Alcohol Essentials

image: couple in fight about drinking problems image: lady with headache from drinking image: old alcoholic man holding head image: nurse with alcoholic lady 

 

Do You Have Alcohol Related Problems?

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image: young woman in pain from heavy drinkingHow do you come to accept the fact that you have alcohol related problems?  When is it evident that you are involving yourself in abusive drinking?  How does a person know when he or she is a problem drinker?  When is the "correct time" to come to grips with your drinking problems and get the alcohol treatment you need?

If you have unproductively attempted to discontinue your excessive drinking or if you have promised yourself that your drinking days are finished and then you realized that you were drinking in a hazardous manner just a few days later, chances are quite good that you have alcohol related drinking problems.  The point of emphasis is that if you have attempted to stop drinking and cannot accomplish this, then your drinking is controlling you, rather than the other way around.

In a similar manner, if it takes larger amounts of alcohol to get the same “high,” you probably need to recognize the fact that you have an alcohol related drinking problem.

The Rationale For Your Drinking

image: young man showing stress from alcoholism Your Drinking Problems.  You may be telling yourself that you drink in an excessive manner so that you can reduce your tension or get rid of the sorrow that you feel.  In a similar manner, you may engage in abusive drinking so that you can steer clear of an injurious situation and possibly because you are looking for something more beneficial, more positive, or less mournful in your life.

If you keep on drinking irresponsibly, all the same, you will not only grasp the fact that drinking does not bring forth the same high but you will also understand that drinking doesn’t help eradicate whatever brought about your sorrow or distress in the first place.

As you continue to drink in a hazardous manner, regrettably, you may become alcohol dependent and, as a result, you may add another thorny issue that you need to address rather than learning about more successful and beneficial ways of coping with your alcohol related problems.

The Need for an Alcohol Evaluation

If you have figured out that you have a drinking problem, conceivably the most beneficial 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 situation.  If you in fact believe that you have critical alcohol related problems, moreover, it might also be a good idea to get prepared to find out that you need to get alcohol rehab.

At this juncture, what are your options? You can surely decide against seeing your general practitioner and continue your pattern of excessive drinking or you can tackle your drinking problem head-on and get the counseling or treatment you require.

It certainly doesn’t take a genius, on the other hand, to grasp the fact that chronic, drinking problems, if left untreated, will deteriorate over time, lead to poor health, and quite possibly will bring about an early death.  Consequently, your most positive alternative is to address your alcohol related drinking problems and obtain the alcohol rehabilitation you need.

Data from several national alcohol abuse surveys indicate that about four in five college students drink and that about half of college student drinkers engage in heavy episodic alcohol consumption.

The Facade of the Functioning Alcoholic

It is somewhat paradoxical to note the fact that multitudes of alcohol addicted people lead busy and active lives and have jobs, vehicles, pets, families, houses, and any number of material possessions similar to individuals who are not addicted to alcohol.

Many of these “functional” alcohol dependent individuals or problem drinkers may have never been arrested for a DUI and may have been lucky enough to avoid all alcohol-related legal predicaments.  Despite this good fortune, however, these problem drinkers need to drink in order to function on a regular basis while keeping their facade as they interact 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 alcoholism, to the contrary, and they will be quick to reveal the truth about the problem drinker's situation, the details about the alcohol dependent individual’s drinking condition, and about his or her alcohol generated issues.

If the problem drinker is not ready to reach out for help, efforts by friends and family to try to force him or her to admit his or her drinking problem usually causes even more difficulties.  It's only when the consequences of their drinking become painful enough that alcoholics will reach out for help.

Why Do Some Problem Drinkers Fail to See Their Alcohol Related Problems?

As alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse research has highlighted, no matter how clear the alcohol provoked predicaments seem to those who interact with the alcohol addicted individual, alcohol addicted individuals and problem drinkers frequently deny that drinking is the cause of their alcohol related problems.  Not only this, but alcohol addicted people normally blame their alcohol induced problems on other people or upon other situations that surround them instead of seeing their part in the difficulty.

The bottom line and the root 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 characteristically 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 worse, the experience of alcohol withdrawal symptoms often circumvents the alcoholic’s sporadic attempts to refrain from drinking.  As deplorable as the alcohol addicted individual’s way of life is, furthermore, the positive reality is that quality assistance is typically available – if the alcohol addicted person reaches out and seeks professional alcohol treatment.

Alcoholism research reveals that the short-term and the long–range risks that are related to adolescent alcohol use and abuse highlight the need for more effective alcohol abuse and alcoholism prevention and treatment approaches.

Do You Have Alcohol Related Problems: Conclusion

Coming to grips with the fact that drinking is triggering difficulties in your day to day functioning is probably the easiest way to find out if you are a problem drinker who manifests alcohol related problems.  Stated more precisely, if your drinking is producing issues with your health, at work, in your relationships, with your finances, at school, or with the law, then you have alcohol related drinking problems that need to be dealt with.

And keep in mind that if you indeed exhibit alcohol related drinking problems, this almost always means that you are getting involved with excessive and abusive drinking.

While some people with a drinking problem may be able to recognize their alcohol abuse difficulties and significantly diminish the quantity and incidence of their drinking, others, on the other hand, need to address their alcohol related problems by getting professional alcohol rehabilitation.

The moral of the story is this: if you manifest alcohol related drinking problems, it is clearly in your best interests to get the highest quality alcohol treatment that is obtainable so that your alcohol problems don’t destroy your health and the lives of your family members.

Although persons between 16 and 24 years old comprise only 20% of the total licensed population, and 20% of the total vehicle miles traveled in this country by all licensed drivers, they cause 42 percent of all fatal alcohol related crashes.

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Many chronic conditions such as diabetes, depression, hypertension, and asthma require continual care in order for treatment benefits to be sustained. Alcoholism is similar to other chronic diseases in this regard. Additionally, alcohol addiction requires monitoring of patient status on a regular basis, early intervention regarding possible problems, and proper referrals in order to maintain positive treatment effects.

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