Alcohol Concern.

Alcohol is a part of life. For many of us, drinking wine or relaxing after work with a pint is a normal part of everyday life. However, when does relaxing or socialising with a drink become a problem? What’s the defining line?

For many, the edges are fairly blurred. It’s all too easy to wind down with a glass of wine over dinner. Followed by another one post dinner. Before you know it – you’ve finished the bottle. Open another bottle? Or call it quits? Most of us can have a glass of wine, a tumbler of whisky on the rocks, put down the empty glass and simply walk away without a second though.

But what happens when that’s not the case? Is it the defining moment on the rocky road down into the depths of alcohol dependency and all it brings with it? Who knows. There are many factors than can cause alcoholism. For some, it’s simply life’s pressures. Their job. Or trying to create a balance between home and work. Others find themselves edging towards developing alcohol problems due to life events: divorce, grieving over a loved one – being made redundant.

Social Drinking

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Unfortunately, social drinking can become a lot less social when it becomes dependence or binge drinking.

Alochol is addictive.

In short, there are many reasons. However, when an individual does find that they are reliant upon alcohol, they will need a lot of support and understanding. Alcohol dependency is a medical disorder and cannot be treated by way of simply directing good advice at the person concerned.

Alcohol dependence is first and foremost an addiction, an overpowering urge to drink, despite the obvious and very real affects and implications. Each person that develops a problem with it needs specialist help and assistance. And being addicted to alcohol can have a lesser form – binge drinking. Again, in itself a tricky problem to alleviate. Many teenagers binge drink, as do countless young adults that are struggling to cope with peer/cultural pressures and/or the transition between childhood and adulthood.

That said, binge drinking is not solely for the young. There are mature adults that also binge drink and, as with alcohol dependence, drinking in short sharp bursts can also carry implications related to health and relationships. Unfortunately, it’s a sad fact that in todays’ modern society, social drinking is a very accepted part of most if not all western cultures.

Don’t Drink

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Not drinking is a great way to avoid becoming dependent on alcohol. But there’s no need to avoid it altogether. Moderation is the key.

Avoiding alcohol dependency.

So how does a person go about drawing the line? The truth is, for many it’s not a problem. Many of us go through life without ever experiencing a need to use or abuse alcohol. Who hasn’t drunk to excess on occasion? Not many of us. For the most part, we’ll get drunk, fall down and wake up the day after with a blinding headache and feeling rather worse for wear. But, for some, that alone is not enough to relay a warning message.

A part of avoiding alcohol misuse is to view alcohol for what it is: an addictable liquid drug, potent and freely available. Used sensibly, it won’t have nor will it cause an adverse affect. Make sure that you have other interests in your life other than social drinking. Don’t allow your social life to revolve around drinking or meeting in places where you can easily purchase drinks – bars, clubs and restaurant for example.

Look at your social group. Do they prefer the opportunity to drink to be included in social gatherings – or are they just as happy to meet for a night at the cinema, for a round of golf or some other sport? There are many social activities that don’t have to include alcohol as the central focus.

Moderate Drinking

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Drinking in moderation can be pleasurable. It’s when it becomes a need/addiction that the pleasure is no longer involved.

Binge Drinking

Analyse Your drinking.

Further, if you already enjoy alcohol as a part of your social life, analyse why. Does it make you feel less inhibited? Do you believe that you’re happier and enjoy life better after a few drinks? Or do you drink to alleviate stress and pressure or because you’re suffering from depression? Thoroughly examining why you enjoy drinking may help you avoid some of the pitfalls and, ultimately, the horrible possibility of becoming addicted to alcohol.

The plain and simple fact is that the old saying ‘drink in moderation’ is a very good foundation on which to base your drinking habits. Having a drink now and then is not a bad thing. A glass or two of wine with dinner is fine. Celebrating an occasion and including alcohol is fine. There are many instances whereby we can drink in moderation. It’s when the line becomes blurred that you could go on to develop a problem and cause an alcohol concern.

Remember: drinking can be an agreeable part of life. But that’s all it ever should be: agreeable. Binge drinking and alcohol dependency are, unfortunately, anything but enjoyable.

Alcohol In Depth

Alcohol Information.
Alcohol information abounds on the internet. How much is too much and what effects can alcohol have? This article contains some basic facts and information relating to alcohol – and the side effects of drink problems.
Alcohol Intervention. Family Intervention And Addiction Treatment.
Alcohol intervention is when an alcohol dependent individual is intervened, by family or friends, as a means of helping them confront their alcohol addiction. Co-ordinated by a professional interventionist, it can be their last chance.

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Causes of Alcoholism

It is estimated that 80 percent of the population drinks alcohol. Out of this 80 percent, a tenth will be diagnosed with diseases related to alcohol consumption. There are thousands of people who suffer from alcohol addiction and seeking treatment could be difficult and costly in the long run. Withdrawal from alcoholism can also cause emotional, physical and psychological harm to the person. Sleepless nights, weight loss, depression and paranoia are some of the effects of alcohol addiction.

There are also various reasons why a person turns into an alcoholic. Everything starts from that innocent bottle of beer to satiate one’s curiosity or a single shot of tequila to show some friends that you’ve got guts. All these could start from a bottle or a shot which will prgress to a couple more and eventually you will realize you’ve had a couple too many drinks that’ll keep you hungover for the rest of the day. Soon, the cycle will just continue. Aside from these, the following are other common reasons why people become alcoholics.

To forget problems – This is one of the most common reasons why people resort to drinking without knowing that they’ll end up with more problems if they are addicted to alcohol. There are people who can’t get through the day without a taste of it. Drinking is never an escape for your problems. Remember that it will just worsen your circumstances.

Peer pressure – When you are a teenager and a little naive, it is understandable to give in to peer pressure. Underage drinking is something that really appeals to teens. For some, doing such shows they are mature which is of course not true. This could even lead to more problems like early pregnancy, accidents and pretty crimes.

Depression – Another common notion when one is depressed is to drink to forget whatever that bothers him or to calm his nerves. Many do not know that alcohol will just worsen how they feel. A person will have jitters and feel uneasy. Alcohol could only worsen the situation. It makes the body feel down and hangover the next day will just add up to the depression.

Understanding the common reasons why a person becomes an alcoholic will make one learn what to avoid and expect. It will also be easier to apply alcoholism intervention measures when the source of alcoholism is determined in the first place.

What Experts Have to Say About Alcoholism

Sources of Information About Alcoholism

Recovery Works – Working Out Addictions Through Grace and Strength – Residential
Recovery Works is a long-term residential recovery center and program for men suffering from alcohol and drug addiction in the Aiken, Ridge Spring, North Augusta, Columbia, SC and Augusta, Georgia area.
Different Alternatives to Traditional Rehabilitation – Health – Wellness
Though not all kinds of traditional means are ineffective nowadays, the same is not true when it comes to rehabilitation. Particularly for people who are continually trying to overcome addiction, there should be considerations to …

Readings on Alcoholism

Beyond the Influence: Understanding and Defeating Alcoholism
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Under the Influence: A Guide to the Myths and Realities of Alcoholism
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Alcohol Information

Alcohol information abounds on the internet. Most of us have tried alcohol. Some of us drink it recreationally. Others among us drink to excess. And let’s not forget binge drinking. But when does drinking alcohol become alcoholism, when does it become detrimental to our health?

Alcohol – physical and mental health.

Alcohol effects be dangerous, if drunk in excess. It can affect our moods, our ability to think, react and remain in control of ourselves. At its worst, it’s addictive. Alcohol can cause immense problems to our physical wellbeing. It can affect the stomach, cardiac system, increase the chances of contracting some cancers, destroy or at least damage the liver and, in the worst cases, result in death.

Mentally it can and does impair our judgement. Alcohol alters our moods and it’s a fact that many suicides can be attributed to alcohol misuse or at least there’s alcohol involved in the actual act of suicide. In short, alcohol is more likely to depress you, to make you less capable of making rational, safe decisions, than it is of improving your mental capacity to think and act in a logical and judicious manner.

Alcohol Info

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Can help you make the right decision – do you or someone you know need help with an alcohol problems?

Alcohol abuse/ alcohol misuse.

Both mean the same and both mean this: using alcohol to the point that it’s causing adverse effects to your life, mentally and physically – not to mention emotionally. Alcohol abuse also has a direct impact on those around you, so the gravity of binge drinking or alcoholism can be devastating.

Binge drinking.

When you drink only on weekends, or maybe ‘x’ amount of times a month, but you drink to excess. Basically, drink excessively over a period of a few days – as opposed to day after day – to the point that you are intoxicated and unable to function correctly. Binge drinking can be just as harmful as alcoholism.

Alcoholism.

You could be classed as an alcoholic or alcohol dependent when you can no longer live without drinking. You experience withdrawal symptoms – sweating, craving alcohol, trembling, feel sick or unwell – and you simply can’t function without drinking on a daily basis. All the alcohol information and statistics point to dependency on alcohol when most or all of the aforementioned symptoms are present.

Alcohol Facts

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Excessive drinking can and does cause problems. Scarey, but true.

Warning signs for alcohol problems and or dependency.

There are several different signs that you may or may not have a problem with alcohol. These can include:

the need to drink in order to prevent feeling unwell
lose interest in other recreational pursuits
lose of interest in life in general
needing a drink on a regular basis i.e. everyday
you wish to stop drinking – but can’t
you find that you need to drink more and more in order to feel intoxicated
irrespective of the effects of alcohol (family, friends, work, health etc) you continue to drink and disregard the warning signs
drink alone, regularly

How much alcohol is safe?

This varies and chiefly depends upon whether you are male or female. Take a seven day cycle as the basis then as follows:

women – 14 units per week
women one unit = one glass of wine or half a pint of beer
men – 21 units per week
men one unit = to one pint of lager

Drinking socially, enjoying yourself and having fun socially are not in themselves a problem. However, all alcohol information points towards suffering from an alcohol problem when you drink to excess, feel generally unwell and start needing support (from alcohol) to help you ‘get through the day.

The simple answer is to be safe and sensible when it comes to alcohol. Drinking doesn’t have to mean to excess.

Alcohol intervention is simply the method by which a person or group of persons intervene when a friend or family member is perceived as requiring alcohol addiction treatment. The individual may well be adverse to accepting that they have an alcohol addiction or indeed require any form of alcohol rehabilitation.

It is not an easy course of action for all involved but it’s usually a step taken when those around the alcohol dependent are worried beyond measure for the health and safety of their loved one. The problem lies with the person that suffers from the drinking problem: they are often unaware of the impact that their drinking and/or behaviours is having on those around them.

Many choose to drink around or with like-minded people, or simply use self-denial as to the seriousness of their alcohol problems. Alcohol makes for muddy waters and those that suffer from a drinking disorder fear any form of change. Change means learning to live without alcohol and to actually reach that stage requires their co-operation and, in many instances, a stay in one of the alcohol rehabilitation centers that provides a program of intense support.

Family Intervention

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Family intervention can be the best course of action available.

The ultimate objective of attending such programs (or living within an environment that provides a course on alcoholism rehabilitation), is to help and support the addicted individual to discover a life without alcohol dependency. The actual alcohol intervention itself is a based upon the individual facing the fact that their drinking is out of control – that they are in fact addicted to alcohol. All persons that are alcohol dependent must take responsibility and accept that they need help; without their acknowledgement an alcohol detoxification program will be far less likely to succeed.

The alcohol intervention itself should not be undertaken without the correct support and professional/s present. They are usually fraught with emotion, on all parts, and are best handled by a experienced alcohol interventionist. It’s a case in point to mention that many individuals that have been ‘intervened’ do go on to become recovering alcohol dependents. This method, or approach, has shown some very encouraging results overall and many that are intervened, though initially hostile in some cases, do understand the gravity of their situation when so confronted.

Alcohol Addiction Treatment …

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It may be the their last chance before they sink too low.

Alcohol interventions are defined as and usualy adhere to the following pattern:

Someone makes the initial contact, expressing their concern
The concerned individuals are matched to an interventionist
The ways and means of the alcohol rehabilitation program are discussed
A plan of action is decided – who will be involved, present, where, when etc
A meeting will take place, regarding the actual moment of intervention
The intervention takes place
On acceptance of the intervention and what it entails, the individual concerned will leave and be taken directly to the alcohol rehabilitation centre
The individual begins a course of addiction treatment specifically tailored to suit their needs

Though many feel apprehension at the thought of an intervention on behalf of a loved one, it’s often the last course that they feel is available. If you are at the stage whereby you are considering such a program, then take heart in the knowledge that it’s probably the right time to go ahead – before your friend or loved one sinks even lower with their alcohol dependence.

Source: alcoholismtreatmentcalifornia.com

“Buzzed” is not as innocent as we may think

Most think of alcoholism as falling down drunk. Not necessarily, so at all. Often times, one will not even be aware that a person is a functional alcoholic, as they function, quite well, on a daily basis. They can be very good at their jobs, as well as very creative. also, often times, you will not even smell alcohol on them.

As an example; my father was a “functional alcoholic”, yet I only saw him “drunk” maybe two or three times in my life. And you know how I found out he was an alcoholic? He told me himself. Way back when I was a kid. Before the term “functioning” had come about. Not only did he tell me, but he’d openly tell anyone. Well, since this was back when many of us thought of alcoholics as “drunks”, I thought to myself; “no he isn’t, he just drinks a lot, and not even every day…”. In fact, much of the time I wouldn’t even be aware of his drinking, For the most part he was a very peaceful, warm and loving man. He was a passionate person however, so if something upset him, he’d get very annoyed, and angry. And one might say that he’d become easily annoyed by things. He was kind of “anal” about things.But, he never laid a hand on anyone. Nor did I ever fear he would. And I never knew if he’d been drinking or not.

But with any alcoholic, alcohol will affect their personalities as a whole, even whe they’re completely straight. This is because alcohol is a depressant. Sure, initially it makes us feel nice, but once it wears off, we can feel really bad, and I don’t mean just physically. Emotionally. Either sad, angry, easily annoyed, or all of the above. It also has an affect on blood sugar levels, which can be part of what contributes to this. But it’s by no means like having a cup-cake. Let’s not forget the long term, negative affect of the alcohol, itself.

The “functioning” alcoholic, may not exhibit the behavior of a full blown “drunk” , because they have built a level of tolerance, where it will take them more to feel that nice feeling, or that; “buzz”. Consequently, they will consume the same amount of alcohol, as an all out “drunk”. This can result in organ damage, and, or alcohol intoxication. Just because they seem okay, doesn’t necessarily mean they are. It’s likely that they can be walking around on a daily basis with dangerously high blood levels of alcohol, and seem perfectly fine, and able to function.

My father never did quit drinking for good. He tried a few times (although not very hard) and ultimately failed. One day he said to me; “You know, I like drinking. I’m bored when I don’t drink”. But you can believe, for sure, that that wasn’t the only reason. It makes most, while drinking, just feel more confident, free of inhibitions. And yes, it does run in families. While I never had a problem with it, my brother did. He was/is a functioning alcoholic (Again, I had no idea, until he told me) but unlike my father, my brother hasn’t had one drink in more than 4 years. Has it been easy? Heck no. But he does it. He does it because it’s ultimately had a positive affect on his life. He didn’t do it alone, however. He goes to daily AA meetings, and probably always will. He feels he gets so much out of them. The way I see it he has.

While my father was very up front about it, he also felt that somehow being honest, about it, made it okay. It didn’t. Most, however will be in denial, make like it’s no big deal, and or, like you’re making a big deal out of nothing. Thus, the subject is often ignored. If something doesn’t feel right, or you find yourself falling in to a pattern, get help. Weather from group, and or, individual therapy, and, or AA. Just know that it’s okay to ask for help. Don’t be a hero, qualified help is often necessary, in these situations. You/they don’t have to be falling down drunk to be a “functioning” alcoholic.

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