Alcoholism Issues and Short Stories
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The following represents various issues, problems, and short stories about people who have faced drinking problems.
Alcohol Poisoning Can Result from Long-Term Abusive Drinking
Larry was a single twenty-four-year-old
roofer who went to the local bar almost every day after work. Larry worked hard and made good money. As he told his friends on a number of
occasions, “I make plenty of money and I work hard. What’s wrong with having a few drinks after working in the sun all day?”
If anyone has ever worked in construction for any length of time, he or she knows that having a cool beer after working outside all day makes
perfect sense. After all, there are few things that “hit the spot” like a cold beer when a person is thirsty.
What a lot of people apparently do not realize, however, is that alcohol poisoning can happen because of excess drinking over time. In other
words, alcohol poisoning does not always happen because of one singe episode of heavy drinking.
Larry was a perfect example of this. Indeed, Larry was fairly consistent in how much he drank every day. So it came as quite a
shock when Larry drank his usual amount and had to be rushed to the hospital due to alcohol poisoning. Hopefully Larry will see this as a “wakeup
call” and learn to drink more moderately in the future.

Christian Alcohol Treatment Centers: Is Alcoholism a Spiritual Disease?
I seem to know a lot of people who have a drinking problem. Many of these individuals hang out almost every night at the local
bars. In all honesty, I cannot recall one person who is alcohol dependent who got treatment at one of the local Christian alcohol treatment
centers. In a sense this is kind of perplexing because most of the people I know were raised within the Christian religion.
I’m not sure, but it seems that people who are alcoholic have somehow lost their way in life. Stated differently, for those who are
alcohol dependent it seems as though they have lost their sense of meaning and significance. When put in these terms, alcoholism is not
only a disease of the body and the brain, but also a disease of the spirit. As a result, why don’t more Christian alcoholics get
professional help at one of the Christian alcohol treatment centers in their locality?
| If you are a teenager, look around you. The vast majority of teens aren't using cocaine. According to a 1998
study, less than 1 percent of teens are regular cocaine users. In fact, 98 percent of teens have never even tried cocaine. |
Coping Skills and Alcohol Abuse Among Teenagers
I know that life is not easy, but why do millions of American teens abuse alcohol? Why is there so much alcohol abuse among teenagers in
the United States? The more I think about this the more I am convinced that there is a strong relationship between teen alcohol abuse and
poor coping skills.
If I am on target with this assessment, then it would seem to make a lot of sense for our school systems to start teaching all of our students
about coping skills, better decision-making skills, money-management and time management skills, more productive relationship skills, and basic
life skills.
| Research suggests that the use of alcohol and drugs by other family members plays a strong role in whether
children start using drugs. Parents, grandparents, and older brothers and sisters in the home are models for children to
follow. |
Alcohol Effects and Alcohol-Related Health Problems
Drug and alcohol abuse research has demonstrated that one of the main alcohol effects is health problems. That is, the more people drink
to an excess, the more likely they are to experience health problems in their lives. This statement, while accurate, does not capture the
full impact of how many different diseases and illnesses are directly or indirectly interlinked with chronic alcohol abuse.
To set the record straight, the following is a sample of some of the alcohol-related health issues that are correlated with long-term heavy
drinking: cancer, heart disease, ulcers, memory loss, kidney failure, brain damage, liver disease, strokes, and pancreatitis. With so
many alcohol-related health issues, why would anyone want to drink in a hazardous and risky manner?
| Research has helped to identify barriers to alcohol treatment for special populations, such as adolescents, women,
ethnic/ racial groups, people mandated to receive treatment, and people receiving welfare. |
A Young Lady Experiences Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms
Angie had been drinking quite a bit since she and her boyfriend broke up. In fact, for the past five months she had been drinking almost
a bottle of wine every night and also had a number of shots throughout the day. Finally Angie told herself that enough is enough and that
it is time to quit feeling sorry for herself, to stop drinking, and to move on with her life.

She decided to quit cold turkey the next day. She thought that she would be tempted to sneak a drink but she was totally taken aback
when she started to feel like she had the flu. As the day progressed, she started to sweat profusely, her head was throbbing, she vomited a
number of times, she was extremely moody and anxious, and she had absolutely no appetite.
She called her family doctor and told him what was going on. Her doctor told her that she was suffering from alcohol withdrawal symptoms
and that she had better stop at the office immediately. On the way to the doctor’s office all Angie could think about was the fact that she
was alcohol dependent. She knew she had a drinking problem but never thought that she was an alcoholic.
| The positive relationship between alcohol and depression argues strongly for a comprehensive approach to
treatment. This means not only paying attention to the problem of alcohol, but to also take into consideration the treatment of
depression - which can call for anti-depressant medications and/or psychotherapy. Such a comprehensive approach will help to
ensure a better outcome for the patient. |
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| The clinical assessment of current and past alcohol use and alcohol-related disorders should be considered a
routine part of all psychiatric or medical evaluations. |
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