Chime School

Posts Tagged ‘alcohol abuse’

Jesse had a very hard time keeping a job. Indeed, due to his laziness and lack of motivation, he was jobless far more often than he was employed with a job. And when he did get a job, he had a very hard time getting to work on time, he commonly received less than great performance evaluations, and he called off sick so often that he regularly got fired two or three weeks after he began working. Not unexpectedly, one of the effects of Jesse’s awful employment track record was the fact that he was virtually without a dime almost on an everyday basis.

In spite of Jesse’s irresponsible work record and financial negligence, nevertheless, somehow he managed to drink in a hazardous and irresponsible manner most of the time.

So it came as no big shock when Jesse got a fourth DUI. When he went to court, the magistrate stated to Jesse that his alcohol-related conduct was appalling and, as a consequence, he was going to sentence Jesse to serve nine months in jail.

Time In The Municipal Jail To Think About The Devastating Consequences of Thoughtless Drinking

During his time behind bars, Jesse was required to learn more about alcohol facts, about the unhealthy consequences of thoughtless drinking, and he was required to get alcohol therapy. The judge accentuated the fact that unless Jesse gets professional alcohol therapy and discovers how to live a life of sobriety, he will most likely be spending a considerable amount of time in the county jail.

Jesse said that he understood what the magistrate was asserting but he still claimed that placement in the local jail was not the best decision. The judge saw things in an entirely different Manner and said that it was his duty to keep alcohol dependent people off the streets who drink and drive and who receive multiple DWIs. To substantiate this perspective, the judge outlined some revered, highly researched alcohol statistics that emphasized some of the damaging consequences that are associated with abusive and excessive drinking.

Even though Jesse grasped the fact that he drank heavily, he never thought that he was an individual who was dependent on alcohol. So it was a big surprise when Jesse started suffering from symptoms of alcohol withdrawal approximately five hours after getting locked up in the local jail.

To manage his alcohol withdrawal symptoms in a safe and secure manner, Jesse was taken to a drug and alcohol rehab facility for alcohol detoxification and then returned to the city jail. While in jail Jesse undertook a mental health exam and undertook alcohol rehabilitation but because he received this rehabilitation as something that was imposed upon him, he failed to take ownership of his irresponsible and hazardous drinking.

When his time in the local jail was completed, the magistrate without hesitation announced to Jesse that he would be under stringent scrutiny and would be required to take random breath alcohol tests.

Jessie’s Irresponsible and Hazardous Drinking Stops Him From Living in a Productive and Mature Manner

After hearing how Jesse neglected to take ownership of his drinking situation and how he unenthusiastically followed the treatment regimen while in the county jail, the magistrate knew that it was only a matter of time before he would be seeing Jesse once again in court about his excessive and hazardous drinking behavior. As the magistrate thought about Jesse’s circumstance, he couldn’t help but think about how some people never use common sense and discover how to live in a mature and responsible manner.

Jesse had an exceedingly difficult time maintaining a job. If truth be told, due to his indolence and lack of motivation, he was out of a job far more regularly than he was gainfully employed. And when he did land a job, he had an exceptionally hard time getting to work on time, he usually received poor performance appraisals, and he called off sick so consistently that he commonly got fired a week or two after he began working. Not unexpectedly, one of the outcomes of Jesse’s less than acceptable employment history was the fact that he was virtually penniless on a day-to-day basis.

Despite Jesse’s shameful work record and financial mismanagement, on the other hand, somehow, someway he made it a point to drink irresponsibly on a day-to-day basis.

So it came as no big shock when Jesse got arrested for a second DWI. When he went to court, the magistrate told Jesse that his alcohol-related conduct was irresponsible and, consequently, he was going to sentence Jesse to spend six months in jail.

Time In Jail To Reflect On The Adverse Outcomes of Hazardous and Abusive Drinking

During his time in the city jail, Jesse was required to learn more about alcohol facts, about the unhealthy outcomes of excessive and abusive drinking, and he was expected to get alcohol rehab. The magistrate underlined the fact that unless Jesse receives professional alcohol counseling and discovers how to live an alcohol-free life, he will most likely be spending more than a short amount of time locked up.

Jesse stated that he grasped what the judge was asserting but he still thought that incarceration was not the correct response. The magistrate thought otherwise and asserted that it was his obligation to keep alcohol addicted individuals off the streets who drive and drink and who get one or more DUIs. To substantiate this view, the magistrate articulated some long-standing, comprehensively researched alcohol statistics that underlined some of the demoralizing outcomes that are linked to abusive drinking.

Although Jesse understood that he drank excessively, he never believed that he was an alcoholic. So it was quite a shock when Jesse started to have symptoms of withdrawal about eight hours after getting locked up in jail.

To deal with his alcohol withdrawal symptoms in a harm free manner, Jesse was transferred to a rehab hospital for alcohol detox and then brought back to jail. While locked up in the municipal jail Jesse undertook alcohol rehabilitation but since he received this rehab as something that was forced upon him, he was unsuccessful in taking ownership of his hazardous drinking.

When his time in the municipal jail was finished, the judge without reservation announced to Jesse that he would be under rigorous observation and would be required to take random urine alcohol tests.

Jessie’s Abusive and Irresponsible Drinking Prevents Him From Living in a Responsible and Effective Manner

After hearing how Jesse did not take ownership of his drinking circumstances and how he reluctantly followed the rehab regimen while in jail, the magistrate knew that it was simply a matter of time before he would be seeing Jesse once again in court about his hazardous and irresponsible drinking behavior. As the judge reflected on Jesse’s circumstance, he couldn’t help but think about how some individuals never use common sense and learn how to live in a mature and productive manner.

Jesse had an exceptionally difficult time maintaining a job. In truth, because of his sluggishness and lack of drive, he was jobless far more often than he was in a state of employment. And when he did find a job, he had a particularly difficult time getting to work in a timely manner, he typically received less than positive performance reviews, and he called off sick so consistently that he usually got fired a week or two after he began working. To no one’s surprise, one of the outcomes of Jesse’s less than positive employment history was the fact that he was virtually penniless on a day-to-day basis.

Despite Jesse’s disgraceful work history and financial misbehavior, however, by hook or by crook he managed to drink in an abusive and excessive manner almost everyday.

So it came as no big shock when Jesse received a fourth DUI. When he went to court, the magistrate stated to Jesse that his alcohol-related actions was appalling and, as a consequence, he was going to sentence Jesse to spend eleven months incarcerated in jail.

Time While Locked Up In Jail To Reflect On The Demoralizing Outcomes of Irresponsible Drinking

During his time while locked up in jail, Jesse was required to learn more about alcohol facts, about the devastating results of hazardous and excessive drinking, and he was expected to get alcohol rehab. The judge stressed the fact that unless Jesse gets professional alcohol rehab and discovers how to live a life of abstinence, he will most likely be spending quite a bit of his time in the municipal jail.

Jesse said that he grasped what the magistrate was proclaiming but he still proclaimed that placement in the city jail was not the most logical ruling. The judge thought otherwise and asserted that it was his responsibility to keep people off the streets who drive and drink and who get arrested for multiple DUIs. To give credibility to this statement, the judge outlined some revered, thoroughly researched alcohol statistics that pointed to some of the damaging results that are related to irresponsible and hazardous drinking.

Although Jesse knew that he drank in an irresponsible and hazardous manner, he never thought that he was a person who was dependent on alcohol. So it was a real bombshell when Jesse started to have symptoms of alcohol withdrawal about five-and-a-half hours after getting placed behind bars.

To monitor his symptoms of alcohol withdrawal in a safe manner, Jesse was life flighted to a drug and alcohol rehab hospital for alcohol detox and then brought back to the municipal jail. While locked up in the county jail Jesse received alcohol therapy but due to the fact that he received this rehab as something that was imposed upon him, he did not take ownership of his irresponsible and hazardous drinking.

When his time in the local jail was finished, the judge without wavering told Jesse that he would be under rigorous observation and would be mandated to take random alcohol tests.

Jessie’s Irresponsible and Excessive Drinking Prevents Him From Living in a Mature and Effective Manner

After hearing how Jesse was unsuccessful in taking ownership of his drinking situation and how he reluctantly followed the rehabilitation regimen while in the municipal jail, the magistrate knew that it was simply a matter of time before he would be seeing Jesse once again in court about his hazardous and excessive drinking behavior. As the judge reflected on Jesse’s circumstance, he couldn’t help but think about how some individuals never “connect the dots” and discover how to live in and adult and effective manner.

Jesse had an awfully hard time keeping a job. Indeed, because of his inactivity and lack of incentive, he was out of a job far more often than he was in a job situation. And when he did get a job, he had a particularly hard time getting to work when his shift started, he frequently received less than satisfactory performance appraisals, and he called off sick so habitually that he commonly got fired four or five weeks after he started working. Obviously, one of the results of Jesse’s deplorable work record was the fact that he was just about flat broke almost everyday.

Despite Jesse’s less than positive work history and financial misconduct, conversely, by some means he made it his business to drink heavily almost everyday.

So it came as no big shock when Jesse got arrested for a fourth DWI. When he went before the court, the magistrate explained to Jesse that his alcohol-related conduct was awful and, as a consequence, he was going to sentence Jesse to serve eleven months locked up in jail.

Time In The County Jail To Think About The Destructive Effects of Hazardous and Abusive Drinking

During his time in the county jail, Jesse was required to learn more about alcohol facts, about the harmful outcomes of irresponsible drinking, and he was required to get alcohol therapy. The judge underscored the fact that unless Jesse receives professional alcohol counseling and discovers how to live a life of abstinence, he will most likely be spending more than a short amount of time in the local jail.

Jesse stated that he comprehended what the judge was asserting but he still proclaimed that placement in the local jail was not the proper punishment. The magistrate thought otherwise and said that it was his professional duty to keep alcohol dependent individuals off the streets who drink and drive and who get arrested for a DWI. To back this up, the judge outlined some revered, highly researched alcohol statistics that underlined some of the devastating results that are linked to hazardous and excessive drinking.

Even though Jesse understood that he drank irresponsibly, he never felt that he was an alcoholic. So it was a big bombshell when Jesse began experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms about seven hours after getting locked up in the county jail.

To treat his symptoms of alcohol withdrawal in a safe and sound manner, Jesse was transferred to a drug and alcohol rehab center for alcohol detox and then brought back to jail. While locked up in the county jail Jesse undertook alcohol rehabilitation but because he received this therapy as something that was mandated for him, he neglected to take ownership of his excessive and abusive drinking.

When his time in the local jail was completed, the magistrate told Jesse that he would be under strict scrutiny and would be mandated to take periodic alcohol tests.

Jessie’s Excessive and Abusive Drinking Stops Him From Living in an Adult Manner

After hearing how Jesse did not take ownership of his drinking situation and how he unwillingly followed the therapy modus operandi while in jail, the magistrate knew that it was essentially a matter of time before he would be seeing Jesse once again in court about his abusive and hazardous drinking behavior. As the magistrate reflected on Jesse’s circumstance, he couldn’t help but think about how some people never figure things out and learn how to live in an accountable manner.

Dante was a fifteen year old high school sophomore who was displaying a number of alcohol-related problems at school. Therefore, the principal informed him that he had to see Miss Johnson, the school therapist, before he would be permitted to come back to class.

Later that day when Dante went home after school, he had to go over his school expulsion with his Mother and Father. His Mother and Father were “relatively old-style” and told Dante that getting kicked out of school was not a viable educational option. They told Dante that failing to graduate from high school would likely be like a lead weight around his ankles that might hamper his educational achievement for the remainder of his adult life. Moreover, Dante’s Mother and Father were extremely dismayed that he was drinking in the first place and drinking with his friends in the second.

They explained to Dante that even though he may be a teenager, he needs to realize rather quickly that drinking is the map to ill health, pain, financial problems, and failure.

It was clear that his parents were 100% in agreement with Dante’s principal and told Dante that he needs to see Miss Johnson, the school psychologist. After his dialogue with his parents, Dante eventually agreed to see Miss Johnson the next day. So Dante called the school and scheduled an appointment to see Miss Johnson the next afternoon after school.

The Therapist Asks Dante if He Knows Why His Recent Alcohol-Related Actions Caused Quite a Bit of Anxiety By the School Administrators

When Dante went to see Miss Johnson, she instantaneously examined all of the alcohol-related issues Dante had gotten into and asked him if he understood why his recent alcohol-related activities caused quite a bit of anxiety by the school administrators.

Quite honestly, Dante questioned why the principal suggested that he see a school counselor. As he expressed to Miss Johnson, why should he see a professional psychologist about his drinking situation? Due to the fact that virtually all of his pals drink the same amount that he does, essentially, drinking shouldn’t be such a big deal. Stated another way, if almost everybody is drinking, why is this such a big deal?

Miss Johnson asked Dante when he started to drink. He said that some of his older classmates introduced him to drinking hard liquor when he was twelve or thirteen years old and getting ready to enter the seventh grade.

Miss Johnson told Dante that while his classmates may in fact drink more than he does and that they may be a negative influence on him, the facts are that he is the one who is getting thrown out of school due to alcohol-related fighting, delinquency, and absenteeism, not his friends. What is more, Miss Johnson also emphasized the fact that Dante, and not his pals, is the one who is failing and who is missing almost two days of class per week because of his alcohol related issues. Finally, Miss Johnson stressed the fact that due to his drinking situation, Dante is getting into a damaging cycle of excessive drinking that can in the end destroy his life.

In short, Dante’s involvement with teenage alcohol abuse was beginning to short-circuit his ability to act like an accountable young man. As articulated by Miss Johnson, “Just because most of your friends drink hard liquor, wine coolers, beer, or wine does not mean that it is the appropriate behavior for you.”

Dante Learns That Ultimately He Must Take Responsibility For Himself In Order to Avoid Dangerous, Unhealthy, Destructive, and Damaging Consequences Down the Road

Miss Johnson explained to Dante that one’s friends can undoubtedly influence a person in a negative manner, but that the individual himself or herself has to finally take responsibility for himself or herself in order to prevent destructive, dangerous, unhealthy, and damaging situations in the foreseeable future.

Luckily, Miss Johnson was well equipped for her appointment with Dante. She showed him reports and research studies she had underlined that outlined various drinking facts and statistics that applied to most people in general. Then she showed Dante a lot of figures and reports that applied especially to adolescents.

As an illustration, Miss Johnson underscored the difference between alcoholism and alcohol abuse and explained to Dante that people who continue to drink in an excessive manner regularly become alcohol dependent.

Miss Johnson also explained the concept of binge drinking that she defined as follows: ingesting four or more drinks in one sitting for females and drinking four or more drinks in one sitting for females.

The Therapist Articulates More Than a Few Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Addiction Facts and Statistics

Then Miss Johnson conveyed various alcohol facts and the following eight alcohol abuse statistics:

1. Alcohol dependence and alcohol abuse cost the U.S. an estimated 0 billion in 2005. This dollar amount was more than the cost linked to cancer (6 billion) or with obesity (3 billion.

2. More than one-half of American adults have a close family member or relative who has or has had alcohol dependency.

3. More than three fourths of female victims of nonfatal, domestic violence stated that their assailant had been using drugs or drinking.

4. In the U.S. on a yearly basis, more than one third of pedestrians killed by automobiles were legally drunk.

5. One national research study uncovered the fact that students are less likely to drink alcohol if they are socially accepted by individuals at school and believe that teachers treat students fairly.

6. Research shows that young people who use alcohol may remember ten percent less of what they have learned than adolescents who don’t drink.

7. Approximately ten to twenty percent of the people who drink in an excessive manner ultimately develop cirrhosis of the liver (i.e., a scarring of the liver that can be fatal).

8. Up to forty percent of the U.S. industrial fatalities and forty-seven percent of industrial injuries are associated with alcohol abuse or alcohol dependency.

Dante Gets A Relevant Wake Up Call Concerning the Short Term and the Long Term Results of Youth Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Dependency

After Miss Johnson listed the aforementioned alcoholism and alcohol abuse facts and statistics, it was evident that what Miss Johnson made known to Dante was a real eye opener for him. Why? Because for the first time in his young life, someone not only took the time to go over the long term and the short term consequences of alcoholism and alcohol abuse, but she also took the time to substantiate what she was saying with alcohol abuse and alcoholism statistics and facts that related to everyone, and particularly to teens.

In actual fact, it was almost as if a light went on and Dante instantaneously understood why he should not be engaging in excessive and hazardous drinking with or without his buddies anymore. Dante thanked Miss Johnson for her concern and for the material she presented.

Miss Johnson then asked Dante how he felt about getting a physical examination and an alcohol assessment for the alcohol abuse or alcohol dependency rehab he would probably need.

Dante thought about this for a minute and then agreed to get an extensive physical exam and to go through a thorough appraisal of his drinking behavior so that he could start an alcohol abuse or alcoholism rehabilitation program right away.

Teresa was a thirty-four-year-old loan officer who realized that she had a drinking problem. For instance, within the past two months she has experienced the need to have one or two drinks before going to work, two months ago she failed to pass a random hair alcohol test at her place of employment, five weeks ago she got arrested for a DWI, and lastly, for the past seven months she has begun to fail to remember what she says and does when she drinks.

Like huge numbers of other individuals, Teresa’s alcohol involvement started out slowly and continued at this level for quite a long time due to the fact from time to time she engaged in occasional social drinking. In actual fact, for roughly ten months, every time she went out with her buddies to drink, she made sure to drink responsibly. Something about her drinking situation, nevertheless, seemed to completely change when her husband divorced her.

In Order To Overcome the Breakup of Her Husband With Less Sorrow, Teresa Made Up Her Mind To Begin Associating More Often With Some of Her Friends Who Love to Whoop it Up and Drink

Teresa got extremely dejected about the loss of her husband, and as a way to refrain from obsessing about her depressing feelings she arrived at a decision that she would start associating more often with some of her buddies who love to drink.

Quite sincerely, Teresa truly believed that having fun almost every day by drinking and partying with her pals would help her get over the loss of her husband in a less painful manner.

Teresa’s Drinking Escalates Substantially the More Routinely She Goes to Family Get-Togethers, Happy Hours, Sporting Events, Dinner Dates, and Private Parties With Her Buddies

It didn’t take long, nonetheless, before her drinking increased significantly the more often she went to and drank at family get-togethers, happy hours, private parties, dinner dates, and sporting events with her pals. Moreover, the fact that her drinking friends were all many years younger than she was and therefore able to drink more intensely was one of the reasons that she didn’t center more of her attention on her increased drinking. Simply put, she was drinking and having a ton of fun just like everyone else in her group of friends without giving too much thought to the negative results of her drinking.

Yet somewhere in the recesses of her brain she knew that she most likely required alcohol counseling but avoided the thought as much as she could.

Teresa Gets a Physical Exam, Owns Up to the Facts About Her Hazardous and Irresponsible Drinking to Her Physician, and Acknowledges Her General State of Despair

One afternoon during her yearly physical examination, her healthcare professional asked her if she drank alcohol. Not wanting to tell “stories” to her physician, Teresa owned up to the truth that she routinely drinks more than she should. In actual fact, she said that she frequently drinks in an abusive and excessive manner. Then Teresa informed her healthcare professional about her sadness. More explicitly, she stated that broken relationships more often than not caused a negative progression of events typified by increased drinking which further led to more disheartening feelings that, in turn, resulted in even more drinking. And this is specifically what happened when her husband and she got divorced five months ago.

When her physician heard this, he told Teresa that according to various alcoholism facts and statistics on alcoholism he was examining, alcoholism and depression routinely come about in the same person. He then informed Teresa that some of the alcohol statistics, facts, and research investigations he has been looking into also highlight the fact that individuals who drink in an irresponsible and hazardous manner and who also suffer from depression need to obtain treatment for both medical conditions.

Teresa’s Physician Schedules an Appointment for a Psychological Evaluation and For an Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse Appraisal

Teresa’s healthcare professional then articulated the following: “I am not trying to make an unprofessional diagnosis, but with your medical circumstances we may be working with two separate issues. As a result, I think we probably need to schedule an appointment for you to get an alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction appraisal from my partner, Dr. Galloway, who is an alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse specialist. Whether your drinking situation is more correlated with alcohol abuse or alcoholism is unclear, but I feel that further evaluation is required. Then I think we ought to schedule an appointment for you to get a psychological assessment from another one of my partners, Dr. Patterson, who is a psychologist. I want to get a deeper understanding about your sadness and see how much your drinking and depression are interrelated.” Teresa displayed her approval of her healthcare practitioner’s line of attack and thanked him for his help and concern. Now all she had to do was to try to reduce her drinking and wait for her appointments.

Augie and Merissa have been seeing one another for eight-and-a-half years. They met while taking the same entrepreneurship class at a medium size, rural, private liberal arts college located in the Southern part of the U.S. While they were basically good pals at first, they at long last began dating when they were in their third year of college.

Given the fact that both of them came from very traditional backgrounds, neither one of them drank very much beyond the testing stage when they first started to date. As the time progressed, then again, they began to go to more happy hours, football bashes, keg parties, and sorority and fraternity parties. As a result, they progressively began to drink increasingly more the longer they dated.

Their Social Life As a Rule Consisted of Going to Parties With Their Friends, Going to Happy Hour With Their Friends, Going to Professional Sporting Events, Going to Restaurants Three or Four Nights Per Week, and Going With Their Friends to the Local Club on the Weekends

After they graduated from college, they both landed jobs in a small city that was nearly seventy miles from their undergraduate college. Then they finally decided to move in with each other.

Due to the fact they were far removed from the college drinking scene, nonetheless, their social life as a rule consisted of going to professional sporting events, going to restaurants three or four nights per week, going to parties with their friends, going to happy hour with their friends, and going to the local bar and grill with their pals on the weekends. In short, Augie and Merissa began drinking in an irresponsible manner.

Now that were living with one another and starting to get more committed to their relationship, nevertheless, they started to think about becoming more responsible, buying a house, getting married, and having children.

With any substantial transformation in an individual’s life there is commonly something that elicits the specific alteration in question. For Augie and Merissa the thought of having children and buying a new house was this “source of change.” Stated more forcefully, for the first time in their lives, Merissa and Augie began to think about their irresponsible and abusive drinking and the long term alcohol effects on their lives.

How Would Their Abusive and Irresponsible Drinking Affect Their Ability to Have Children, Their Relationship With Their Parents, Their Mental Health, Their Finances, and Their Relationship With One Another?

Would their hazardous and irresponsible drinking negatively affect their ability to have children? How would they be able to continue spending most of their money on drinking if they were to start saving for a new house? How responsible would they be if they had children and continued to drink in a hazardous and abusive manner? How would they be able to face their parents and tell them about their long term hopes, dreams, and plans while they still drank in an excessive and irresponsible manner while having fun as they did when they were in college? What would their irresponsible and excessive drinking do to their relationship? How would their abusive and excessive drinking affect their mental health?

From a different perspective, although neither one of them ever suffered from alcohol poisoning, received a DUI, or experienced alcohol withdrawal symptoms, they realized that their heavy and hazardous drinking was becoming an issue that they could not ignore any longer.

After Giving Their Situation Considerable Deliberation, Augie and Merissa Arrived at the Conclusion That Their Aspirations, Hopes, and Dreams Would not be Brought to Fruition if They Continued Their Excessive and Abusive Drinking

All of these uncertainties undoubtedly indicated the same conclusion: Augie and Merissa needed to identify more completely with the fact that they couldn’t continue their hazardous and irresponsible drinking if their dreams, goals, and aspirations were to be met.

Once they settled upon this conclusion, they alerted their drinking pals about their marital plans, about their plans to start a family, and about their goal of buying or building a new house. They also told their drinking buddies that they still wanted to hang out with them but that they would be drinking responsibly from this moment forward so that they could start to realize their future aspirations, goals, and dreams.

Much to their wonder, all of their friends expressed relief because they too had been pondering the direction of their lives and concluded that their life-styles were much too frequently centered around drinking. They also felt that they would have to change extensively if they were to become more accountable and manifest more concern for their health, their careers, and for their plans in the next fifteen or twenty years.

After their candid discussion with their pals about their plans, dreams, and hopes, Augie and Merissa in effect started to have more meaningful relationships with all of their friends. The fundamental reason for this was the fact that all of them had the same outlook regarding their excessive and irresponsible drinking and their relatively short and long-term plans, goals, and aspirations.

Merissa and Augie have been in a dating relationship for seven years. They met while taking the same sports management class at a medium size, rural, Church affiliated liberal arts college located in the Western part of the U.S. While they were simply good buddies at first, they at long last started to date when they were in their third year of college.

Since both of them came from very ”old school” backgrounds, neither one of them drank much beyond the experimental stage when they first began dating. As the time advanced, nevertheless, they started to go to more happy hours, sorority and fraternity parties, football bashes, and keg parties. As a result, they slowly but surely began to drink increasingly more the more they interacted with one another.

Their Social Life Usually Consisted of Going to Restaurants Three or Four Nights Per Week, Going to Parties With Their Friends, Going to Happy Hour With Their Friends, Going to Professional Sporting Events, and Going With Their Friends to the Local Watering Hole on the Weekends

After they graduated, they both found jobs in a small city that was around fifty-five miles from their undergraduate college. Then they finally made up their mind to move into the same apartment together.

Because they were far removed from the college drinking scene, however, their social life frequently consisted of going to professional sporting events, going to restaurants three or four nights per week, going to parties with their friends, going to happy hour with their friends, and going to the local cabaret with their buddies on the weekends. Stated more precisely, Augie and Merissa started to drink in a hazardous and irresponsible manner.

Now that were living with one another and starting to get more serious about their relationship, nevertheless, they started thinking about having children, getting married, buying a house, and becoming more responsible.

With any substantial change in an individual’s life there is frequently something that forces the specific transformation in question. For Augie and Merissa the notion of buying a new house and having children was this “trigger.” In a word, for the first time in their lives, Augie and Merissa started to critically review their hazardous and excessive drinking and the long term alcohol effects on their lives.

How Would Their Excessive and Hazardous Drinking Affect Their Relationship With Their Parents, Their Mental Health, Their Relationship With One Another, Their Ability to Have Children, and Their Finances?

Would their heavy and excessive drinking adversely affect their ability to have children? How would they be able to continue spending most of their money on drinking if they were to begin saving for a new house? How adult-like would they be if they had children and continued to drink in an excessive and abusive manner? How would they be able to face their parents and tell them about their long term dreams, aspirations, and goals while they still drank in a hazardous and excessive manner while having fun as they did when they were in college? What would their heavy and abusive drinking do to their relationship? How would their irresponsible and excessive drinking affect their mental health?

From a different line of reasoning, although neither one of them ever suffered from alcohol poisoning, received a DUI, or experienced alcohol withdrawal symptoms, they realized that their heavy and excessive drinking was becoming a thorny issue that they could not close their eyes to anymore.

After Giving Their Situation Some Serious Thought, Merissa and Augie Grasped the Fact That Their Plans, Dreams, and Hopes Would not be Made Real if They Continued Their Abusive and Hazardous Drinking

All of these uncertainties undeniably resulted in the same conclusion: Augie and Merissa needed to be more aware that they couldn’t continue their excessive and irresponsible drinking if their dreams, aspirations, and hopes were to be realized.

Once they got to this conclusion, they notified their drinking pals about their plans to start a family, about their marital plans, and about their goal of buying or building a new house. They also told their drinking buddies that they still wanted to hang around with them but that they would be drinking in strict moderation from this moment forward so that they could begin realizing their future dreams, hopes, and plans.

Unpredictably, all of their pals expressed relief because they too had been contemplating their lives and concluded that their life-styles were much too often focused on drinking. They also thought that they would have to change drastically if they were to become more accountable and display more care for their health, their careers, and for their goals in the next fifteen or twenty years.

After opening up to their buddies about their aspirations, goals, and dreams, Augie and Merissa in actual fact started to have more meaningful relationships with all of their pals. The fundamental reason for this was the fact that all of them had the same frame of mind regarding their hazardous and abusive drinking and their short and long-term plans, aspirations, and goals.

Teresa was a thirty-two-year-old physical therapist who realized that she had some drinking issues. As an illustration, within the past three months she has experienced the need to have a few drinks before going to work, five weeks ago she tested positive for a saliva alcohol test at her place of employment, five weeks ago she got stopped by the state highway patrol for “driving under the influence”, and last but not least, for the past seven months she has started to fail to remember what she does and says when she goes out drinking with her friends.

Similar to many other individuals, Teresa’s experiences with alcohol began gradually and continued at this speed for quite a long period of time because every once in a while she engaged in intermittent social drinking. In truth, for almost three years, every time she went out to drink, she made sure to drink moderately. Something about her drinking activities, nevertheless, seemed to drastically change when she got divorced.

In Order To Endure the Divorce of Her Husband More Painlessly, Teresa Made Up Her Mind That She Will Begin Associating More Regularly With Some of Her Buddies Who Love to Have Fun Drinking

Teresa got dreadfully down in the dumps about the loss of her husband, and as a way to refrain from obsessing about her depressing feelings she determined that she would begin going out more often with some of her friends who love to party.

Quite honestly, Teresa believed that having fun nearly every day by getting “mellow” and drinking with her friends would help her get over the breakup of her husband with less grief.

Teresa’s Drinking Escalates Substantially the More Often She Goes to Family Get-Togethers, Happy Hours, Sporting Events, Dinner Dates, and Private Parties With Her Pals

It didn’t take too long, nonetheless, before her drinking increased to a significant degree the more often she went to and drank at dinner dates, happy hours, family get-togethers, sporting events, and private parties with her friends. Moreover, the fact that her drinking buddies were all considerably younger than she was and therefore able to drink and party more recklessly was one of the reasons that she didn’t center more of her attention on her increased drinking. In short, she was drinking and having tons of fun just like everyone else in her group of pals without giving too much consideration about the unhealthy results of her hazardous and abusive drinking.

Yet someplace in her mind she realized that she most probably required alcohol treatment but stayed away from the thought as much as she could.

Teresa Gets a Physical Exam, Acknowledges Her Irresponsible and Abusive Drinking to Her Doctor, and Owns up to the Facts About Her Depression

One morning during her six-month physical, her healthcare professional asked her if she drank alcohol. Not wanting to lie to her physician, Teresa ”came clean” and said that she commonly drinks more than she should. As a matter of fact, she stated that she regularly drinks in an excessive manner. Then Teresa told her healthcare practitioner about her general state of despair. More plainly, she articulated that broken relationships usually triggered a disheartening sequence of events typified by increased drinking which further resulted in more disheartening feelings that, in turn, led to even more drinking. And this is precisely what happened when her husband and she got divorced four months ago.

When her healthcare professional heard this, he told Teresa that according to various alcoholism facts and statistics on alcoholism he was researching, alcoholism and depression commonly happen in the same person. He then informed Teresa that some of the alcohol statistics, research investigations, and facts he has been looking into also point out that individuals who drink in an abusive and hazardous manner and who also experience depression need to obtain treatment for both medical conditions.

Teresa’s Healthcare Professional Makes an Appointment for a Psychological Appraisal and For an Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Addiction Evaluation

Teresa’s physician then stated the following: “I am not trying to make an impulsive analysis, but with your medical condition we may be confronting two separate issues. As a consequence, I think we probably should make an appointment for you to get an alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse assessment from my partner, Dr. Verlich, who is an alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction specialist. Whether your drinking circumstance is more related to alcohol abuse or alcoholism is unclear at this time, but I believe that further exploration is warranted. Then I believe we probably should make an appointment for you to get a psychological assessment from another one of my partners, Dr. Britton, who is a psychologist. I want to get a better handle on your depression and see how much your drinking and depression are correlated.” Teresa expressed her agreement with her healthcare practitioner’s treatment plan and thanked him for his assistance. Now all she had to do was to try to lessen her drinking and wait for her appointments.

Heather is a fifty-three-year-old woman who is the top administrator in the human resources department at a large metal polishing company.  In order to decrease the costs related to excessive sick days, increasing absenteeism, work related injuries, employee alcohol abuse and alcoholism, and poor employee work performance, Heather and the other members of upper management launched several programs that made the work atmosphere substantially more safe, healthy, and more productive.

As an example, ten years ago Heather and the other company executives initiated an Employee’s Assistance Program so that all the employees had access to top shelf psychological counseling for their personal problems that could harm their health, work performance, and their personal well-being.

Top Management Erects An Avant-Garde Workout and Exercise Room Complete With Mirrors, Exercise Charts, Exercise Equipment, Scales, a Professional Trainer During Business Hours, and Weights

As another example, about six years ago Heather and the other company leaders constructed a technologically advanced exercise and workout room complete with mirrors, exercise charts, many different types of exercise equipment, scales, a professional trainer during business hours, and weights.

Moreover, approximately three years ago Heather and the other company administrators invested in a purification system that filters all the drinking water that is obtainable all through the main building.  In much the same way, three-and-a-half years ago, Heather and the other members of top management started a “walking club” that is primarily intended for workers who want to further develop their cardiovascular system.

The Company Executives Put Into Operation a Weight-Watchers Class and Sign Up a Weight-Loss Trainer to Manage the Program

As another example, approximately a year-and-a-half ago, Heather and the other company leaders sponsored a “Weight-Watchers” class that presently meets every workday at 1:00 PM until 2:00 PM. In addition, top management hired a weight-loss professional to administer the program.

Likewise, two years ago Heather and the other company executives implemented a “Stop Smoking Club” for employers who want to quit smoking.

In the last six months, in conjunction with the Employee’s Assistance Program, Heather and the other company administrators started an “Anger Management” class for workers who want to get a better handle on their temper.

The Company Administrators Start An Alcohol and Drug Testing Program

In the last four-and-a-half months, Heather and the other company leaders initiated a alcohol and drug testing program that is tied into their drug and alcohol abuse prevention program.  In point of fact, Heather is the key person in the company responsible for getting the message out to all the employees about the drug and alcohol abuse prevention program as well as the drug and alcohol testing program.

One of the main components of the drug and alcohol abuse prevention program is a class entitled “Alcoholism and Depression” that meets every Tuesday after work.  The fundamental idea with this class is informing employees that excessive drinking and depression regularly occur in the same individual.  It is hoped that knowing this information can help a person address both medical issues and get the alcohol treatment and mental health therapy he or she requires.

Upper Management Institutes an Alcohol Statistics and Facts Class

Another fairly recent addition to the drug and alcohol abuse prevention program is a class entitled “Alcohol Statistics and Facts.”  The reasoning behind this alcohol statistics facts class is the reality that numerous people do not understand the full impact of the results of alcohol abuse and alcoholism without first learning about some of the alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse facts and statistics that are available.  Consequently, one of the goals of this class is to provide a variety of alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction facts and statistics to help employees gain a better understanding of the many of difficulties that are related to hazardous and excessive drinking and how they can stop these problems from transpiring.

Most recently, Heather and the other company administrators, via suggestions from employees, developed a class that focuses directly on severe drinking entitled “What is Alcoholism”?  This class meets every Friday morning an hour-and-a-half before work and focuses predominantly on the differences between alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction, on the stages of alcoholism, and on the different forms of rehab that are available for people who have alcohol drinking problems such as people who drink in an abusive manner.

Even though every single one of these preventative maintenance and health programs was relatively expensive, top management thinks that they are several thousands of dollars ahead by providing all of their employees with healthy, more productive, and safe working conditions.