Barry used to boast to his buddies how he could stay employed at a fulltime job and get inebriated nearly every night. Unfortunately, after involving himself in this “party” lifestyle for approximately six years, he began to manifest numerous alcohol related problems.

Barry Starts to Notice Numerous Alcohol Related Difficulties

As an illustration, he had a very hard time getting up for work because he felt so little energy when he awoke. Not only this, but most mornings Barry suffered from a dreadful hangover. In a word, the combination of his lack of energy and his hangovers did not make it easy for him to get up and feel motivated to go to work. To make things worse, he just received his third driving under the influence citation in the past six months.

To further complicate things, at work his last two performance appraisals were less than adequate. And lastly, his relationship with his girlfriend had declined due to his depression, lack of patience, angry outbursts, and his financial difficulties.

Although Barry was only twenty six years old, he frankly started to look like he was in his mid thirties. Sadly, this is what hazardous and abusive drinking can do to an individual. And in truth he comprehended that he was experiencing the adverse consequences of alcohol abuse or alcohol dependency and that he was too young to give up his life to unhealthy and abusive drinking. So initially he tried to drink in moderation. Sadly, he soon comprehended the fact that he lost all control after drinking his first alcoholic beverage. Stated in a slightly different way, after his first drink he invariably proceeded to get intoxicated. Due to the fact that this was an incident that was repeated every single time he drank, this greatly concerned him. In truth, he began to wonder if he was manifesting some of the signs of alcoholism and alcohol abuse.

Barry Decides Schedule an Appointment to See His Healthcare Practitioner

After talking about his excessive alcohol drinking and his careless and abusive drinking with his girlfriend, he finally made up his mind to schedule an appointment to see his family doctor. When Barry saw his physician, he genuinely stated that he has been drinking in an excessive manner, that he may be exhibiting alcoholic signs, and that he wants to stop drinking. He then confirmed that drinking responsibly and in moderation doesn’t work well for him and, as a result, he wants to learn how he can create an alcohol-free lifestyle.

Barry also told his healthcare professional about his depression and how this mental health problem was negatively influencing his relationship with his lady friend. His doctor referred Barry to Doctor Sola, an alcohol and drug addiction therapist, who motivated Barry to enter into a drug and alcohol treatment clinic as an in-patient for alcohol detoxification and alcohol rehabilitation. Fortunately, Barry would also be able to get treatment for his depression at this treatment clinic.

Getting and Staying Sober Was the Best Decision Barry Had Ever Made

After five months of comprehensive rehabilitation, Barry left the in-patient rehab center and continued his recovery via outpatient counseling and via going to local Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Encouraged to change his life in a more positive way, Barry bought some vitamins at a health store and a cookbook. He then joined a fitness center and began working out three or four times per week. Within four months Barry was a new person. He wasn’t depressed anymore, he was in shape, he was eating nutritious meals, he now looked younger than he was, and most important of all, he remained sober for numerous months. He also became more patient, he didn’t resort to angry outbursts, and he became a more caring individual in his relationship with his girlfriend. In a word, quitting drinking was the best decision Barry had ever made.

Nearly ten months ago I had dinner with a forty-five-year-old male named Alexander who suffers from acute depression, has relationship difficulties, and who is dependent on alcohol and drugs. As affirmed by Alexander, it is his drug and alcohol dependency and his intense depression that had the most to do with his endless relationship issues.

I recollect hearing that a history of mental health problems, chemical dependency, and unhealthy drinking frequently occur in the same family. Additionally, I remember reading that in such situations, an individual needs to get treatment for both medical problems and that dependency and mental health problems many times occur in the same individual.

As articulated by Alexander, he is so dejected by his relationship problems and by both of his medical issues that he in essence has no motivation to achieve much of anything. What is particularly sad about this is that earlier in his life, Alexander finished one semester of grad school in business management.

Alexander’s condition makes me question if he is an example of a person who can look within and see his drug abuse and alcohol drinking problems and do something positive about these problems or if he is an individual who has to hit life’s bottom before he gets addiction counseling that results in long lasting recovery.

The Need For a Treatment Protocol He Can Believe In and a Doctor He Can Trust

If it would be beneficial I would imagine that I could advise him about numerous websites and blogs that could possibly help him locate information about drug abuse symptoms, the stages of alcoholism, chemical dependency information, and relationship difficulties. In my humble opinion, nonetheless, Alexander needs to locate a rehabilitation program he can believe in and follow over the long term and locate a doctor he can trust.

I could be mistaken but it seems to me that Alexander more likely than not needs to look within himself regarding his drug addiction signs and alcoholic symptoms and acknowledge the fact that he cannot use drugs or drink at all if he wants to get sober, stay sober, and start on the road to lasting sobriety.

It may be asked how counseling would help his drug and alcohol dependency. First of all, there are quite a few newly produced doctor-prescribed meds that can help Alexander avoid an alcohol or a drug relapse, help him through the drug and alcohol detoxification process, and help him through his withdrawal symptoms.

Second, Alexander would learn to concede the fact that there is entirely nothing useful about chemical dependency and careless and hazardous drinking and that engaging in one or both situations is the map to deteriorating health, legal problems, shattered relationships, poor work and school performance, a premature death, and financial difficulties.

Third, treatment for his depression and for his relationship problems might help him manage these medical issues more successfully and help create less of a need for him to engage in addictive behavior.

The Relevance of Recovery Groups Such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous

There are feasibly several friends, family members, and other individuals who would love to help Alexander with his drug addiction and his unhealthy drinking. He probably would experience greater sympathy from a support group such as Narcotics Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous, on the other hand, instead of getting advice from individuals who drink in moderation or who have never abused drugs.

When People Accomplish Things They Like and About Which They Are Passionate

There’s a school of thought in psychology that contends that people who accomplish things they like and something about which they are ardent arrive at a magnificent place in life. Stated more specifically, when people do what they enjoy, they almost never experience boredom or an uneventful life. If they involve themselves in something that is gratifying, furthermore, they become more complete and experience more happiness and delight in life and in their relationships.

When this is examined more closely it becomes clear that this uplifting mentality is the exact opposite of a life that is grounded in substance abuse because such a lifestyle removes the pleasure and delight that life has to offer.

Since Alexander lacks the drive to achieve much of anything in his life, it is clear that he desperately needs some hope for a more fulfilling existence. And the sad thing is that hope is virtually everywhere around Alexander if he could only get to the place in life to get the treatment he needs for his acute depression and drug addiction and alcohol dependency and adhere to his treatment protocol.

Better Relationships, A Wonderful Life, Self Esteem, and Positive Change Are a Reality

Alexander is simply too young to be defeated in life. He doesn’t realize this at the moment but if he can learn how to abstain from alcohol and drugs via drug and alcohol rehab and get the counseling he requires for his intense depression, he can redirect his life and start living with self-respect, passion, and direction.

Better relationships, affirmative change, self respect, and a wonderful life are certainly a reality for Alexander if only he could become inspired to get the medical rehab he needs, follow through with his treatment protocol, live his life in an addiction-free and healthy way, and learn how to acquire a more positive attitude about his existence.

For the past eighteen years Jenny has been a nurse practitioner at a large public hospital. What is more, she has also been teaching Sunday school at the local Congregational Church. Despite the fact that she lived in a small rural town where it seemed like every person knew everyone’s business, almost nothing was known about Jenny. Without a doubt almost every person in town knew that she had worked several years as a nurse practitioner and that she taught Sunday school for as long as she was a resident of their small community. Besides that, however, it almost seemed as if Jenny was simply a visitor in their town.

You can visualize the excitement that took place when it was learned that one Sunday morning Jenny had lost consciousness because of inebriation. Indeed, the article in the local weekly newspaper claimed that Jenny not only became unconscious, but that she also was arrested for driving under the influence because her blood alcohol concentration was considerably higher than the legal limit for drunk driving. This is evidently one of the alcohol effects on the body that no Sunday school teacher wants to have announced to the whole town. But this is precisely what occurred, much to the disappointment of Jenny.

Jenny Gets Quite Saddened About Her Arrest For Driving While Inebriated

It almost goes without saying that Jenny was quite letdown about her arrest for driving while intoxicated. Not only should she have known better about driving while inebriated because of her nursing profession, but she also should have held herself accountable to a more lofty benchmark because of the simple fact that she taught Sunday school.

After her arrest for driving while under the influence, Jenny thought about moving out of town so that she would not have to feel dismayed about her arrest and also so she wouldn’t have to explain her actions for the five hundred thousandth time to the people in town. After speaking with her reverend, nonetheless, she finally determined that she would get alcohol therapy at a local alcohol rehabilitation hospital. She did this for two basic reasons. First, it was relatively easy for her to drive to a local counseling clinic. And second, she frankly wanted the message to get circulated among all the people in town that she was truly addressing her excessive and hazardous drinking.

Jenny Goes Through Alcohol Detox and Gets a Complete Physical Exam

After Jenny went through alcohol detox, she was completely examined by a doctor at the drug and alcohol rehab hospital. She then underwent several laboratory procedures where it was ascertained that she was not addicted to alcohol but instead was involving herself in abusive and irresponsible drinking. In short Jenny was engaging in long term alcohol abuse.

Jenny was provided with the choice of getting registered as an in-patient or getting alcohol rehab as an outpatient. Jenny, nevertheless, thought that she could still work as a registered nurse and continue with her Sunday school teaching position if she were to be registered as an out-patient and this is exactly what she did.

According to her rehabilitation protocol, Jenny went to two sessions every four weeks, she learned quite a bit about alcohol info, she worked on her out-of-class “assignments,” and she discovered how to do things in life without having the need for drinking.

After ten weeks, Jenny thought that her abusive drinking was under control and so she got released from the rehab hospital under the stipulation that she would return for a refresher course once every three months for the next twelve months. Jenny agreed and followed through on her “word.”

Jenny Finally Determines to Abstain From Any and All Drinking Circumstances and Discovers That Her Positive Attitude About Herself Grows

After she went through her rehab Jenny reasoned that she would be able to drink in moderation. After thinking about things more completely, nevertheless, she arrived at a decision that she would completely refrain from any and all drinking circumstances.

When Jenny made this decision, she found out that her self esteem became more augmented the more she was in command of her life. And as her self-worth became more established, it appeared that she became more extroverted and began attending more community events such as rib roasts, flower festivals, carnivals, strawberry festivals, Christmas tree lighting ceremonies, local high school basketball and football games, and music festivals.

Jenny Addresses Her Excessive and Irresponsible Drinking, Comes to a Decision To Do Something Affirmative About It, and Reaffirms Her Faith

As the years went by, the people in the town manifested more fondness for Jenny because she was involving herself with them more regularly and also because she faced her excessive and abusive drinking and made up her mind to do something beneficial about it. It may have been her imagination, but it also appeared that her Sunday school students displayed more affection and respect for her.

Jenny is a living illustration of someone who had a serious problem and who did something productive about it. She is also an individual who learned that her religious faith is not only something that is intrinsic, but that it is also something that affects the way in which an individual cooperates and works with other people.