displayed questionable thinking at school. Given that Denny has been displaying all of these symptoms, he was excusably uneasy about his unhealthy and excessive drinking.
So Denny decided to make a phone call to his doctor and schedule an appointment. In fact, this was problematic for Denny because his doctor was also his parents’ healthcare professional. The origin of his distress was this: at the risk of embarrassing his family, he had to go and expose his abusive and excessive drinking behavior to his healthcare professional.
When Denny arrived at the doctor’s office, he plainly notified the family healthcare practitioner about the concern he has about his excessive drinking behavior. When the healthcare professional asked what was bringing about this fear, Denny acknowledged that he had gone online and read about dependency on alcohol and especially about alcohol addiction symptoms. He then outlined all of the alcohol dependency symptoms that he obviously thought he manifests.
A Thoroughgoing Physical Examination and Outpatient Alcohol Rehabilitation
The family doctor informed Denny that it was wise of him to focus on his problem drinking, he gave Denny an in depth physical assessment, and suggested that he talk to his Mother and Father about signing into an out-patient alcohol rehabilitation center that was run by Doctor Dubas, one of his doctor co-workers who is an alcohol abuse and alcoholism specialist.
What is more, when Denny expressed the fact that he has been feeling depressed to an increasing extent, the family doctor informed Denny that depression and alcoholism often come about in the same individual. Accordingly, the physician also suggested that Denny talk to his parents about seeking therapy to attend to his sense of despair. In fact, Denny can go to the local mental health center and make an appointment with Doctor Jacobs, a renowned counseling psychologist who specializes in treating adolescents.
The Value of Addressing Your Drinking Issues and Getting Encouraged About Making Healthy and Positive Changes in Your Life
The healthcare professional made it a point to tell Denny that he might not necessarily be dependent on alcohol, but that he was undeniably drinking in an excessive manner. In other words, Denny was engaging in teen alcohol abuse. The healthcare practitioner then informed Denny that the reason he recommended alcohol rehab in the first place was because he wanted him to face his drinking difficulties, make sure that he stopped them from getting worse, and start to live in a more healthy manner, even if it meant that he had to absolutely abstain from drinking.
In a word, by effectively treating his problem drinking, Denny would be able to get his drinking problems under control and stop the negative cycle of events that could almost certainly result in alcohol addiction.
Denny undeniably did not look forward to facing his Mother and Father about his drinking issues and his depression. And he surely did not want to face the thought of enrolling in an alcohol treatment center. And last of all, he was not overjoyed about going to a counselor about his excessive sadness. Despite these trepidations, then again, Denny as a matter of fact felt some emotional relief for the first time in many months because he ultimately quit making excuses for himself and decided to do something positive about his careless drinking.
A Young Woman Decides to See Her Family Physician About Her Alcohol Problems and Her Depression
Rochelle decided to go and see her physician about her abusive drinking. At first, Rochelle thought she would be able to merely go on the world wide web, look for some essential alcohol abuse and alcoholism information and decide whether or not she was dependent on alcohol. Not unexpectedly, she located a number of websites that highlighted some of the typical symptoms of alcoholism. That’s the good news. The less positive news, regrettably, was that Rochelle showed evidence of several of these alcoholism symptoms.
Symptoms of Alcohol Dependency: Some Examples
For instance, Rochelle was drinking a lot more than normal and she was beginning to have more passionate arguments with her spouse. Moreover, for the first time in her life she was going through sleeping difficulties. In a similar manner, Rochelle frequently felt depressed and on a growing basis she had been manifesting poor concentration while on her job.
What is more, she felt stressed out and more on edge on a regular basis and for the past few months she had shown evidence of foggy thinking while at work. Since Rochelle displayed all of these symptoms, she was justifiably concerned about her excessive drinking.
So Rochelle decided to contact her healthcare professional and schedule an appointment. In actual fact, this was problematic for Rochelle because her family doctor was also her parents’ physician. The springboard for her distress was this: at the risk of embarrassing her family, she had to go and make known her reckless and hazardous drinking behavior to her family physician.
When Rochelle arrived at the healthcare professional’s office, she candidly informed the healthcare professional about the consternation she had about her excessive drinking behavior. When the family doctor asked what was stimulating this concern, Rochelle stated that she had gone on the world wide web and read about alcoholism and especially about alcohol addiction symptoms. She then outlined all of the alcohol addiction symptoms that she evidently thought she possessed.
An Exhaustive Physical Appraisal and Outpatient Alcohol Rehabilitation
The healthcare practitioner notified Rochelle that it was intelligent of her to attend to her drinking problems, he gave Rochelle an exhaustive physical exam, and recommended that she go into an out-patient alcohol rehabilitation program that was supervised by Doctor Cohen, one of his doctor partners.
Additionally, when Rochelle stated that she had been feeling depressed more often, the family physician notified Rochelle that depression and alcoholism routinely occur in the same individual. Therefore, the family physician also recommended that Rochelle seek therapy to address her melancholy.
The Merits of Addressing Your Drinking Difficulties and Getting Inspired About Making Positive, Healthy, and Successful Changes in Your Life
The family doctor made it a point to tell Rochelle that she might not necessarily be addicted to alcohol, but that she was without a doubt drinking in an irresponsible manner. Stated more explicitly, Rochelle was exhibiting alcohol abuse signs.
The healthcare practitioner then informed Rochelle that the reason he suggested alcohol rehabilitation in the first place was because he wanted her to face her drinking issues, make sure that she prevented them from going from bad to worse, and start to live in a more healthy manner, even if it meant that she had to fully refrain from drinking.
In short, by effectively treating her drinking difficulties, Rochelle would be able to get her drinking issues under control and refrain from the negative cycle that could doubtless lead to addiction to alcohol.
Obviously, Rochelle did not want to face the thought of getting admitted into an alcohol rehab facility. Nor was she elated about going to a counselor about her gloom. Regardless of these fears, nonetheless, Rochelle in point of fact felt some emotional relief for the first time in quite a few months because in the end she gave up making excuses for herself and at long last made up her mind to do something productive about her drinking problems.
With such a positive frame of mind, it was highly probable that Rochelle would be successful in her alcohol rehabilitation as well as in her therapy for her depression.
Enabling, Alcoholism, and Alcohol Relapse
It is interesting to articulate something that family members who have been harmfully affected by the alcohol dependency of another family member plainly do not grasp. It seems to be that by shielding the alcohol dependent person with untruths and dishonesty to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have in essence created a condition that makes it easier for the alcohol dependent person to persevere and press forward with his or her unsafe, detrimental existence.
Clearly, instead of helping the alcohol addicted person and themselves, these family members have in reality become enablers who have involuntarily helped negatively affect the alcohol addicted person’s drinking problem even further.
Perhaps the real downside of this is that the alcohol dependent person will continue drinking in a hazardous and excessive manner and go through various “alcohol side effects.” Some of these side effects include legal issues (such as getting arrested for one or more DWIs), diminished mental functioning, deteriorating relationships, serious financial problems, ill health, and employment difficulties.
The Likelihood of a Relapse is Real
According to the research literature and statistics on alcohol addiction, another key alcohol dependency issue concerns alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcoholic has effectively undergone alcohol dependency therapy and then returns to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first thought, this predicament flies in the face of commonsensical thinking and seems so unbelievable that it forces one to wonder why anyone who has gone through the misery of alcohol dependency can return to drinking a short while after effective alcohol rehabilitation and in turn after reaching sobriety. There are, to be sure, numerous reasonable reasons for this.
It should be explained, on the other hand that alcohol dependency research that has centered on the lasting consequences of alcohol dependency has demonstrated-proven that long after the alcohol addicted individual has halted his or her drinking, major modifications in the way in which the alcohol addicted person’s brain operates are still present. As a result, all a recovering alcoholic has to do to involve himself or herself in behaviors that correspond with the modifications that have occurred in the brain is to start drinking once again.
The Necessity for A Drastic Lifestyle Change
There are additional reasons why several recovering alcoholics return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after achieving sobriety. In accordance to the alcoholism research literature, to make an effective recovery, the alcohol dependent individual needs new ways of reacting and thinking in order to deal more effectively with tough alcohol-related circumstances that will take place.
Situations 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 addicted individual was drinking abusively; or familiar songs, smells, or activities—all of these circumstances can bring forth memories that can prompt psychological stress or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcohol dependent person to engage in excessive drinking once again. Regrettably, all of these circumstances may not only get in the way of lasting sobriety for the alcohol addicted person but they can also lead to relapse and consequently negate one’s alcohol recovery.
The Good News: There’s Light at the End of the Tunnel
In an attempt to “protect” the family alcoholic, family members can in point of fact cause inadvertent harm by enabling the harmful drinking behavior of the alcoholic.
The alcohol abuse research literature validates the fact that most people who successfully complete alcohol rehab experience at least one relapse. Alcohol addicted individuals and their family members need to know this so that they do not get defeated or stressed out when a relapse manifests itself.
Fortunately, participation in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up therapy and training have resulted in more productive, lasting alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction rehab outcomes, have helped decrease alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcohol dependent persons attain enduring sobriety.