Heather is a sixty-four-year-old woman who is the top administrator in the human resources department at a large silver molding company. To help reduce the costs correlated with excessive sick days, increasing absenteeism, poor employee work performance, employee alcoholism and alcohol abuse, and work related injuries, Heather and the other members of upper management instituted a number of programs that made the work atmosphere substantially more productive, healthy, and safe.
For example, fourteen years ago Heather and the other company leaders instituted an Employee’s Assistance Program so that all the workers had access to first-rate counseling for their personal problems that could negatively influence their personal well-being, health, and their work performance.
Top Management Constructs a State-of-the-Art Exercise and Workout Room Complete With Exercise Equipment, Scales, a Professional Trainer During Business Hours, Mirrors, Weights, and Exercise Charts
As another illustration, about eight years ago Heather and the other company executives erected a forward-looking exercise and workout room complete with weights, many different types of exercise equipment, a professional trainer during business hours, exercise charts, mirrors, and scales.
Moreover, just about five years ago Heather and the other members of upper management invested in a purification system that filters all the drinking water that is accessible in the building. In a similar way, three years ago, Heather and the other VIPs started a “walking club” that is basically intended for workers who want to work on their cardiovascular system.
The Company Executives Launch a Weight-Watchers Class and Employ a Weight-Loss Trainer to Manage the Program
As another example, about two years ago, Heather and the other members of top management put into operation a “Weight-Watchers” class that presently meets every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 4:30 PM until 5:50 PM. Furthermore, top management employed a weight-loss professional to oversee the program.
In the same way, two years ago Heather and the other members of top management instituted a “Stop Smoking Club” for workers who want to refrain from smoking.
In the last nine months, in conjunction with the Employee’s Assistance Program, Heather and the other company leaders initiated an “Anger Management” class for workers who want to learn how to better manage their anger issues.
The VIPs Initiate a Drug and Alcohol Testing Program
In the last three-and-a-half months, Heather and the other company executives put into operation a drug and alcohol testing program that is related to their drug and alcohol abuse prevention program. In actual fact, Heather is the key person in the company responsible for getting the message out to all the employees about the drug and alcohol testing program as well as the drug and alcohol abuse prevention program.
One of the main elements of the drug and alcohol abuse prevention program is a class entitled “Alcoholism and Depression” that meets every Wednesday after work. The main idea with this class is informing workers that abusive drinking and depression many times occur in the same person. It is hoped that comprehending this information will be able to help a person address both medical problems and get the alcohol rehabilitation and mental health therapy he or she needs.
Top Management Initiates an Alcohol Statistics and Facts Class
Another fairly recent enhancement to the drug and alcohol abuse prevention program is a class entitled “Alcohol Statistics and Facts.” The rationale behind this alcohol statistics and facts class is the reality that many individuals fail to appreciate the full impact of the results of alcohol abuse and alcoholism without first learning about some of the alcohol abuse and alcoholism facts and statistics that are available. Consequently, one of the objectives of this class is to provide various alcoholism and alcohol abuse facts and statistics to help workers gain a better realization of the host of problems that are linked to excessive and abusive drinking and how they can prevent these difficulties from coming about.
Most recently, Heather and the other company leaders, via comments from employees, developed a class that focuses directly on severe drinking entitled “What is Alcoholism”? This what is alcoholism class meets every Thursday morning an hour before work and focuses largely on the differences between alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency and the different kinds of rehab that are available for people who drink in an abusive manner.
Although every single one of these preventative maintenance and health programs was relatively expensive, top management reasons that they are several thousands of dollars ahead by providing all of their employees with healthy, more productive, and safe working conditions.
Mail this postJennifer is a forty-two-year-old data warehouse manager who has been drinking in an excessive and irresponsible manner since she and her live-in boyfriend discontinued their relationship. In point of fact, for the past five months she has been drinking just about a bottle of wine every night, and on the weekends she also has been drinking more than a few shots all the way through the day.
After feeling downcast because she was beginning to neglect her health, Jennifer finally told herself that she’s had enough, that it’s time to quit the self pity routine, that it’s time to stop the abusive and hazardous drinking, and time to get on with her life. So the next Saturday morning at 10:00 AM, she came to a decision that she would stop drinking suddenly and completely without planning or preparation.
When She Attempted to Stop Drinking She Felt Dreadful, Her Head Was Aching, She Vomited Numerous Times, She Had Utterly No Appetite, She Started to Perspire Extensively, and She Was Extremely Moody and Nervous
When Jennifer quit drinking, she assumed that she would quite possibly be tempted to ”steal” a few drinks, but she never visualized that she would feel so dreadful. More directly, approximately an hour-and-a-half after she stopped drinking, she had absolutely no appetite, her head was aching, she started to sweat extensively, she was extremely moody and restless, and she vomited a number of times.
When she called her best pal and told her that she had stopped drinking and that after a few hours she without any warning started to have flu-like symptoms, Lisa, her best pal, told Jennifer to call her healthcare practitioner and go over what she was feeling.
She Admits to Her Family Doctor That She Has Been Drinking In an Excessive and Hazardous Manner, That She Just Tried to Stop Drinking, and That She is Going Through Extremely Unpleasant Flu-Like Symptoms
So Jennifer called her medical practitioner, informed him that she has been drinking excessively for a number of months and that when she tried to totally stop drinking earlier in the day, within a couple of hours she felt as if she had the nastiest flu-like symptoms that she had ever suffered through.
Her physician informed her that she may be experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms and that she should have a neighbor or relative take her to the emergency room ASAP.
As soon as Jennifer got off the phone, she got a relative to take her to the hospital. Interestingly, all the way to the hospital, as sick as Jennifer felt, the only thing she could think about was whether or not she might be an alcoholic.
Obviously her healthcare professional had called ahead and told the emergency room treatment team to expect Jennifer because when she got to the hospital, she was met by two paramedics who immediately told her to get in the wheelchair they had with them. After getting wheeled to the emergency room and undergoing two or three necessary tests, it was verified that Jennifer was in actual fact going through alcohol withdrawal symptoms and was in need of alcohol detox.
A medical practitioner administered some medications to diminish her flu-like symptoms and also administered some meds to help eliminate the alcohol that was still in her system.
An Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Medical Practitioner Explains in a Clear Manner That She is an Alcoholic and Then Goes Over What Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms and Alcohol Addiction Stages Are
After a couple of hours, Jennifer was removed from the ER and transported to the recovery room. After she was in recovery for nearly an hour, Doctor Hauser, a drug and alcohol abuse specialist, came to talk to her. He took his time and clearly explained that Jennifer had gone through alcohol withdrawal symptoms when she quit drinking due to the fact that she had become addicted to alcohol.
He then mentioned the fact that with excessive drinking on an everyday basis, the drinker’s brain slowly gets acclimated to the alcohol so that it can function in a “routine” manner. When the person then all at once refrains from drinking alcohol, as one would expect, the brain responds by creating alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Furthermore, her physician also clearly explained the different alcoholism stages that an alcohol dependent individual typically goes through as the disease advances.
It is Confirmed that Jennifer is in the First Stage of Alcohol Addiction and She Obtains a Favorable Diagnosis For a Total Recovery if She Gets the Alcohol Treatment She Needs
Fortunately for Jennifer, it was established that she was in the first stage of alcohol addiction and, as a result, she received a favorable diagnosis for a full recovery if she gets the alcohol therapy she requires.
Jennifer told the healthcare professional that she will do whatever it takes to get sober and to reclaim her life and her health. She also articulated that she has an excellent hospitalization insurance policy that will almost certainly pay for most of the costs required for rehab. It was apparent that Jennifer was very pleased with her optimistic medical forecast and felt free from worry knowing that she will be able to get the alcohol dependency rehabilitation she requires so that she can begin the path to recovery.
Mail this postTeresa was a forty-five-year-old insurance agent who knew that she had some drinking issues. For example, within the past month she has felt the need to have a drink or two before going to work, four months ago she failed to pass a random urine alcohol test where she works, five weeks ago she got stopped by the police for a DWI, and finally, for going on six months she has started to fail to remember what she says and does when she goes out drinking with her friends.
Like hosts of other people, Teresa’s experiences with alcohol began gradually and stayed at this speed for quite a long time due to the fact once in a “blue moon” she engaged in intermittent social drinking. In truth, for about four years, every time she drank, she made sure to drink in moderation. Something about her drinking behavior, nevertheless, seemed to completely change when she got divorced.
So She Can Come to Terms With the Divorce of Her Husband With Less Grief, Teresa Came to the Conclusion That She Will Start Hanging Around More Repeatedly With Some of Her Pals Who Love to Have Fun and Drink
Teresa got exceedingly “down” about the loss of her husband, and as a way to refrain from dwelling on her negative emotions she determined that she would start hanging around more often with some of her buddies who love to have fun and drink.
Quite forthrightly, Teresa believed that having fun almost every day by partying and drinking with her pals would help her get beyond the divorce of her husband with less grief.
Teresa’s Drinking Escalates Significantly the More Habitually She Goes to Private Parties, Family Get-Togethers, Dinner Dates, Sporting Events, and Happy Hours With Her Buddies
It didn’t take long, however, before her drinking escalated to a significant degree the more routinely she went to and drank at family get-togethers, sporting events, happy hours, dinner dates, and private parties with her pals. Moreover, the fact that her drinking friends were all quite a few years younger than she was and therefore able to drink and party more thoughtlessly was one of the reasons that she didn’t concentrate more on her increased drinking. In a word, she was drinking and having fun just like everyone else in her group of friends without much forethought about the negative effects of her hazardous and irresponsible drinking.
Yet somewhere in her awareness she knew that she probably needed alcohol counseling but stayed away from the thought as much as possible.
Teresa Gets a Physical Examination, Discloses the Facts About Her Excessive Drinking to Her Healthcare Practitioner, and Discloses the Truth About Her Depression
One afternoon during her annual physical, her doctor asked her if she drank alcohol. Not wanting to lie to her healthcare practitioner, Teresa acknowledged that she regularly drinks more than she should. In fact, she said that she commonly drinks in a hazardous manner. Then Teresa told her healthcare professional about her sadness. More specifically, she stated that shattered relationships usually elicited a negative cycle of events characterized by increased drinking which further resulted in more discouraging feelings that, in turn, led to more drinking. And this is explicitly what happened when she and her husband got divorced three months ago.
When her doctor heard this, he told Teresa that according to various facts and statistics on alcoholism he has been exploring, alcoholism and depression routinely arise in the same person. He then told Teresa that some of the alcohol statistics, facts, and research investigations he has been reading about also underscore the fact that people who drink in a hazardous and abusive manner and who also experience depression need to get treatment for both medical circumstances.
Teresa’s Healthcare Practitioner Schedules an Appointment for a Psychological Assessment and For an Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Evaluation
Teresa’s healthcare professional then told her the following: “I am not trying to make an impulsive analysis, but with your medical condition we may be facing two separate problems. As a consequence, I think we should make an appointment for you to get an alcohol abuse and alcoholism assessment from my partner, Dr. Warner, who is a substance abuse and chemical dependency specialist. Whether your drinking circumstance is more related to alcoholism or alcohol abuse is not clear at this time, but I think that further exploration is needed. Then I feel we probably should schedule an appointment for you to get a psychological exam from another one of my partners, Dr. Myers, who is a clinical psychologist. I want to get a better understanding about your pessimism and see how much your drinking and depression are interrelated.” Teresa displayed her agreement with her healthcare practitioner’s strategy and thanked him for his time and assistance. Now all she had to do was to try to cut back on her drinking and get ready for her appointments.
Mail this postSarah and Jerry have been married for four years. They wanted to have some fun and excitement before they made up their minds to have children and so they by design created a super dynamic social life.
The major issue, it needs to be highlighted, is that very nearly everything they do to have fun somehow includes drinking. As an illustration, all of the dinner engagements, sporting events, happy hours, family get-togethers, and parties with friends they patronize somehow include drinking.
Jerry and Sarah Start to Observe Some Unmistakable Alcohol Related Issues That are Correlated With Their Abusive Drinking
If they were casual drinkers, this wouldn’t be a major problem. Since they drink in an irresponsible manner, however, they are beginning to notice some clearly identifiable alcohol-related issues in their lives.
As an illustration, just three days ago Jerry was apprehended by the police for his first DWI and has been overlooking responsibilities at work due to alcohol-related health issues. What is more, Jerry’s last two or three performance assessments at his place of employment have been less than praiseworthy and he has started to fail to recall what he says or does the times that he drinks. Lastly, Jerry has been experiencing sleep-related problems and his family has begun to exhibit apprehension about his drinking difficulties.
In a similar way, Sarah has been feeling disheartened with life in general and to manage these feelings, she has been drinking more regularly than any time in the past nine months. What is more, Sarah has been getting more than a few headaches and experiencing agonizing hangovers after drinking. As a final point, Sarah has been feeling appreciably less active in the morning, she has been getting to work late every Monday, and she has been receiving some insensitive criticism from her friends, relatives, family members, and coworkers about her heavy drinking.
Watching the Television and Inadvertently Finding An Attention-Grabbing Documentary About the Signs of Alcoholism
One Wednesday evening while watching TV, Sarah and Jerry flipped through the channels and discovered an enchanting program about the signs of alcoholism.
This TV documentary was a real jolt to Jerry and Sarah because many of the alcoholism signs that were emphasized gave them the impression that they were unswervingly associated with more than a few of the alcohol-related drinking problems Sarah and Jerry had been experiencing.
An Honest Dialogue About Drinking Behavior Unearths Alcohol Related Relationship, Health, Legal, Financial, and Employment Problems
After watching the TV documentary, Sarah and Jerry determined that they needed to have an open conversation about their drinking activities. They both concurred that most, if not all, of their social functions were associated with drinking, that they were drinking excessively, and that as a couple, they were starting to observe alcohol related relationship, financial, employment, legal, and health problems for the first time in their lives.
With thoughts of the television program still imprinted in her mind, Sarah asked Jerry if some of the alcoholism signs they have been manifesting could be a signal that they are alcoholic or maybe becoming dependent on alcohol. Jerry didn’t know the answer to Sarah’s question and so he recommended that they make an appointment with one of the healthcare professionals at the nearby drug and alcohol abuse treatment clinic to find out more about the gravity of their drinking circumstances.
Facing Your Drinking Issues Just May Decrease Your Apprehension and Give You Some Quietude
Paradoxically, although their drinking situation hadn’t yet changed, it was plain to see that Jerry and Sarah were at least attending to their drinking problems, they were ready to find out more about their drinking circumstances, and they were interested in finding out how they could notably lessen or eliminate the alcohol-related problems that had started to get worse.
When Sarah and Jerry went to bed that evening, they decided that the next day, Jerry would call and schedule an appointment for both of them at the drug and alcohol abuse rehab clinic located downtown just outside of the business district. After they made a promise to one another that they would do whatever it takes to rise above the drinking difficulties that had manifested themselves in their lives, they truly had the most refreshing night’s sleep they could recollect in the last eight weeks.
Just before she fell asleep, Sarah turned to Jerry and stated how effortless it is to reduce one’s nervousness and in point of fact experience some tranquility by facing one’s problems with conviction and making a decision to do something constructive about them.
Mail this postMiss Benning was a health instructor at the most financially challenged co-ed high school in the region. Although she had been teaching for only five years, she had already obtained a reputation as a person with teaching approaches that encouraged and inspired her pupils to think and to learn.
For instance, one Wednesday morning at 10:00 she addressed the pupils in her class and articulated the following: “For the next two weeks we are going to learn about some basic alcoholism facts from a more wide-ranging point of view and we are also going to learn about some of the most typical signs of alcoholism from a more specific point of view.
Not all of these alcoholism signs will beyond doubt substantiate that an individual with a drinking problem is an alcohol dependent person, but the more signs that an individual manifests, the higher the probability that he or she is a person who is alcohol dependent.”
Miss Benning then informed the class that each pupil would be accountable for researching two alcohol addiction signs and then presenting his or her conclusions to the class via a seven minute oral presentation.
The Students are Keyed Up About Giving A Relatively Long Presentation to Their Fellow Pupils About The Signs of Alcohol Dependency
After learning about the different signs of alcohol addiction for quite a few days, the time had arrived for the student presentations. It was instantly obvious that the students were wound up about the topic because the information that they presented was exceptional. To say that Miss Benning was pleasantly surprised with the fervor manifested by the students in her classroom regarding this subject matter was an understatement.
The day after all of the pupils completed their presentations, Miss Benning passed out a sheet of paper with a list of all the alcohol addiction signs that were presented and discussed in the presentations and in class. Miss Benning then asked the pupils in her class to go over the list and rank the top ten alcohol addiction signs that were most indicative of alcohol addiction. After about fifteen minutes, Miss Benning collected the pieces of paper and told the students in her class that after she examines the numbers, she will present her findings the next school day.
There was some real excitement by the students while they were exiting Miss Benning’s classroom. One could swear that her students couldn’t wait for the next day to come so that they could find out the outcome of their in-class research.
The Students Match Their Numbers Against the Results From A Group of Drug and Alcohol Abuse Experts
When the next school day arrived, Miss Benning handed out a sheet of paper that listed the top three alcohol dependency signs according to the students’ rankings. To the left of these results, she included another column that was labeled “experts’ answer.” She then told the pupils in her classroom that the numbers in the extra column she added signified the answers that were constructed by a team of drug and alcohol abuse professionals.
Miss Benning told the pupils in her class to look over the numbers and then to raise their hand if they had any concerns, questions, or issues. Within 10 or 20 seconds, virtually every pupil in the class raised her or his hand. It was apparent that the students had some questions, concerns, or issues about their results versus the answers given by the professionals. For instance, almost every student disagreed with the highest ranked answer given by the professionals, namely, “Do you feel very ill when you quit drinking?”
The Essential Difference Between Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Addiction is the Physical Dependency That is Experienced With Alcohol Dependency and Not With Alcohol Abuse
Miss Benning then explained to her pupils why this answer was the most precise sign of alcohol dependency. She underlined the fact that the principal difference between alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency is the physical addiction that is experienced with alcohol addiction and not with alcohol abuse.
Basically this means that when an alcoholic suddenly stops drinking, he or she will suffer through alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
Miss Benning then informed the pupils in her class that alcohol withdrawal symptoms are responses by the brain and by the body to the lack of alcohol to which they had become acclimated. Stated more explicitly, alcohol withdrawal symptoms are messages from the brain and from the body telling an individual who is alcohol dependent that something is very out of kilter and needs to be fixed. These messages consist of a number of dangerous, uncomfortable, and painful withdrawal symptoms that can potentially result in an individual’s death if the appropriate therapy is not promptly undertaken.
Miss Benning then listed the many diverse alcohol withdrawal symptoms that can be gone through when an alcohol dependent individual suddenly stops drinking.
The fact that Miss Benning tried to highlight was this: a person who engages in alcohol abuse can experience almost any and every one of the alcohol dependency signs that the students had ranked, but the one symptom or sign that few, if any, alcohol abusers ever experience is alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
To articulate this as plainly as possible, Miss Benning underscored the point that alcohol abusers, unlike alcoholics, are not alcohol dependent and consequently, when they stop drinking, they almost never go through alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
The Pupils Feel They Have Discovered An Indiscretion With the Findings From The Team of Alcohol Dependency Specialists
The students also had an issue with the second ranked answer given by the drug and alcohol addiction specialists, to be exact, “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 informed her students that this sign does not inevitably mean that the problem is alcoholism, but that it does stress the need that alcohol dependent individuals have to drink in order to keep away from alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
After Miss Benning explained the relevance of alcohol withdrawal symptoms in the life of the individual who is alcohol dependent, the students started to grasp the basic difference between alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction.
To add a sense of closure to the topic, Miss Benning asked the pupils in her class to take out a sheet of paper and answer the following question: “if every individual who is alcohol dependent knew about every one of the alcohol dependency signs and alcohol withdrawal symptoms we have studied, what percentage of them do you think would get alcohol addiction rehab?”
After approximately five or six minutes, Miss Benning asked for the pupils’ answers. While many students figured that approximately 80 to 90 percent of alcohol addicted people would get alcohol addiction rehabilitation if they knew about the facts related to alcohol withdrawal symptoms and alcohol dependency signs, most of the pupils figured that this number would not be less than 60 percent.
The Pupils Were Amazed to Learn That Only 25% of Alcohol Dependent Individuals in the U.S. Ask For Alcohol Dependency Rehabilitation
To the shock of most of the students, Miss Benning declared that according to different scientific examinations, only 25% of the individuals who are alcohol dependent in the United States seek alcohol rehab. This amazed most of the pupils because they thought that first-hand knowledge of the awful statistics and facts associated with alcohol dependency would motivate most of the alcohol dependent individuals to seek alcoholism treatment.
Miss Benning then explained that alcohol addicted people not only need alcohol on an everyday basis in order to function but they also need alcohol on a daily basis so they can stay away from possible alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Evidently, the alcohol addicted person’s need to drink on a daily basis is more powerful than facts or logic. Without a doubt, because the need for alcohol is “reality” to the person who is addicted to alcohol, this is difficult to overcome.
A few minutes later the bell rang, signifying the end of the class. Based on the excitement exhibited by the students when they were leaving the classroom, Miss Benning knew that she had encouraged and motivated her students to stop and think about a vital health and social problem that exists in our society.
Mail this post