Jennifer is a thirty-seven-year-old junior sales consultant who has been ingesting alcohol in an irresponsible manner since she and her live-in boyfriend discontinued their relationship. Indeed, for the past five months she has been drinking almost two bottles of wine every night, and on the weekends she also has been drinking more than a few cans of beer all through the day. In short, Jennifer has been drinking so hazardously and abusively that it's a miracle that she hasn't suffered from alcohol poisoning.

After feeling dejected because she was starting to neglect her health, Jennifer at long last told herself that enough is enough, that it’s time to quit the self pity routine, that it’s time to quit the abusive and hazardous drinking, and time to move on with her life. So the following Saturday morning at 8:30 AM, she made up her mind to stop drinking cold turkey.

When She Attempted to Stop Drinking She Felt Horrific, 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 Jennifer quit drinking, she reasoned that she would quite possibly be tempted to sneak a couple of drinks, but she never pictured that she would feel so awful. More exactly, approximately three-and-a-half hours after she stopped drinking, her head was aching, she was extremely moody and restless, she had utterly no appetite, she started to sweat extensively, and she vomited several times.

When she called her best girlfriend and informed her that she had stopped drinking and that after a couple of hours she abruptly started to have flu-like symptoms, Olivia, her best buddy, told Jennifer to call her physician and discuss what she was going through.

She Admits to Her Family Doctor That She Has Been Drinking In an Abusive and Hazardous Manner, That She Just Tried to Stop Drinking, and That She is Going Through Terrible Flu-Like Symptoms

So Jennifer called her medical practitioner, told him that she has been drinking in a hazardous and excessive manner for several months and that when she tried to suddenly quit drinking earlier in the day, within a couple of hours she felt as if she had the most terrible flu-like symptoms that she had ever experienced.

Her healthcare practitioner told her that she may be experiencing symptoms of alcohol withdrawal and that she should have a neighbor or friend take her to the emergency room ASAP.

As soon as Jennifer got off the phone, she got a neighbor 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 family doctor had called ahead and informed the emergency room treatment team to expect Jennifer because when she got to the hospital, she was met by two paramedics who immediately asked her to get in the wheelchair they had with them. After getting wheeled to the emergency room and undergoing a couple of basic tests, it was corroborated that Jennifer was in point of fact going through alcohol withdrawal symptoms and was in need of alcohol detoxification.

An emergency room doctor gave her some meds to diminish her flu-like symptoms and also administered some meds to help eliminate the alcohol that was still in her blood.

A Drug and Alcohol Abuse Healthcare Practitioner Explains in a Clear Manner That She is Alcohol Dependent and Then Discusses What Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms and Alcohol Addiction Stages Are

After an hour or two, Jennifer was removed from the emergency room and transported to the recovery room. After she was in recovery for nearly two-and-a-half hours, Doctor Resnick, an alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction specialist, came to visit her. He took plenty of time and explained that Jennifer had experienced alcohol withdrawal symptoms when she stopped drinking because she had become alcohol dependent.

He then discussed the fact that with heavy drinking on an everyday basis, the individual’s brain slowly becomes accustomed to the alcohol so that it can function in a "normal" manner. When the person then all of a sudden stops consuming alcohol, it can be pointed out, the brain responds by giving rise to alcohol withdrawal symptoms. In addition, her physician also discussed the various alcoholism stages that an individual who is alcohol dependent typically goes through as the disease gets progressively worse as time goes by.

It is Discovered that Jennifer is in the Earliest Stage of Alcohol Addiction and She Gets a Favorable Forecast For a Full Recovery if She Gets the Alcohol Therapy She Requires

Fortunately for Jennifer, it was established that she was in the first stage of alcoholism and, consequently, she obtained a favorable projection for a complete recovery if she receives the alcohol addiction therapy she requires.

Jennifer told the medical practitioner that she will do whatever it takes to get sober and to reclaim her health. She also stated that she has an outstanding hospitalization insurance policy that will almost certainly pay for most of the costs required for rehab. It was obvious that Jennifer was very happy with her optimistic medical forecast and felt at peace knowing that she will be able to get the alcoholism rehabilitation she needs so that she can begin the path to recovery.

It is remarkable to mention something that family members who have been unfavorably affected by the alcohol addiction of another family member apparently do not understand. It seems that by protecting the alcohol dependent person with lies and deceitfulness to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have essentially created a situation that makes it easier for the alcohol dependent individual to continue and press forward with his or her injurious, destructive lifestyle.

In fact, instead of helping the alcohol addicted person and themselves, these family members have in truth become enablers who have involuntarily helped negatively affect the alcoholic’s drinking problem even further.

Perhaps the real downside of this is that the alcohol dependent individual will continue drinking in an abusive and irresponsible manner and suffer from different "alcohol side effects." Some of these side effects include legal issues (such as getting arrested for one or more DWIs), diminished mental functioning, deteriorating relationships, serious financial problems, ill health, and employment difficulties.

The Probability of a Relapse is Real

According to the research findings and statistics on alcohol addiction, another key alcohol dependency issue has to do with alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcohol addicted individual has fruitfully undergone alcohol addiction rehabilitation and then returns to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first thought, this situation flies in the face of rational thinking and sounds so implausible that it forces one to wonder why anyone who has experienced the dejection of alcohol dependency can return to drinking a short while after successful alcohol treatment and in turn after achieving sobriety. There are, to be sure, more than a few possible reasons for this.

It should be noted, on the other hand that alcohol addiction research that has focused on the enduring consequences of alcoholism has shown that long after the alcoholic has stopped his or her drinking, critical changes in the way in which the alcohol dependent individual’s brain operates are still present. As a consequence, all a recovering alcoholic has to do to involve himself or herself in actions that correspond with the transformations that have taken place in the brain is to start drinking once again.

The Necessity for A Major Lifestyle Transformation

There are even more reasons why numerous recovering alcohol dependent individuals return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after attaining sobriety. According to the alcohol addiction research literature, to make a successful recovery, the alcohol dependent individual needs new ways of acting and thinking in order to deal more competently with demanding alcohol-related circumstances that will take place.

Situations such as returning to the same alcohol addictive environment or to the same geographic location; interacting once again with friends from the time when the alcohol addicted person was drinking abusively; or familiar songs, smells, or activities—all of these situations can bring forth memories that can prompt psychological stress or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcohol dependent individual to engage in excessive drinking once again. Sadly, all of these circumstances may not only get in the way of enduring alcohol recovery for the alcoholic but they can also result in relapse and as a result short-circuit one’s sobriety.

The Good News: There's a Lot of Hope for Lasting Sobriety

In an attempt to “protect” the family alcoholic, family members can essentially cause unintended destruction by enabling the harmful drinking behavior of the alcohol dependent individual.

The drug abuse research literature highlights the fact that most individuals who effectively complete alcohol treatment experience at least one relapse. Alcohol dependent individuals and their family members need to know this so that they do not get defeated or overwhelmed when a relapse manifests itself.

Fortunately, involvement in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up counseling and education have resulted in more effective, long-term alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency treatment outcomes, have helped reduce alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcohol dependent persons reach ongoing alcohol recovery.

Jennifer is a twenty-five-year-old payroll accountant who has been consuming alcohol in an excessive and irresponsible manner since her live-in boyfriend and she decided to break up. In fact, for the past three 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 bottles of beer throughout 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 starting to close her eyes to her health, Jennifer at last told herself that she’s had enough, that it’s time to stop feeling sorry for herself, that it’s time to quit the hazardous and abusive drinking, and time to get going with her life. So the next Saturday morning at 9:00 AM, she determined that she would quit drinking suddenly and completely without planning or preparation.

When She Attempted to Quit Drinking She Felt Terrible, 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 thought that she would quite possibly be tempted to take a couple of drinks, but she never deduced that she would feel so ill. More accurately, just about two 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 girlfriend and told her that she had stopped drinking and that after a few hours she all of a sudden started to have flu-like symptoms, Clara, her best pal, told Jennifer to call her healthcare professional and clearly explain what was taking place.

She Admits to Her Physician That She Has Been Drinking In an Irresponsible and Hazardous Manner, That She Just Tried to Stop Drinking, and That She is Going Through Ghastly Flu-Like Symptoms

So Jennifer called her healthcare professional, told him that she has been drinking in an excessive and irresponsible manner for many months and that when she honestly tried to abruptly stop drinking earlier in the day, within a few hours she felt as if she had the most unpleasant flu-like symptoms that she had ever experienced.

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

As soon as Jennifer got off the phone, she got a friend to take 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 an alcoholic.

Obviously her healthcare practitioner had phoned ahead and informed the emergency room staff to expect Jennifer because when she got to the hospital, she was met by two paramedics who immediately asked her to get in the wheelchair they had with them. After getting taken to the emergency room and undergoing a couple of necessary tests, it was confirmed that Jennifer was indeed going through alcohol withdrawal symptoms and was in need of alcohol detox.

An emergency room physician gave her some drugs to lessen her flu-like symptoms and also gave her some medications to help get rid of the alcohol that was still in her system.

An Alcohol Dependency and Alcohol Abuse Healthcare Professional Explains in a Clear Manner That She is Addicted to Alcohol and Then Goes Over What Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms and Alcoholism Stages Are

After a couple of hours, Jennifer was removed from the emergency room and transported to the recovery room. After she was in recovery for nearly two-and-a-half hours, Doctor Siegel, an alcohol and drug abuse specialist, came to see her. He took quite a bit of time and clearly explained that Jennifer had suffered through alcohol withdrawal symptoms when she stopped drinking because she had become an alcoholic.

He then elucidated the fact that with continuous and heavy drinking, the person’s brain little by little gets acclimated to the alcohol so that it can carry out tasks and operations in a "semi-normal" way. When the person then all of a sudden stops ingesting alcohol, it can be noted, the brain responds by eliciting alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Furthermore, her healthcare practitioner also explained in a clear fashion the various alcoholism stages that an alcoholic almost always suffers through as the disease gets worse over time.

It is Verified that Jennifer is in the Earliest Stage of Alcoholism and She Obtains a Good Prognosis For a Total Recovery if She Gets the Alcohol Addiction Rehab She Requires

Fortunately for Jennifer, it was established that she was in the earliest stage of alcohol addiction and, consequently, she obtained a favorable forecast for a total recovery if she will get the alcoholism rehabilitation she needs.

Jennifer told the medical practitioner that she will do whatever it takes to get sober and to regain her life and her health. She also stated that she has a first class hospitalization insurance plan that will more likely than not pay for most, if not all, of the costs required for rehabilitation. It was obvious that Jennifer was very happy with her encouraging medical forecast and felt free from worry knowing that she will be able to get the alcohol dependency rehab she requires so that she can start on the road to recovery.

How do you recognize that you have a problem with your drinking? When is it plain to see that you are involving yourself in excessive drinking?

If you have unsuccessfully tried to discontinue your drinking or if you sworn to yourself that your drinking days are finished and then you realized that you were drinking irresponsibly just a few days later, chances are quite good that you have drinking problems. The bottom line is that if you have made an effort to terminate your drinking and cannot complete the task, then your drinking is controlling you, instead of the other way around.

In a similar manner, if it takes greater amounts of alcohol to get the same “high,” you probably need to recognize the fact that you have a drinking problem.

You may be telling yourself that the rationale for your drinking is so that you can decrease your anxiety or get rid of the distress that you feel. Likewise, you may be trying to steer clear of a harmful situation and may be looking for something better, more positive, or less regretful.

As you continue to drink, nevertheless, you will understand that drinking does not bring about the same high and you will also comprehend that drinking doesn’t help get rid of whatever brought about your discomfort in the first place.

Along the way, regrettably, you may become an alcoholic and, as a consequence, you may add another significant difficulty to manage rather than finding more successful and beneficial ways of dealing with your alcohol induced predicament.

An Alcohol Appraisal is Probably Necessary

If you have figured out that you have a drinking problem, perhaps the most positive thing you can do for yourself is to call your doctor or healthcare practitioner and schedule an appointment for a thorough physical and for an evaluation of your drinking situation.

If you beyond a doubt feel that you have a dangerous problem with your drinking, it might be a good idea to get prepared to find out that you need to get alcohol therapy.

At this juncture, what are your options? You can surely decide against seeing your health care professional and continue your pattern of hazardous drinking.

It definitely doesn’t take a genius, nevertheless, to comprehend that repeated, hazardous drinking, if left untreated, will degenerate over time and most likely set in motion an early death. Thus, your most beneficial choice is to confront your drinking situation and get the alcohol counseling you require.

The Charade of the Functioning Alcohol Addicted Individual

It is somewhat odd to note the fact that multitudes of alcohol dependent individuals lead busy and active lives and have vehicles, jobs, pets, houses, families, and any number of material possessions just like individuals who are not addicted to alcohol.

Many of these “functional” alcohol dependent individuals may have never been apprehended for drunk driving and may have been lucky enough to avoid all alcohol induced legal predicaments. Despite this good fortune, nonetheless, these alcohol dependent people need to drink in order to function on a daily basis while keeping their facade as they associate with the outside world.

Ask anyone who has seen them when they are bingeing or in a drunken stupor or ask a family member about the problem drinker’s alcohol addiction, nonetheless, and they will be quick to affirm the authenticity of the drinker's situation and the details about the alcohol dependent individual’s drinking circumstances and about his or her alcohol induced predicaments.

Why Do Alcohol Addicted Individuals Fail to Acknowledge Their Drinking Difficulties?

As alcoholism research and statistics on alcohol abuse have highlighted, no matter how obvious the alcohol-related predicaments seem to those who interact with the alcohol dependent person, alcohol dependent individuals normally deny that drinking is the basis of their alcohol induced difficulties. Not only this, but alcohol addicted individuals commonly blame their alcohol induced predicaments on other people or upon other circumstances that surround them instead of seeing their part in the issue.

The source of the difficulty is that alcohol dependency is a disease of the brain. Once the problem drinker has become dependent on alcohol, he or she frequently resorts to denial, manipulation, and lying as a way of coping with the fact that his or her drinking is out of control. And to make matters more problematic, the experience of alcohol withdrawal symptoms often thwarts the alcohol addicted person’s rare attempts to suddenly abstain from drinking. As miserable as the alcohol addicted individual’s life is, to the contrary, the good news is that quality help is typically accessible – if the alcohol addicted individual reaches out and seeks alcoholism therapy.

Summary

Owning up to the fact that drinking is bringing about difficulties in your daily functioning is conceivably the easiest way to find out if you have a problem with your drinking. In other words, if your drinking is leading to issues with your health, at work, in your relationships, with your finances, at school, or with the legal system, then you have a drinking problem that needs to be tackled.

If you have a problem with your drinking, moreover, this means that you are engaging in alcohol abuse.

While some people may be able to pinpoint their "alcohol signs," pinpoint their difficulties, and significantly diminish the amount and incidence of their drinking, other individuals, to the contrary, need to deal with their drinking difficulties by getting professional alcoholism rehabilitation. Furthermore, due to their penchant to deny the facts and warp the truth, alcohol dependent people absolutely need proficient alcohol therapy for their out-of-control drinking.

Jennifer is a forty-year-old call center manager who has been consuming alcohol in an excessive and abusive manner since her live-in boyfriend and she broke off their relationship. In point of fact, for the past eight months she has been drinking just about a bottle of wine every night, and on the weekends she also has been drinking a number mixed drinks during the day. In a word, Jennifer has been drinking so abusively and excessively that it's a miracle that she hasn't suffered from alcohol poisoning.

After feeling depressed because she was starting to let her health go downhill, Jennifer finally told herself that enough is enough, that it’s time to stop the self pity party, that it’s time to stop the excessive and irresponsible drinking, and time to make a new start with her life. So the next Saturday morning at 10:30 AM, she made up her mind to stop drinking suddenly and completely without planning or preparation.

When She Attempted to Stop Drinking She Felt Ill, She Started to Sweat Extensively, Her Head Was Pounding, She Vomited a Number of Times, She Was Extremely Moody and Anxious, and She Had Utterly No Appetite

When Jennifer quit drinking, she assumed that she would most likely be tempted to take a drink or two, but she never thought that she would feel so awful. More specifically, around three-and-a-half hours after she quit drinking, she had absolutely no appetite, she vomited a number of times, she was extremely moody and tense, she started to sweat profusely, and her head was pounding.

When she called her best buddy and told her that she had quit drinking and that after a couple of hours she suddenly started to have flu-like symptoms, Cheryl, her best buddy, told Jennifer to call her healthcare professional and tell him what she was feeling.

She Admits to Her Medical Practitioner That She Has Been Drinking In an Abusive and Irresponsible Manner, That She Just Tried to Quit Drinking, and That She is Suffering Through Terribly Painful Flu-Like Symptoms

So Jennifer called her doctor, told him that she has been drinking heavily for many months and that when she attempted to completely stop drinking earlier in the day, within a few hours she felt as if she had the worse flu-like symptoms that she had ever gone through.

Her healthcare professional informed her that she may be suffering from symptoms of alcohol withdrawal and that she should have a neighbor or friend drive her to the emergency room as soon as possible.

As soon as Jennifer got off the phone, she got a family member 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.

Apparently her healthcare professional had phoned ahead and informed the emergency room personnel to expect Jennifer because when she got to the hospital, she was met by two emergency room employees who immediately asked her to get in the wheelchair they had with them. After getting taken to the emergency room and undergoing a few necessary tests, it was substantiated that Jennifer was in truth experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms and was in need of alcohol detoxification.

An emergency room physician administered some medications to address her flu-like symptoms and also gave her some medications to help eliminate the alcohol that was still in her blood.

An Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Healthcare Practitioner Goes Over the Fact That She is Addicted to Alcohol and Then Goes Over What Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms and Alcohol Addiction Stages Are

After a few hours, Jennifer was removed from the ER and wheeled to the recovery room. After she was in recovery for just about three-and-a-half hours, Doctor Alpertin, a chemical dependency and substance 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 an alcoholic.

He then mentioned the fact that with continuous and heavy drinking, the individual’s brain over time gets acclimated to the alcohol so that it can carry out tasks and operations in a "routine" way. When the drinker then all at once stops consuming alcohol, it can be noted, the brain takes action by giving rise to alcohol withdrawal symptoms. What is more, her healthcare professional also discussed the different alcoholism stages that an alcohol dependent person usually experiences as the disease gets progressively worse over time.

It is Determined that Jennifer is in the Earliest Stage of Alcohol Addiction and She Receives a Favorable Diagnosis For a Complete Recovery if She Gets the Alcohol Addiction Treatment She Needs

Fortunately for Jennifer, it was confirmed that she was in the earliest stage of alcohol dependency and, consequently, she got a good prognosis for a total recovery if she receives the alcoholism rehabilitation she requires.

Jennifer told the physician that she will do whatever it takes to get sober and to regain her health. She also articulated that she has a first-rate hospitalization insurance policy that will almost certainly pay for most, if not all, of the costs needed for rehabilitation. It was clear to see that Jennifer was extremely grateful about her encouraging medical forecast and felt at peace knowing that she will be able to get the alcohol addiction rehabilitation she needs so that she can begin the path to recovery.

When I was in the tenth grade in high school, I enrolled into a drug abuse class. At that time period, I did not understand that alcohol abuse actually was a sub category of drug abuse. While taking this class and learning more about drug and alcohol abuse and above all about alcohol side effects, I read a lot about Alcoholic Anonymous, their meetings, how their programs have twelve steps, and how successful the Alcoholics Anonymous recovery program has been for people throughout the world. I also learned quite a bit about alcohol rehab and the various alcohol rehab clinics that are frequently available to people who engage in heavy drinking.

Harmful Effects That are Related to Alcohol Addiction and Alcohol Abuse

Some of the dangerous outcomes associated with alcoholism and alcohol abuse that I learned about in this class without a doubt startled me. The ruined lives and many difficulties experienced by most alcohol dependent people made me feel like I never wanted to drink alcohol when I became old enough. Stated briefly, I did not want to face the wreckage and devastation that alcohol addicted individuals almost always encounter.

Ponder upon this for a moment. What fifteen-year-old teenager wants to face premature death due to his or her drinking behavior? What teenager wants to become so out-of-control regarding his or her drinking that consuming alcohol becomes the object of one’s life? What adolescent wants to go to one of the local alcoholic rehabilitation centers to deal with alcohol-related issues before he or she becomes twenty-one?

What adolescent wants to experience alcohol withdrawals when he or she tries to stop drinking? Why would a person engage in drinking to such an extent that it would cause difficulties in every area of his or her life? Drinking later in life after an individual has a career, a family, and develops personal responsibilities makes sense. But why would a young person want to sacrifice his or her education, employment, finances, and relationships for a life that centers on abusive drinking?

These issues were so noteworthy that I discussed some of them in class during the school year. What was entirely inconceivable to me was the number of students who simply didn’t care about the negative results of irresponsible drinking that I talked about. It was almost as if they couldn’t be bothered with the truth and how these outcomes can destroy their lives. For the first time in my life I started to appreciate a saying that my grandfather used to tell me throughout my adolesence: you can lead a horse to water but you can’t force it to drink.

It’s Beneficial, Liberating, and Important to Remove Yourself From the Destructive and Unhealthy Results of Alcohol and Drug Abuse

And even at my young age, I also began to realize how liberating, important, and beneficial it is in life to keep yourself from the unhealthy and debilitating effects of alcohol and drug abuse.

It is remarkable to mention something that family members who have been negatively affected by the alcoholism of another family member obviously do not comprehend. It seems to be that by shielding the alcoholic with falsehoods and deceitfulness to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have in reality created a condition that makes it easier for the alcohol addicted person to carry on and go forward with his or her negative, destructive lifestyle.

To be sure, instead of helping the alcoholic and themselves, these family members have basically become enablers who have involuntarily helped deteriorate the alcohol addicted individual’s drinking problem even further.

Perhaps the real downside of this is that the alcoholic will continue drinking in an irresponsible manner and suffer from diverse "alcohol side effects." Some of these side effects include serious financial problems, legal issues (such as getting arrested for one or more DWIs), ill health, deteriorating relationships, diminished mental functioning, and employment difficulties.

The Likelihood of a Relapse is Real

According to the research findings and statistics on alcohol addiction, another key alcohol dependency issue concerns alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcohol addicted person has effectively gone through alcohol addiction treatment and then returns to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first thought, this situation flies in the face of commonsensical thinking and looks so unrealistic that it forces a person to wonder why anyone who has gone through the dejection of alcohol addiction can return to drinking a short while after successful alcohol rehabilitation and in turn after attaining recovery. There are, to be sure, numerous likely reasons for this.

It should be highlighted, however that alcohol dependency research that has focused on the long standing consequences of alcohol dependency has shown that long after the alcohol addicted person has stopped his or her drinking, significant transformations in the way in which the alcohol addicted person’s brain functions are still present. As a consequence, all a recovering alcohol dependent person has to do to involve himself or herself in behaviors that correspond with the changes that have occurred in the brain is to begin drinking again.

A Requirement for An Important Lifestyle Change

There are even more reasons why numerous recovering alcoholics return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after achieving sobriety. In accordance to the alcohol dependency research literature, to make a successful recovery, the alcohol dependent person needs new ways of reacting and thinking in order to deal more effectively with taxing alcohol-related situations that will take place.

Conditions such as returning to the same alcohol addictive environment or to the same geographic location; interacting once again with friends from the time when the alcoholic was drinking in a hazardous manner; or familiar songs, smells, or activities—all of these situations can bring forth memories that can prompt psychological stress or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcohol addicted individual to engage in excessive drinking once again. Sadly, all of these circumstances may not only counteract lasting alcohol recovery for the alcohol addicted individual but they can also lead to relapse and therefore cancel out one’s alcohol recovery.

The Good News: First-Class Help is Available Almost Everywhere

In an attempt to “protect” the family alcohol addicted individual, family members can actually cause unplanned destruction by enabling the harmful drinking behavior of the alcohol addicted person.

The alcoholism research literature confirms the fact that most people who successfully complete alcohol counseling go through at least one relapse. Alcoholics and their family members need to know this so that they do not get dejected or beleaguered when a relapse occurs.

Fortunately, taking part in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up treatment and education have resulted in more successful, ongoing alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction therapeutic results, have helped reduce alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcohol addicted individuals achieve ongoing alcohol recovery.

It is fascinating to articulate something that family members who have been unfavorably affected by the alcoholism of another family member plainly do not understand. It seems that by shielding the alcohol addicted individual with untruths and deceitfulness to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have in essence created a situation that makes it easier for the alcohol addicted individual to carry on and move forward with his or her unsafe, devastating style of life.

In fact, rather than helping the alcohol dependent person and themselves, these family members have in fact become enablers who have mistakenly helped deteriorate the alcohol addicted person’s drinking problem even further.

Perhaps the real downside of this is that the alcohol addicted individual will continue drinking in an excessive and hazardous manner and experience a variety of "alcohol side effects." Some of these side effects include diminished mental functioning, employment difficulties, poor health, deteriorating relationships, legal issues (such as getting arrested for one or more DUIs), and considerable financial problems.

The Chances of a Relapse are Real

According to the research findings and statistics on alcohol dependency, another key alcoholism issue has to do with alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcohol addicted person has successfully undergone alcohol dependency rehabilitation and then resorts to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first thought, this predicament seems contradictory to logical thinking and sounds so implausible that it forces a person to question why anyone who has experienced the horrors of alcohol dependency can return to drinking a short while after successful alcohol rehab and in turn after reaching sobriety. There are, for sure, numerous feasible reasons for this.

It should be highlighted, on the other hand that alcohol dependency research that has focused on the lasting consequences of alcoholism has revealed that long after the alcohol dependent person has discontinued his or her drinking, fundamental changes in the way in which the alcohol addicted person’s brain works are still present. As a result, all a recovering alcohol addicted person has to do to involve himself or herself in actions that correspond with the changes that have occurred in the brain is to begin drinking again.

The Need for A Significant Lifestyle Change

There are additional reasons why many recovering alcohol dependent persons return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after attaining sobriety. According to the alcohol addiction research literature, to make an effective recovery, the alcohol dependent individual needs new ways of reacting and thinking in order to deal more effectively with demanding alcohol-related situations that will take place.

Issues such as returning to the same alcohol addictive atmosphere or to the same geographic location; interacting once again with friends from the days when the alcohol addicted person was drinking abusively; or familiar songs, smells, or activities—all of these situations can bring about memories that can set off psychological tension or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcohol dependent individual to engage in irresponsible drinking once again. Sadly, all of these situations may not only get in the way of lasting sobriety for the alcohol dependent person but they can also lead to relapse and as a result cancel out one’s sobriety.

The Good News: Quality Help is Readily Available

In an attempt to “protect” the family alcohol dependent person, family members can actually cause unintended harm by enabling the negative drinking behavior of the alcohol dependent individual.

The alcoholism research literature demonstrates the fact that most individuals who effectively complete alcohol treatment experience at least one relapse. Alcohol dependent persons and their family members need to know this so that they do not get defeated or beleaguered when a relapse happens.

Happily, taking part in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up therapy and education have resulted in more effective, long standing alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency therapeutic results, have helped diminish alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcohol dependent individuals attain long standing sobriety.

It is interesting to bring up something that family members who have been harmfully affected by the alcohol addiction of another family member evidently do not know. It seems that by protecting the alcoholic with lies and deceitfulness to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have essentially created a circumstance that makes it easier for the alcohol dependent person to persist and go forward with his or her injurious, devastating existence.

In fact, rather than helping the alcohol dependent person and themselves, these family members have basically become enablers who have involuntarily helped deteriorate the alcohol dependent person’s drinking problem even further.

Perhaps the real downside of this is that the alcoholic will continue drinking in an abusive manner and experience diverse "alcohol side effects." Some of these side effects include diminished mental functioning, employment difficulties, poor health, deteriorating relationships, legal issues (such as getting arrested for one or more DUIs), and considerable financial problems.

Relapses Can and Do Occur From Time to Time

According to the research literature and statistics on alcohol dependency, another key alcohol addiction issue concerns alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcohol addicted individual has successfully undergone alcohol addiction treatment and then resorts to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first thought, this predicament seems contradictory to logical thinking and sounds so unrealistic that it forces a person to question why anyone who has lived through the misery of alcohol addiction can return to drinking a short while after successful alcohol counseling and in turn after achieving recovery. There are, without a doubt, numerous likely reasons for this.

It should be explained, on the other hand that alcoholism research that has centered on the long standing outcomes of alcohol dependency has revealed that long after the alcoholic has discontinued his or her drinking, significant transformations in the way in which the alcoholic’s brain operates are still present. As a consequence, all a recovering alcohol dependent individual has to do to involve himself or herself in behaviors that correspond with the alterations that have taken place in the brain is to start drinking once again.

The Need for A Fundamental Lifestyle Modification

There are even more reasons why quite a few recovering alcoholics return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after reaching sobriety. According to the alcohol addiction research literature, to make an effective recovery, the alcohol addicted individual needs new ways of responding and thinking in order to deal more effectively with challenging alcohol-related circumstances that will take place.

Issues such as returning to the same alcohol addictive environment or to the same geographic location; interacting once again with friends from the time when the alcohol dependent person was drinking excessively; or familiar songs, smells, or activities—all of these situations can bring forth memories that can set off psychological stress or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcohol dependent person to engage in irresponsible drinking once again. Sadly, all of these situations may not only get in the way of enduring sobriety for the alcohol addicted person but they can also lead to relapse and consequently cancel out one’s alcohol recovery.

The Good News: There's a Lot of Hope for Lasting Sobriety

In an attempt to “protect” the family alcohol addicted person, family members can essentially cause inadvertent damage by enabling the unsafe drinking behavior of the alcohol addicted person.

The substance abuse research literature demonstrates the fact that most individuals who effectively complete alcohol rehabilitation go through at least one relapse. Alcohol dependent individuals and their family members need to know this so that they do not get down in the dumps or stressed out when a relapse occurs.

Fortunately, involvement in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up counseling and education have resulted in more effective, ongoing alcohol abuse and alcoholism rehab outcomes, have helped decrease alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcohol addicted individuals attain enduring alcohol recovery.

Jennifer is a twenty-nine-year-old junior sales consultant who has been drinking in an abusive and hazardous manner since she and her fiancée decided to break up. In point of fact, for the past seven months she has been drinking very nearly a bottle of wine every night, and on the weekends she also has been drinking more than a few shots during the day.

After feeling dejected because she was starting to disregard her health, Jennifer at last told herself that enough is enough, that it’s time to stop the self pity routine, that it’s time to quit the hazardous and abusive drinking, and time to get going with her life. So the following Saturday morning at 10:00 AM, she determined that she would stop drinking suddenly and completely without planning or preparation.

When She Attempted to Quit Drinking She Felt Horrific, 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 quit drinking, she thought that she would more likely than not be tempted to ”steal” a drink or two, but she never thought that she would feel so awful. More specifically, about four hours after she stopped drinking, she vomited a number of times, she was extremely moody and anxious, she had utterly no appetite, she started to sweat extensively, and her head was aching.

When she called her best pal and informed her that she had stopped drinking and that after a few hours she suddenly started to experience flu-like symptoms, Elaine, her best pal, told Jennifer to call her physician and clearly explain what she was going through.

She Admits to Her Healthcare Professional That She Has Been Drinking Heavily, That She Just Tried to Stop Drinking, and That She is Going Through Dreadful Flu-Like Symptoms

So Jennifer called her medical practitioner, informed him that she has been drinking in an irresponsible manner for more than a few months and that when she honestly tried to completely quit drinking earlier in the day, within a few hours she felt as if she had the worse flu-like symptoms that she had ever suffered through.

Her physician told her that she may be suffering from alcohol withdrawal symptoms and that she should have a friend or neighbor take her to the emergency room as soon as humanly possible.

As soon as Jennifer got off the phone, she got a neighbor to take her to the emergency room. 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 addicted to alcohol.

Evidently her physician had phoned ahead and informed the emergency room personnel to expect Jennifer because when she got to the hospital, she was met by two ER workers who immediately asked her to lie down on the portable bed they had with them. After getting taken to the emergency room and undergoing a few basic tests, it was confirmed that Jennifer was indeed going through alcohol withdrawal symptoms and was in need of alcohol detox.

An emergency room healthcare practitioner administered some medications to address her flu-like symptoms and also gave her some drugs to help eliminate the alcohol that was still in her system.

An Alcohol Addiction Medical Practitioner Goes Over the Fact That She is Alcohol Dependent and Then Clearly Explains What Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms and Alcoholism Stages Are

After a few hours, Jennifer was transferred from the ER and wheeled to the recovery room. After she was in recovery for roughly two-and-a-half hours, Doctor Resnick, a substance abuse and alcohol abuse specialist, came to see her. He took plenty of time and explained in plain words that Jennifer had suffered through alcohol withdrawal symptoms when she quit drinking because she had become alcohol dependent.

He then elucidated the fact that with continuous and heavy drinking, the individual’s brain over time adjusts to the alcohol in order to work in a "routine" fashion. When the individual then all of a sudden quits drinking, as one would expect, the brain reacts by eliciting alcohol withdrawal symptoms. What is more, her physician also went over the different alcoholism stages that a person who is alcohol dependent usually suffers through as the disease advances.

It is Determined that Jennifer is in the First Stage of Alcohol Dependency and She Receives a Favorable Projection For a Total Recovery if She Gets the Alcohol Addiction Treatment She Needs

Fortunately for Jennifer, it was discovered that she was in the earliest stage of alcoholism and, consequently, she got a favorable diagnosis for a full recovery if she obtains the alcohol rehabilitation she needs.

Jennifer told the healthcare professional that she will do whatever it takes to get sober and to restore her life. She also mentioned that she has a first-rate hospitalization insurance policy that will more likely than not pay for most, if not all, of the costs needed for rehab. It was obvious that Jennifer was very happy with her optimistic medical forecast and felt free from anxiety knowing that she will be able to get the alcoholism therapy she requires so that she can start on the path to recovery.