How to Break Free from the Clutches of Alcoholism

 

Alcoholism is insidious. It may start with social drinking with friends or drinking alone when you are under stress. Before you know it, you need that drink rather than want it. If you decide not to drink, you get the shakes or cannot function. You know if your drinking continues you may lose your family, job and freedom in the case of a car accident while drunk. There are steps you can take to break free from the clutches of alcoholism and protect yourself from issues that may have arisen while you were drinking.

 

Admit You Have a Problem

Alcoholism has been a problem for people down through the ages. The key to gaining sobriety and the quality of life that you and your family deserve is to quit drinking. You don’t have to feel overwhelmed with the idea that you must stop drinking forever. You only have to stop for today. Take your sobriety journey one day at a time.

 

You Need Support

Very few people will succeed at becoming sober on their own. Anyone wishing to gain sobriety will need a support system. If your drinking has become serious, seek medical attention. A stay in a rehab may be just what you need to get you started on your life-long journey living a sober life. Join a 12-step group like AA, and learn from those who have traveled this road before you. Find help and you will significantly increase your chances of staying clean and sober.

 

Admit Your Shortcomings

Two of the 12 Steps tell the recovering alcoholic that they must admit their shortcomings and make amends to gain sobriety. While people struggle with staying away from alcohol, admitting our mistakes is even harder than giving up drinking. But admitting your problems and making amends is one of the best ways to start your new sober life afresh and on the right foot.

 

Protect Your Legal Rights

Once you have become sober, you deserve the new life you have worked so hard to attain. If you ended up in an accident or may be about to lose your driver’s license due to your past DUIs, you will definitely need legal representation from Druyon Law or other specialty firms that have experience and know how to make sure your rights are protected, whether you are guilty or not.

 

Break Free Starting Today

You can break free from alcoholism. Start today. You only need to stay sober one day at a time. Help is there if you ask for it. You can do it!

 

Categories: 12 steps, alcoholic, alcoholism, DUI, family support, lawyer

Dangerous Drink: Four Greatest Perils of Alcohol Abuse

Enjoying a glass of wine, a beer or a cocktail is a common practice in today’s society. However, some people who are susceptible to binge drinking and alcoholism are unable to stop at just one or two drinks. They continue drinking until they have reached a dangerous level of drunkenness. This type of drinking behavior affects the well being of both the alcoholic and society. Here are four of the most dangerous side effects of consistent heavy drinking.

 

Obesity

The obesity epidemic is often thought of as a food problem. However, it is also an alcohol problem. Heavy drinkers, who consistently drink more than four alcoholic beverages a day, are 46% more likely to obese than non-drinkers. When inebriated, individuals are unable to control impulses, such as the urge to overeat. Also, they often feel hungrier because alcohol hinders the ability to process the signals that tell the brain know the body is full.

Domestic Abuse

Alcoholics are three times more likely to abuse their spouses and domestic partners. This means seventy-five percent of reported cases of spouse or domestic partner abuse involve alcohol. Also, children whose parents abuse alcohol are three times more likely to suffer abuse than children from families without an alcoholic. Since many cases of domestic assault go unreported, these numbers cannot accurately reflect the abuse suffered at the hands of alcoholics, though they do provide a close approximation. Alcoholics with violent tendencies should strongly consider professional rehabilitation. Rehab centers like Ascend Recovery and a multitude of others can help reshape the behaviors of those afflicted with alcoholism and correspondingly reduce violent episodes.

 

Crime

One-fourth of all violent crimes, in the U.S., are committed by individuals who were abusing alcohol prior to the crime. Since overconsumption of alcohol often leads to aggressive behavior, this statistic isn’t surprising. What is surprising, however, is how much higher the chances of an alcoholic committing a violent crime is than non-alcoholics. There were roughly 1.2 million violent crimes committed in the U.S last year, and approximately 17.6 million adults out of a population of 313 million individuals suffer from alcoholic tendencies. This means, alcoholics have a 5.5 times greater chance of committing a violent crime.

 

Disease

While it’s common knowledge alcoholism can lead to heart and liver diseases, it’s less commonly known that alcohol abuse can lead to diabetes and other diseases, as well. Alcohol abuse causes type 2 diabetes, first, because it interferes with the body’s glucose levels and the hormones that control blood glucose levels. Second, drinking heavily causes pancreatitis, and type 2 diabetes is a side effect of pancreatitis. Next, heavy consumption of alcohol suppresses the immune system, making it easier for over-drinkers to contract infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, HIV, and pneumonia. Alcoholism isn’t just responsible for physical ailment, but also causes several mental health issues. It is known for damaging memory, causing anxiety and depression, and it is suspected in certain cases of psychosis.

 

Light to moderate drinking, or one to two alcoholic beverages a night, is quite healthy and unlikely to lead to any long-tem social or physical problems. However, unchecked alcoholism and constant overconsumption of alcoholic beverages lead to many issues, damaging both the individual and society. These include a higher chance of being a violent crime offender, assaulting family members and loved ones, contracting serious diseases and developing obesity.

Categories: abuse, Alcohol, alcohol abuse, alcoholic, alcoholic beverages, Dangerous, drink, glucose levels, perils, violent, violent crime, violent crimes

When Your Child Has A Problem: Helping a Teen Who Drinks

Teenagers have so much life ahead of them that it may be unthinkable for parents to recognize that their teens have developed serious drinking problems. However, this age group increasingly is at risk of developing problems with alcohol and even become chronic alcoholics. As difficult as it is for parents to acknowledge, they can provide a tremendous service to their teens if they help their alcoholic teenagers get help for their drinking addictions.

 

Failing to accept that a teenager could be an alcoholic and refusing to help that young person get help could jeopardize, if not doom, that young individual’s future. As one Philadelphia DUI lawyer states, bad judgement by a juvenile can lead to a lifetime of issues.

Rather than ignore the possibility that their teens could be alcoholics, parents today are encouraged to be aware of the ways that young drinking could harm teenagers’ futures. Knowing these detriments could propel parents into action and convince people to get their teens the help they need.

 

Alcoholism Ruins Teenagers’ Health

Teenagers are resilient; however, even the fittest of teens can easily succumb to the harm caused by excessive drinking. Teenagers who consume too much alcohol could harm their livers, possibly even developing cirrhosis. They also put themselves at risk of developing diabetes, obesity, and gout. Excessive drinking ages people, even teenagers who have young and elastic skin. By the time they reach their early 20s, these young people could look years older than they actually are.

 

Alcoholic Teens Risk Legal Troubles

As teens get their confidence driving, they could easily risk their driving and legal futures if they drive while intoxicated. Even though they are teenagers, these young drivers could be unable to escape a DUI charge on their criminal and driving records. A DUI does not easily go away as with other youth offenses. This offense could follow them for years, even into adulthood when they must get their own car insurance and seek employment. Most insurance companies and employers are less than eager to associate with people who have a DUI charge on their records

 

With all of the known risks to teenage alcoholism, parents may still wonder how they could get their teenagers help with this problem. If they are truly committed to getting their teens help, parents can find the assistance they and their teens need from a variety of sources. Most parents choose to enroll their children in rehabilitation programs first. This first step could be vital if they want to ensure their teenagers’ best chances of recovery.

 

Rehabilitation Services

As with adult rehab, teenage rehabilitation involves following the same steps and learning the same coping techniques as adult drinkers. Teens sometimes are very resistant to the idea of going to rehab. They may not want their friends to know; they also may not believe that they have a drinking problem. However, they cannot refuse to go because they are not legally capable of making their own decisions. As time progresses, however, teen drinkers often benefit from the rehab services and learn how to overcome their drinking.

 

Counseling and Support Groups

After they get out of rehabilitation, teens can stay on their paths to recovery by entering into counseling and attending support group sessions. Talking with other teens who have the same challenges, being able to objectify their addictions, and coming to terms with the reasons for why they drink can help teens stay sober, even amidst peer pressure.

 

It can be very difficult for parents to recognize and accept that their teens have drinking problems. However, getting their teens help can help parents come to terms with their teenagers’ addictions and provide them with the means to safeguard their teens’ futures.

 

As a mother of four, writer Melanie Fleury can only imagine the devastation that can occur if a child were to have trouble with alcohol. Unfortunately, she is also well aware of how alcohol abuse can lead to other substance issues and to delinquent behavior. The law offices of Steve E. Kellis, Philadelphia DUI lawyer, stresses that juveniles can often face criminal charges as an adult depending on the individual circumstances. If your teen is in trouble, contact a lawyer to help navigate the law as each case is unique.

Categories: alcoholic, counseling, teen