Do You Have An Alcoholism Problem?
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How do you recognize that you have an alcoholism problem? When is it plain to see that you are involving
yourself in hazardous and irresponsible drinking? How do you know whether or not you have are a "problem
drinker"?
When is the "perfect" time to face up to your drinking problems and get the treatment you need.
If you have ineffectively made an effort to stop drinking or if you sworn to yourself that your drinking days
are terminated and then you were made aware that you were drinking in an abusive manner just a few days later, this
is a sign that you may have an alcoholism problem.
The fundamental idea is that if you have attempted to quit drinking and cannot bring this about, then your
drinking is controlling you, instead of the other way around.
Similarly, if it takes larger amounts of alcohol to get the same “high,” more likely than not you need to
realize that you have a drinking problem.
The Justification For Your Drinking
You may be telling yourself that you drink in an abusive manner so that you can decrease
your anxiety or get rid of the hurt that you feel.
Similarly, you may be trying to stay away from an unsafe situation or may be looking for something more useful,
more favorable, or less mournful in your life.
If you keep on drinking, furthermore, you will grasp the fact that drinking does not result in the same high and
you will also become aware that drinking doesn’t help remove whatever led to your sorrow or pain in the first
place.
As you continue to drink in an excessive manner, unfortunately, you may become an alcoholic and, as a
consequence, you may add another problematic issue to cope with rather than unearthing more productive and
beneficial ways of managing your alcohol related difficulties.
| There are some alcohol therapists who believe that no intervention can be successful
in the long run because in their experience most problem drinkers who are alcoholics can't be
helped until they are ready to reach out for help on their own. |
The Need for an Alcoholism Assessment
If you have decided that you have an alcoholism
problem, perhaps the most expedient thing you can do for yourself is to call your doctor or healthcare
practitioner and arrange for an appointment for a complete physical and ask for an evaluation of your drinking
condition.
Moreover, if you sincerely believe that you have a serious drinking problem, it may be a good idea to get
prepared to hear that you need to get alcohol treatment.
At this juncture, what are your alternatives? You can unquestionably say "no" and refuse to see your doctor
and persist with your pattern of hazardous drinking or you can look in the mirror and accept the fact that you are
a "problem drinker" and seek the treatment you require.
It really doesn’t take a nuclear physicist, then again, to understand that chronic, hazardous drinking, if left
untreated, will worsen over time, doubtless lead to a host of drinking problems, and possibly result in an early
death. Thus, your best option is to face up to your drinking problems and get the alcohol rehabilitation you
need.
| If the problem drinker's problems have progressed so that he has become a danger to
himself or others, or if his or her alcoholism has reached the point that he is no longer capable
of looking out for himself or herself, intervention can be a life-saving choice. |
The Facade of the Functioning Alcohol Addicted Person
It is somewhat peculiar to note the fact
that more than a few problem drinkers who are alcohol dependent lead fairly “normal” and full lives and have
pets, vehicles, houses, jobs, families, and a multitude of material possessions similar to non-alcoholics.
Many of these “functional” alcohol dependent people may have never been cited for a DWI and may have been
fortunate enough to avoid all alcohol induced legal problems.
Despite this “fortunate” circumstance, conversely, these alcohol addicted "problem drinkers" need to drink in
order to deal with life on a day by day basis while upholding their facade as they interact with people outside
their family.
Ask anyone who has seen the problem drinker experiencing increasing blackouts or benders or ask a family member
about the problem drinker’s alcohol addiction, nevertheless, and they will be quick to articulate the facts about
the drinker's situation and the truth about the alcohol dependent person’s drinking circumstances and how his or
her alcohol induced predicaments have negatively affected other family members.
| It is unclear whether starting to drink at an early age truly causes alcoholism or
whether it simply indicates an existing vulnerability to alcohol use disorders. For instance, both
early drinking and alcoholism have been correlated to personality characteristics such as strong
tendencies to act impulsively and to seek out new sensations and novel experiences. |
Why Do Alcoholics Fail to See Their Alcoholism Problem?
As drug and alcohol abuse research has underlined, no matter how noticeable the alcohol-related difficulties
seem to those who interact with the alcoholic, problem drinkers who are addicted to alcohol frequently deny
that drinking is the root of their alcohol induced issues.
Moreover, problem drinkers and alcohol addicted individuals usually blame their alcohol-related problems on
other individuals or upon other situations around them rather than seeing their part in the problem.
It may not be pleasant to hear this, but the source of the alcoholic’s difficulty is that alcoholism is a
disease of the brain.
Furthermore, once the individual with the drinking problem becomes dependent on alcohol, he or she often resorts
to denial, manipulation, and deceit as a way of dealing with the fact that his or her drinking is out of
control.
And to make matters more difficult, the experience of alcohol withdrawal symptoms usually thwarts the alcohol
addicted person’s attempts to refrain from drinking.
As gloomy as the alcohol dependent individual’s way of life is, then again, the encouraging news is that
competent assistance is usually obtainable – if the alcohol addicted person admits his drinking problems and
reaches out and gets admitted into an alcoholism treatment program.
| Alcohol use interacts with conditions such as depression and stress to contribute to
suicide, the third leading cause of death among people between the ages of 14 and 25. In one study,
37 percent of eighth grade females who drank heavily reported attempting suicide, compared with 11
percent who did not drink. |
Do You Have an Alcoholism Problem: Conclusion
Owning up to the fact that drinking is causing serious problems in your daily routine is perhaps the easiest way
to determine that you may have a drinking problem.
In other words, if your drinking is eliciting major issues with your health, with your employment, in your
relationships, with your finances, at school, or with the legal system, then you have a number of drinking problems
that need to be dealt with.
While some problem drinkers may be able to recognize their drinking problems and substantially reduce the amount
and incidence of their drinking, other individuals, however, need to address their drinking difficulties by getting
quality alcoholism rehab or counseling.
Furthermore, due to their propensity to deny the facts and bend the truth, alcohol addicted individuals without
a doubt require proficient alcohol rehabilitation for their irresponsible drinking.
The bottom line is this: if you are a "problem drinker" and experience drinking problems, it is to your
advantage to get the best treatment available so that your alcohol problems don’t destroy your life and devastate
your family members and your friends.
| Research shows that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among youth
ages 15 to 20. Adolescents are already at increased risk through their relative lack of driving
experience, and drivers younger than 21 are more susceptible than older drivers to alcohol–induced
impaired driving skills. |
| What is an alcohol intervention? Essentially, it comes down to confronting the
problem drinker with how his drinking has effected everyone around him. The problem drinker's
family, friends, and employers tell the alcohol abuser or alcoholic in their own words how his or
her drinking has been a problem in their lives and how the problem drinker needs to get
professional alcohol treatment. |
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