Posts Tagged ‘drug abuse’
When I was a sophomore in high school, I enrolled into a drug abuse class. At that age, I did not grasp the fact that alcohol abuse in point of fact was a sub division of drug abuse. While taking this class and learning more about drug and alcohol abuse and above all about alcohol side effects, I read a lot about Alcoholic Anonymous, their meetings, how their programs have twelve steps, and how successful the Alcoholics Anonymous recovery program has been for people throughout the world. I also learned quite a bit about alcohol rehab and the diverse alcohol rehab clinics that are regularly available to problem drinkers.
Dangerous End Results That are Related to Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse
Some of the injurious outcomes related to alcoholism and alcohol abuse that I learned about in this class unquestionably startled me. The ruined lives and frequent difficulties experienced by most alcohol dependent individuals made me feel like I never wanted to drink alcohol when I became old enough. Stated differently, I did not want to face the disaster and ruination that alcohol dependent people almost always experience.
Reflect on this for a moment. What fifteen-year-old teenager wants to face premature death due to his or her drinking behavior? What adolescent wants to become so out-of-control regarding his or her drinking that drinking alcohol becomes the object of one’s life? What teenager wants to go to one of the local alcoholic rehabilitation centers to deal with alcohol-related problems before he or she becomes twenty-one?
What adolescent wants to deal with alcohol withdrawal symptoms when he or she tries to quit drinking? Why would a person engage in drinking to such an extent that it would cause difficulties in every area of his or her life? Drinking later in life after a person has a career, a family, and develops personal responsibilities makes sense. But why would a teenager want to sacrifice his or her education, employment, finances, and relationships for a life that revolves around excessive drinking?
These issues were so important that I discussed some of them in class throughout the school year. What was completely astounding to me was the number of students who openly didn’t care about the detrimental results of excessive drinking that I discussed. It was almost as if they couldn’t be troubled with the facts and how these outcomes can shatter their lives. For the first time in my life I started to comprehend something that my grandfather used to articulate throughout my youth: you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.
It’s Beneficial, Important, and Energizing to Stay Away From the Destructive and Unhealthy Outcomes of Drug and Alcohol Abuse
And even at my young age, I also started to realize how important, beneficial, and liberating it is in life to stay away from the unhealthy and destructive outcomes of alcohol and drug abuse.
When I was a sophomore in high school, I took a drug abuse class. At that time period, I did not realize that alcohol abuse in point of fact was a sub classification of drug abuse. While taking this class and learning more about drug and alcohol abuse and particularly about alcohol side effects, I read a lot about Alcoholic Anonymous, their meetings, how their programs have twelve steps, and how successful the Alcoholics Anonymous recovery program has been for individuals all through the world. I also learned quite a bit about alcohol treatment and the various alcohol rehab facilities that are normally available to alcohol abusers.
Damaging End Results That are Associated With Alcohol Addiction and Alcohol Abuse
Some of the harmful outcomes correlated with alcoholism and alcohol abuse that I learned about in this class certainly frightened me. The ruined lives and numerous difficulties experienced by most alcoholics made me feel like I never wanted to drink alcohol when I became old enough. In short, I did not want to face the damage and ruination that alcohol addicted individuals almost always experience.
Let this sink in for a moment. What fifteen-year-old individual wants to face premature death due to his or her drinking behavior? What adolescent wants to become so out-of-control regarding his or her drinking that consuming alcohol becomes the object of one’s life? What young person wants to go to one of the local alcoholic rehabilitation centers to deal with alcohol-related issues before he or she becomes an adult?
What teenager wants to deal with alcohol withdrawals when he or she tries to quit drinking? Why would a person engage in drinking to such an extent that it would cause difficulties in every area of his or her life? Drinking later in life after an individual has a career, a family, and develops personal responsibilities makes sense. But why would an adolescent want to sacrifice his or her education, employment, finances, and relationships for a life that revolves around abusive drinking?
These issues were so significant that I discussed some of them in class during the school year. What was utterly inconceivable to me was the number of students who essentially didn’t care about the negative outcomes of abusive drinking that I discussed. It was almost as if they couldn’t care less about the facts and how these effects can demolish their lives. For the first time in my life I started to comprehend a saying that my grandfather used to emphasize throughout my teen and pre-teen years: you can lead a horse to water but you can’t force it to drink.
It’s Invigorating, Important, and Beneficial to Keep Yourself From the Debilitating and Unhealthy Results of Drug and Alcohol Abuse
And even at my young age, I also began to realize how beneficial, important, and liberating it is in life to keep yourself from the damaging and unhealthy outcomes of drug and alcohol abuse.
When I was in the tenth grade in high school, I took a drug abuse class. At that time period, I did not comprehend that alcohol abuse in truth was a sub classification of drug abuse. While taking this class and learning more about drug and alcohol abuse, I read a lot about Alcoholic Anonymous, their meetings, how their programs have twelve steps, and how successful the Alcoholics Anonymous recovery program has been for individuals all through the world. I also learned quite a bit about alcohol rehabilitation and the various alcohol rehab facilities that are habitually available to people who engage in abusive drinking.
Some of the negative effects associated with alcoholism and alcohol abuse that I learned about in this class unquestionably worried me. The ruined lives and countless problems experienced by most alcohol dependent people made me feel like I never wanted to drink alcohol when I became old enough. That is, I did not want to face the damage and destruction that alcohol dependent individuals almost always go through.
Think about this for a moment. What fifteen-year-old person wants to face premature death due to his or her drinking behavior? What adolescent wants to become so out-of-control regarding his or her drinking that consuming alcohol becomes the object of one’s life? What teenager wants to go to one of the local alcoholic rehabilitation centers to deal with alcohol-related problems before he or she becomes an adult?
What teenager wants to deal with alcohol withdrawals when he or she tries to quit drinking? Why would an individual engage in drinking to such an extent that it would cause serious issues in every area of his or her life? Drinking later in life after a person has a career, a family, and develops personal responsibilities makes sense. But why would an adolescent want to sacrifice his or her education, employment, finances, and relationships for a life that revolves around irresponsible drinking?
These issues were so important that I talked about some of them in class during the school year. What was totally astonishing to me was the number of students who simply didn’t care about the detrimental effects of abusive drinking that I discussed. It was almost as if they couldn’t care less about the facts and how these results can shatter their lives. For the first time in my life I started to appreciate a saying that my grandfather used to say to me throughout my teen and pre-teen years: you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.
When I was in the tenth grade in high school, I took a substance abuse class. At that time, I did not realize that alcohol abuse in point of fact was a sub classification of drug abuse. While taking this class and learning more about drug and alcohol abuse, I read a lot about Alcoholic Anonymous, their meetings, how their programs have twelve steps, and how successful the Alcoholics Anonymous recovery program has been for individuals all through the world. I also learned a lot about alcohol treatment and the various alcohol rehab clinics that are commonly available to people who engage in abusive drinking.
Some of the injurious consequences correlated with alcoholism and alcohol abuse that I learned about in this class definitely scared me. The ruined lives and numerous difficulties experienced by most alcohol dependent individuals made me feel like I never wanted to drink alcohol when I became old enough. In short, I did not want to face the damage and ruination that alcohol dependent people almost always encounter.
Let this sink in for a moment. What fifteen-year-old individual wants to face premature death due to his or her drinking behavior? What teenager wants to become so out-of-control regarding his or her drinking that drinking alcohol becomes the object of one’s life? What teen wants to go to one of the local alcoholic rehabilitation centers to deal with alcohol-related problems before he or she becomes an adult?
What teenager wants to deal with alcohol withdrawals when he or she tries to quit drinking? Why would a person engage in drinking to such an extent that it would cause problems in every area of his or her life? Drinking later in life after an individual has a career, a family, and develops personal responsibilities makes sense. But why would a teenager want to sacrifice his or her education, employment, finances, and relationships for a life that centers on abusive drinking?
These issues were so meaningful that I discussed some of them in class during the school year. What was totally astonishing to me was the number of students who simply didn’t care about the harmful effects of excessive drinking that I discussed. It was almost as if they couldn’t be bothered with the truth and how these effects can destroy their lives. For the first time in my life I started to figure out something that my grandfather used to emphasize all through my adolesence: you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.
When I was in the tenth grade in high school, I took a substance abuse class. At that time period, I did not comprehend that alcohol abuse actually was a sub division of drug abuse. While taking this class and learning more about drug and alcohol abuse, I read a lot about Alcoholic Anonymous, their meetings, how their programs have twelve steps, and how successful the Alcoholics Anonymous recovery program has been for individuals throughout the world. I also learned quite a bit about alcohol treatment and the diverse alcohol rehab centers that are usually available to problem drinkers.
Some of the injurious outcomes correlated with alcoholism and alcohol abuse that I learned about in this class unquestionably frightened me. The ruined lives and many problems experienced by most alcohol dependent individuals made me feel like I never wanted to drink alcohol when I became old enough. Stated briefly, I did not want to face the damage and devastation that alcohol dependent individuals almost always encounter.
Ponder upon this for a moment. What fifteen-year-old individual wants to face premature death due to his or her drinking behavior? What adolescent wants to become so out-of-control regarding his or her drinking that ingesting alcohol becomes the object of one’s life? What young person wants to go to one of the local alcoholic rehabilitation centers to deal with alcohol-related issues before he or she becomes an adult?
What teenager wants to experience alcohol withdrawals when he or she tries to quit drinking? Why would an individual engage in drinking to such an extent that it would cause problems in every area of his or her life? Drinking later in life after a person has a career, a family, and develops personal responsibilities makes sense. But why would an adolescent want to sacrifice his or her education, employment, finances, and relationships for a life that centers on hazardous drinking?
These issues were so important that I talked about some of them in class throughout the school year. What was utterly unbelievable to me was the number of students who essentially didn’t care about the dangerous effects of excessive drinking that I discussed. It was almost as if they couldn’t care less about the truth and how these outcomes can ruin their lives. For the first time in my life I started to understand a saying that my grandfather used to articulate throughout my adolesence: you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.
When I was in the tenth grade in high school, I took a substance abuse class. At that time period, I did not realize that alcohol abuse in point of fact was a sub category of drug abuse. While taking this class and learning more about drug and alcohol abuse, I read a lot about Alcoholic Anonymous, their meetings, how their programs have twelve steps, and how successful the Alcoholics Anonymous recovery program has been for people all over the world. I also learned quite a bit about alcohol rehabilitation and the diverse alcohol rehab clinics that are habitually available to people who engage in excessive drinking.
Some of the dangerous consequences correlated with alcoholism and alcohol abuse that I learned about in this class without a doubt worried me. The ruined lives and countless problems experienced by most alcohol dependent individuals made me feel like I never wanted to drink alcohol when I became old enough. In a word, I did not want to face the damage and ruination that alcohol addicted individuals almost always go through.
Think about this for a moment. What fifteen-year-old person wants to face premature death due to his or her drinking behavior? What adolescent wants to become so out-of-control regarding his or her drinking that drinking alcohol becomes the object of one’s life? What teen wants to go to one of the local alcoholic rehabilitation centers to deal with alcohol-related issues before he or she becomes twenty-one?
What young person wants to go through alcohol withdrawals when he or she tries to quit drinking? Why would an individual engage in drinking to such an extent that it would cause serious issues in every area of his or her life? Drinking later in life after a person has a career, a family, and develops personal responsibilities makes sense. But why would an adolescent want to sacrifice his or her education, employment, finances, and relationships for a life that revolves around irresponsible drinking?
These issues were so meaningful that I discussed some of them in class throughout the school year. What was entirely incredible to me was the number of students who simply didn’t care about the harmful consequences of abusive drinking that I talked about. It was almost as if they couldn’t care less about the truth and how these results can ruin their lives. For the first time in my life I started to grasp a saying that my grandfather used to articulate all through my teen and pre-teen years: you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.
When I was a sophomore in high school, I registered for a drug abuse class. At that time period, I did not grasp the fact that alcohol abuse actually was a sub division of drug abuse. While taking this class and learning more about drug and alcohol abuse, I read a lot about Alcoholic Anonymous, their meetings, how their programs have twelve steps, and how successful the Alcoholics Anonymous recovery program has been for individuals all through the world. I also learned a lot about alcohol rehabilitation and the various alcohol rehab clinics that are frequently available to problem drinkers.
Some of the negative effects associated with alcoholism and alcohol abuse that I learned about in this class absolutely worried me. The ruined lives and countless problems experienced by most alcoholics made me feel like I never wanted to drink alcohol when I became old enough. More to the point, I did not want to face the wreckage and ruination that alcohol addicted people almost always encounter.
Let this sink in for a moment. What fifteen-year-old person wants to face premature death due to his or her drinking behavior? What young person wants to become so out-of-control regarding his or her drinking that ingesting alcohol becomes the object of one’s life? What young person wants to go to one of the local alcoholic rehabilitation centers to deal with alcohol-related difficulties before he or she becomes an adult?
What adolescent wants to deal with alcohol withdrawal symptoms when he or she tries to stop drinking? Why would an individual engage in drinking to such an extent that it would cause difficulties in every area of his or her life? Drinking later in life after a person has a career, a family, and develops personal responsibilities makes sense. But why would an adolescent want to sacrifice his or her education, employment, finances, and relationships for a life that focuses on excessive drinking?
These issues were so significant that I talked about some of them in class during the school year. What was totally inconceivable to me was the number of students who basically didn’t care about the damaging consequences of irresponsible drinking that I talked about. It was almost as if they couldn’t be bothered with the truth and how these effects can wreck their lives. For the first time in my life I started to grasp a saying that my grandfather used to emphasize all through my adolesence: you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.
When I was a sophomore in high school, I enrolled into a drug abuse class. At that time, I did not comprehend that alcohol abuse in reality was a sub classification of drug abuse. While taking this class and learning more about drug and alcohol abuse, I read a lot about Alcoholic Anonymous, their meetings, how their programs have twelve steps, and how successful the Alcoholics Anonymous recovery program has been for individuals all through the world. I also learned quite a bit about alcohol rehab and the different alcohol rehab clinics that are typically available to abusive drinkers.
Some of the detrimental results associated with alcoholism and alcohol abuse that I learned about in this class undeniably worried me. The ruined lives and countless difficulties experienced by most alcohol addicted individuals made me feel like I never wanted to drink alcohol when I became old enough. In a word, I did not want to face the disaster and devastation that alcohol addicted people almost always experience.
Ponder upon this for a moment. What fifteen-year-old individual wants to face premature death due to his or her drinking behavior? What adolescent wants to become so out-of-control regarding his or her drinking that ingesting alcohol becomes the object of one’s life? What teen wants to go to one of the local alcoholic rehabilitation centers to deal with alcohol-related issues before he or she becomes an adult?
What young person wants to encounter alcohol withdrawal symptoms when he or she tries to stop drinking? Why would a person engage in drinking to such an extent that it would cause difficulties in every area of his or her life? Drinking later in life after an individual has a career, a family, and develops personal responsibilities makes sense. But why would an adolescent want to sacrifice his or her education, employment, finances, and relationships for a life that centers on hazardous drinking?
These issues were so significant that I discussed some of them in class during the school year. What was completely incredible to me was the number of students who essentially didn’t care about the harmful results of hazardous drinking that I discussed. It was almost as if they couldn’t be troubled with the truth and how these outcomes can destroy their lives. For the first time in my life I started to grasp a saying that my grandfather used to emphasize throughout my younger years: you can lead a horse to water but you can’t force it to drink.
The best way to help an alcoholic is through modifying your own behavior, not attempting to control theirs. This means that you should not attempt to control their behavior. Don’t attempt to convince them to just quit the booze. Do not threaten them or shame them or engage with angry arguments with them. None of these strategies really work at all. At best these tactics fail outright. At worst they drive the alcoholic deeper into drinking and isolation. If you’ve come to this point then you will want to understand how to help an alcoholic.
The first concept that you should understand in helping a drunk is that they have to come to make the decision to quit for themselves, or it will not work. But the important thing for you to realize is that the decision must come from them. You and others cannot take this crucial step for them. Not you, not a jail cell, not their parents, nobody.
The second thing that you need to come to grips with is that change for the typical alcoholic is generally prompted by pain and misery. Ultimately this is how it has to go. The alcoholic will finally decide that they have had enough pain and misery in their life and decide it is time for change. This is the only motivation that works. You can deliver them the whole universe on a platter but this will not grant them a magical ticket to sobriety. The motivation has to come from pain and fear and misery.
Given both of these concepts, you can probably tell where this is headed. The most critical concept in working with a struggling alcoholic is that you should not attempt to deprive them of their misery. The struggling alcoholic is caught in a cycle of both good times and bad times with their drinking episodes, and you should do your best to get out of the way and allow them to face their own consequences. For example, if a struggling alcoholic parties hard all weekend and then misses work, they could potentially get fired. Let them throw it away. Don’t try to cover up their mistakes or go out of your way to bail them out of trouble. This is a part of their natural consequences and you should not deprive them of it. Doing so will keep them drinking. Let them lose it experience their pain and they might just sober up some day.This is potentially the most effective way to help an alcoholic.
How can we help alcoholics recover? Traditional recovery programs have tried to answer this question for decades now, and typically without much success. You may have pushed someone in your life towards recovery without much success. If you have reached this point then you might want to think about the best way to help an alcoholic.
Part of the issue here is that most treatment paths do not really tailor to the individual – they are set up to treat anyone and everyone. They are basically a general program that is supposed to work for everyone but obviously this is not the case as many will fail to achieve success. For example, 12 step programs, which typically dominate the recovery scene, have remained unchanged for decades.
When a person needs to sober up or get clean from drugs, our usual answer is to have them attend group therapy or 12 step meetings. When that fails to produce decent results, instead of blaming the program we always blame the individual, saying that “they just didn’t want it enough,” or that “they just did not get into the spiritual side of the program.” These types of excuses point to a failing in our quest for better recovery and we can do better then just blaming the failed alcoholic. I would suggest:
1) Push alcoholics to use treatment for early recovery. This is critical because early recovery is very trying and it can be hard for the alcoholic to get even a small amount of clean time in some cases.” In a safe setting such as rehab it is much smoother when trying to get a hold on early recovery.
2) Try to push the newcomer into taking action and making a better life for themselves. This is crucial because simply drying out from alcohol is not the answer. When a true alcoholic consumes booze they do it with enthusiasm and so it turns into a driving force in their life. In their recovery journey, an alcoholic must find new meaning and depth in their life or they risk sliding back into a relapse of destruction and despair.
3) Encourage alcoholics to make holistic growth a priority in their life. If you can get someone to grow in one area of their life, that is good. But if you can convince them to grow in several areas of their life, this is even better. Holistic growth is indicating that the person is treating their disease as a whole, not simply as a spiritual problem (as some treatments deal with it).