An Alcohol Addicted Man Registers For Rehabilitation, Receives Alcohol Detox and Treatment for His Alcoholism and His Depression, and Begins to Live Life to the Fullest

Barry used to brag to his buddies how he could stay employed at a fulltime job and get intoxicated just about every night. Unfortunately, after engaging in this unhealthy lifestyle for approximately four years, he started to experience various alcohol related difficulties.

Barry Starts to Display Various Alcohol Related Difficulties

As an illustration, he had a very hard time getting up for work because he felt so sleepy when he awoke. Moreover, just about every morning Barry suffered from a horrible hangover. It was apparent that 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 more difficult, approximately a week ago he received his third driving under the influence citation in the past two years.

To complicate things further, at his job his last two work evaluations were less than tolerable. And finally, his four-year relationship with his girlfriend had declined due to his angry outbursts, depression, lack of patience, and his financial difficulties.

Though Barry was only twenty six years old, he simply began to look like he was in his late forties. Regrettably, this is what hazardous drinking can do to a person. And in all honesty he realized that he was experiencing the negative effects of alcohol abuse or alcohol addiction and that he was too young to waste his life on careless and irresponsible drinking. So initially he tried to drink in moderation. Sadly, he soon understood that he lost all control after drinking his first alcoholic beverage. Stated another way, after his first drink he invariably proceeded to get smashed. Due to the fact that this was a circumstance that was repeated every single time he drank, this greatly bothered him. In truth, he started to wonder if he was exhibiting some of the signs of alcoholism and alcohol abuse.

Barry Makes up His Mind To Make an Appointment to See His Physician

After articulating his excessive alcohol drinking and his excessive and careless drinking with his girlfriend, he finally made up his mind to make an appointment to see his physician. When Barry saw his physician, he sincerely mentioned that he has been drinking in an excessive manner, that he may be displaying alcoholic signs, that he wants to refrain from drinking. He then confirmed 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 physician about his depression and how this mental health problem was negatively affecting his relationship with his girlfriend. His healthcare practitioner referred Barry to Doctor Glick, a drug and alcohol addiction psychiatrist, who convinced Barry to enter into an alcohol and drug rehabilitation center as an in-patient for alcohol detox and alcohol rehab. The good news is that Barry would also be able to get treatment for his depression at this treatment facility.

Abstaining From Drinking Was the Best Decision Barry Had Ever Made

After five months of comprehensive rehabilitation, Barry left the in-patient treatment facility and continued his recovery via outpatient therapy and via going to local Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Encouraged to change his life in a healthier way, Barry went to a health store and bought some vitamins and a cookbook. He then joined a gym and began working out three or four times per week. Within five months Barry was a new person. He was eating nutritious meals, he wasn’t depressed anymore, he now looked younger than he was, he was in shape, and most important of all, he maintained his sobriety for many months. He also didn’t resort to angry outbursts, he became more patient, and he became a more compassionate person in his relationship with his girlfriend. Simply put, getting and staying sober was the best decision Barry had ever made.

The Alcohol Related Problems and Alcohol Related Deaths That Are Linked To Excessive Drinking

How many children are born each year with fetal alcohol syndrome? How many people’s lives are cut short due to excessive and abusive drinking? How many people get injured or lose their lives in alcohol related traffic accidents every year? How many individuals lose their lives every year because of drinking problems? How many junior high, high school, and college students lose their lives every year due to an alcohol overdose? How many people are the victims of alcohol related crime or violence each and every year? How many people face serious consequences in their lives because they received a DUI conviction? How many people die each year from a condition that is totally preventable, such as alcohol poisoning? On an annual basis, how many alcoholics fail to get the professional alcohol treatment they need?

Why Would Anyone Want to Drink in a Hazardous Manner?

So what’s the point in asking these questions? Basically to highlight the destructive and devastating nature of unhealthy and abusive drinking. Indeed, and based on the above questions, I wonder why anyone would choose to drink in a hazardous manner.

Stated more precisely, with the host of legal proceedings, relationship issues, financial problems, health dilemmas, and employment difficulties that are associated with chronic alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction, why would any person with any sense at all want to drink in a hazardous and excessive manner? In fact when some of the above topics are put under the microscope more closely, abusive and excessive drinking becomes more illogical and makes even less sense.

Wouldn’t you think that alcoholics would be able to see some of the alcohol symptoms that they display? In a similar way doesn’t it seem logical to think that more families would involve themselves in an alcohol intervention for the person in the household who is an alcohol abuser or an alcoholic? Not only this but wouldn’t you think that individuals who drink excessively would try to learn more about their drinking behavior by reading about various alcohol related statistics?

After reviewing the alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse research literature, the point is so critical that it needs to be restated: With all of the destructive and debilitating outcomes that are directly or indirectly associated with continuous and repetitive alcohol abuse and alcoholism, why would any person want to engage in abusive and excessive drinking?

What Can be Done About the Extensive Nature of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse in the U.S.?

So what can be done about the extensive nature of alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction in the U.S.?

1. Our students need more meaningful and more relevant educational and preventative approaches and methods so that more students at all grade levels, including those at college, are “reached.
2. With a similar line of thought, our students need to learn how to become problem solvers in life rather than getting easily attracted to the “instant gratification” and the “quick fix” of a drug or alcohol abuse ”high” or “buzz”.
3. Individuals who are alcohol dependent or alcohol abusers need to look at themselves in the mirror and ask why they are not getting the professional alcohol therapy they require.
4. Society needs to get the message to more people about the debilitating and destructive outcomes of careless and abusive drinking.

There’s Room For Hope if Those Who Engage in Abusive Drinking Can Become Encouraged to Get the Alcohol Treatment They Need

There’s room for optimism and hope if individuals can start drinking in moderation and those who engage in abusive and excessive drinkingcan become encouraged to get the alcohol rehabilitation they need. Indeed, why put your loved ones through pain, turmoil, and suffering because of your abusive and careless drinking when you have the power to control your life by drinking responsibly or even stopping drinking if you cannot control your drinking?

A Supervisor Helps an Employee Address His Abusive and Excessive Drinking After a Shattered Relationship

Russ got suspended from high school when he was fifteen years old and eventually found employment at a local brewing company. For the last seven years he has gained a reputation as a hard-working employee who infrequently calls off work because of sickness.

Around nine months ago he started going out with a young woman named Emma. They seemed to get along real well right away and looked like they had a lot of fun with one another.

The Heavy and Irresponsible Drinking Begins

When Russ met Emma, he almost never drank. This circumstance changed when Russ and Emma began seeing each other on a fairly normal basis. Actually, everything was going fine until Emma called Russ one night roughly 2 AM and said that she had to stop dating him and that she couldn’t explain the reason at that moment.

The next morning before he went to work, Russ went to Emma’s apartment and found out almost immediately that Emma had already moved out. Russ took this exceptionally hard. In reality, he was astounded because they seemed to be getting along so well.

When Excessive and Heavy Drinking Leads to Work Problems

So what did Russ do about Emma’s leaving? Instead of working through his sorrow and pain, he started getting intoxicated just about every night. It didn’t take long for his fellow employees or for his supervisor to notice that Russ was coming to work late at least three times per week and that he continually called off ill. Not only this but some of his fellow employees made an appointment with staff in Human Resources Department and mentioned that Russ frequently came to work with a strong smell of alcohol on his breath or on his clothes.

Russ’s manager heard about all of this from Human Resources and also from Russ’s fellow employees. So one Tuesday morning he called Russ into his office. He told Russ that he had recently noticed a profound change in his sick time, behavior, work performance, and in his attendance.

When a Boss Can Encourage a Worker to Get Help For His or Her Irresponsible Drinking

Russ’s boss also said that a number of his fellow employees reported him to Human Resources because he had been coming to work with a noticeable smell of alcohol. His boss then stated the following: “Russ, your co-workers are not reporting you to Human Resources to get you into trouble or because they don’t like you but rather because they are concerned about you. And I am concerned too. I don’t want to butt into your personal life, but it is apparent that you are displaying some of the normal symptoms and signs of alcohol abuse. As a result, I want you to go and see a healthcare professional in the employee’s assistance program to discuss your drinking circumstance.”

“Russ, I’m no healthcare practitioner or a counselor, but I have seen several of my relatives and friends suffer through some very negative alcohol side effects. What is more, I have also witnessed the signs of alcoholism first-hand in my own family. When people suffer from problems with drinking, these issues not only affect the drinker, but they also make an impact on his or her relatives, family, neighbors, co-workers, and friends.”

Russ admired his supervisor a lot and as a consequence followed through with his suggestion the next morning when he called and scheduled an appointment with a therapist in the employee’s assistance program.

Russ is Still Depressed But Experiences Some Hope That He Will Get Back on Track With His Life

Even though Russ didn’t necessarily feel any better or less depressed about the pain in his heart about Emma, he felt comfort knowing that his supervisor and his co-workers wanted what’s best for him and cared about him. This gave him some psychological relief for the first time in more than a few weeks and he frankly felt some hope that he would get his life back on track.

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