Dealing with an Alcohol Addiction

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Alcohol addictions can cause a lot of pain and suffering. When someone is suffering from this type of addiction, it can cause family and friends to be pushed to the side, trust can be lost, and finances can be destroyed. If you have a loved one who is facing an alcohol addiction, here are some things to keep in mind that will help you deal with the addiction.

The Addict Must Be Ready to Heal

The road to recovery cannot happen until the addict is ready to face their addiction. Every addict will be ready to heal at their own pace. Sometimes it takes a major event such as a DUI or a death of a loved one to get the addict to face their addictions. Other times the addict may never be ready. From the outside, the first step to dealing with the problem is realizing the addict must be ready to heal for any rehab or recovery to be successful.

Supporters Need Help Too

There is a lot of emphasis placed on getting help for the addict, but those that are around them also need help and support. If you are around an alcohol addict, you need to make sure you are seeking help and support for yourself. Counseling and AA meetings are great ways to seek support if you are supporting someone with an alcohol addiction.

Alcohol addictions are not easy to handle, but seeking support for yourself and knowing the addict must be ready for recovery will help you handle the situation better.

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The Alcohol Effects

Choices are to be easy. Life is too fleeting, you believe, to waste the moments. Hesitation is for the weak-minded; you prefer instead to be decisive. And so each sip of alcohol is taken without worry. You never spare seconds for implications, potentials, concerns. You’re driven instead by impulses — and you care nothing for the aftermath.

You should — because the effects of alcohol are far worse than mere discomfort in the morning.

It is believed that over 130 million Americans drink alcohol each year. Of those individuals, almost 20 million are considered addicts — unable to function without some form of stimulation throughout the day. And such stimulation can lead to tragedy: with over half of the total vehicular slaughters created by drinking, 47 percent of all industrial accidents having spirits as their cause and 43 percent of all families directly affected by alcohol. It is the number one drug in the country, costing $100 million dollars each year in health care services and criminal justice maintenance (with 40 percent of all violent offenders listing it as the reason for their behavior).

Such numbers are frightening… if only because they should not exist.

Alcoholism is a disease. This can’t be denied. What can be denied, however, is the alcohol itself. Abstinence is the only true cure for this illness — and it must be followed to spare lives and budgets from the strain.

The decisions you make have far greater consequences than the immediate high. They instead impact the entire country, becoming part of an epidemic. This must stop — now.

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Are you an addict?

Addiction and substance abuse can ruin a person’s life and in extreme cases it can be lethal. Addictions can be of various kinds. An addiction to alcohol is commonly known as alcoholism. One of the most dangerous types of addition is that of illegal drugs. People can also get addicted to certain legal but prescription pills. Recovery and rehabilitation from an addiction can be a very difficult process, with most people relapsing within weeks of recovery. The first step towards battling an addition is facing the fact that you are an addict. Most people with an addiction problem simply refuse to accept it and proclaim they have the habit in control. Here re a set of questions that will help you decide whether you or someone you know is having an addiction:

1. Do you consume alcohol or take any other substance secretly without anybody else’s knowledge?

2. In the case of drug abuse, have you switched drugs in order to beat the habit of using one?

3. In order to get a prescription, have you ever given incorrect information to a doctor? Have you ever forged prescriptions?

4. In a situation where you didn’t have funds, have you ever stolen the substance or used stolen money to purchase?

5. Are you in the habit of taking the substance before going to sleep or first thing when you wake up?

6. Have you avoided people because you know they think negatively about people who take drugs?

7. Do you take multiple drugs, each to overcome the impact of the other?

8. Are you regularly falling short of your financial responsibilities because of your substance use?

9. Do you lie to people who know about your substance use about the extent to which you use the drug?

10. Does the thought of not having access to drugs scare you?

11. Do you use the substance despite it causing problems with important relationships in your life?

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Talking an early drinker out of the habit

Early age drinking is on the rise in the United States. With children growing up watching their parents and older siblings drink, the moral values of abstaining has become diluted. While drinking among college going students is a common factor, children of even younger ages can start off their drinking habit early. As children don’t have a proper comprehension about the consequences of drinking and alcoholism, they find no reason to stop themselves when given the opportunity to drink. Starting t drink at an early age greatly increases the risk of addiction at a later stage. Children are also prone to early onset of the ill effects of alcoholism like brain damage, unsocial behavior and psychological imbalances.

If you are the parent of a child who has gotten into the habit of drinking, how you approach the subject can be crucial to helping the youngster overcome the habit. Aggression and severe disciplining can often backfire, pushing the adolescent towards rebellion and adamancy. Parents first need to figure what caused the child to start drinking in the first place. Was it pressure from peers? Is the child friends with older kids who might be setting a role model? Or has the child picked up habit by observing you? Once you ascertain the cause, weave your argument against drinking around it. Some points to keep in mind when talking to an early drinker are:

1. Make sure you keep an open mind and allow the child freely express his or her views. Don’t counter their thoughts or you might end up pushing them into a shell

2. Be gentle yet firm while conveying your stance about the child not drinking.

3. Try to explain as convincingly as possible the several ill effects that drinking will have on the child’s life.

4. Explain to the child how drinking as a minor is illegal and that is yours as well as the child’s responsibility to be a good citizen.

Filed Under: Addictive Substances Tagged With: ,

Early Alcoholism in Colleges

Any addiction that takes root in early years is tougher to beat that one acquired later on in life. This applies to alcoholism as well. While people who start drinking after college are less likely to become addicts, youth that consumes alcohol during college years is more prone to addiction. College drinking is not a recent trend, it has been prevalent for generations. So much so that drinking has now become a part of college life and culture. It is a common perception that there is nothing wrong with college students drinking. This is far from the truth as consuming alcohol at an early age does not only raise the risk of alcoholism but it can also cause brain damage of varying degrees in the long term.

There are various factors that encourage drinking among college students. The first is the complacent and accepting attitude of the society at large, their parents included, about consuming alcohol. Parents who were themselves college drinkers will find nothing wrong in their child’s drinking habits. College drinking thus becomes ‘normal’ and the cycle continues from generation to generation. Modern day colleges themselves tend to be lax when forming policies and rules to curb drinking among its students. Drinks are allowed to be served at sporting events and other functions organized by the college’s student body. Drinking at these functions is not strictly controlled and the youth often end up getting intoxicated.

In addition to this, a non-drinking college student face a lot of peer pressure from his or her drinking college mates. In order to appear ‘cool’ and to blend in with the crown, most non-drinkers begin with consuming small quantities but this quickly increases once the person gets adjusted to drinking. Both, the parents as well as college authorities need to take a firmer stance against drinking during college years in order help the youth avoid getting addicted to alcohol, giving them the prospect of a better future.

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Creating a ‘Quit Alcoholism’ Environment

A person who is trying to beat alcoholism needs a lot of support to keep them from relapsing. It is difficult enough for a person to admit that they are addicted to alcohol. An addict should be encouraged to decide on either completely giving up the habit or at least reducing the amount of consumption to an acceptable level. Setting a time frame or deadline for quitting alcohol can also be a great way to keep them motivated towards the accomplishment of their goal. Once they start trying to quit alcohol, they go through some testing withdrawal symptoms and can easily give up if the right kind of support is not provided. One of the biggest causes of an alcoholic relapsing is the presence of temptations around them. Here are a few tips on how a ‘Quit Alcoholism’ environment can be created around the person undergoing rehabilitation:

1. No Reminders: Anything that reminds an addict of alcohol should be removed. This would include alcohol itself, along with bar accessories. Both, the home as well the workplace should be cleared of such items.

2. Let the world know! Encourage the alcoholic to tell all their family and friends about their decision to quit drinking. This will help them get more support. Also, the alcoholic will try to adhere to his or her quitting schedule to avoid embarrassment in front of people they know.

3. Set the limits: Don’t hesitate in turning down invitations to events where alcohol would be available. Placing an alcohol ban at home would also be helpful.

4. Cut off the bad guys: There are bound to be people who laugh at your efforts or are discouraging towards your goals. Isolate yourself from people who encourage you to drink, even if this means losing someone you consider a friend.

5. Been there, done that: If you have tried quitting before, evaluate what went wrong and ensure you don’t repeat the same mistakes.

Filed Under: Causes Of Addiction Tagged With: ,

Evaluating the pros and cons of drinking

There are several hurdles that an alcoholic needs to cross on their way to rehabilitation. The process begins with the addict accepting the fact that they are addicted. Once the rehabilitation process starts, the alcoholic suffers many withdrawal symptoms like severe depression. Without a doubt, the road to rehabilitation is tough. Wouldn’t it be better is the habit was avoided in the first place? If you feel that your loved one or someone you know is headed down the road towards alcoholism, there are certain pros and cons that can be discussed with them to show how alcoholism would affect their life.

A person on the verge of alcoholism would argue that drinking is helping them cope with stress. When intoxicated, people tend to lose a grip on reality and forget the problems they face in their day to day lives, giving them a false sense of happiness. They might even say that they have fun when they are drinking and it acts as a stress buster after a long and hectic day. Not relying on alcohol to help them forget their problems would mean that they would have to find ways to resolve their issues, something that the addict might be trying to avoid as they don’t want to face their responsibilities. In cases where a person is drinking due to peer pressure, they might argue that they will lose their friends if the stop drinking.

It should be brought to their notice that alcoholism will eventually cause issues with relationships that matter more to them than the random drinking buddy. Alcoholism will also take a great toll on the person self esteem and can eventually lead to severe depression and isolation. The benefits of not drinking like improvements in physical and mental health and energy levels as well as close relationships should be emphasized. Understanding the effects of alcoholism will help a person to beat the habit before it becomes an addiction.

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Fight Alcoholism by facing it!

One often wonders why alcoholics find it so difficult to give up a habit that is ruining their life. It is a well known fact that alcohol addiction can wreak havoc in your life by breaking relationships, having a hugely negative impact on your career, take a large bite out of your finances, have terrible consequences for your health and can be ruinous for your self esteem. Yet, despite all these factors, alcoholics refuse to go without alcohol even for a day. If forced to abstain from consumption, they tend to get irritated, aggressive and sometimes can get violent too.

One of the biggest reasons why alcoholics fail to give up the habit is because they simply refuse to accept that they are addicted. In most cases, alcoholics convince themselves that they have the habit under control and blame other factors for being the cause of their problems and failures. When their near and dear ones try to point out the facts to them, they argue at first but consistent efforts may backfire and make an addict even more adamant. They can start considering their family as enemies who don’t want them to be happy!

The first and biggest step towards recovering from alcoholism is acceptance. The addict has to face the fact their habit of drinking has turned into an addiction that is severely impacting the quality of their life. Although this may seem like a very basic step, it can often be the most difficult one to take. Once the alcoholic has accepted that they have an addiction, they are more open to going for treatment. This goes a long way in helping rehabilitate them as they are more cooperative. They make the effort to kick the habit and are more receptive towards the emotional support given by their loved ones. Acceptance of addiction can also help them cope better with depression which is part of the withdrawal symptoms of abstaining from alcohol.

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Why do alcoholics drink so much?

Alcoholism is one of the most common forms of substance abuse. People consume alcohol at social gathering and this can part of their day to day life. You may drink when you are out partying with friends, at formal dinners or even at a family get together. You may enjoy find that consuming a bottle of beer or a glass of whiskey helps you soothe your nerves at the end of the day. However, none of these situations qualify you as a case of addiction. A person is considered o be addicted to alcohol when they display the inability to cope with not consuming large quantities of alcohol on a daily or regular basis. Alcoholics are not satisfied with having just one glass of alcohol but drink till they get ‘high’ or disoriented.

A person does not get addicted to the act of drinking but the condition they get into after drinking. In most cases, alcoholics drink in order to avoid facing certain issues they in their life. It could be a severe financial crunch, a broken or troubled relationship or problems with self esteem. Over consumption of alcohol helps them forget their problems for the duration that they are in a state of intoxication. People who have suffered abuse as children are also prone to addiction as the reality of their past fades along with their comprehension of the present. In some cases people get addicted the fun element of consuming alcohol. They tend to lose track of how much they have had to drink while they party with their friends. If partying is part of their lifestyle, then excessive drinking becomes a habit too. Among college going youth, there is pressure from peers on teetotalers to drink as not having alcohol may be considered ‘not cool’. Youngsters drink to blend in with the popular crowd, even if they are not of legal age. This is not only illegal but can be dangerous too.

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The Holidays: Temptations for Relapse

The holidays pose a particular challenge for recovering addicts. No matter what substance they abused, the addict’s mantra of “one day at a time” is sorely tested around all the festivities, stresses and celebrations of the holidays. Rather than lock oneself away, learning how to deal with these occasions is an important part of the recovery process and how they can deal with the temptation to relapse.

Holiday parties are a time of particular joy and much alcohol. Drug addicts are encouraged to abstain from alcohol just as alcoholics are, but being around so much liberally flowing alcohol can be too much of a temptation for some. There is, however, power in words. Tell people who offer you drinks, “No thanks, I’m a recovering alcoholic.” They will respect your decision and applaud your strength. If sorely tempted, have somebody on standby that you can call for support.

The stresses of the holidays, financial, emotional or otherwise, are often too much for substance abusers to handle and relapses are a real concern. Recovering addicts need to change their lifestyle as much as anything else. Know the group of people attending parties; if these people are known drug users, just don’t go to the party if you don’t feel strong enough to turn them down.

No matter the addiction, recovering addicts rely on their support system more during the holidays than perhaps any other time of year. Explain to those closest to you exactly what you need from them and how they can help you. If you need extra help, consider talking to a trained therapist. Additionally, treatment centers like those at LaPalomaTreatment.com are there to help if you need support and many have a 24 hour hotline you can call if in need.

Don’t seclude yourself from the celebrations, just know in advance what you’ll have to deal with and go prepared, and call your support if needed.

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