Work was starting to be too hectic for a young police officer named Gary. Although he had only been on the police force for five-and-a-half years, he was already known as a hard worker who hardly ever turned down working overtime. Actually, he was now working ten to fifteen hours of overtime each week and, as a consequence, he felt like he was losing his handle on his personal life. What made the situation more complicated, however, was the fact that Gary started going out drinking with a gang of fellow officers after work.

What Began as Fun Soon Became Hazardous and Careless Drinking

What began as fun with the guys very soon turned into careless and abusive drinking and then into a viscous cycle of feeling tired each morning when he got up for his shift, working more long hours, and then going drinking with his friends after work.

Clearly Gary was in a health related and emotional rut and experiencing some negative alcohol effects on the body. Where Gary really experienced drinking related issues and alcohol short term effects, on the other hand, was in his marriage and in his family life. His wife wasn’t really a complainer, but she commonly begged him to stay at home more with her and with the children rather than going out and spending money while drinking with his fellow officers.

Gary’s Hazardous and Abusive Drinking Negatively Affects His Personality

In a similar way, Gary’s irresponsible and careless drinking also negatively affected his personality. More to the point, the more he drank, the less patience he had with any problems or issues that came up regarding his children or his wife.

It Was Obvious to Gary That His Irresponsible and Abusive Drinking Was Negatively Affecting His Pocketbook, Health, Work, and His Relationship With His Family

In his heart of hearts, it was clear to Gary that his hazardous and careless drinking was adversely affecting his work, pocketbook, relationship with his family, and his health. So one Tuesday afternoon Gary came to a decision to talk to Jerry, a trusted old police officer friend that he greatly respected.

Gary mentioned to Jerry how hazardous and abusive drinking was adversely affecting his pocketbook, relationship with his family, work, and his health. Jerry told Gary that he totally understood because around seven years ago, he too became involved with irresponsible and abusive drinking. If truth be known, Jerry told Gary that abusive and careless drinking can cause so many difficulties in an individual’s life that just about everything of significance can be ruined. And lastly, Jerry suggested that Gary schedule an appointment with an alcohol therapist at the work-affiliated alcohol treatment center.

Since his employee’s assistance program was affiliated with this treatment clinic, it was not only quite affordable but also very convenient to get some quality counseling about his abusive drinking. And since the staff at the substance abuse rehabilitation facility was competent, non-judgmental, and supportive, Gary would be able to get alcohol rehab that made sense to him and something he could accomplish.

After talking to his therapist about how his drinking was negatively affecting his relationship with his family, work, pocketbook, and his health, Gary comprehended the fact that he was burning the candle at both ends with his extreme work hours and his careless and irresponsible drinking. Once he grasped the fact that he was digging himself into a rut, with the help of his psychologist, and after ten weeks in therapy, he was at last able to stop drinking and quit working overtime.

Due to His Alcohol Therapy Gary Felt More Healthy and Had Much More Energy

The result was that Gary viewed life differently now that he was in alcohol recovery. Simply put, due to his alcohol rehabilitation he not only felt better and more healthy, but he had more quality time to spend with his family, he was more patient when interacting with his wife and his children, and he noticed that he actually had more money now even though he was working far fewer hours each week. Ironically, now that he stopped drinking, Gary and his wife were not only beginning to save some money for a different house but he also felt more energized and alert than anytime since he and his wife were married.

How many people get injured or lose their lives in alcohol related traffic accidents every year? On an annual basis, how many alcoholics fail to get the professional alcohol treatment they require? 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 DWI conviction? How many junior high, high school, and college students lose their lives every year due to an alcohol overdose? How many people’s lives are cut short due to unhealthy and hazardous drinking? How many individuals lose their lives every year because of drinking problems? How many children are born each year with fetal alcohol syndrome? How many individuals lose their lives each year from a condition that is one hundred percent preventable, such as alcohol poisoning?

Why Would Anyone Want to Drink in an Excessive and Abusive Manner?

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

Stated differently, with the host of financial problems, health issues, employment difficulties, legal proceedings, and relationship dilemmas that are correlated with chronic alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction, why would any person with average intelligence want to drink in an irresponsible and excessive manner? If truth be told when some of the above topics are examined more closely, unhealthy and excessive drinking becomes more illogical and makes even less sense.

Wouldn’t you think that heavy drinkers would be able to see some of the alcohol symptoms that they exhibit? In a similar way doesn’t it seem feasible to think that many 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 people who drink abusively would try to learn more about their drinking behavior by reading about various alcohol related statistics?

After reviewing the findings, the point is so relevant that it needs to be said again: With all of the destructive and disastrous effects that are directly or indirectly interlinked with repetitive and continuous alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse, why would any person want to engage in careless and excessive drinking?

What Can be Done About the Pervasive Nature of Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Dependency in the United States?

So what can be done about the extensive nature of alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse in our country?

1. Our students need more relevant and more meaningful preventative and educational methods and approaches so that more students at all grade levels, including those at college, are “reached.
2. In a similar manner, 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. People who are alcohol abusers or alcohol dependent need to look look at themselves candidly and ask why they are not getting the professional alcohol treatment they require.
4. Society needs to get the message to more individuals about the damaging and debilitating consequences of abusive and hazardous drinking.

There’s Room For Hope if Those Who Engage in Excessive and Careless Drinking Can Become Encouraged to Get the Alcohol Rehabilitation They Require

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

Russ got expelled from high school when he was sixteen years old and eventually got a job at a local machine shop. For the last six-and-a-half years he has gained a reputation as a reliable and hard-working individual who hardly ever calls off work because of illness.

Around four-and-a-half months ago he started going out with a young woman named Emma. They appeared to hit it off right away and looked like they had a lot of fun with one another.

The Hazardous and Excessive Drinking Begins

When Russ met Emma, he rarely drank. This situation changed when Russ and Emma began dating on a fairly usual basis. In actual fact, everything was going fine until Emma called Russ one night nearly 4 AM and said that she had to breakup and that she couldn’t explain the reason at that moment.

The next morning before he went to work, Russ went to her apartment and found out almost immediately that she had already moved out. Russ took this exceptionally hard. In truth, he was bewildered because they appeared to be getting along so well.

When Irresponsible and Hazardous Drinking Leads to Work Problems

So what did Russ do? Rather than working through his pain and sorrow, he began getting intoxicated just about every night. It didn’t take long for his buddies at work or for his boss to notice that Russ was coming to work late at least three times per week and that he routinely called off ill. Moreover, some of the workers made an appointment with staff in Human Resources and stated that Russ frequently came to work with a noticeable smell of alcohol on his breath or on his clothes.

Russ’s supervisor heard about all of this from Human Resources and also from Russ’s fellow employees. So one Tuesday afternoon he invited Russ into his office. He told Russ that he had recently noticed an explicit change in his sick time, attendance, behavior, and in his work performance.

When a Manager Can Encourage an Employee to Get Help For His or Her Excessive Drinking

Russ’s supervisor also said that a number of his fellow employees reported him to Human Resources because he had been coming to work with the strong smell of alcohol. His manager then stated the following: “Russ, your fellow employees are not reporting you to Human Resources to get you into trouble or because they dislike you but instead because they are concerned about you. And I care too. I don’t want to meddle with your affairs, but it seems very clear that you are manifesting some of the characteristic signs and symptoms of a drinking problem. Consequently, I want you to go and see a healthcare practitioner in the employee’s assistance program to discuss your drinking circumstance.”

“Russ, I’m no healthcare professional or a psychiatrist, but I have seen several of my friends and relatives go through some extremely bad alcohol side effects. Furthermore, I have also experienced the signs of alcoholism first-hand in my own family. When individuals suffer from problems with drinking, these problems not only affect the drinker, but they also make an impact on his or her relatives, friends, neighbors, family, and co-workers.”

Russ admired his boss a lot and as a consequence followed through with his recommendation the very next day when he called and scheduled an appointment with a healthcare professional in the employee’s assistance program.

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

Although Russ didn’t necessarily feel any better or less depressed about the sadness he still feels for Emma, he felt comfort knowing that his supervisor and his fellow employees cared about him and wanted what’s best for him. This gave Russ some emotional relief for the first time in a number of weeks and he honestly felt some hope that he would get his life back on track.

It took more than a few years but Emily eventually determined that she had enough with her husband’s hazardous and excessive drinking. She was sick of seeing Barry come home early in the morning from drinking instead of spending quality time with the family. She was also weary from the third DUI Barry recently got. Furthermore she was tired of making explanations for her husband when he couldn’t make it to work on a regular basis due to his problems with drinking. Not only this but she was worried about the fact that their relationship was getting worse due to Barry’s hazardous and careless drinking. And finally she was exhausted from the perilous financial dilemma into which he had put his family due to his abusive and hazardous drinking behavior.

When Irresponsible and Hazardous Drinking Motivates a Person to do Something Productive About an Individual’s Problem Drinking

One evening when Emily was reflecting on what she could do about her husband’s abusive drinking, she got to the point that she honestly had to do something positive to cut into the destructive cycle of Barry’s abusive drinking behavior.

So she looked in the yellow pages under “alcohol rehab” and discovered several rehabilitation facilities that were all located less than ten miles away from where she and her husband resided.

Since she didn’t know much at all about these rehab facilities, she eventually made up her mind that she needed to call some of them and ask some pertinent questions. When she called each rehab facility she introduced herself and articulated that Barry, her spouse, was manifesting unhealthy drinking behavior. She also articulated that her husband had an excellent health insurance program at his job and that outpatient or residential alcoholism treatment would be covered if a physician in the company health program initiated the rehabilitation.

At one treatment facility, Emily was shocked that she was able to communicate directly with a doctor who asked her to come to the treatment center to talk about her husband’s abusive and careless drinking behavior in more detail.

Emily Talks to a Healthcare Practitioner About Her Husband’s Abusive and Excessive Drinking

When Emily arrived at the rehab center, she filled out some necessary paperwork and then after about ten or fifteen minutes got to see a therapist.

After listening to Emily go over her husband’s unhealthy and abusive drinking, the physician in a compassionate but firm manner told Emily how she may have played a role in her spouse’s hazardous drinking through the months and the years by making excuses for him rather than allowing him to go through the outcomes of his abusive and unhealthy drinking behavior.

Emily Discovers She Has Been Enabling Her Husband’s Irresponsible and Hazardous Drinking

Stated differently, the physician stated to Emily that she may have been accidentally enabling Barry’s careless and hazardous drinking behavior. The psychologist also emphasized the fact that even though Emily could not control her husband’s actions, with the guidance and encouragement of the rehab team at the rehabilitation clinic she would not only be able to learn how to abstain from contributing to Barry’s abusive and excessive drinking but she could also learn how to encourage him to make an appointment at the rehabilitation center so that he could go over his excessive and unhealthy drinking behavior with a healthcare professional.

The good news was that after Emily discussed this with her husband, and he saw that she was not joking, Barry told her that he had been very alarmed by his unhealthy and abusive drinking behavior and that he was quite relieved to learn that Emily wanted to do something affirmative about his abusive drinking behavior. Consequently, he scheduled an appointment to see a healthcare professional at the local alcohol rehabilitation facility.

Barry Agrees to Meet With a Healthcare Practitioner About His Excessive and Irresponsible Drinking

While simply calling a rehabilitation center does not mean that an individual’s negative drinking behavior will end or that one’s warning signs of alcoholism or the alcohol abuse signs one displays will simply go away, making an appointment is undoubtedly a required step in the treatment process. And due to the fact that Barry was serious about getting quality help for his negative drinking, the likelihood of a successful recovery was considerably enhanced.