Make Love Work

When I was in the tenth grade in high school, I registered for a drug abuse class. At that time, I did not realize that alcohol abuse actually was a sub classification 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 individuals all over the world. I also learned a lot about alcohol rehab and the various alcohol rehab clinics that are frequently available to individuals who engage in heavy drinking.

Damaging Results That are Correlated With Alcohol Dependency and Alcohol Abuse

Some of the dangerous consequences linked to alcoholism and alcohol abuse that I learned about in this class absolutely worried me. The ruined lives and frequent serious issues experienced by most alcohol addicted people made me feel like I never wanted to drink alcohol when I became old enough. In short, I did not want to face the wreckage and destruction that alcohol dependent individuals almost always encounter.

Reflect on this for a moment. What fifteen-year-old teenager wants to face premature death due to his or her drinking behavior? What young person wants to become so out-of-control regarding his or her drinking that ingesting alcohol becomes the object of one’s life? What teen 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 youth wants to experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms when he or she tries to quit drinking? Why would an individual 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 teenager want to sacrifice his or her education, employment, finances, and relationships for a life that revolves around irresponsible drinking?

These issues were so important that I talked about some of them in class throughout the school year. What was downright astounding to me was the number of students who essentially didn’t care about the damaging results of abusive drinking that I discussed. It was almost as if they couldn’t be troubled with reality and how these consequences can demolish their lives. For the first time in my life I started to comprehend a saying that my grandfather used to say to me all through my adolesence: you can lead a horse to water but you can’t force it to drink.

It’s Invigorating, Important, and Beneficial to Keep Away From the Unhealthy and Debilitating Outcomes of Alcohol and Drug Abuse

And even at my young age, I also began to comprehend how liberating, beneficial, and important it is in life to keep away from the unhealthy and destructive outcomes of drug and alcohol abuse. Understandably, comprehending this not only led to various problems and conflicts in high school but also led to enhanced friendships and relationships.

Jesse had a particularly difficult time maintaining a job. Indeed, due to her slothfulness and lack of incentive, she was out of a job far more frequently than she was in work. And when she did get employment, she had an exceedingly difficult time getting to work when her shift began, she regularly received less than optimal performance appraisals, and she called off sick so many times that she almost always got fired a few weeks after she started working. To no one’s wonder, one of the results of Jesse’s less than positive employment record was the fact that she was virtually broke most of the time.

Regardless of Jesse’s less than positive employment record and financial disregard, however, one way or another she managed to drink in an excessive and irresponsible manner most of the time. Not surprisingly, her thoughtless drinking also resulted in relationship, commitment, and dating difficulties.

Because of her excessive and abusive drinking, it came as no big shock when Jesse got a third DUI. When she went to court, the judge told Jesse that her alcohol-related actions was disgraceful and, consequently, he was going to sentence Jesse to serve five months incarcerated in jail.

Time While Locked Up In Jail To Reflect On The Demoralizing Consequences of Abusive and Irresponsible Drinking

During her time in jail, Jesse was required to learn more about alcohol facts, about the negative effects of hazardous and excessive drinking, and she was required to get alcohol rehab. The judge underlined the fact that unless Jesse gets professional alcohol counseling and discovers how to live an alcohol-free life, she will probably be spending quite a bit of her time locked up.

Jesse stated that she comprehended what the judge was saying but she still felt that placement in the local jail was not the most effective response. The magistrate saw things from an entirely different perspective and proclaimed that it was his responsibility to keep alcohol addicted people off the streets who drink and drive and who get arrested for multiple DUIs. To authenticate this perspective, the judge articulated some respected, thoroughly researched alcohol statistics that pointed to some of the disruptive consequences that are associated with hazardous and abusive drinking.

Although Jesse understood that she drank in a hazardous and abusive manner, she never thought that she was an alcoholic. So it was a real shocker when Jesse started to experience symptoms of withdrawal roughly four-and-a-half hours after getting locked up in the county jail.

To manage her alcohol withdrawal symptoms in a safe and secure manner, Jesse was taken to a drug and alcohol treatment center for alcohol detox and then returned to the county jail. While locked up in the local jail Jesse was given a mental health evaluation for her depression and got alcohol rehab but because she got this counseling as something that was mandated for her, she did not take ownership of her careless drinking.

When her time in the municipal jail was completed, the magistrate without uncertainty told Jesse that she would be under stringent scrutiny and would be required to take periodic alcohol tests.

Jessie’s Hazardous and Abusive Drinking Prevents Her From Living in a Mature and Adult Manner

After hearing how Jesse neglected to take ownership of her drinking problem and how she unwillingly followed the treatment policy and procedures while in the city jail, the magistrate knew that it was basically a matter of time before he would be seeing Jesse once again in court about her excessive and hazardous drinking behavior. As the judge thought about Jesse’s circumstance, he couldn’t help but think about how some people never “connect the dots” and discover how to live in an accountable and mature manner.

Dante was a sixteen year old high school sophomore who was exhibiting a number of alcohol-related issues at school. Consequently, the principal informed him that he had to see Miss Johnson, the school counselor, before he would be permitted to return to class.

Later that afternoon when Dante went home after school, he had to clarify his school situation to his parents. His parents were “fairly traditional” and told Dante that getting discharged from school was not a tolerable educational option. They explained to Dante that failing to graduate from high school would probably be like a lead weight around his legs that could probably hamper his educational achievement for the remainder of his life. Not only this, but Dante’s parents were very upset that he was drinking in the first place and drinking with his pals in the second.

They told Dante that although he may be a teen, he needs to comprehend fairly rapidly that drinking is the path to financial problems, pain, failure, and ill health.

It was plain to see that his Mom and Dad were out-and-out in full agreement with Dante’s principal and informed Dante that he needs to see Miss Johnson, the school psychologist. After his conversation with his Mother and Father, Dante eventually agreed to see Miss Johnson the next school day. So Dante phoned the school and scheduled an appointment to see Miss Johnson the next morning.

The Psychologist Asks Dante if He Knows Why His Recent Alcohol-Related Behavior Caused Quite a Bit of Apprehension By the School Administrators

When Dante got to his scheduled appointment with Miss Johnson, she promptly went over all of the alcohol-related difficulties Dante had gotten into and asked him if he comprehended why his recent alcohol-related activities gave the school administrators room for alarm.

Quite sincerely, Dante was unsure why the principal informed him that he had to see a school therapist. As he expressed to Miss Johnson, why should he see a professional psychologist about his drinking activities? Because almost all of his peers drink about as much as he does, fundamentally, drinking is no big thing. Stated differently, if almost everyone is drinking, why is this such a major problem?

Miss Johnson asked Dante when he started to drink alcoholic beverages. He said that some of his older buddies introduced him to drinking wine when he was twelve or thirteen years old and getting ready to enter the seventh grade.

Miss Johnson informed Dante that while his peers may indeed drink as much as he does and that they may be a negative influence on him, the facts are that he is the one who is getting expelled from school due to alcohol-related fighting, delinquency, and absenteeism, not his buddies. Not only this but Miss Johnson also emphasized the fact that Dante, and not his peers, is the one who is failing and who is missing at least one day of school every week because of his alcohol related issues. Lastly, Miss Johnson underlined the fact that due to his drinking circumstances, Dante is getting into a negative cycle of hazardous drinking that can in the end ruin his aspirations, hopes, and dreams.

In a word, Dante’s involvement with youth alcohol abuse was starting to thwart his ability to conduct himself like an accountable young man. As stated by Miss Johnson, “Just because most of your pals drink wine, beer, wine coolers, or hard liquor does not mean that it is the healthiest thing for you.”

Dante Learns That Ultimately He Must Claim Responsibility For Himself In Order to Keep Away From Destructive, Unhealthy, Dangerous, and Damaging Circumstances In the Foreseeable Future

Miss Johnson explained to Dante that others can undoubtedly influence an individual in an unhealthy way, but that the person herself or himself has to in the long run be accountable for herself or himself in order to prevent unhealthy, destructive, damaging, and dangerous consequences in the future.

Fortunately, Miss Johnson was very well prepared for her scheduled time with Dante. She showed him reports and research studies she had highlighted that listed various drinking statistics and facts that applied to most people in general. Then she showed Dante quite a bit of data that applied mainly to teenagers.

As an illustration, Miss Johnson emphasized the difference between alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction and informed Dante that drinkers who continue to drink abusively more often than not become alcohol dependent.

Miss Johnson also discussed the concept of binge drinking which she defined as follows: consuming five or more drinks in one sitting for males and drinking four or more drinks in one sitting for females.

The Psychologist Lists A Number Alcohol Addiction and Alcohol Abuse Statistics and Facts

Then Miss Johnson verbalized various alcohol facts and the following eight alcohol abuse statistics:

1. The 25.9% of teen drinkers in the United States who are alcohol dependent and alcohol abusers drink 47.3% of the alcohol that is ingested by all teenage drinkers.

2. Fifty percent of United States murders are alcohol related.

3. In 2002, U.S. alcohol addiction statistics and facts reported that 2.6 million binge drinkers were between the ages of 12 and 17.

4. It is estimated that more than 3 million adolescents in the United States between the ages of 14 to 17 are alcohol abusers or alcoholic.

5. In the United States, more than 40 percent of those who begin drinking at the age 14 or younger become alcoholic.

6. Relatively few of the more than 18 million U.S. alcohol abusers receive the alcohol rehabilitation they require.

7. Underage drinking costs Americans nearly $53 billion per year. If this cost were shared equally by each congressional district, the amount would total more than $120 million per district.

8. Alcohol-related difficulties are unevenly found among both adult and juvenile criminal offenders.

Dante Receives A Much Needed Wake Up Call Concerning the Short Term and the Long Term Effects of Underage Alcohol Dependency and Alcohol Abuse

After Miss Johnson presented the aforementioned alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse facts and statistics, it was apparent that what Miss Johnson disclosed to Dante was a real source of revelation for him. Why? Because for the first time in his young life, someone not only made the effort to explain the long term and the short term results of alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse, but she also made the effort to demonstrate what she was saying with alcohol abuse and alcoholism statistics and facts that related to people in general, and principally to underage drinkers.

In actual fact, it was almost as if a light went on and Dante instantaneously grasped why he should not be engaging in excessive and abusive drinking with or without his pals any longer. Dante thanked Miss Johnson for her concern and for the information she went over.

Miss Johnson then asked Dante how he felt about getting a physical examination and an alcohol assessment for the alcohol abuse or alcohol addiction rehabilitation he would probably need. Dante thought about this for few minutes and then agreed to get a thorough physical examination and to go through a thorough assessment of his drinking behavior so that he could start an alcohol abuse or alcoholism rehabilitation program as soon as possible. After meeting with Miss Johnson, it was apparent that Dante’s self image self esteem had been boosted as he began to face his abusive and unhealthy drinking.

You’d never know it from looking at fashion magazines, but more than half of American women wear size 14 or larger clothes. Yet even though we big beautiful gals are in the majority, we still starve ourselves trying to look like something we’re not.

Our family genotype – that means the way our genes make us out to be – runs toward larger-than-average sizes. Both the men and women in our family tend to be tall and large in stature. We think it comes from all those farmers in our family tree!

The whole thing came to a head when our cousin got engaged to her high school sweetheart. We’re a close family, so she wanted as many people as possible to be in her wedding. We were beginning to think there’d be nobody left in the pews on the bride’s side. Our laughter turned sour, however, when our cousin got hold of some bridal magazines. It wasn’t long before we were fighting over how to lose fat instead of getting ready for a joyous wedding.

Finally, our aunt had had enough of her daughter turning into Bridezilla over this issue of body size. Auntie is one smart cookie, and it wasn’t long before she figured out a strategy that saved the day – and the family.

One of Auntie’s friends sells bridal dresses and evening gowns in town. She told our aunt that the question of body size often comes when choosing bridal gowns. Instead of trying to argue anymore, though, Auntie’s friend loaned her a couple of catalogs that she uses to order dresses for her shop. These catalogs were full of beautiful, full-color photos that showed how a plus size wedding dress could fit well and look stunning at the same time.

The shop owned loaned our aunt some catalogs from manufacturers that specialize in plus size bridal attire. Our aunt knew the rest of us wouldn’t show up if it looked like we were going to go another round in the great wedding diet match, so she tricked us. She got us all over to her house by staging a show for party jewelry. While we were drooling over those beautiful sparklers, she sprang the catalogs on us.

Marge, who is a fabulous seamstress anyway, got out her tape measure and measured everyone of us right then and there! We each wrote down our measurements and decided on what body shape we each have. We haven’t had so much girlie fun in ages!

The end result was that we all got to choose a gorgeous dress for Celia and Frank’s wedding. Celia herself was one of the most beautiful brides any of us have ever seen, wearing a gown that fitted her perfectly and made her look like a queen. And it all came about because we decided to love ourselves and our bodies for the big, beautiful, fabulous women we are!

About four months ago I had lunch with a thirty-seven-year-old man named Alexander who suffers from extreme depression, has relationship issues, and who is alcohol and drug dependent. As affirmed by Alexander, it is his alcohol and drug dependency and his extreme depression that had the most to do with his recurring relationship issues.

I remember reading that a history of mental health problems, substance abuse, and negative drinking quite often happen in the same family. Additionally, I have read that under such circumstances, an individual needs to get treatment for both medical problems and that addiction and mental health issues commonly occur in the same individual.

As declared by Alexander, he is so overwhelmed by his relationship difficulties and by both of his medical issues that he in actual fact has no desire to achieve much of anything. What is particularly sad about this is that earlier in his life, Alexander managed to finish three semesters of grad school in French history.

Alexander’s situation makes me wonder if he is an example of a person who can look in the mirror and see his drug abuse and alcohol drinking problems and do something healthy about these difficulties or if he is someone who has to hit rock-bottom before he gets drug and alcohol counseling that leads to lasting sobriety.

The Need For a Treatment Program He Can Believe In and a Psychologist He Can Trust

If it would be helpful I would suppose that I could advise him about several websites and blogs that could possibly help him learn more about drug abuse symptoms, the stages of alcoholism, chemical dependency information, and relationship problems. In my opinion, nevertheless, Alexander needs to locate a rehab program he can believe in and follow through over the long haul and find a healthcare practitioner he can trust.

I could be mistaken but it seems to make sense that Alexander more likely than not needs to look in the mirror regarding his drug addiction signs and alcoholic symptoms and admit the fact that he cannot use drugs or even drink in moderation if he wants to get sober, stay sober, and start on the path to lasting sobriety.

It may be asked how treatment would help his alcohol and drug dependency. For starters, there are quite a few newly discovered doctor-prescribed medications that can help Alexander avoid a drug and an alcohol drug relapse, help him through the drug and alcohol detoxification process, and help him through his withdrawal symptoms.

Second, Alexander would learn to admit the fact that there is absolutely nothing productive about drug abuse and careless and hazardous drinking and that involving himself in one or both conditions is the route to deteriorating health, a premature death, shattered relationships, financial difficulties, poor work and school performance, and legal problems.

Third, treatment for his depression and for his relationship issues might help him manage these psychological problems more effectively and help create less of a need for him to involve himself in addictive behavior.

The Significance of Support Groups Like Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous

There are reasonably several family members, friends, and other individuals who would offer to help Alexander with his chemical dependency and his unhealthy and excessive drinking. He probably would experience greater understanding from a support group such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous, on the other hand, instead of listening to individuals who drink in moderation or who have never abused drugs.

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

There’s a psychological attitude that contends that individuals who do things they love and something about which they are fervent arrive at a splendid place in life. In other words, when people do what they enjoy, they rarely if ever go through boredom or an uneventful life. If they involve themselves in something that is rewarding, furthermore, they become more actualized and experience more satisfaction and delight in life and in their relationships.

When this is thought about for a few minutes it becomes obvious that this affirmative viewpoint is widely divergent from a life that is rooted in substance abuse because such a lifestyle removes the satisfaction and delight that life has to offer.

Since Alexander lacks the grit to do much of anything in his life, it is evident that he desperately needs some hope for a more fulfilling life. And the unfortunate thing is that hope is all around Alexander if he could only get to the place in life to get the treatment he needs for his severe depression and alcohol dependency and drug addiction and stick with his treatment protocol.

Better Relationships, A Wonderful Life, Self Respect, and Affirmative Change Are a Reality

Alexander is clearly too young to be dejected in life. He doesn’t comprehend this at this time in his life but if he can learn how to remove himself from drugs and alcohol through drug and alcohol rehabilitation and get the treatment he needs for his extreme depression, he can redirect his life and start living with passion, self-respect, and direction.

More positive relationships, a wonderful life, self respect, and constructive change are certainly possibilities for Alexander if only he could become motivated to seek the professional treatment he requires, follow through with his therapy regimen, live his life in an addiction-free and healthy manner, and learn how to foster a more positive attitude about his existence.