Do You Have Problems With Alcohol?
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How do you recognize that
you have problems with alcohol? When is it clear that you are involving yourself in excessive drinking? How do you know when you
are a problem drinker? When is the "best" time to stand up to your drinking problems and get the necessary alcohol treatment?
If you have ineffectively made an effort to quit drinking or if you have sworn to yourself that your drinking days are behind you and then
you recognized that you were drinking in a hazardous manner just a few days later, the probability is exceedingly good that you have a drinking
problem and problems with alcohol.
The point of emphasis is that if you have tried to stop drinking and cannot complete the task, then your drinking is controlling you,
instead of the other way around. In much the same way, if it takes greater amounts of alcohol to get the same “high,” you probably
need to recognize the fact that you have become a problem drinker.

Your Drinking Rationale
You may be telling yourself that the justification for your drinking is to lessen your nervous tension or get rid of the agony that you feel.
In a similar manner, you may be trying to stay away from harmful circumstances and may be looking for something more beneficial, more
helpful, or less mournful.
As you continue your drinking, it must be noted, you will realize that drinking does not produce the same high and you will also comprehend
that drinking doesn’t help eradicate whatever was causing your discomfort in the first place.
As you keep on drinking in an excessive way, unfortunately, you may become alcohol dependent and, as a result, you may add another problematic
issue to your life rather than finding out about more productive and health-oriented ways of managing your alcohol induced problems.
The Need for an Alcohol Appraisal
If you have decided that you have drinking
problems, possibly the most expedient thing you can do for yourself is to call your medical doctor or healthcare provider and arrange for an
appointment for a complete physical and for an evaluation of your drinking activities.
By the way, if you truthfully feel that you have serious problems with alcohol, it might be a good idea to get prepared to find out that you
need to get alcohol counseling.
At this juncture, what are your choices? You can surely decide against seeing your family doctor and continue your pattern of out-of-control
drinking or you can face up to your drinking problems and seek the therapy you need.
It definitely doesn’t take a rocket scientist, however, to realize that chronic, hazardous drinking, if left untreated, will deteriorate your
health over time and possibly result in an early death.
For that reason, your best choice is to face up to your drinking difficulties and get the alcohol therapy you require.
The Facade of the Functioning Alcohol Addicted Individual
It is almost counter intuitive to note the fact that multitudes of alcohol addicted people lead busy and active lives and have pets, vehicles,
houses, jobs, families, and any number of material possessions just like individuals who are not alcohol dependent.
| Substance abuse research reveals that children who are drinking alcohol by 7th grade are more likely to manifest
delinquent behavior in junior high and in high school, academic problems, and engage in substance use and abuse. |
Many of these “functional” alcohol dependent people may have never been apprehended for a DUI and may have been fortunate enough to avoid all
alcohol induced legal problems. Despite this fortunate circumstance, nevertheless, these alcohol addicted individuals need to drink in order to
operate on a daily basis while keeping their facade as they associate 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
dependency, nevertheless, and they will be quick to articulate the authenticity of the drinker's situation and the "real" story about the alcohol
dependent person’s drinking condition and his or her alcohol-related issues.
| Each year, approximately 5,000 young people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking; this
includes about 1,900 deaths from motor vehicle crashes, 1,600 as a result of homicides, 300 from suicide, as well as hundreds
from other injuries such as falls, burns, and drownings. |
Why Do Problem Drinkers Fail to See Their Drinking Problems?
As alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse research have underlined, no matter how clear the alcohol induced issues seem to those who interact
with the alcohol dependent person, alcohol addicted individuals and problem drinkers usually deny that drinking is the cause of their
alcohol-related issues. Not only this, but problem drinkers and alcoholics normally blame their alcohol-related predicaments on other
people or upon other situations that surround them instead of seeing their part in the difficulty.
It may be difficult to accept this, but the source of the issue is that alcohol addiction is a disease of the brain. Once the person
with the drinking problem becomes addicted to alcohol, he or she characteristically resorts to denial, manipulation, and deceit as a way of
coping with the fact that his or her drinking is out of control.
And to make things more problematical, the experience of alcohol withdrawal symptoms usually thwarts the alcohol dependent person’s attempts
to stop drinking. As miserable as the alcohol addicted person’s life is, it must be highlighted, the good news is that excellent alcohol
assistance is typically obtainable – if the alcohol addicted person wants to overcome his or her drinking problems and reaches out and seeks
alcoholism rehabilitation.
| When you visit your health care provider, he or she will ask you a number of questions about your alcohol use to
determine whether you are experiencing problems related to your drinking. Try to answer these questions as fully and honestly as
you can. |
Do You Have Problems with Alcohol: Conclusion
Owning up to the fact that drinking is bringing about problems in your daily functioning is perhaps the easiest way to determine if you have
problems with alcohol. More to the point, if your drinking is producing issues with your health, with your employment, in your
relationships, with your finances, at school, or with the legal system, then you have drinking problems that need to be tackled. If you
have problems with alcohol, furthermore, this means that you are probably getting involved with hazardous drinking.
While some problem drinkers may be able to pinpoint their alcohol abuse problems and significantly reduce the quantity and frequency of their
drinking, other people with a drinking problem, nonetheless, need to address their drinking behavior by getting quality alcohol therapy.
The essential point is this: if you are a problem drinker and have problems with alcohol, it is to your advantage to get the best treatment
available so that your alcohol problems don’t ruin your life.

| Counseling can help you identify situations and feelings that "trigger" the urge to drink and to find new ways to
respond that do not include alcohol. These forms of treatment are usually available in a hospital or residential treatment
facility or on an outpatient basis. |
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| Since alcohol blocks emotional pain, it is frequently resorted to as a cover up during times of temporary or
ongoing stress or grief. Examples include a painful relationship breakup, the loss of a loved one, unresolved family
tensions, chronic work stress, and financial difficulties. What a large number of people apparently do not realize, is that when
a person is facing difficulties and "gives in" to the temptation to "drown one's sorrows" by drinking, he or she is engaging in
the "quick fix" and the "course of least resistance. |
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