Miss Benning was a health teacher at the best known co-educational high school in the county. Even though she had been teaching for only three of four years, she had already established a reputation as a teacher with educational methods that encouraged and stimulated the students in her class to learn and to think.

As an illustration, one Tuesday morning she addressed her students and articulated the following: “For the next two or three days we are going to learn about some basic alcoholism facts from a general perspective and we are also going to learn about a number of the most highly researched signs of alcoholism from a less general and more detailed viewpoint.”

“Not all of these alcoholism signs will unquestionably validate that a drinker with a drinking problem is an alcohol addicted person, but the more signs that a drinker manifests, the higher the probability that he or she is an alcoholic.”

Miss Benning then told the members in the class that each student would be responsible for studying four alcoholism signs and then presenting his or her findings to the other class members via a twenty-five minute oral presentation.

The Pupils are Thrilled About Giving A Thorough Presentation to Their Fellow Classmates About Alcohol Dependency Signs

After learning about the diverse signs of alcohol addiction for a number of days, the time had finally arrived for the oral presentations. It was instantly apparent that the students in her class were excited about the subject matter because the information that they presented was extraordinary. To say that Miss Benning was pleasantly surprised with the passion manifested by the pupils in her class regarding this topic was an understatement.

The day after all of the students completed their presentations, Miss Benning passed out a sheet of paper with a list of all the alcohol dependency signs that were discussed and presented in class and in the presentations. Miss Benning then asked the pupils in her class to study the list and rank the top ten alcoholism signs that were most indicative of alcohol addiction. After around fifteen minutes, Miss Benning collected the pieces of paper and informed the students in her class that after she goes over the results, she will reveal her findings the next school day.

There was a real buzz by the students while they were leaving Miss Benning’s classroom. One could swear that her students couldn’t wait for the next day to arrive so that they could learn about the outcome of their in-class research.

The Pupils Compare Their Numbers With the Findings From A Board of Drug and Alcohol Abuse Specialists

When the next school day came, Miss Benning passed out a sheet of paper that listed the top four alcohol addiction signs as per the pupils’ rankings. Next to these results, she included another column that was labeled “experts’ response.” She then informed the students in her class that the numbers in the new column she added were the answers that were articulated by a team of drug and alcohol addiction specialists.

Miss Benning told her students to go over the data on the piece of paper she handed out and then to raise their hand if they had any issues, concerns, or questions. Within 20 or 30 seconds, just about every pupil in the classroom raised his or her hand. It was noticeable that the students had some questions, concerns, or issues about their results versus the answers given by the experts. As an illustration, almost every individual in the classroom disagreed with the highest ranked answer given by the authorities, that is to say, “Do you feel unusually ill when you quit drinking?”

The Primary Difference Between Alcohol Addiction and Alcohol Abuse is the Physical Addiction That is Experienced With Alcohol Addiction and Not With Alcohol Abuse

Miss Benning then told the pupils in her class why this answer was the most unambiguous sign of alcohol dependency. She pointed out the fact that the main difference between alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse is the physical addiction that is experienced with alcoholism and not with alcohol abuse.

In effect this means that when an alcoholic all of a sudden quits drinking, he or she will experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

Miss Benning then explained to the students in her class that alcohol withdrawal symptoms are responses by the body and by the brain to the deficit of alcohol to which they had become acclimated. Stated more explicitly, alcohol withdrawal symptoms are messages from the body and from the brain telling an alcoholic that something is exceedingly misaligned and needs to be fixed. These messages consist of several dangerous, uncomfortable, and painful withdrawal symptoms that can possibly result in an individual’s death if the appropriate treatment is not promptly received.

Miss Benning then listed the many diverse alcohol withdrawal symptoms that can be experienced when an alcohol dependent person suddenly stops drinking.

The point that Miss Benning tried to emphasize was this: an alcohol abuser can experience almost any and every one of the alcoholism signs that the students had ranked, but the one sign or symptom that few, if any, people who engage in alcohol abuse ever experience is alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

To articulate this as overtly as possible, Miss Benning emphasized the point that alcohol abusers, unlike alcohol dependent individuals, are not alcohol dependent and as a result, when they quit drinking, they almost never go through alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

The Pupils Feel They Have Uncovered A Discrepancy With the Findings From The Group of Drug and Alcohol Addiction Specialists

The students also disagreed with the second ranked answer given by the alcohol dependency authorities, namely, “Have you ever had a drink the first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover?”

Miss Benning explained to her pupils that this sign does not inevitably suggest that the problem is alcohol addiction, but that it does emphasize the need that alcohol dependent individuals have to drink in order to prevent alcohol withdrawals.

After Miss Benning explained the importance of alcohol withdrawal symptoms in the life of the alcohol addicted individual, the pupils started to appreciate the fundamental difference between alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction.

To add a sense of closure to the topic, Miss Benning asked her students to take out a sheet of paper and answer the following question: “if every person who is an alcoholic knew about every one of the alcohol dependency signs and alcohol withdrawal symptoms we have studied, what percentage of them do you think would seek alcoholism treatment?”

After approximately four or five minutes, Miss Benning asked for the students’ predictions. While many students thought that about 75 to 85 percent of alcoholics would obtain alcoholism treatment if they knew about the facts related to alcoholism signs and alcohol withdrawal symptoms, most of the pupils thought that this number would not be less than 55 percent.

The Pupils Were Amazed to Discover That Only 25% of Alcohol Addicted People in the United States Obtain Alcohol Addiction Rehab

To the surprise of most of the students, Miss Benning proclaimed that according to different scientific investigations, only 25% of the people who are addicted to alcohol in the U.S. obtain alcohol rehab. This shocked most of the students because they reasoned that exposure to the deplorable statistics and facts related to alcoholism would motivate the majority of the alcohol addicted individuals to get alcoholism rehabilitation.

Miss Benning then stated that individuals who are alcohol dependent not only need alcohol everyday in order to function but they also need alcohol on a daily basis so they can stay away from possible alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Apparently, the alcoholic’s need to drink on a daily basis is stronger than logic or facts. To be sure, since the need for alcohol is “reality” to the individual who is addicted to alcohol, this is a thorny issue that is difficult to overcome.

The Incidence of Mental Health Issues and Alcoholism Commonly Results in Friendship, Divorce, Marital, and Relationship Problems

Finally, Miss Benning explained to her students that it is relevant to conceptualize that alcoholism and a variety of mental health issues like depression are highly interlinked. In addition, the incidence of alcohol addiction and mental health difficulties frequently result in marital, relationship, divorce, and friendship problems.

The Students are Encouraged to Learn About Alcohol Addiction Signs and Symptoms in Today’s Society

A few minutes later the bell rang, signaling the end of class. Based on the enthusiasm exhibited by the pupils when they were leaving the classroom, Miss Benning recognized that she had inspired and stimulated the students in her class to stop and think about an important health and social problem that exists in our country.

Miss Benning was a health teacher at the best known co-educational high school in the county. Even though she had been teaching for only three of four years, she had already established a reputation as a teacher with educational methods that encouraged and stimulated the students in her class to learn and to think.

As an illustration, one Tuesday morning she addressed her students and articulated the following: “For the next two or three days we are going to learn about some basic alcoholism facts from a general perspective and we are also going to learn about a number of the most highly researched signs of alcoholism from a less general and more detailed viewpoint.”

“Not all of these alcoholism signs will unquestionably validate that a drinker with a drinking problem is an alcohol addicted person, but the more signs that a drinker manifests, the higher the probability that he or she is an alcoholic.”

Miss Benning then told the members in the class that each student would be responsible for studying four alcoholism signs and then presenting his or her findings to the other class members via a twenty-five minute oral presentation.

The Pupils are Thrilled About Giving A Thorough Presentation to Their Fellow Classmates About Alcohol Dependency Signs

After learning about the diverse signs of alcohol addiction for a number of days, the time had finally arrived for the oral presentations. It was instantly apparent that the students in her class were excited about the subject matter because the information that they presented was extraordinary. To say that Miss Benning was pleasantly surprised with the passion manifested by the pupils in her class regarding this topic was an understatement.

The day after all of the students completed their presentations, Miss Benning passed out a sheet of paper with a list of all the alcohol dependency signs that were discussed and presented in class and in the presentations. Miss Benning then asked the pupils in her class to study the list and rank the top ten alcoholism signs that were most indicative of alcohol addiction. After around fifteen minutes, Miss Benning collected the pieces of paper and informed the students in her class that after she goes over the results, she will reveal her findings the next school day.

There was a real buzz by the students while they were leaving Miss Benning’s classroom. One could swear that her students couldn’t wait for the next day to arrive so that they could learn about the outcome of their in-class research.

The Pupils Compare Their Numbers With the Findings From A Board of Drug and Alcohol Abuse Specialists

When the next school day came, Miss Benning passed out a sheet of paper that listed the top four alcohol addiction signs as per the pupils’ rankings. Next to these results, she included another column that was labeled “experts’ response.” She then informed the students in her class that the numbers in the new column she added were the answers that were articulated by a team of drug and alcohol addiction specialists.

Miss Benning told her students to go over the data on the piece of paper she handed out and then to raise their hand if they had any issues, concerns, or questions. Within 20 or 30 seconds, just about every pupil in the classroom raised his or her hand. It was noticeable that the students had some questions, concerns, or issues about their results versus the answers given by the experts. As an illustration, almost every individual in the classroom disagreed with the highest ranked answer given by the authorities, that is to say, “Do you feel unusually ill when you quit drinking?”

The Primary Difference Between Alcohol Addiction and Alcohol Abuse is the Physical Addiction That is Experienced With Alcohol Addiction and Not With Alcohol Abuse

Miss Benning then told the pupils in her class why this answer was the most unambiguous sign of alcohol dependency. She pointed out the fact that the main difference between alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse is the physical addiction that is experienced with alcoholism and not with alcohol abuse.

In effect this means that when an alcoholic all of a sudden quits drinking, he or she will experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

Miss Benning then explained to the students in her class that alcohol withdrawal symptoms are responses by the body and by the brain to the deficit of alcohol to which they had become acclimated. Stated more explicitly, alcohol withdrawal symptoms are messages from the body and from the brain telling an alcoholic that something is exceedingly misaligned and needs to be fixed. These messages consist of several dangerous, uncomfortable, and painful withdrawal symptoms that can possibly result in an individual’s death if the appropriate treatment is not promptly received.

Miss Benning then listed the many diverse alcohol withdrawal symptoms that can be experienced when an alcohol dependent person suddenly stops drinking.

The point that Miss Benning tried to emphasize was this: an alcohol abuser can experience almost any and every one of the alcoholism signs that the students had ranked, but the one sign or symptom that few, if any, people who engage in alcohol abuse ever experience is alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

To articulate this as overtly as possible, Miss Benning emphasized the point that alcohol abusers, unlike alcohol dependent individuals, are not alcohol dependent and as a result, when they quit drinking, they almost never go through alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

The Pupils Feel They Have Uncovered A Discrepancy With the Findings From The Group of Drug and Alcohol Addiction Specialists

The students also disagreed with the second ranked answer given by the alcohol dependency authorities, namely, “Have you ever had a drink the first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover?”

Miss Benning explained to her pupils that this sign does not inevitably suggest that the problem is alcohol addiction, but that it does emphasize the need that alcohol dependent individuals have to drink in order to prevent alcohol withdrawals.

After Miss Benning explained the importance of alcohol withdrawal symptoms in the life of the alcohol addicted individual, the pupils started to appreciate the fundamental difference between alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction.

To add a sense of closure to the topic, Miss Benning asked her students to take out a sheet of paper and answer the following question: “if every person who is an alcoholic knew about every one of the alcohol dependency signs and alcohol withdrawal symptoms we have studied, what percentage of them do you think would seek alcoholism treatment?”

After approximately four or five minutes, Miss Benning asked for the students’ predictions. While many students thought that about 75 to 85 percent of alcoholics would obtain alcoholism treatment if they knew about the facts related to alcoholism signs and alcohol withdrawal symptoms, most of the pupils thought that this number would not be less than 55 percent.

The Pupils Were Amazed to Discover That Only 25% of Alcohol Addicted People in the United States Obtain Alcohol Addiction Rehab

To the surprise of most of the students, Miss Benning proclaimed that according to different scientific investigations, only 25% of the people who are addicted to alcohol in the U.S. obtain alcohol rehab. This shocked most of the students because they reasoned that exposure to the deplorable statistics and facts related to alcoholism would motivate the majority of the alcohol addicted individuals to get alcoholism rehabilitation.

Miss Benning then stated that individuals who are alcohol dependent not only need alcohol everyday in order to function but they also need alcohol on a daily basis so they can stay away from possible alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Apparently, the alcoholic’s need to drink on a daily basis is stronger than logic or facts. To be sure, since the need for alcohol is “reality” to the individual who is addicted to alcohol, this is a thorny issue that is difficult to overcome.

The Incidence of Mental Health Issues and Alcoholism Commonly Results in Friendship, Divorce, Marital, and Relationship Problems

Finally, Miss Benning explained to her students that it is relevant to conceptualize that alcoholism and a variety of mental health issues like depression are highly interlinked. In addition, the incidence of alcohol addiction and mental health difficulties frequently result in marital, relationship, divorce, and friendship problems.

The Students are Encouraged to Learn About Alcohol Addiction Signs and Symptoms in Today’s Society

A few minutes later the bell rang, signaling the end of class. Based on the enthusiasm exhibited by the pupils when they were leaving the classroom, Miss Benning recognized that she had inspired and stimulated the students in her class to stop and think about an important health and social problem that exists in our country.

Stanley started drinking abusively when he was a junior in college. From a positive way of looking at things, even though he drank hazardously when he was an adolescent and a young adult, when he got beyond the age of thirty he almost always drank in moderation.

After he completed his education he eventually landed a job at a local truck assembly plant where he applied himself and worked his way up from stock person, to office assistant, to purchasing assistant, to purchasing manager. Unlike his other work positions, as the purchasing agent he often took potential vendors and existing vendors to lunch and to a variety of sporting events.

Though it was not written in concrete, meeting with potential vendors and existing vendors again and again involved situations in which alcohol was present. In point of fact, over the past eighteen months, Stanley had started to notably increase his social and his work-related drinking. This has resulted in quite a quandary. More explicitly, the more successful he became as a purchasing agent, the more heavily he began to drink.

His Almost Constant Feelings of Depression Also Made Him Wonder Whether He Was Becoming Alcohol Dependent

In actual fact, it didn’t take much time at all before Stanley’s hazardous and irresponsible drinking started to negatively affect his health, his mental health, his work efficiency, the money in his savings account, and his relationships. After many weeks of heavy drinking, Stanley, in fact, became troubled about his careless drinking and questioned if his alcohol related issues were alcoholism signs. Furthermore, his almost constant feelings of depression also made him wonder whether he was becoming an alcohol addicted individual. In a word, Stanley obviously needed to learn more about the facts about alcohol abuse and alcoholism.

Stanley Needs Alcohol Detoxification and Alcohol Rehabilitation For His Alcohol Dependency and Treatment For His Depression

So Stanley used his common sense, called his healthcare professional, and made an appointment for a physical exam. The next week when he saw his family doctor, Stanley unfortunately found out that he was alcohol dependent. His healthcare professional informed Stanley that he needed to get alcohol detox and alcohol rehab for his alcohol addiction and that he also needed to get a medical evaluation regarding his depression. In a word, Stanley needed treatment for his alcoholism and depression.

The Positive News is That After His Treatment For Depression and For Alcoholism, He Felt Like a Different Individual

His doctor recommended to Stanley that he request a two-month leave of absence from work and get admitted into a quality in-patient alcohol rehabilitation facility where his depression could also be evaluated and treated. This is specifically what Stanley did. The good news is that after his treatment for depression and for alcoholism, he felt like a different individual. Indeed, now that he was in recovery he hardly ever got depressed and he now knew how to more efficiently and successfully manage his relationships, his job, his finances, and his health.

Obviously, the most difficult “test” Stanley met was at work. Stated briefly, he still took his existing vendors and potential vendors to lunch and to various sporting events, but after his alcohol treatment he managed to refrain from drinking while entertaining his clients.

Interestingly, Stanley also found out that none of his existing vendors or potential vendors thought any less of him because of his alcohol-free lifestyle. To the contrary, he learned that his existing vendors and potential vendors thought even more highly of him for staying true to his convictions.

After Stanley went through alcohol treatment, however, he discovered that he was an individual who for whatever reason, couldn’t drink in moderation. In point of fact he found out the hard way that if he abstained from drinking, all of the other important parts of his life would be upgraded. At times, Stanley missed drinking, but the better health, relationships, finances, and the better work performance he experienced more than compensated for his love of drinking.

Stanley started drinking abusively when he was a junior in college. From a positive way of looking at things, even though he drank hazardously when he was an adolescent and a young adult, when he got beyond the age of thirty he almost always drank in moderation.

After he completed his education he eventually landed a job at a local truck assembly plant where he applied himself and worked his way up from stock person, to office assistant, to purchasing assistant, to purchasing manager. Unlike his other work positions, as the purchasing agent he often took potential vendors and existing vendors to lunch and to a variety of sporting events.

Though it was not written in concrete, meeting with potential vendors and existing vendors again and again involved situations in which alcohol was present. In point of fact, over the past eighteen months, Stanley had started to notably increase his social and his work-related drinking. This has resulted in quite a quandary. More explicitly, the more successful he became as a purchasing agent, the more heavily he began to drink.

His Almost Constant Feelings of Depression Also Made Him Wonder Whether He Was Becoming Alcohol Dependent

In actual fact, it didn’t take much time at all before Stanley’s hazardous and irresponsible drinking started to negatively affect his health, his mental health, his work efficiency, the money in his savings account, and his relationships. After many weeks of heavy drinking, Stanley, in fact, became troubled about his careless drinking and questioned if his alcohol related issues were alcoholism signs. Furthermore, his almost constant feelings of depression also made him wonder whether he was becoming an alcohol addicted individual. In a word, Stanley obviously needed to learn more about the facts about alcohol abuse and alcoholism.

Stanley Needs Alcohol Detoxification and Alcohol Rehabilitation For His Alcohol Dependency and Treatment For His Depression

So Stanley used his common sense, called his healthcare professional, and made an appointment for a physical exam. The next week when he saw his family doctor, Stanley unfortunately found out that he was alcohol dependent. His healthcare professional informed Stanley that he needed to get alcohol detox and alcohol rehab for his alcohol addiction and that he also needed to get a medical evaluation regarding his depression. In a word, Stanley needed treatment for his alcoholism and depression.

The Positive News is That After His Treatment For Depression and For Alcoholism, He Felt Like a Different Individual

His doctor recommended to Stanley that he request a two-month leave of absence from work and get admitted into a quality in-patient alcohol rehabilitation facility where his depression could also be evaluated and treated. This is specifically what Stanley did. The good news is that after his treatment for depression and for alcoholism, he felt like a different individual. Indeed, now that he was in recovery he hardly ever got depressed and he now knew how to more efficiently and successfully manage his relationships, his job, his finances, and his health.

Obviously, the most difficult “test” Stanley met was at work. Stated briefly, he still took his existing vendors and potential vendors to lunch and to various sporting events, but after his alcohol treatment he managed to refrain from drinking while entertaining his clients.

Interestingly, Stanley also found out that none of his existing vendors or potential vendors thought any less of him because of his alcohol-free lifestyle. To the contrary, he learned that his existing vendors and potential vendors thought even more highly of him for staying true to his convictions.

After Stanley went through alcohol treatment, however, he discovered that he was an individual who for whatever reason, couldn’t drink in moderation. In point of fact he found out the hard way that if he abstained from drinking, all of the other important parts of his life would be upgraded. At times, Stanley missed drinking, but the better health, relationships, finances, and the better work performance he experienced more than compensated for his love of drinking.

Barry used to brag to his drinking buddies how he could maintain a challenging and fulltime job and get inebriated almost every night. Sadly, after involving himself in this unhealthy lifestyle for about four-and-a-half years, he began to display a variety of alcohol related problems.

Barry Starts to Observe Various Alcohol Related Issues

For instance, he had a real difficult time getting up for work because he felt so drained when he awoke. Moreover, just about every morning Barry had a dreadful hangover. In short, the combination of his hangovers and his lack of energy did not make it easy for him to get up and feel motivated to go to work. To make things worse, roughly a week ago he got his third driving under the influence citation in the past eight weeks.

To compound things further, at his place of employment his last two performance appraisals were less than tolerable. And lastly, his six-and-a-half-year relationship with his girlfriend had worsened due to his depression, financial difficulties, lack of patience, and his angry outbursts.

Although Barry was only twenty-five years old, he frankly started to look like he was in his early forties. Sadly, this is what hazardous and irresponsible drinking can do to a person. And in truth he knew that he was suffering from the negative outcomes of alcoholism or alcohol abuse and that he was too young to throw away his life to irresponsible and unhealthy drinking. So initially he tried to drink in moderation. Regrettably, he soon realized that he lost all control after drinking his first alcoholic beverage. Stated more precisely, after his first drink he invariably proceeded to get intoxicated. Due to the fact that this was an incident that was repeated every time he went to a bar to drink, this greatly concerned him. In truth, he started to wonder if he was displaying some of the signs of alcoholism and alcohol abuse.

Barry Makes up His Mind To Schedule an Appointment to See His Healthcare Professional

After mentioning his excessive alcohol drinking and his abusive and excessive drinking with his girlfriend, he eventually decided to make an appointment to see his doctor. When Barry saw his healthcare practitioner, he openly stated that he has been drinking in an excessive manner, that he may be exhibiting alcoholic signs, and that he wants to quit drinking. He then mentioned that drinking responsibly and in moderation doesn’t seem to work for him and, as a consequence, he wants to learn how he can create an alcohol-free lifestyle.

Barry also told his doctor about his depression and how this mental health problem was negatively influencing his relationship with his lady friend. His healthcare practitioner referred Barry to Doctor Davis, an alcohol and drug addiction therapist, who persuaded Barry to register in a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility as an in-patient for alcohol detox and alcohol rehabilitation. Fortunately, Barry would also be able to get treatment for his depression at this facility.

Quitting Drinking Was the Best Decision Barry Had Ever Made

After four months of rigorous treatment, Barry left the in-patient rehabilitation clinic and continued his recovery via outpatient therapy and via going to local Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Motivated to change his life in a more productive manner, Barry bought some vitamins at a health store and a cookbook. He then joined a fitness center and started working out two or three times per week. Within six months Barry was a new person. He was in shape, he was eating nutritious meals, he now looked younger than he was, he wasn’t depressed anymore, and most important of all, he remained sober for numerous months. He also didn’t resort to angry outbursts, he became more patient, and he became a more loving individual in his relationship with his lady friend. In short, stopping drinking was the best decision Barry had ever made.

Jennifer is a thirty-three-year-old accounting clerk who has been consuming alcohol quite extensively since she and her boyfriend decided to discontinue their relationship. In point of fact, for the past ten months she has been drinking almost one-and-a-half bottles of wine every night, and on the weekends she also has been drinking several cans of beer during the day. In a word, Jennifer has been drinking so excessively and abusively that it’s a miracle that she hasn’t suffered from alcohol poisoning.

After feeling down in the dumps because she was beginning to disregard her health, Jennifer at last told herself that she’s had enough, that it’s time to quit the self pity routine, that it’s time to quit the hazardous drinking, and time to make a new start with her life. So the following Saturday morning at 10:00 AM, she determined that she would stop drinking cold turkey.

When She Stopped Drinking She Felt Ill, She Had Utterly No Appetite, She Was Extremely Restless and Moody, She Started to Perspire Profusely, She Vomited Numerous Times, and Her Head Was Pounding

When Jennifer stopped drinking, she assumed that she would quite possibly be tempted to take a couple of drinks, but she never thought that she would feel so horrific. More specifically, approximately four hours after she stopped drinking, she started to sweat extensively, her head was aching, she was extremely moody and tense, she had utterly no appetite, and she vomited a number of times.

When she called her best pal and told her that she had quit drinking and that after a couple of hours she without any warning began experiencing flu-like symptoms, Lorraine, her best buddy, told Jennifer to call her medical doctor and discuss what was transpiring.

She Admits to Her Doctor That She Has Been Drinking Excessively, That She Just Tried to Quit Drinking, and That She is Suffering Through Terrible Flu-Like Symptoms

So Jennifer called her medical practitioner, told him that she has been drinking in an irresponsible and hazardous manner for a number of months and that when she honestly tried to completely stop drinking earlier in the day, within a few hours she felt as if she had the most dreadful flu-like symptoms that she had ever experienced.

Her physician told her that she may be experiencing symptoms of alcohol withdrawal and that she should have a relative or friend drive her to the emergency room ASAP.

As soon as Jennifer got off the phone, she got a neighbor to drive her to the hospital. Interestingly, as sick as Jennifer was, all she could think about all the way to the hospital was whether or not she might be alcohol dependent.

Obviously her healthcare professional had called ahead and told the emergency room medical team to expect Jennifer because when she got to the hospital, she was met by a nurse and a paramedic who promptly asked her to lie down on the portable bed they had with them. After getting taken to the emergency room and undergoing a few important tests, it was substantiated that Jennifer was in actual fact going through alcohol withdrawal symptoms and was in need of alcohol detoxification.

A healthcare professional administered some medications to reduce the intensity of her flu-like symptoms and also administered some medications to help eliminate the alcohol that was still in her circulation system.

An Alcohol Addiction Healthcare Professional Discusses That She is Dependent on Alcohol and Then Clearly Explains What Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms and Alcohol Addiction Stages Are

After two or three hours, Jennifer was transferred from the ER and wheeled to the recovery room. After she was in recovery for about two hours, Doctor Bornhorst, a chemical dependency and substance abuse specialist, came to talk to her. He took his time and explained that Jennifer had suffered through alcohol withdrawal symptoms when she quit drinking because she had become addicted to alcohol.

He then elucidated the fact that with heavy drinking on a daily basis, the person’s brain over time gets acclimated to the alcohol in order to work in a “semi-normal” way. When the individual then all of a sudden stops ingesting alcohol, however, the brain responds by giving rise to alcohol withdrawal symptoms. In addition, her healthcare practitioner also clearly explained the various alcoholism stages that an alcohol addicted person regularly suffers through as the disease gradually gets worse.

It is Determined that Jennifer is in the Earliest Stage of Alcohol Dependency and She Receives a Good Projection For a Full Recovery if She Gets the Alcoholism Rehabilitation She Requires

Fortunately for Jennifer, it was confirmed that she was in the earliest stage of alcoholism and, consequently, she received a good forecast for a complete recovery if she receives the alcohol dependency therapy she needs.

Jennifer told the physician that she will do whatever it takes to get sober and to re-establish her life. She also stated that she has a very comprehensive hospitalization insurance policy that will almost certainly pay for most, if not all, of the costs needed for treatment. It was obvious that Jennifer was very grateful about her optimistic medical forecast and felt free from worry knowing that she will be able to get the alcoholism therapy she requires so that she can start on the path to recovery.

Dante was a seventeen year old high school junior who was manifesting a number of alcohol-related issues at school. Therefore, the principal explained to him that he had to see Miss Johnson, the school counselor, before he would be allowed to return to class.

Later that day when Dante went home after school, he had to clarify his school situation to his Mother and Father. His Mom and Dad were “relatively old fashioned” and told Dante that getting removed from school was not an acceptable educational plan of action. They explained to Dante that failing to graduate from high school would likely be like a lead weight around his legs that could quite possibly impede his educational achievement for the remainder of his adult life. In addition, Dante’s Mother and Father were extremely troubled that he was drinking in the first place and drinking with his buddies in the second.

His parents informed Dante that even though he may be an adolescent, he needs to comprehend fairly swiftly that drinking is the route to pain, ill health, failure, and financial problems.

It was clear that his parents were absolutely in concurrence with Dante’s principal and informed Dante that he had better make up his mind to see Miss Johnson, the school therapist. After his chat with his parents, Dante in due course agreed to see Miss Johnson the next day. So Dante phoned the school and scheduled an appointment to see Miss Johnson the next day during lunch.

The Counselor Asks Dante if He Comprehends Why His Recent Alcohol-Related Activities Were Such a Cause For Concern By the School Administrators

When Dante got to his scheduled appointment with Miss Johnson, she instantaneously surveyed all of the alcohol-related issues Dante had gotten into and asked him if he understood why his recent alcohol-related behavior made the school administrators uneasy.

Quite honestly, Dante was not sure why the principal informed him that he had to see a school counselor. As he expressed to Miss Johnson, why should he see a professional counselor about his drinking behavior? In view of the fact that nearly all of his friends drink as much if not more than he does, in essence, drinking shouldn’t be such a big deal. Stated more directly, if nearly everybody is drinking, why is this such a big thing?

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

Miss Johnson informed Dante that while his buddies 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 kicked out of school due to alcohol-related fighting, delinquency, and absenteeism, not his friends. In addition, Miss Johnson also stressed the fact that Dante, and not his classmates, 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 because of his drinking situation, Dante is getting into a harmful cycle of hazardous drinking that can in time ruin his hopes, dreams and aspirations.

In short, Dante’s involvement with teenage alcohol abuse was starting to foil his ability to behave like an accountable young man. As put into words by Miss Johnson, “Just because most of your classmates drink beer, wine, wine coolers, or hard liquor does not mean that it is the best thing to do for you.”

Dante Learns That In the Long Run He Must Be Responsible For Himself In Order to Avert Dangerous, Damaging, Destructive, and Unhealthy Circumstances In the Future

Miss Johnson informed Dante that one’s peers can certainly influence an individual in a negative manner, but that the individual himself or herself has to in time take responsibility for herself or himself in order to avoid unhealthy, dangerous, damaging, and destructive situations in the foreseeable future.

Fortunately, Miss Johnson was very well prepared for her scheduled meeting with Dante. She showed him research studies and reports she had underlined that listed different drinking statistics and facts that targeted most people in general. Then she showed Dante quite a bit of figures and reports that applied mainly to adolescents.

For instance, Miss Johnson highlighted the difference between alcohol abuse and alcoholism and explained to Dante that drinkers who continue to drink in a hazardous manner more often than not become alcoholic.

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

The Psychologist States A Number Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Facts and Statistics

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

1. Alcohol is a factor in around half of America’s murders, accidental deaths, and suicides.

2. Accidents related to alcohol are the leading cause of deaths among adolescents.

3. Each year in the United States, nearly 5,000 youth under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking. This includes roughly 1,900 fatalities from motor vehicle accidents.

4. Research has demonstrated that U.S. teenagers who drink alcohol are 50 times more likely to use cocaine than teens who never ingest alcoholic beverages.

5. Around 1,700 college students in the United States lose their lives each year–around 4.65 a day–because of injuries that are alcohol related.

6. In 2005, 2.1 million American college students between the ages of 18 and 24 reported that they engage in driving under the influence of alcohol.

7. The World Health Organization projects that nearly 76 million individuals throughout the world suffer from disorders that are related to alcohol abuse or alcoholism.

8. As revealed by recent drug and alcohol abuse research findings, it has been discovered that just about 53% of the adults in the United States have reported that one or more of their close relatives has a drinking problem.

Dante Receives An Important Wake Up Call About the Long Term and the Short Term Effects of Adolescent Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

After Miss Johnson listed the aforementioned alcoholism and alcohol abuse facts and statistics, it was obvious 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 articulate the short term and the long term results of alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction, but she also made the effort to confirm what she was saying with alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction statistics and facts that related to everyone in general, and mainly to teenagers.

As a matter of fact, it was almost as if a light went on and Dante instantaneously grasped why he should not be engaging in hazardous and abusive drinking with or without his peers anymore. Dante thanked Miss Johnson for her concern and for the information she discussed.

Miss Johnson then asked Dante how he felt about getting a physical exam and an alcohol appraisal for the alcohol abuse or alcoholism rehabilitation he would probably need.

Dante thought about this for a minute and then agreed to get a complete physical exam and to go through a comprehensive appraisal of his drinking condition so that he could start an alcohol abuse or alcohol addiction rehab program right away.

The Banana Man

I’ve seen Cirrhosis and it made me swear off the booze. One of my lifelong friends and my former business partner is an alcoholic. His name is John and he promised to stay on the wagon to entice me to work with him, and it proved to be the biggest mistake of my life. I live in Chicao and he is San Francisco, so I couldn’t keep my eyes on him easily.His wife had passed away recently after a brief illness and John wasn’t handling it very well. I suspected he was drinking again. Those fears were confirmed when I received a phone call four or five months after his wife’s passing from a mutual friend who said John had been taken to the hospital after a binge.He said it didn’t look good.

I hopped on the next plane and got to California and took a cab to the hospital. I couldn’t believe my eyes. My friend was the color of a fresh banana–sort of like the Incredible Hulk but the color of French’s mustard. He was babbling incomprehensible phrases. He recognized me but quickly forgot I was there. A group of our Bay Area friends met at the hospital. The doctors said he was very ill. One pulled me aside and said my friend had Cirrohisis, which wasn’t a surprise from his appearance.His liver had shut down–liver failure, and as I learned over the next few days, when your liver goes, so does everything else in your body, The liver controls most of your major organs, at least in a dependant way. His kidneys were failing and he had to go on dialysis treatments three times a day.

Bedside Vigil

Most of the next week he really didn’t know where he was. The doctors said the next few days were critical but that he probaby wouldn’t make it six months even if he survived this immediate crisis. I literally spent thirty minutes talking to him one morning trying to get him to give me the details on how to retrieve his phone messages back at his apartment. He couldn’t remember the password. And this entire time his body was still 100% pure banana colored. It was an awful experience for everybody.

Kidney Dialysis 3 Times A Day

A week passes and he starts to get better. Gradually. He’s still on dialysis three times a day, but at least he can talk fairly cogently. And slowly he regains his personality–starts kidding with all the nurses and telling stories. After three weeks he was discharged but had to go to a half-way house that could take care of his dialysis and other medical needs. He would get transported three times a day in a van to a clinic where the dialysis was done. I flew home as I had been there a month and had a lot of business matters to attend to and see my wife, who was very supportive during this period.

A month goes by and my friend’s best friend in SF calls and says John is going home–he’s getting out of the half-way house after six weeks, but still requires dialysis daily, but now just once a day. I flew back to San Francisco and we all (there were about six of us) go out to celebrate John’s birthday. As dinner ended and we were having a cognac (not John!), our mutual friend says he wants to make an announcement. He makes a toast and says that today is a special day. It’s John’s birthday, and he’s pleased to announce that the doctors have decided he no longer needs dialysis! There was a hurrah that filled the restaurant!

It was truly a remarkable experience. But I was reflecting on the plane back to Chicago how 30 years earlier John and the rest of us Irish Catholic boys would spend our evenings in the bars of Georgetown, getting drunk and chasing women. We had a lot of laughs, something we repeated many times together over the years. It was really part of our culture.

But this is where it led. And there were no laughs and jokes being told. If it weren’t so personally tragic, I wish we could have fast-forwarded into the future from those early care-free days to see what drinking and alcoholism is all about and where it leads.

Luck Of The Irish (At Least Some Of Them)

John was lucky, and his liver bounced back and healed. But the doctors told him that he could never drink alcohol again–that it would poison him, like drinking a glass of cyanide.  And you know what? John’s stayed on the wagon ever since. He still goes to bars and shoots the bull with his friends. He’s no longer a beer drinker but drinks only soft drinks. And he’s enjoying his life just as much as before. Lucky for him. He got a second chance.

Alcohol Is A Killer

If you know someone who is a big drinker and his skin color looks a little jaundiced, you can be sure his liver is damaged. Before it gets to the point my friend faced there are some  natural homeopathic remedies to detox your liver and get you back on the right track. Of course, once you go through this process, you need to be committed to a life of alcohol abstinance if you want to live a longer life. Not lecturing here, but those are just the facts.

Good luck!

Published By Rehab Help Online

Dante was a sixteen year old high school sophomore who was manifesting quite a few alcohol-related difficulties at school. Consequently, the principal informed him that he had to see Miss Johnson, the school counselor, before he would be permitted to return to class.

Later that day when Dante went home after school, he had to explain his school suspension to his parents. His Mom and Dad were “fairly old-fashioned” and informed Dante that getting expelled from school was not a tolerable educational plan of action. They told Dante that failing to graduate from high school would more likely than not be like a lead weight around his feet that might impair his educational aspirations for the remainder of his life. What is more, Dante’s Mom and Dad were quite distraught that he was drinking in the first place and drinking with his pals in the second.

His Mother and Father explained to Dante that even though he may be a teenager, he needs to comprehend rather quickly that drinking is the road to ill health, failure, pain, and financial problems.

It was evident that his Mom and Dad were absolutely in agreement with Dante’s principal and informed Dante that he had better make up his mind to see Miss Johnson, the school therapist. After his dialogue with his Mother and Father, Dante at long last agreed to see Miss Johnson the next day. So Dante called the school and made an appointment to see Miss Johnson the next morning before school.

The Psychologist Asks Dante if He Knows Why His Recent Alcohol-Related Activities Were Such a Cause For Concern By the School Administrators

When Dante arrived at his scheduled appointment with Miss Johnson, she instantly examined all of the alcohol-related difficulties Dante had experienced and asked him if he comprehended why his recent alcohol-related actions were such a cause for concern.

Quite sincerely, Dante wondered why the principal suggested that he see a school psychologist. As he expressed to Miss Johnson, why should he see a professional psychologist about his drinking activities? In view of the fact that just about all of his pals drink the same amount that he does, drinking really shouldn’t be such a big thing. Stated more precisely, if almost everybody is drinking, why is this such a major problem?

Miss Johnson asked Dante when he started to drink. He said that some of his older friends introduced him to drinking hard liquor when he was twelve or thirteen years old and between the sixth and seventh grades.

Miss Johnson told Dante that while his peers may in fact drink as much as he does and that they may be a bad influence on him, the facts are that he is the one who is getting suspended from school due to alcohol-related absenteeism, fighting, and delinquency, not his classmates. What is more, Miss Johnson also underlined the fact that Dante, and not his peers, is the one who is failing and who is missing at least two days of school every week because of his alcohol related issues. Finally, Miss Johnson stressed the fact that due to his drinking behavior, Dante is getting into a damaging cycle of abusive drinking that can at the end of the day wreck his aspirations, hopes, and dreams.

In a word, Dante’s involvement with teenage alcohol abuse was beginning to impede his ability to act like a responsible young man. As stated by Miss Johnson, “Just because most of your classmates drink hard liquor, beer, wine coolers, or wine does not mean that it is the best thing to do for you.”

Dante Learns That In the End He Must Be Responsible For Himself In Order to Avert Destructive, Unhealthy, Damaging, and Dangerous Outcomes Down the Road

Miss Johnson informed Dante that one’s pals can without a doubt influence a person in an unhealthy way, but that the person herself or himself has to in time be responsible for herself or himself in order to stay away from destructive, damaging, dangerous, and unhealthy consequences down the road.

Luckily, Miss Johnson was extremely well equipped for her scheduled time with Dante. She showed him research studies and reports she had highlighted that outlined different drinking facts and statistics that targeted most people in general. Then she showed Dante quite a bit of data that applied mainly to adolescents.

As an illustration, Miss Johnson stressed the difference between alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse and told Dante that individuals who continue to drink in a hazardous manner frequently become addicted to alcohol.

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

The Psychologist Verbalizes A Number Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Statistics and Facts

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

1. As revealed in one study, roughly 11% of 8th-graders, 22% of 10th-graders, and 27% of 12th-graders articulated that they engaged in hazardous drinking.

2. Between 48% and 64% of the individuals who pass away in fires have blood alcohol levels demonstrating intoxication.

3. Pre-teens who are drinking alcohol by 7th grade are more probable to exhibit delinquent behavior, substance abuse, and academic problems in both high school and junior high school.

4. In the U.S., 33% of all suicides, and 25% of all emergency room admissions are related to alcohol.

5. In the U.S. among drivers between the ages of 15 and 20, deadly accidents involving a single vehicle at night are three times more probable to be related to alcohol than to other deadly accidents.

6. In the U.S., more than 40 percent of the individuals who begin drinking before the age of 13 will develop alcohol dependency or alcohol abuse at some point in their lives.

7. In the U.S, by the time they are high school seniors, 80% of high school students have tried alcohol and 62% have been intoxicated.

8. Treatment for alcoholism has been demonstrated to reduce criminal activity up to 80% among long-term offenders, has increased their rate of employment, decreased their homelessness, and reduced their health care costs.

Dante Receives A Relevant Jolt of Reality Regarding the Long Term and the Short Term Effects of Teen Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse

After Miss Johnson presented the aforementioned alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse statistics and facts, it was plain to see that what Miss Johnson taught Dante was a real shock to him. Why? Because for the first time in his young life, someone not only made the effort to put in plain words the long term and the short term consequences of alcohol abuse and alcoholism, but she also took the time to verify what she was saying with alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction statistics and facts that related to everyone, and especially to underage drinkers.

Certainly, it was almost as if a light went on and Dante immediately grasped why he should not be engaging in excessive and abusive drinking with or without his friends anymore. Dante thanked Miss Johnson for her concern and for the information she presented.

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

Dante thought about this for a minute and then agreed to get a complete physical examination and to go through a thorough evaluation of his drinking condition so that he could start an alcohol rehabilitation program in a realistic time frame.

Heather is a sixty-two-year-old woman who is the top administrator in the human resources department at a large copper molding company. In order to help reduce the costs linked to work related injuries, excessive sick days, increasing absenteeism, employee alcoholism and alcohol abuse, and poor employee work performance, Heather and the other company executives initiated numerous programs that made the work atmosphere considerably more productive, safe, and healthy.

As an illustration, fifteen years ago Heather and the other members of top management launched 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 work performance, personal well being, and their health.

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

As another illustration, approximately eight-and-a-half years ago Heather and the other members of upper management assembled a modern workout and exercise room complete with many different types of exercise equipment, exercise charts, weights, a personal trainer during business hours, mirrors, and scales.

In addition, roughly four years ago Heather and the other company executives invested in a distillation system that filters all the drinking water that is available anywhere in the building complex. In the same way, three-and-a-half years ago, Heather and the other company leaders started a “walking club” that is primarily intended for workers who want to work on their cardiovascular system.

The Company Leaders Implement a Weight-Watchers Class and Sign Up a Weight-Loss Healthcare Professional to Supervise the Program

As another illustration, approximately two years ago, Heather and the other members of upper management implemented a “Weight-Watchers” class that at this moment in time meets every weekday at noon until 1:00 PM. Furthermore, the company executives employed a weight-loss professional to run the program.

In the same way, a year ago Heather and the other company executives put into operation a “Stop Smoking Club” for workers who want to stop smoking.

In the last six months, in conjunction with the Employee’s Assistance Program, Heather and the other company executives started an “Anger Management” class for workers who want to learn how to better manage their temper.

The Company Leaders Launch a Drug and Alcohol Testing Program

In the last three months, Heather and the other company leaders started a drug and alcohol testing program that is linked with their drug and alcohol abuse prevention program. In 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 fundamental elements of the drug and alcohol abuse prevention program is a class entitled “Alcoholism and Depression” that meets every Wednesday after work. The fundamental idea with this class is informing employees that hazardous drinking and depression often happen in the same individual. It is hoped that realizing this information will be able to help an individual address both medical conditions and get the alcohol therapy and mental health therapy he or she requires.

The Company Executives Put Into Operation an Alcohol Statistics and Facts Class

Another relatively 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 several people fail to grasp the total impact of the effects of alcohol abuse and alcoholism without first learning about some of the alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse statistics and facts that are available. Consequently, one of the objectives of this class is to provide a mixture of alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency facts and statistics in order to help employees gain a better comprehension of the huge number of difficulties that are related to irresponsible and abusive drinking and how they can prevent these difficulties from taking place.

Most recently, Heather and the other company executives, by way of feedback from employees, developed a class that focuses directly on acute drinking entitled “What is Alcoholism”? This class meets every Thursday morning an hour-and-a-half before work and focuses for the most part on the differences between alcohol abuse and alcoholism, on the stages of alcoholism, and on the different types of treatment that are available for people who have alcohol drinking problems such as individuals who drink in an abusive manner.

Even though each and every one of these health and preventative maintenance programs was anything but low-cost, the company administrators think that they are many thousands of dollars ahead by providing all of their employees with a healthy, safe, and more productive work atmosphere.