Posts Tagged ‘alcohol dependency’
A Young Lady Hits Rock Bottom, Conquers Her Depression, Gets Alcohol Rehabilitation for Her Excessive and Irresponsible Drinking, and Fortifies Her Self Esteem
Brooke was a thirty-nine-year-old loan officer who was fed up with feeling depressed on a daily basis and tired of her abusive and excessive drinking behavior. Stated briefly, she was mad at herself for spending her hard-earned money on a valueless habit, she hated the hangovers she experienced on a regular basis, she missed her old motivation for doing various things she liked, she was tired of going through failed relationship after failed relationship due to her hazardous drinking, and she was sick of feeling lackluster every morning.
In addition she tested the fact that she had to go to court for her first DWI, she was bothered by the many times she failed to pass an alcohol test at work, she was bored with her drinking buddies, she was disgusted with how out-of-shape she was, and she was fed up with paying for alcohol-related lawyer fees.
Besides the observable alcohol-related health difficulties she now experienced, in all probability the worst part of her drinking behavior was the unreliable and dishonest individual she had turned into. In her heart she knew that she had been untruthful about her drinking behavior to her family, friends and relatives and she also knew she had been less than honest with herself about the “beneficial” consequences of drinking. Not only this but she rationalized guzzling four or five drinks before going to social events and she also justified needing two or three drinks as soon as she awakened so that she could deal with the “tension” at her job.
Her Depression and Her Abusive Drinking Result in Significant Changes in Her Life
Without a doubt that Brooke was sick of putting up with the negative consequences of her depression and her unhealthy and excessive drinking and finally made up her mind that something important had to change in her life. So she made up her mind that she would stop drinking, get professional counseling, develop a new circle of friends, start focusing on becoming a more healthy person, involve herself in some worthwhile hobbies, and start exercising.
In short, Brooke got to a special time in her life during which she comprehended that she hit rock bottom and was now ready to begin the slow road to recovery.
One of the ways that Brooke put her “plan” into action was by asking for a transfer at her workplace. When her request was granted, she moved 250 miles away to a new city. If nothing else, this certainly made making new friends and separating herself from her old pals much simpler. Then she went to see a doctor in her new city and made an appointment for a comprehensive physical exam.
Brooke Meets With a Doctor About Her Hazardous and Heavy Drinking and Her Depression
After meeting with the healthcare practitioner and taking a number of lab tests, it was concluded that Brooke had made the unfortunate change from alcohol abuse to alcohol addiction and as a result was in need of alcohol rehabilitation and alcohol detox. At this time, the doctor made it a point to review the diverse signs of alcoholism, the symptoms of alcoholism, and information about alcohol long term effects with Brooke.
The healthcare practitioner then told Brooke that it was concluded that she was clinically depressed and in need of therapy for this medical condition.
Brooke Decides to Build Up Her Body by Eating Wholesome Foods, Taking Vitamins and Minerals, Living an Alcohol-Free Way of Life, Drinking Spring Water, and Exercising
Due to her enthusiasm for following through with the rehab protocol, after seven weeks of residential treatment, Brooke was ready to begin therapy on an outpatient basis. At this point, she started working at her new job and over the weeks began fortifying her body by taking vitamins, drinking spring water, living an alcohol-free lifestyle, eating wholesome foods, and working out.
Brooke also attended to her spiritual life by joining the local Baptist church and participating in the weekly services.
After roughly seven weeks of outpatient therapy during which time she never went through a relapse, Brooke stopped going to alcohol rehab and instead started going twice every week to local Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Attending these meetings helped Brooke follow through with her alcohol-free lifestyle, they gave her the support she sought after, and they served as a frequent reminder of the dangerous consequences that are correlated with abusive and careless drinking.
After going to AA meetings just about ten months Brooke felt that she was ready for a relationship and so she started going out with Joshua, a young gentleman she met at church. It simply surprised Brooke how much more prepared she was for a dating relationship now that she had her excessive and hazardous drinking under control. In point of fact it also surprised Brooke how much better life was now that she wasn’t under the control of her excessive and abusive drinking. Life was now worthwhile and loaded with potential that she could have never longed for or attained when she was involved in unhealthy drinking less than a year ago.
A Success Story That is a Tribute to the Significance of Alcohol Therapy and the Power of Positive Change
Brooke’s success story is a demonstration of the importance of alcohol rehabilitation and the power of positive change. As Brooke thought about her newfound self worth and drive for involving herself in healthy, worthwhile activities, she was actually appreciative that she decided to do something positive about her careless and excessive drinking instead of giving into her depression and into the lure of her alcohol addiction. The result: she is involved in a caring relationship, she has more energy now compared with any time in her adult life, she enjoys her new job responsibilities, her life now has a positive direction, and she is in charge of her life rather than letting herself deteriorate under the control of her alcohol dependency.
A Young Female Needs Treatment for Her Mental Illness and For Her Alcoholism and Drug Addiction
Around a week ago I met a twenty-three-year-old woman named Rachael who is manic depressive and who is also drug and alcohol dependent. I remember hearing that under such circumstances, a person needs to get treatment for both medical situations and that mental health problems and chemical dependency commonly take place in the same individual. Moreover, I recollect reading that a history of abusive and careless drinking, drug addiction, and/or mental health concerns routinely take place in the same family.
Plainly, Rachael is so dejected by both of her medical issues that she in essence has little or no energy to complete much of anything. What is particularly unfortunate about this is that earlier in her life, Rachael managed to complete three years of college. Rachael’s situation makes me question if she is an example of a person who has to hit the very bottom before he or she gets alcohol and drug dependency counseling that leads to long-term recovery.
The Need For a Physician She Trusts and a Treatment Regimen She Can Believe In
If I were in communication with Rachael I could suggest numerous websites and blogs that could possibly help her find info about addiction and alcoholic behavior, significant chemical dependency information, facts about alcoholism and drugs, and information about addiction symptoms and alcoholism warning signs. From my perspective, however, Rachael needs to locate a physician she trusts and a counseling regimen she can believe in and follow over the long haul. I could be incorrect but it seems to make sense that Rachael probably needs to accept the fact that she cannot drink in moderation or abuse drugs if she wants to get sober, remain sober, and start on the road to long-term sobriety.
I am mindful that there are more than a few recently developed doctor-prescribed drugs that can help Rachael avoid an alcohol or a drug relapse, help her through the drug and alcohol detoxification process, and help her through her withdrawal symptoms. Obviously it would be in Rachael’s best interests if she became conversant with these medications.
It is apparent that Rachael needs to admit the fact that there is entirely nothing healthy about excessive and unhealthy drinking and drug addiction and that messing around with one or both situations is the route to poor work and school performance, deteriorating health, legal problems, financial difficulties, a premature death, and shattered relationships.
The Importance of Recovery Groups Like Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous
There are more likely than not a lot of persons such as other people, family members, and friends who would want to help Rachael but she more likely than not would experience greater sympathy from a recovery group such as Narcotics Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous rather than listening to people who drink in moderation or who have never taken drugs.
When Individuals Do Things They Like and About Which They Are Zealous
There’s a philosophical outlook that proclaims that people who do things they like and something about which they are ardent reach an astonishing place in life. Stated more precisely, when people do what they enjoy, they rarely if ever go through an uneventful life or boredom. If they get involved in something that is enjoyable, what is more, they become more whole and experience more contentment and delight in life.
To me, this sounds like the exact opposite of a life that is centered in alcohol and drug addiction because such a lifestyle removes the satisfaction and delight that life has to offer.
Since Rachael doesn’t have the fortitude to achieve much of anything in her life, it is clear that she definitely needs a little bit of hope for a better existence. And the unfortunate thing is that hope is all around Rachael if she could only get to the place in life to get the counseling she needs for her mental illness and addiction and continue with her treatment program.
Constructive Change, Self Esteem, and a Wonderful Life Are Possibilities
Rachael is simply too young to be dejected in life. She doesn’t comprehend this right now but if she can learn how to abstain from drugs and alcohol through drug and alcohol rehabilitation and get the treatment she needs for her mental health condition, she can redirect her life and start living with direction, passion, and with self-respect.
Positive change, self respect, and a wonderful life are certainly a reality for Rachael if only she could become motivated to seek the professional treatment she needs, follow through with her therapy protocol, live her life in a healthy and alcohol and drug-free manner, and cultivate a more positive attitude about life.
How to Know When You Have a Problem With Your Drinking
How do you know that you have a problem with your drinking? When is it plain to see that you are engaging in irresponsible drinking?
If you have hopelessly tried to stop drinking or if you promised yourself that your drinking days are finished and then you realized that you were drinking in an abusive way just a few days later, the odds are exceptionally good that you have drinking problems. The key point is that if you have attempted to terminate your drinking and cannot bring this about, then your drinking is controlling you, rather than the other way around.
Likewise, 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 problem with your drinking.
You may be telling yourself that the rationale for your drinking is so that you can lessen your apprehension or get rid of the pain or depression that you feel. Likewise, you may be trying to avoid a negative circumstance and may be looking for something more useful, more favorable, or less mournful.
As you keep on drinking, conversely, you will grasp the fact that drinking does not elicit the same high and you will also understand that drinking doesn’t help do away with whatever was causing your pain in the first place. You may also observe that the more often you drink, the more depressed you feel.
As you continue to drink irresponsibly, regrettably, you may become an alcoholic and, as a result, you may add another important predicament to manage rather than learning about more efficient and beneficial ways of coping with your alcohol induced predicament.
An Alcohol Appraisal is Probably Necessary
If you have concluded that you have a drinking problem, perchance the most positive thing you can do for yourself is to call your physician or healthcare practitioner and arrange for an appointment for a thorough physical and for a review of your drinking activities.
If you beyond a doubt feel that you have a critical drinking problem, it might be a good idea to get prepared to find out that you need to get alcohol reahbilitation.
At this point in time, what are your options? You can indisputably decide against seeing your general practitioner and persist with your pattern of irresponsible drinking.
It certainly doesn’t take a nuclear physicist, however, to have a handle on the fact that long-term, out-of-control drinking, if left untreated, will worsen over time and in all probability result an early death. Therefore, your most expedient choice is to face your drinking situation and obtain the alcohol therapy you need.
The Deception of the Functioning Alcohol Dependent Person
It is somewhat odd to note the fact that many individuals who are addicted to alcohol lead busy and active lives and have jobs, vehicles, pets, families, houses, 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 drunk driving and may have been fortunate enough to avoid all alcohol-related legal predicaments. Despite this fortunate situation, nevertheless, these alcoholics need to drink in order to function on a regular basis while sustaining their facade as they associate with people outside their family.
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, then again, and they will be quick to assert the legitimacy of the drinker’s situation and the facts about the alcohol addicted individual’s drinking predicament and about his or her alcohol generated difficulties.
Why Do People Addicted to Alcohol Fail to Acknowledge Their Drinking Problems?
As alcohol dependency research and statistics on alcohol abuse have accentualted, no matter how noticeable the alcohol induced difficulties seem to those who interact with the alcoholic, alcohol dependent people commonly deny that drinking is the source of their alcohol produced predicaments. Not only this, but alcohol addicted people commonly blame their alcohol-related issues on other individuals or upon other circumstances that surround them rather than seeing their part in the difficulty.
The origin of the difficulty is that alcoholism is a disease of the brain. Once the alcohol abuser has become dependent on alcohol, he or she usually 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 complex, the experience of alcohol withdrawal symptoms regularly counteracts the alcohol dependent individual’s rare attempts to suddenly refrain from drinking. As depressing as the alcohol addicted individual’s existence is, nevertheless, the positive news is that quality help is generally available – if the alcohol addicted person reaches out and tries to get alcoholism rehab.
Summary
Admitting the fact that drinking is eliciting difficulties in your day by day functioning is probably the most trouble-free way to find out if you have a drinking problem. In other words, if your drinking is bringing about issues 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 tackled.
If you have a problem with your drinking, moreover, this means that you are getting involved with hazardous drinking.
While some problem drinkers may be able to come to grips with their “alcohol signs,” pinpoint their problems, and greatly decrease the amount and frequency of their drinking, others, conversely, need to deal with their drinking problems by getting professional alcoholism treatment. What is more, due to their propensity to deny the facts and distort the truth, alcohol addicted individuals positively need competent alcoholism therapy for their hazardous drinking.
And finally, if you feel more depressed the more you drink, you will probably need to obtain therapy for your drinking and for your depression.