How do you know that you have a problem with your drinking? When is it apparent that you are involving yourself in hazardous drinking?

If you have unproductively made an effort to quit drinking or if you sworn to yourself that your drinking days are over and then you were made aware that you were drinking in a hazardous way just a few days later, chances are exceedingly good that you have drinking problems. The key point is that if you have attempted to quit drinking and cannot accomplish this, then your drinking is controlling you, instead of the other way around.

In a similar manner, if it takes greater amounts of alcohol to get the same “high,” you probably 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 tension or get rid of the distress or depression that you feel. In a similar manner, you may be trying to stay away from an unsafe situation and may be looking for something more beneficial, more helpful, or less sorrowful.

As you continue to drink, to the contrary, you will become aware that drinking does not produce the same high and you will also grasp the fact that drinking doesn’t help get rid of whatever brought about your discomfort in the first place. You may also observe that the more often you drink, the more depressed you feel.

As you continue to drink in a hazardous way, sadly, you may become alcohol dependent and, as a consequence, you may add another key difficulty to manage rather than learning about more successful and wholesome ways of coping with your alcohol induced problems.

The Necessity for an Alcohol Assessment

If you have concluded that you have a drinking problem, conceivably the most beneficial thing you can do for yourself is to call your physician or healthcare provider and arrange for an appointment for a thorough physical and for an appraisal of your drinking activities.

If you beyond a doubt believe that you have a critical drinking problem, it might be a good idea to get prepared to hear that you need to get alcohol counseling.

At this point, what are your alternatives? You can unquestionably decide against seeing your physician and carry on with your pattern of irresponsible drinking.

It certainly doesn’t take a genius, conversely, to comprehend that long-term, hazardous drinking, if left untreated, will go downhill over time and almost certainly bring about an early death. Accordingly, your most expedient option is to confront your drinking problem and obtain the alcohol counseling you require.

The Deception of the Functioning Alcohol Addicted Individual

It is ironic to note the fact that numerous alcoholics lead busy and active lives and have jobs, vehicles, pets, families, houses, and any number of material possessions similar to individuals who are not alcohol dependent.

Many of these “functional” alcohol dependent individuals may have never been cited for a DWI and may have been fortunate enough to avoid all alcohol generated legal problems. In spite of this fortunate circumstance, conversely, these alcohol dependent people need to drink in order to function on a day by day basis while preserving their facade as they associate with the outside world.

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, however, and they will be quick to maintain the validity of the drinker’s situation and the particulars about the alcohol dependent person’s drinking condition and about his or her alcohol produced issues.

Why Do Alcohol Addicted People Fail to See Their Drinking Difficulties?

As alcoholism research and statistics on alcohol abuse have underscored, no matter how observable the alcohol generated issues seem to those who interact with the alcohol addicted individual, alcohol addicted individuals usually deny that drinking is the source of their alcohol-related problems. Not only this, but alcohol dependent individuals typically blame their alcohol induced problems on other people or upon other circumstances around them rather than seeing their part in the issue.

The root of the difficulty is that alcohol dependency is a disease of the brain. Once the drinker has become an alcoholic, he or she regularly resorts to denial, manipulation, and lying as a way of dealing with the fact that his or her drinking is out of control. And to make things worse, the experience of alcohol withdrawal symptoms often circumvents the alcohol addicted individual’s rare attempts to abruptly abstain from drinking. As depressing as the alcohol dependent individual’s existence is, then again, the good news is that professional assistance is extensively available – if the alcoholic reaches out and seeks alcohol therapy.

Conclusion

Admitting the fact that drinking is eliciting issues in your day to day functioning is perchance the most straightforward way to find out if you have a problem with your drinking. In other words, if your drinking is producing difficulties with your health, at work, in your relationships, with your finances, at school, or with the legal system, then you have a drinking problem that needs to be addressed.

If you have a problem with your drinking, moreover, this means that you are involving yourself in alcohol abuse.

While some people may be able to recognize their “alcohol signs,” pinpoint their difficulties, and significantly decrease the amount and rate of their drinking, others, nonetheless, need to manage their drinking difficulties by getting professional alcoholism rehab. Additionally, due to their tendency to deny the facts and twist the truth, alcohol dependent individuals without a doubt need proficient alcoholism counseling for their irresponsible drinking.

And finally, if you feel more depressed the more you drink, it is likely that you will need to get counseling for your drinking problem and for your depression.

Heather is a fifty-three-year-old woman who is the top administrator in the human resources department at a large brass fabricating company.  To cut the costs correlated with employee alcohol abuse and alcoholism, poor employee work performance, excessive sick days, work related injuries, and increasing absenteeism, Heather and the other members of upper management created some programs that made the work environment significantly more productive, safe, and healthy.

As an illustration, ten years ago Heather and the other company leaders launched an Employee’s Assistance Program so that all the workers had access to professional therapy for their personal problems that could adversely influence their work performance, personal well being, and their health.

Top Management Erects a Modern Exercise and Workout Room Complete With Exercise Equipment, Scales, a Personal Trainer During Business Hours, Exercise Charts, Mirrors, and Weights

As another example, nearly six years ago Heather and the other company leaders assembled a technologically advanced exercise and workout room complete with many different types of exercise equipment, scales, weights, a professional trainer during business hours, exercise charts, and mirrors.

Moreover, around five years ago Heather and the other company administrators invested in a distillation system that filters all the drinking water that is available anywhere in the building.  In a similar manner, two years ago, Heather and the other members of top management started a “walking club” that is principally intended for employees who want to further develop their cardiovascular system.

The Company Leaders Start a Weight-Watchers Class and Employ a Weight-Loss Professional to Manage the Program

As another illustration, around two years ago, Heather and the other company administrators instituted a “Weight-Watchers” class that at present meets every workday at 4:30 PM until 5:50 PM. In addition, the VIPs hired a weight-loss professional to supervise the program.

In a similar way, two years ago Heather and the other company leaders implemented a “Stop Smoking Club” for employers who want to learn how to quit or cut back on their smoking.

In the last ten months, in a joint venture with the Employee’s Assistance Program, Heather and the other company administrators put into operation an “Anger Management” class for workers who want to learn how to better manage their anger issues.

The Company Leaders Launch An Alcohol and Drug Testing Program

In the last four months, Heather and the other members of top management initiated a alcohol and drug testing program that is associated with their drug and alcohol abuse prevention program.  In point of fact, Heather is the key person in the company responsible for getting the message out to all the workers about the drug and alcohol abuse prevention program as well as the drug and alcohol testing program.

One of the main components of the drug and alcohol abuse prevention program is a class entitled “Alcoholism and Depression” that meets every Monday after work.  The essential idea with this class is informing employees that abusive drinking and depression frequently occur in the same individual.  It is hoped that realizing this information can help an individual address both medical conditions and get the alcohol rehabilitation and mental health counseling he or she needs.

Upper Management Launches an Alcohol Statistics and Facts Class

Another fairly recent addition to the drug and alcohol abuse prevention program is a class entitled “Alcohol Statistics and Facts.”  The rationale behind this alcohol statistics facts class is the reality that several people fail to understand the total impact of the results of alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse without first reading about some of the alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency facts and statistics that are available.  As a consequence, one of the goals of this class is to provide various alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse statistics and facts to help workers gain a better comprehension of the many of problems that are related to excessive and hazardous drinking and how they can avert these difficulties from taking place.

Most recently, Heather and the other company executives, via feedback from employees, created a class that focuses directly on severe drinking entitled “What is Alcoholism”?  This class meets every Friday morning an hour before work and focuses predominantly on the differences between alcoholism and alcohol abuse, on the stages of alcoholism, and on the types of counseling that are available for people who have alcohol drinking problems such as individuals who drink in an abusive manner.

Although every one of these health and preventative maintenance programs was anything but easy on the pocketbook, the company leaders think that they are several thousands of dollars ahead by providing all of their employees with a more productive, healthy, and safe work atmosphere.

Sarah and Jerry have been married for four years. They wanted to experience some excitement and fun before they made up their minds to have some kids and so they deliberately created an incredibly dynamic social life.

The central issue, it needs to be pointed out, is that very nearly everything they do with their family and friends somehow includes drinking. For example, all of the dinner engagements, happy hours, family get-togethers, parties with friends, and sporting events they attend are associated with drinking.

Sarah and Jerry Begin to Notice Some Obvious Alcohol Related Issues That are Directly Related to Their Abusive Drinking

If they were casual drinkers, this wouldn’t be a big deal. Because they drink in a hazardous manner, nonetheless, they are starting to perceive some clearly identifiable alcohol-related difficulties in their lives.

For instance, just five weeks ago Jerry was apprehended by the police for his first DUI and has been overlooking responsibilities at work due to alcohol-related health problems. Not only this, but Jerry’s last two or three performance reviews at his place of employment have been less than passable and he has begun to forget what he says or does when he drinks. Lastly, Jerry has been having sleep-related problems and his family is starting to exhibit anxiety about his drinking circumstances.

Similarly, Sarah has been feeling disheartened about life and to cope with these feelings, she has been drinking more intensely than any time in the past six months. Furthermore, Sarah has been experiencing quite a few painful headaches and having very bad hangovers after drinking. As a final point, Sarah has been feeling substantially less active in the morning, she has been getting to work late virtually every Monday, and she has been receiving some relatively strong criticism from her friends, coworkers, relatives, and family members about her excessive drinking.

Watching the Television and Inadvertently Finding An Exciting Program About the Signs of Alcohol Addiction

One Sunday evening while watching the television, Sarah and Jerry accidently found a special program about the signs of alcoholism.

This television special was a real jolt to Sarah and Jerry because many of the alcoholism signs that were talked about gave them the impression that they were unswervingly linked to quite a few of the alcohol-related drinking problems Jerry and Sarah had been suffering through.

An Honest Dialogue About Drinking Circumstances Brings to Light Alcohol Related Financial, Legal, Relationship, Employment, and Health Problems

After watching the television documentary, Jerry and Sarah made up their minds to have a straightforward chat about their drinking activities. They both agreed that most, if not all, of their social pursuits had something to do with drinking, that they were drinking in a hazardous manner, and that as a couple, they were starting to see alcohol related relationship, health, employment, financial, and legal problems for the first time since they were married.

With thoughts of the television special still fresh in her mind, Sarah asked Jerry if some of the alcohol addiction signs they have been exhibiting could be a warning that they are dependent on alcohol or possibly becoming alcohol dependent. Jerry didn’t know the answer to Sarah’s question and so he recommended that they make an appointment with one of the physicians at the nearby alcohol abuse treatment center to find out more about the seriousness of their drinking circumstances.

Focusing On Your Drinking Issues May Reduce Your Nervousness and Give You A Degree of Peacefulness

Strangely enough, although their drinking circumstances hadn’t yet changed, it was obvious that Jerry and Sarah were at the very least dealing with their drinking issues, they were willing to find out more about their drinking situation, and they were concerned about how they could substantially lessen or eliminate the alcohol-related problems that had started to escalate.

When Sarah and Jerry went to bed that evening, they came to a decision that the next morning, Jerry would call and make an appointment for both of them at the drug and alcohol rehab facility located in the middle of town. After they promised one another that they would do whatever it takes to rise above the alcohol-related problems that had manifested themselves in their lives, they truly had the best night’s sleep they could recollect in the last year.

Just before she fell asleep, Sarah turned to Jerry and commented how painless it is to reduce one’s apprehension and actually experience some quietude by addressing one’s problems straight on and making up one’s mind to do something productive about them.

Miss Benning was a health instructor at the largest co-ed high school in the region. Although she had been teaching for only three of four years, she had already secured a reputation as an educator with instructional techniques that inspired and motivated the students in her class to think and to learn.

For example, one Tuesday morning at 8:00 she addressed her students and said the following: “For the next week we are going to learn about some basic alcoholism facts from a more wide-ranging viewpoint and we are also going to learn about several of the most familiar signs of alcoholism from a less general and more specific viewpoint.”

“Not all of these alcoholism signs will absolutely validate that an individual with a drinking problem is an alcohol addicted person, but the more signs that an individual manifests, the stronger the possibility that he or she is an alcohol addicted person.”

Miss Benning then informed the members in the class that each student would be accountable for researching four alcohol addiction signs and then presenting his or her conclusions to the rest of the class via a seven minute oral presentation.

The Pupils are Keyed Up About Giving A Comprehensive Presentation to Their Fellow Classmates About The Signs of Alcohol Dependency

After learning about the different alcohol dependency signs for several days, the time had come for the oral presentations. It was instantly noticeable that the pupils were enthused about the subject matter because the material that they presented was first-rate. To say that Miss Benning was pleasantly surprised with the excitement manifested by the pupils in her class concerning this topic was an understatement.

The day after all of the students completed their presentations, Miss Benning passed out a piece of paper with a list of all the alcohol addiction signs that were presented and discussed in class and in the presentations. Miss Benning then asked the pupils in her classroom to study the list and rank the top six alcohol dependency signs that were most indicative of alcoholism. After around ten minutes, Miss Benning collected the sheets of paper and informed her pupils that after she tallies the results, she will reveal her findings the next school day.

There was a real buzz by the students while they were exiting Miss Benning’s class. One could swear that her students couldn’t wait for the next day to arrive so that they could find out the results of their in-class research.

The Pupils Compare Their Answers With the Appraisals From A Panel of Alcoholism Professionals

When the next school day finally came, Miss Benning passed out a piece of paper that listed the top three alcoholism signs as per the students’ rankings. To the right of these results, she included another column that was labeled “experts’ answer.” She then explained to the students in her classroom that the numbers in the second column she added were the responses that were announced by a group of drug and alcohol addiction experts.

Miss Benning told the students in her classroom to go over the information on the piece of paper she passed out and then to raise their hand if they had any concerns, issues, or questions. Within a minute or two, just about everyone in the classroom raised his or her hand. It was obvious that the students had some issues, concerns, or questions about their results versus the answers given by the professionals. For instance, almost every individual in the class had an issue with the highest ranked answer given by the authorities, namely, “Do you feel very sick when you stop drinking?”

The Basic Difference Between Alcohol Addiction and Alcohol Abuse is the Physical Dependency That is Experienced With Alcohol Dependency and Not With Alcohol Abuse

Miss Benning then explained to her pupils why this answer was the most precise indicator of alcohol addiction. She highlighted the fact that the essential difference between alcohol abuse and alcoholism is the physical dependency that is experienced with alcohol addiction and not with alcohol abuse.

In essence this means that when an alcohol addicted individual abruptly quits drinking, he or she will experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

Miss Benning then told the pupils in her classroom that alcohol withdrawal symptoms are responses by the body and by the brain to the deprivation of alcohol to which they had become acclimated. Stated more precisely, alcohol withdrawal symptoms are signals from the brain and from the body telling an alcohol addicted individual that something is extremely misaligned and needs to be rectified. These messages consist of a number of uncomfortable, dangerous, and painful withdrawal symptoms that can potentially result in a person’s death if the appropriate therapy is not promptly received.

Miss Benning then went over the host of alcohol withdrawal symptoms that can be gone through when an alcoholic suddenly stops drinking.

The fact that Miss Benning tried to emphasize was this: an individual who engages in alcohol abuse can experience almost any and every one of the alcohol dependency signs that the students had ranked, but the one symptom or sign that few, if any, people who engage in alcohol abuse ever experience is alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

To explain this as plainly as possible, Miss Benning underscored the fact that alcohol abusers, unlike alcoholics, are not alcohol dependent and as a result, when they stop drinking, they almost never suffer from alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

The Students Feel They Have Discovered A Discrepancy With the Findings From The Board of Drug and Alcohol Addiction Experts

The pupils also some difficulty with the second ranked answer given by the drug and alcohol addiction authorities, namely, “Have you ever had a drink the first thing in the morning to get rid of a hangover or to steady your nerves?”

Miss Benning informed the students in her classroom that this sign does not automatically suggest that the problem is alcohol dependency, but that it does underline the need that people who are alcohol dependent have to drink in order to prevent alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

After Miss Benning explained the relevance of alcohol withdrawal symptoms in the life of the alcohol addicted person, the students started to recognize the essential difference between alcohol abuse and alcoholism.

To add a sense of closure to the subject matter, Miss Benning asked the students in her class to take out a piece of paper and answer the following question: “if every person who is alcohol dependent knew about every one of the alcohol withdrawal symptoms and alcoholism signs we have studied, what percentage of them do you think would seek alcohol addiction rehabilitation?”

After about one or two minutes, Miss Benning asked for the pupils’ responses. While many pupils thought that around 75 to 85 percent of alcoholics would ask for alcohol treatment if they knew about the facts related to alcohol withdrawal symptoms and alcohol addiction signs, most of the students thought that this number would not be less than 60 percent.

The Pupils Were Surprised to Discover That Only 25% of People Who are Addicted to Alcohol in the U.S. Seek Alcohol Rehab

To the shock of most of the students, Miss Benning acknowledged that according to different scientific investigations, only 25% of the people who are alcohol dependent in the U.S. seek alcoholism rehabilitation. This amazed most of the pupils because they reasoned that first-hand knowledge of the awful facts and statistics linked to alcohol addiction would motivate most of the individuals who are alcohol dependent to obtain alcohol dependency rehabilitation.

Miss Benning then explained that alcoholics not only need alcohol on an everyday basis in order to function but they also require alcohol on an everyday basis so they can prevent possible alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Obviously, the alcohol addicted individual’s need to drink on a daily basis is more powerful than logic or facts. In actual fact, since the craving for alcohol is “reality” to the alcohol addicted individual, this is a thorny issue that is difficult to undo.

A few minutes later the bell rang, indicating the end of the class. Based on the excitement exhibited by the pupils when they were leaving the room, Miss Benning knew that she had stimulated and encouraged the pupils in her classroom to stop and think about an essential health and social problem that exists in our country.

For several years alcoholism exploration has revealed the fact that there is strong association between alcoholism and critical health conditions and mental health issues such as depression.

For instance, in 2005, medical exploration and alcohol abuse and alcoholism statistics revealed that alcohol abuse and alcoholism cost the United States an estimated $220 billion annually. It may be noted that this substantial alcohol-related cost was substantially more than the cost linked with cancer ($196 billion) or with obesity ($133 billion). While it is appropriate to give emphasis to these facts, it is also noteworthy to highlight the fact that an interrelationship exists between all three of these health issues.

That is to say, chronic alcohol abuse and alcoholism are also highly associated with obesity and with cancer.

Undeniably, substance abuse examination has revealed that alcohol addiction can augment the risk for various forms of cancer, particularly cancer of the esophagus, kidneys, throat, rectum, liver, voice box (larynx), and the colon. Abusive and recurring drinking can also lead to immune system problems and abnormality to the fetus during pregnancy.

Heavy Drinking Weakens the Individual’s Systems and Organs

Additionally, if alcoholism continues over a period of years, the individual’s body organs will likely be affected in a negative manner. For instance, repeated, abusive drinking is especially harmful to the liver due to the fact that the liver does most of the work of processing the alcohol that has been ingested. Extreme amounts of alcohol kills liver cells and destroys the ability of liver cells to reproduce. This medical circumstance results in a progressive inflammatory malfunction of the liver that can at the end of the day lead to cirrhosis of the liver, a precarious and potentially incurable disease.Abusive, long-term drinking not only can result in dangerous liver damage, but it can also lead to damage to the heart and to the brain. Physical damage this critical may be irreversible and may, in turn, result in severe disease or an early death.

The Relevance of Alcohol Counseling

It is essential, as a result, to know how to identify the various alcoholism symptoms and the “alcohol signs” so that the alcohol addicted individual can be given the opportunity to get the quality alcohol rehab he or she requires.

Alcohol Addiction and Sophisticated Brain Exploration

Fortuitously, medical exploration is relentlessly uncovering original and significant information. Recent alcoholism exploration supplies a first-rate example. More specifically, for approximately the last ten years, complicated brain-imaging scanning devices have confirmed that repetitive and long-term hazardous drinking alters the functionality of the brain to a great extent, therefore resulting in brain disease that can last months, years, or maybe as long as the individual lives.

Stated differently, medical examination has revealed that people who have been drinking in an irresponsible manner for a considerable length of time increase their risk for developing long-term and substantial changes in the brain.

This type of damage may be directly related to severe liver disease, to the alcohol’s effects on the brain, or might be indirectly associated with the drinker’s poor overall health.

Excessive Drinking, Malnutrition, and Mental Disorders

As a final illustration of various medical conditions that are to a large extent associated with alcohol dependency, take into consideration the fact that according to scientific investigation, the excessive and repeated abuse of alcohol can result in erosive gastritis, a medical problem that decreases the absorption of minerals, nutrients, and vitamins.

This type of organ failure is related to malnutrition and to an array of acute mental and neurological syndromes including memory loss, sleep disturbances, and psychosis such as Wernicke’s Encephalopathy and Korsakoff’s syndrome. This latter health problem is an enduring incapacitating health problem that is exemplified by continual memory and learning difficulties.

Summary

It is clear that continued, hazardous drinking is directly or indirectly related to a number of acute medical problems that can and do result in serious ailments and premature death. Such information needs to be underlined and presented to everyone in our society so that most people will be able to abstain from irresponsible drinking while other individuals who have a drinking problem will get the professional rehab they require.