Straight Talk For Problem Drinkers
_______________________________________________________________
 A
message to alcoholics: Don't just sit there and think that your drinking problems are going to get
better. Alcohol addiction doesn't get better; it gets worse until somebody dies. You need to take
appropriate action by realizing that you are a chronic problem drinker and then get the professional treatment
you require and you need to do this now!
Until you get quality treatment, solving your drinking problem and attaining alcohol recovery
will be next to impossible. And please understand the following: chances are very good that your
alcoholism is destroying the lives of people who love you.
Nothing to Sell -- Just Telling It Like It Is
Hello Valued Visitor,
If you expected to arrive at a page designed to "sell you something," rest
assured that all of the information on this website is free, important, AND relevant.
 Please take a
good look at the information contained on this page. You will see facts and statistics that reflect the
damaging, destructive, unhealthy, and the fatal consequences of alcoholism.
You will also read about some of the "good news" that is associated with the alcohol treatment and
with the alcohol recovery process.
And finally, if you need more information than the alcohol-related topics presented on this
website, you will be able to review the extensive educational and informational topics that can be found on our
alcohol-related "sister" websites that are listed below.
Alcohol Abuse, Alcoholism, and the Teens of the World
Alcoholism and alcohol abuse have become major social problems for all of the industrialized
countries in the world. Sadly, these societal problems are getting increasingly worse, partly because the
youth of the world are starting to drink more frequently AND at an earlier age.
Why is this a problem? A major study was conducted in 1998 by American
researchers to determine the total cost attributable to the consequences of 
underage drinking in the U.S. The cost was more than $58 billion per year!
To make such an astronomically large number more comprehensible, consider this: $58 billion
is equivalent to the net worth of 58,000 millionaires!
This is so important that it needs to be repeated: $58 billion is equal to the net
worth of fifty-eight thousand millionaires! And this is the amount of money that is "lost" each year in
our country due to underage drinking.
In a sense, then, we are creating multiple generations of adolescents who "hit the road running"
when it comes to alcohol abuse and alcoholism. Let us state the obvious: this is NOT progress, this is
NOT healthy, and this is NOT in any conceivable way making a positive contribution to society.
As the developed nations of the world becomes more complex, people everywhere feel more stress,
tension, and a sense of generalized anxiety. Due to the fact that alcohol blocks emotional pain, it is
commonly turned to as a "cover up" during times of temporary or ongoing stress or grief during situations such as
relationship problems, serious issues at work, unresolved family tensions, or the loss of a loved one.
From a slightly different vantage point, whether it is from depression, alcohol, unemployment,
gambling, drugs, or relationship problems, people experiencing chronic stress or turmoil more often than not
exhibit poor coping skills. Regrettably, these poor coping skills almost always make a major negative impact
on the distraught individual himself or herself as well as on those who are the most concerned: his or her family
and friends.
The bottom line is that "alcohol is a problem" if it causes difficulties in any part of your
life. This includes your relationships, your work, your health, and your life at home. Indeed, you may
have a problem with alcohol if you think about drinking most of the time, if you keep trying to quit drinking on
your own but can't, or if you regularly drink more per sitting and more frequently than planned.
Having said this, let's put together a list of some of the truly appalling and devastating
consequences of alcoholism.
Alcoholism: The Bad
News
95% of alcoholics die from their disease and die approximately 26 years earlier than
their normal life expectancy.
Drinking problems cluster in and destroy families. More than 50% of current drinkers have a
family history of alcoholism.
Absenteeism among alcoholics or problem drinkers is 3.8 to 8.3 times greater than absenteeism among
non-alcoholics or among those who are not problem drinkers.
The average 18-year-old has seen 100,000 television commercials encouraging him or her to drink.
In the United States, 500 million work days are lost each year to alcoholism.
Fetal alcohol syndrome and fetal alcohol effects are the leading causes of mental retardation in the
United States.
As much as 50 percent of police work is spent addressing alcohol-related problems in our nation.
This would mean that the annual cost to law enforcement agencies is at least $7.5 billion dollars.
About 43% of U.S. adults -- 76 million people -- have been exposed to alcoholism in the family -- they
grew up with or married an alcoholic or a problem drinker or had a blood relative who was an alcoholic
or problem drinker.
Lost productivity from alcohol-related absenteeism, illness and premature exiting of the workplace, due
to death and forced retirement, amounts to more than $70 billion each year.
Alcohol kills 6½ times more youth than all other illicit drugs combined.
20% of alcoholics who try to quit drinking on their own without medical management die of alcohol
withdrawal delirium.
It is estimated that more than 3 million teenagers in the U.S. between the ages of 14 to 17 are problem
drinkers.
It is estimated that 30% of all Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related motor vehicle accident
sometime during their lives.
6.6 million American children under the age of 18 live in homes with at least one alcoholic parent.
In addition to alcohol-related pancreatitis, heart disease, cancer, and liver disease, excessive
drinking over time is also associated with the following health conditions: infertility, irritated
stomach lining and bleeding from stomach ulcers, obesity, nerve damage, vitamin deficiency, skin
problems, muscle disease, sexual problems, epilepsy, and loss of brain cells.
Currently, approximately 14 million Americans, 1 in every 13 adults, abuse alcohol or are
alcoholic.
Alcoholism and alcohol abuse are the third leading cause of the preventable deaths in the United
States.
Approximately 43% of American adults have had a child, parent, sibling or spouse who is or was an
alcoholic.
Research has shown that U.S. teens who drink alcohol are 50 times more likely to use cocaine than teens
who never consume alcohol.
An alcoholic will negatively impact the lives of 4 or 5 other Americans (such as associates, family,
and friends) while under the influence of alcohol.
About half of state prison inmates and 40% of federal prisoners incarcerated for committing violent
crimes report they were under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of their offense.
Alcohol impaired drivers get behind the wheel 123 million times a year in the United States.
United States alcoholism statistics show that people who start using alcohol before the age of 15 are 4
times more likely to become alcoholic at some time in their lives, compared to those who start drinking
at the legal age of 21.
25% of all emergency room admissions, 33% of all suicides, and more than 50% of all homicides and
incidents of domestic violence are alcohol-related. |
The Bad News About Alcoholism: Conclusion
In simple economic terms, alcohol-related problems in the United States cost society almost $200
billion per year. In human terms, the cost of the following alcohol-related issues cannot be
calculated: wife battering, failed health, broken homes, traffic fatalities, child abuse, injuries, illnesses,
and destroyed lives.
Isn't It Time For Some Positive Changes In Your Life?
 Despite
of all of the alcohol-related negatives listed above, there is good news: As serious as alcoholism
is, it can be effectively treated. And with quality treatment, alcohol recovery can become a
reality.
Alcoholism treatment programs typically use a combination of counseling and medications to help an
individual quit drinking. Even though most alcoholics need help to recover from their disease, research has
shown that with treatment and support, many problem drinkers are able to quit drinking, become sober, and reclaim
their lives.
Having said this, let's put together a list of some of the positive and reassuring aspects about
alcohol recovery and alcohol treatment.
Alcohol Treatment and Alcohol Recovery: The Good News
Risk is not destiny. Just because alcoholism tends to run in families doesn't
mean that a child of an alcoholic parent will automatically become an alcoholic too. Some
people develop alcoholism even though no one in their family has a drinking problem. By the
same token, not all children of alcoholic families get into trouble with alcohol. Knowing you
are at risk is important, though, because then you can take steps to protect yourself from
developing drinking problems.
The family and friends should express their affection for the alcoholic and their intentions for
supporting the patient through recovery, but they must strongly and consistently demand that the
patient seek treatment. Children may even be involved in this process, depending on their level
of maturity and ability to handle the situation.
Prevention of alcoholism is best accomplished by abstinence. You must first have access to
alcohol before becoming an alcoholic.
Accepting the fact that help is needed for a drinking problem may not be easy. But keep in
mind that the sooner you get help, the better are your chances for a successful recovery.
Once a problem drinker quits drinking and after the alcohol withdrawal symptoms go away, it is
important for the individual to join a treatment or sobriety program such as Alcoholics Anonymous to
help him or her maintain sobriety.
Even problem drinkers who are determined to stay sober may suffer one or several “slips,” or relapses,
before achieving long-term sobriety. Relapses are very common and do not mean that a person has
failed or cannot recover from alcoholism.
A clearer understanding of the biological underpinnings of alcoholism is opening the way to better
drugs.
Interventional group meetings are one of the best approaches for motivating a patient to seek
treatment. Interventional group meetings are meetings between people with alcoholism and their
friends and family members who have been affected by the alcoholic behavior. Using this approach,
each person affected offers a compassionate but direct and honest report describing specifically how he
or she has been hurt by their loved one's or friend's alcoholism.
According to some research studies, for every dollar spent on recovery, the U.S. economy saves seven
dollars in health care and cost to society.
A number of family-oriented interventions have been used to help prevent alcohol abuse. These
interventions include the following: family preservation programs, family services, family therapy,
family skills training programs, in-home family crisis services, and family education programs.
When experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms, ALWAYS see your doctor or your healthcare provider
immediately so that he or she can assess the severity of your situation and suggest the best option for
treatment.
Treatment for alcoholism has been shown to reduce criminal activity up to 80% among chronic offenders,
has increased their rate of employment, decreases homelessness and reduces all health care costs.
If you want to avoid the long-term effects of alcohol abuse and alcoholism such as unnecessary
alcohol-related health problems later in life, drink in moderation or not at all.
Problem drinkers who are experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms should not treat these symptoms at
home. Instead, they need to seek medical assistance immediately so that their doctor, urgent care
center personnel, healthcare provider, or emergency room personnel can assess the severity of their
withdrawal symptoms and initiate the best option for treatment. |
Good News About Alcohol Treatment and Alcohol Recovery:
Conclusion
If you think you are a problem drinker or are addicted to alcohol, realizing that you have a
drinking problem is the first step in getting meaningful help. Let's face  facts:
many alcoholics would prefer to quit drinking, but this proves to be very difficult--if not
impossible--without professional, effective treatment.
The problem drinker and everyone involved needs to fully comprehend that alcoholism is a disease
and that the responses to this disease (such as craving, tolerance, denial, and fear of withdrawal) are not
character flaws but symptoms, just as pain or discomfort are symptoms of other illnesses.
Not unlike people suffering from other life-threatening diseases such as cancer, everyone involved
with the alcoholic also needs to understand that treatment, though painful and difficult, is the only realistic
option for alcoholism recovery.
Once an individual with a drinking problem stops drinking and after the alcohol withdrawal symptoms
subside, the person is on the path to alcohol recovery. It is, nevertheless, important for the person to join
a treatment or sobriety program such as Alcoholics Anonymous to help him or her maintain sobriety and to stay on
the road to alcohol recovery and sobriety.
Keep in mind, however, that the Alcoholics Anonymous recovery program may not be for
everyone. Consequently, other recovery approaches are available, including Christian, Jewish, and numerous
professional secular programs. It is interesting to note, moreover, that problem drinkers who have gained
benefits from Alcoholics Anonymous commonly find other programs that, in combination with Alcoholics Anonymous,
work best for them. Some of these programs include group counseling, individual therapy, and/or medical
care.
Until a "better" and more efficient approach is discovered, the safest, most healthy, and the most
beneficial path to alcohol recovery is sobriety. The bottom line is this: with all of the damaging and
devastating drinking problems that are related to alcohol addiction, and the healthy lifestyle changes, hope, and
renewal that are possible with alcohol treatment and alcohol recovery, don't you owe it to yourself and to your
loved ones to get professional treatment and give alcohol recovery and sobriety a chance?
Important Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse Resources
 We have worked
very hard to get this website ranking high in the Search Engines so that nice visitors like you are able to
find us. Consequently, we don't want you to leave before you are fully aware of all the information on
this educational website.
If you look at the left-hand navigation bar, you will see the subject matter
discussed on this website. We purposely listed these topics in alphabetical order and carefully included "key
terms" that describe various themes and key issues. We invite you to take a second look at the
alcoholism and the alcohol testing topics on this navigation bar---there really is a lot of important information
here about alcohol testing and other alcohol-related issues and themes.
If you are unable to find what you are looking for, however, chances are good that you will be able
to find additional information on our alcohol-related "sister websites" listed below:
-
About Alcohol Addiction. Alcohol addiction, also known as alcohol dependence
and alcoholism, is a progressive degenerative disease that includes the following four
symptoms: craving, the loss of control, physical dependence, and tolerance.
-
About Alcohol Rehab. With all of the damaging consequences caused by alcoholism, it
makes sense for people to learn how to abstain from drinking, to involve themselves in the alcohol rehab
process, and to restore their lives.
-
About Getting Sober. Getting sober is obviously an important step in
overcoming alcoholism and restoring an individual's life. Everyone with a drinking problem,
however, needs to keep in mind that getting sober is only half the battle. The other half,
unfortunately, is staying sober.
-
Alcoholics Info. Individuals with a "drinking problem" and who are addicted to
alcohol are defined as "alcoholics." Some of the characteristics of alcoholics are the
following: they experience increased tolerance over time; their drinking interferes with their
family, friends, or work; they experience unsuccessful efforts to reduce their drinking; they continue
drinking despite negative consequences such as legal, relationship, or employment problems; they drink
more and they drink more frequently; and they suffer from alcohol withdrawal symptoms when they stop
drinking.
-
Alcohol Abuse Info. This is an extensive informational and educational website
about alcohol abuse and the psychological, social, physical, and behavioral problems that can result
from alcohol abuse.
-
Alcohol Information. Although alcohol has been used in a number of diverse
ways throughout history that can be called "beneficial" it was, however, recognized thousands of years
ago that excessive drinking and abuse led to social as well as to personal problems. Due to the fact
that people in the industrialized nations know about the damaging consequences of heavy drinking and
alcohol abuse, why do so many people in these nations seem to gamble with their futures by submitted
themselves to the deleterious and unhealthy effects of excessive drinking?
-
Alcohol Test Info. This website includes information about the four different
types of alcohol tests currently employed: urine, blood alcohol, breathalyzer, and saliva alcohol
tests. Note: as discussed on this educational website, hair tests cannot detect alcohol.
This website also includes information about the increasing employment of alcohol testing in the
American workplace.
- Alcohol Treatment Info. As discussed on this fine website, alcohol treatment
programs usually use a combination of alcohol treatment medications and counseling to help a person stop
drinking. For treatment to work, alcoholics need to acknowledge that they have a drinking problem,
they must want to quit drinking, and they need to find an alcohol treatment program that works for
them.
-
Alcoholism Information. Alcoholism has become a major problem throughout many
parts of the world. Ironically, the more "developed" and advanced a nation becomes the more it
seems vulnerable to the social and personal problems that are directly or indirectly caused by
alcoholism. In a word, the people of the world need additional "alcohol awareness" and especially
"alcoholism help" if they are to become more knowledgeable about and avoid the unhealthy, damaging, and
at times, the fatal consequences of alcoholism.
Please Add Our Website To Your Favorite Bookmarks!
_____________________________________________________
|
