Alcoholism Issues and Short
Stories
________________________________________________________
The following represents various issues, problems,
and short stories about people who have faced drinking
problems.
The Costs Associated with Christian Alcohol
Treatment Centers
Can it be that
many American alcoholics fail to get professional help at Christian
alcohol treatment centers because of financial concerns?
After all, most inpatient and outpatient alcohol rehab programs at
Christian alcohol treatment centers are relatively expensive.
I can understand the need to examine financial considerations, but
let us think about this from a commonsense perspective.
Most people gladly finance thousands of dollars when they
purchase a new car. And in the entire scheme of things, isn’t
a person’s health and his or her life worth more than a new
vehicle?
In a word, if the best option for alcohol recovery is getting
admitted into a Christian alcohol treatment center and if the cost
of this rehab is a concern, why not consider getting a loan?
Again, focusing on a commonsense approach, what good is a new
car if you won’t be around to enjoy it? The bottom line: if
you are an alcoholic who strongly believes that Christian alcohol
rehab would be the most productive way for you to become sober and
restore your life, please consider any and all legal ways to
finance your treatment. And also consider looking into a
Christian rehab facility for your long-term health.
A Young Alcoholic and Alcohol Withdrawal
Symprtoms
Ray had been drinking fairly heavily for the past three years.
When his friends would tell him to try to slow down on his drinking
behavior his stock answer was that “I am always in control of my
drinking.” One day his friends started talking about drinking
abusively and alcohol dependency. Ray openly stated that he may be
an alcohol abuser but that there is no way that he is addicted to
alcohol.
One of his buddies had done his research and told Ray, “let’s
see you quit drinking for a day. If you start getting nauseous,
start vomiting, feel extremely nervous, get bad headaches, or start
sweating, this means that you are suffering from alcohol withdrawal
symptoms and are therefore alcohol dependent.” With confidence Ray
agreed to stop drinking for the next day.

Around 10:00 the next morning, he started thinking about getting
a drink. Since he told his buddies that he was not an addict, he
didn’t drink. As the day progressed, however, Ray started to get
most of the alcohol withdrawal symptoms his friend told him about.
It finally dawned on Ray's awareness that he is an alcoholic and
needs to get professional treatment.
| Once a person quits drinking and
after the alcohol withdrawal symptoms go away, it is important for
the individual to join a treatment or sobriety program such as
Alcoholics Anonymous to help him or her maintain
sobriety. |
Excessive Drinking and The Alcohol
Treatment Clinic
I know quite a few young guys who work in construction who
exhibit a drinking problem. After a hard day at work, it just seems
so “right” to go to the local drinking establishment to have a few
brews with the guys. Often, however, it seems that the
well-intentioned drink or two turns into a situation where numerous
drinks are consumed, much money is spent, and time is spent at the
local bar rather than with their significant other.
Is it really surprising under these circumstances that many of
these construction workers experience financial difficulties and
relationship problems? In a way, my buddies have gotten into a rut
that is leading them to a life of alcohol abuse or alcoholism. My
hope is that these guys will finally realize that excessive
drinking is not their friend and that they need to talk to someone
at the local alcohol treatment clinic about their drinking
situation.
| Many people only think of a
"skid-row bum" when they think of someone with an alcohol problem.
This is the end stage of alcohol problems, when a person has lost
his or her family, job and health because of alcohol abuse. You
don't reach this stage overnight. |
Alcohol Abuse Among
Teenagers
I remember reading about alcohol abuse among teenagers and
learning that millions of teens in the United States engage in
alcohol abuse. When you stop to think about this, this statistic is
shocking. How is it that so many teens in the U.S. (and in other
developed countries in the world) drink in an abusive manner?
What are the parents of these teens doing about this problem?
How are our school systems addressing this problem? In the event it
escapes most people, the more teens in our country who abuse
alcohol the more adults there will be who not only abuse alcohol
but who become alcohol dependent.
| Friends may not easily accept
the sober, perhaps more subdued, comrade. Close friends and even
intimate partners may have difficulty in changing their responses
to this newly sober person and, even worse, may encourage a return
to drinking. |
Alcohol Overdose and Infrequent
Drinking
The family was shocked. Jeff was a senior in college and had a
reputation as an excellent student who hardly ever drank. As the
police reports reveal, on his twenty-first birthday Jeff went out
with some of his dorm buddies to celebrate his birthday. According
to his friends, Jeff drank less than everyone else. Yet the reality
of the situation was this.
Even though Jeff drank very infrequently, on his twenty-first
birthday, he drank far more than his body could metabolize. By the
time his buddies realized that Jeff was really sick from drinking,
Jeff died from an alcohol overdose. The moral of the story is this:
getting drunk even one time can result in a fatal alcohol
overdose.
| The most dangerous stage of
alcohol withdrawal is called delirium tremens (DTs). About 5% of
people withdrawing from alcohol experience DTs. This condition
occurs about 48-72 hours after drinking
stops. |
Drinking Excessively and Negative Alcohol
Effects
With all of the research-validated negative alcohol effects that
have been uncovered, I wonder why anyone would choose to drink in
an abusive and excessive manner. Stated differently, with the host
of health problems, financial issues, relationship dilemmas, legal
proceedings, and employment difficulties that are interrelated with
chronic alcohol abuse, why would any person with common sense want
to drink in an irresponsible and hazardous way?
In fact when some of the above topics are looked at more
closely, abusive drinking becomes even more illogical and makes
less sense. After reviewing the medical research findings the point
is so important that it needs to be re-stated. With all of the
damaging and unhealthy consequences that are directly or indirectly
associated with repetitive and continuous alcohol abuse, why would
any person want to engage in excessive and abusive drinking?

| After a screening questionnaire
has identified problem drinking, the physician may question the
patient further to determine the severity of alcohol misuse. The
physician may try brief intervention and/or suggest AA, or refer
the patient to an addiction specialist. The family physician should
play a critical holistic role in treatment and prevention, working
with the patient and family, even when other specialists may be
involved. |
Please Add Our Website To Your Favorite
Bookmarks!
__________________________________________
|