Miss Benning was a health teacher at the most popular private high school in the state. Even though she had been teaching for only two or three years, she had already achieved a reputation as a person with teaching techniques that motivated and encouraged students to think and to learn.

For example, one Wednesday afternoon she addressed her pupils and said the following: “For the next week we are going to learn about some basic alcoholism facts from a general perspective and we are also going to learn about some of the most typical signs of alcoholism from a less general and more detailed point of view.”

“Not all of these alcoholism signs will beyond doubt show that a drinker with a drinking problem is a person who is alcohol dependent, but the more signs that an individual exhibits, the stronger the probability that he or she is an alcohol dependent individual.”

Miss Benning then informed the class members that each individual would be held responsible for researching four alcoholism signs and then presenting his or her results to the other class members via a nine minute oral presentation.

The Students are Excited About Giving A Broad-Based Presentation to Their Fellow Pupils About The Signs of Alcohol Addiction

After learning about the different signs of alcohol addiction for quite a few days, the time had finally arrived for the student presentations. It was at once apparent that the pupils were excited about the subject because the material that they presented was exceptional. To say that Miss Benning was pleasantly surprised with the interest exhibited by the students in her classroom regarding this topic could not be overstated.

The day after all of the pupils completed their presentations, Miss Benning passed out a sheet 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 her students to go over the list and rank the top ten alcoholism signs that were most indicative of alcohol dependency. After roughly fifteen minutes, Miss Benning collected the pieces of paper and told the students in her class that after she goes over the numbers, she will reveal her findings the next school day.

There was some real excitement by the students while they were walking out of Miss Benning’s classroom. One could swear that her pupils couldn’t wait for the next day to arrive so that they could learn about the results of their in-class research.

The Pupils Match Their Answers Against the Evaluations From A Council of Drug and Alcohol Abuse Experts

When the next school day finally came, Miss Benning passed out a piece of paper that listed the top five alcohol addiction signs as per the pupils’ rankings. Next to these results, she added another column that was labeled “correct answer.” She then explained to the pupils in her classroom that the numbers in the additional column she added were the responses that were stated publicly by a board of drug and alcohol abuse professionals.

Miss Benning told the pupils in her class to look over the data on the sheet of paper she passed out and then to raise their hand if they had any questions, issues, or concerns. Within 30 or 40 seconds, just about every student in the classroom raised his or her hand. It was clear to see that the students had some issues, questions, or concerns about their results versus the answers given by the specialists. For example, virtually every individual in the classroom had an issue with the highest ranked answer given by the professionals, to be exact, “Do you feel really ill when you abstain from drinking?”

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

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

Fundamentally this means that when an alcohol dependent person all of a sudden quits drinking, he or she will suffer through alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

Miss Benning then explained to the students in her class that alcohol withdrawal symptoms are responses by the body and by the brain to the lack of alcohol to which they had become accustomed. Stated another way, alcohol withdrawal symptoms are signals from the body and from the brain telling an individual who is alcohol dependent that something is terribly misaligned and needs to be fixed. These signals consist of a number of uncomfortable, painful, and dangerous withdrawal symptoms that can potentially lead to an individual’s death if the proper treatment is not promptly undertaken.

Miss Benning then discussed the multitude of alcohol withdrawal symptoms that can be gone through when an individual who is addicted to alcohol 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 addiction 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 precisely as possible, Miss Benning stressed the point that alcohol abusers, unlike alcohol addicted individuals, are not alcohol dependent and consequently, when they stop drinking, they almost never go through alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

The Students Think They Have Discovered An Abnormality With the Findings From The Team of Chemical Dependency Professionals

The students also had an issue with the second ranked answer given by the drug and alcohol abuse authorities, to be exact, “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 class that this sign does not inevitably suggest that the problem is alcoholism, but that it does emphasize the need that individuals who are addicted to alcohol have to drink in order to stay away from alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

After Miss Benning explained the importance of alcohol withdrawal symptoms in the life of the person who is addicted to alcohol, the students started to comprehend the essential difference between alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency.

To add a sense of closure to the topic, Miss Benning asked her students to take out a sheet of paper and answer the following question: “if every individual who is an alcoholic knew about every one of the alcohol withdrawal symptoms and alcoholism signs we have studied, what percentage of them do you think would seek alcoholism treatment?”

After approximately four or five minutes, Miss Benning asked for the pupils’ answers. While many students reasoned that about 80 to 90 percent of alcohol addicted individuals would obtain alcoholism rehabilitation if they knew about the facts related to alcohol addiction signs and alcohol withdrawal symptoms, most of the pupils believed that this number would not be less than 60 percent.

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

To the shock of most of the students, Miss Benning mentioned that according to the research literature, only 25% of the alcoholics in the United States get alcohol addiction rehabilitation. This shocked most of the students because they reasoned that first hand experience of the abysmal facts and statistics associated with alcoholism would motivate most of the alcohol dependent people to obtain alcohol addiction treatment.

Miss Benning then stated that individuals who are addicted to alcohol not only need alcohol on a daily basis in order to function but they also require alcohol everyday so they can steer clear of possible alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Obviously, the alcohol dependent person’s need to drink on a daily basis is stronger than logic or facts. Indeed, because the need for alcohol is “reality” to the individual who is addicted to alcohol, this is very hard to reverse.

The Pupils are Eager to Learn About Alcoholism Signs and Symptoms in Today’s Society

A few minutes later the bell rang, signaling the end of class. Based on the excitement exhibited by the pupils when they were leaving the classroom, Miss Benning realized that she had motivated and inspired her pupils to stop and think about an essential health and social problem that exists in our society.

Technorati Tags: alcohol abuse, alcohol treatment, relationships, self improvement

Jesse had an unusually hard time keeping a job. If truth be told, due to his indolence and lack of incentive, he was jobless far more regularly than he was employed with a job. And when he did land a job, he had an extremely hard time getting to work when his shift began, he often received less than optimal performance assessments, and he called off sick so regularly that he commonly got fired just a few weeks after he started working. To no one’s astonishment, one of the outcomes of Jesse’s shameful work record was the fact that he was just about flat broke almost on a daily basis.

In spite of Jesse’s terrible work track record and financial lack of attention, however, one way or another he made it his business to drink a great deal on an everyday basis.

So it came as no big surprise when Jesse got a fifth DUI. When he went to court, the judge told Jesse that his alcohol-related conduct was appalling and, consequently, he was going to sentence Jesse to spend eight months locked up in jail.

Time While Locked Up In Jail To Think About The Harmful Results of Excessive Drinking

During his time behind bars, Jesse was expected to learn more about alcohol facts, about the distressing outcomes of excessive and abusive drinking, and he was required to get alcohol rehab. The magistrate emphasized the fact that unless Jesse receives professional alcohol counseling and discovers how to live a life of abstinence, he will more likely than not be spending a considerable amount of time placed behind bars.

Jesse said that he understood what the judge was pronouncing but he still proclaimed that incarceration was not the right response. The judge thought otherwise and claimed that it was his job to keep alcoholics off the streets who drink and drive and who receive multiple DUIs. To substantiate this perspective, the judge outlined some honored, highly researched alcohol statistics that underscored some of the destructive effects that are correlated with hazardous drinking.

Although Jesse comprehended that he drank in an abusive and hazardous manner, he never felt that he was an alcohol addicted individual. So it was a real bombshell when Jesse began experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms just about three hours after going to jail.

To manage his alcohol withdrawals in a safe and secure manner, Jesse was transferred to a drug and alcohol treatment hospital for alcohol detox and then returned to the county jail. While locked up in the city jail Jesse undertook alcohol rehabilitation but due to the fact that he got this therapy as something that was mandated for him, he was unsuccessful in taking ownership of his excessive and irresponsible drinking.

When his time in the local jail was finished, the magistrate without faltering announced to Jesse that he would be under stringent surveillance and would be mandated to take periodic alcohol tests.

Jessie’s Excessive and Abusive Drinking Prevents Him From Living in a Productive and Responsible Manner

After hearing how Jesse was unsuccessful in taking ownership of his drinking situation and how he halfheartedly followed the counseling regimen while in the county jail, the judge knew that it was just a matter of time before he would be seeing Jesse once again in court about his abusive and irresponsible drinking behavior. As the magistrate thought about Jesse’s situation, he couldn’t help but think about how some individuals never use common sense and learn how to live in a productive and accountable manner.

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Denny is a fifteen-year-old teen who has decided to go and see his family doctor about his unhealthy and abusive drinking. At first, Denny thought he would be able to merely go on the world wide web, look for some basic alcohol info and come to a decision whether or not he was an alcoholic.

Not unexpectedly, he discovered more than a few websites that spelled out some of the well-known alcoholism symptoms. That’s the good news. The less than encouraging news, regrettably, was that Denny exhibited a number of these alcoholism symptoms.

Alcoholism Symptoms: Some Illustrations

For instance, Denny has been drinking much more than customary and he has begun to have more highly charged spats with the young lady he is dating. What is more, for the first time in his young life he has been encountering sleeping problems. Similarly, Denny frequently has felt depressed and on an increasing basis he has been manifesting limited attentiveness in the classroom. In much the same way, he has felt highly stressed and more uptight on a day-to-day basis and for the past several months he has shown signs of cloudy thinking at school. Since Denny has been exhibiting all of these symptoms, he was justifiably uneasy about his excessive drinking.

So Denny decided to place a phone call to his healthcare professional and schedule an appointment. As a matter of fact, this was problematic for Denny because his family healthcare practitioner was also his parents’ physician. The springboard for his worry was this: at the risk of embarrassing his family, he had to go and divulge his unhealthy and excessive drinking behavior to his doctor.

When Denny arrived at the healthcare practitioner’s office, he openly informed the physician about the consternation he feels about his hazardous drinking behavior. When the family healthcare practitioner asked what was triggering this concern, Denny said that he had gone online and read about dependency on alcohol and especially about alcoholism symptoms. He then stated all of the alcoholism symptoms that he obviously thought he manifests.

A Complete Physical Examination and Outpatient Alcohol Rehabilitation

The physician notified Denny that it was wise of him to attend to his drinking problems, he gave Denny a comprehensive physical examination, and recommended that he talk to his Mother and Father about enrolling in an out-patient alcohol treatment center that was managed by Doctor Manning, one of his doctor co-workers who is a chemical dependency and substance abuse specialist.

Furthermore, when Denny stated that he has been feeling a sense of melancholy more often, the healthcare professional told Denny that alcoholism and depression on a fairly routine basis take place in the same individual. For that reason, the healthcare professional also suggested that Denny talk to his parents about seeking therapy to focus on his depression. In fact, Denny can go to the local mental health facility and make an appointment with Doctor Arndt, a celebrated psychologist who specializes in treating youth.

The Significance of Facing Your Drinking Difficulties and Getting Inspired About Making Healthy and Positive Changes in Your Life

The family healthcare practitioner made it a point to tell Denny that he might not inevitably be alcohol dependent, but that he was plainly drinking in an irresponsible manner. In other words, Denny was engaging in teen alcohol abuse. The physician then told Denny that the reason he recommended alcohol rehab in the first place was because he wanted him to face his drinking problems, make sure that he prevented them from worsening, and start to live in a more healthy manner, even if it meant that he had to entirely abstain from drinking.

In a nutshell, by productively treating his drinking problems, Denny would be able to get his drinking issues under control and refrain from the negative series of events that could doubtless lead to alcohol dependency.

Denny clearly did not look forward to facing his parents about his hazardous drinking and his depression. And he definitely did not want to face the thought of getting admitted into an alcohol rehabilitation center. And as a final point, he was not ecstatic about going to a counselor about his depression. Regardless of these apprehensions, then again, Denny as a matter of fact felt some psychological relief for the first time in several months because at last he gave up making excuses for himself and at long last determined that he needed to do something positive about his excessive and abusive drinking.

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It is interesting to bring up something that family members who have been unfavorably affected by the alcohol addiction of another family member plainly do not grasp. It seems to be that by protecting the alcohol addicted person with falsehoods and deceitfulness to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have essentially created a circumstance that makes it easier for the alcohol addicted individual to continue and move forward with his or her negative, detrimental existence.

Without a doubt, rather than helping the alcohol dependent individual and themselves, these family members have in fact become enablers who have involuntarily helped deteriorate the alcoholic’s drinking problem even further.

Perhaps the real downside of this is that the alcohol addicted person will continue drinking in an abusive and excessive manner and go through a range of “alcohol side effects.” Some of these side effects include deteriorating relationships, employment difficulties, ill health, diminished mental functioning, serious financial problems, and legal issues (such as getting arrested for one or more DWIs).

The Chances of a Relapse are Real

According to the research findings and statistics on alcohol dependency, another key alcoholism issue has to do with alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcohol addicted person has fruitfully gone through alcoholism treatment and then returns to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first thought, this predicament seems contradictory to common sense and appears to be so far-fetched that it forces a person to question why anyone who has gone through the dreadfulness of alcohol addiction can return to drinking a short while after effective alcohol treatment and in turn after achieving recovery. There are, to be sure, numerous conceivable reasons for this.

It should be explained, on the other hand that alcohol dependency research that has focused on the long-term effects of alcoholism has revealed that long after the alcohol dependent person has discontinued his or her drinking, key transformations in the way in which the alcohol dependent individual’s brain works are still present. As a consequence, all a recovering alcohol addicted individual has to do to involve himself or herself in actions that correspond with the transformations that have occurred in the brain is to engage in drinking once again.

A Requirement for A Fundamental Lifestyle Modification

There are even more reasons why numerous recovering alcoholics return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after reaching sobriety. According to the alcohol dependency research literature, to make a successful recovery, the alcoholic needs new ways of responding and thinking in order to deal more competently with taxing alcohol-related situations that will take place.

Conditions such as returning to the same alcohol addictive atmosphere or to the same geographic location; interacting once again with friends from the time when the alcohol dependent person was drinking excessively; or familiar songs, smells, or activities—all of these conditions can elicit memories that can prompt psychological tension or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcohol dependent individual to engage in abusive drinking once again. Sadly, all of these situations may not only counteract enduring sobriety for the alcoholic but they can also lead to relapse and as a result negate one’s alcohol recovery.

The Good News:  There’s a Lot of Hope for a Lasting Recovery

In an attempt to “protect” the family alcoholic, family members can in fact cause unintentional harm by enabling the unsafe drinking behavior of the alcoholic.

The addiction research literature validates the fact that most individuals who successfully complete alcohol therapy go through at least one relapse. Alcohol dependent persons and their family members need to know this so that they do not get depressed or stressed out when a relapse happens.

Happily, taking part in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up counseling and training have resulted in more successful, long-term alcohol abuse and alcoholism treatment results, have helped reduce alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcohol addicted individuals reach lasting alcohol recovery.

Technorati Tags: alcohol abuse, alcohol addiction, alcohol dependency, alcohol rehab, alcohol treatment, alcoholism, drinking problems, enabling, sobriety

It is interesting to articulate something that family members who have been harmfully affected by the alcohol dependency of another family member evidently do not grasp. It seems to be that by shielding the alcohol dependent person with untruths and deceit to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have in reality created a situation that makes it easier for the alcohol addicted individual to persist and press forward with his or her harmful, detrimental existence.

In fact, rather than helping the alcohol dependent person and themselves, these family members have basically become enablers who have unintentionally helped deteriorate the alcoholic’s drinking problem even more.

Perhaps the real downside of this is that the alcohol addicted individual will continue drinking in an irresponsible and excessive manner and suffer from a variety of “alcohol side effects.” Some of these side effects include poor health, deteriorating relationships, considerable financial problems, employment difficulties, legal issues (such as getting arrested for one or more DUIs), and diminished mental functioning.

Relapses Can and Do Transpire

According to the research literature and statistics on alcohol addiction, another key alcohol addiction issue concerns alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcohol addicted individual has fruitfully undergone alcohol addiction therapy and then resorts to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first thought, this circumstance flies in the face of commonsensical thinking and sounds so improbable that it forces a person to speculate why anyone who has lived through the terror of alcoholism can return to drinking a short while after successful alcohol treatment and in turn after reaching sobriety. There are, to be sure, many plausible reasons for this.

It should be pointed out, nevertheless that alcohol addiction research that has focused on the enduring consequences of alcohol addiction has demonstrated-proven that long after the alcohol addicted person has halted his or her drinking, key alterations in the way in which the alcoholic’s brain operates are still present. As a consequence, all a recovering alcohol addicted individual has to do to involve himself or herself in behaviors that correspond with the modifications that have taken place in the brain is to engage in drinking once again.

The Necessity for A Crucial Lifestyle Modification

There are other reasons why several recovering alcohol dependent persons return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after attaining sobriety. In accordance to the alcohol dependency research literature, to make an effective recovery, the alcohol dependent individual needs new ways of reacting and thinking in order to deal more successfully with difficult alcohol-related situations that will take place.

Issues such as returning to the same alcohol addictive atmosphere or to the same geographic location; interacting once again with friends from the days when the alcohol addicted individual was drinking in a hazardous manner; or familiar songs, smells, or activities—all of these situations can bring about memories that can set off psychological anxiety or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcohol dependent individual to engage in abusive drinking once again. Regrettably, all of these situations may not only get in the way of long lasting sobriety for the alcohol addicted person but they can also result in relapse and consequently circumvent one’s sobriety.

The Good News: There’s a Lot of Hope for Lasting Sobriety

In an attempt to “protect” the family alcoholic, family members can actually cause unplanned harm by enabling the unhealthy drinking behavior of the alcohol dependent individual.

The substance abuse research literature demonstrates the fact that most people who effectively complete alcohol rehab experience at least one relapse. Alcohol dependent individuals and their family members need to know this so that they do not get crestfallen or overwhelmed when a relapse occurs.

Happily, taking part in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up treatment and education have resulted in more effective, enduring alcohol abuse and alcoholism rehab results, have helped decrease alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcoholics achieve long-term alcohol recovery.

Technorati Tags: alcohol abuse, alcohol addiction, alcohol dependency, alcohol rehab, alcohol treatment, alcoholism, drinking problems, enabling, mental health, self improvement, sobriety

What are the key components in a productive alcohol intervention? Why do some alcohol interventions work while more than a few bomb?

The Requirement for an Acclaimed Record of Intervention Success

Scientific research reveals that a “winning” alcohol abuse intervention needs to be directed by an intervention expert who has a well-known track record of intervention achievement.

In essence this means that instead of deciding upon a “normal” alcoholism counselor or psychologist for an alcohol abuse intervention, the individual who is hand picked to conduct the intervention needs to be educated in alcohol abuse intervention procedures and needs to exhibit a reputation of effective alcohol interventions.

A Few Straightforward Examples of The Best Time For an Alcoholism Intervention

Scientific investigation and alcoholism facts about interventions has also revealed that the most advantageous time for an alcoholism intervention is following a special incident in the life of the alcoholic or alcohol abuser. The following represents a few examples of these types of meaningful incidents:

• The alcohol addicted person or alcohol abuser has been caught stealing something of worth.
• The abusive drinker or alcohol dependent individual has been caught lying about something of importance.
• The alcohol addicted individual or alcohol abuser has been arrested for driving under the influence.

In situations such as these, the alcoholic or abusive drinker is more apt to be regretful or to be embarrassed, thusly making him or her more interested in getting the professional alcohol rehab that is required.

At this point in time, moreover, it is also essential to stress the fact that the alcohol abuser or alcohol-dependent person needs to be alcohol-free during the alcohol intervention. To sum up, if the alcohol abuser or alcohol-dependent person is intoxicated during an alcoholism intervention, failure is practically guaranteed.

In the same way, scientific examination has also made evident the fact that the alcohol abuser or alcoholic has to at least try to listen to what is said in an alcohol addiction intervention. That is, during an alcohol abuse intervention, the abusive drinker or alcohol addicted individual needs to listen to what his or her drinking behavior has done to those who care for him or her the most.

The Impact of Alcohol Rehabilitation For the Irresponsible Drinker

And lastly, scientific inquiry makes evident the fact that the major reason for an alcohol intervention in the first place is to encourage the alcohol abuser or alcohol addicted person to get the professional alcoholism treatment that is required. Stated differently, even if the person who administers the intervention has an exceptional record of effective interventions and even if the alcohol abuser or alcohol addicted person truly listens to every single word that is declared during an intervention, if the hazardous drinker or alcohol dependent individual is not motivated to get quality alcoholism counseling after the alcohol intervention, then the intervention will be a fiasco.

Plainly all of these factors are needed for a fruitful alcohol dependency intervention. If, alternatively, the alcohol abuser or alcohol addicted individual is not stirred to request alcohol abuse treatment after listening to his or her family members state the sorrow, anger, and displeasure they feel about the abusive drinker’s or alcohol addicted individual’s careless drinking behavior and the care they feel for the problem drinker, then every other aspect of the alcohol dependency intervention will for the most part be inconsequential.

Even Effective Alcohol Abuse Interventions Can Go Wrong In the Long Term

It also needs to be emphasized that regardless of the fact that the alcohol intervention can be perceived as fruitful in that it helped put the hazardous drinker or alcohol dependent individual in a more receptive outlook and in truth helped the alcoholic or abusive drinker determine that he or she required alcohol treatment or professional help for alcoholism or alcohol abuse, the plain fact that the intervention transpired might lead to resentment, wrath, and distrust in the future.

In a few words, even when alcohol addiction interventions are seen as productive in the short run, in the long term, on the other hand, they may go wrong and, as a consequence, might make the family and/or the alcohol dependent individual’s situation even worse than it was before the alcohol intervention was undertaken.

No matter how unwarranted or ironic this seems, try to keep in mind that it is basically one of the fundamental alcohol facts that has to be dealt with when undertaking an alcohol intervention.

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