Alcoholism has so many negative consequences for everyone that comes in contact with it, that it has ruined many people’s lives. Alcoholics themselves suffer from health problems such as liver disease and mental health issues. Loss of job, friends, and family create an emotional strain on the alcoholic. Financial problems may also be present.

Alcoholism also has profound effect on the family of the alcoholic, particularly the children. These little victims often go unnoticed or dismissed because they are young and “should be able to bounce back”. But studies show that the effects of a parent that is an alcoholic are often long-lasting, affecting even the adult life of the child.

Consequences for Children of Alcoholics

Depending on the age of the child of an alcoholic, there may be different problems that occur. Younger children may become confused about their home life and the role their parents and older siblings begin to assume in the family. Often, these kids are fearful, untrusting, and unable to emotionally connect with others, even into adulthood. If the child of an alcoholic is older, they may experience low self-esteem, depression, fear, and guilt that they are to blame. These older children may keep to themselves, or they may lash out and get into trouble at school. It is common for children of alcoholics to have problems in school, because of lack of motivation, difficulty relating to friends or teachers, and truancy. The stress at home causes kids to have difficulty concentrating and performing well in school.

Even with all the information that clearly shows the negative effects of alcoholism on children, some people still think their actions as an alcoholic have little impact on the lives of others. How many times haven’t we heard; “It’s my life, I can do what I want. I’m not hurting anyone else”? But lots of people do suffer, and children of alcoholics have to endure a particularly unstable childhood.

Physical and Emotional Abuse

The physical abuse that occurs in some alcoholic homes is the most obvious way many children of suffer, but it is not the only way. Emotional abuse and neglect are also very traumatic. So is living in fear, not having a parent they can rely on, or having to lie to cover up for a parent’s mistakes. These experiences all change who a person is, and it is not fair to the children in a family to allow alcoholism to continue.

This is such a far-reaching problem that there are many support groups for children of alcoholics or grown children of alcoholics. Anyone that has been adversely affected by a parent’s alcoholism should make use of these groups to help with healing.

It is important for anyone struggling with alcoholism to get help, but especially those that have children. These kids can still have a chance at a healthy life if they are given a more normal upbringing. Having a parent that they can depend on helps children grow up to be happy and healthy adults.

Sources

Alcoholism and Its Effect on the Family 

Childhood adversity can shorten lifespan

ChildLine Receives Number of Calls from Kids Reporting Parents’ Drinking Habits

’100 children a week’ call ChildLine about parents’ drink and drug abuse

In this economy, it is difficult enough for many people to keep their job, let alone trying to keep a job while fighting an addiction. Imagine how tough it is for the millions of people in our country doing just that. 80% of all alcohol abusers have either full or part-time jobs. 73% of illicit drug users are also employed, as well as many prescription drug addicts. We know there are a lot of people that abuse substances during work, and many more that come to work high, coming off a high, or hung over.

Functioning Addicts

Substance abuse really has a negative effect on our workforce’s productivity. Yet many addicts are able to keep their job. Despite absenteeism or lowered productivity at times, they hang on to their position, even in an economy where many others are desperate for work. Sometimes people are fired because of an addiction if their job performance slips, but statistics show that functioning drug addicts or alcoholics in the workplace are common.

Leaving Work to Get Help

The message is getting out there, however, that there is help for addiction, and substance abuse is now sometimes viewed as a chronic medical condition by employers. In general, an employer can’t fire someone for having an addiction problem, especially if they are seeking treatment. EAPs are set up to help employees that want help for a substance abuse problem. But, of course, if the employee is absent or late for work, or slacks off on their performance, they are going to have a hard time hanging on to that job.

An employee that needs time off to get treatment must generally be permitted to do so. It is often difficult, however, for employers to sift through what they are legally obligated to permit when it comes to an employee with an addiction. Therefore, someone that is looking for treatment should first of all know their rights as an employee, and secondly, do the best they can at their job in order to avoid creating a cause for termination.

Working after Sobriety

We know that staying employed and keeping busy during or after recovery is usually beneficial. It helps keep a patient motivated and busy, and the structure a job provides is often helpful. But keeping or getting a job after treatment is not easy. An employer usually has many qualified applicants to choose from, and going with the one with the addiction would be taking a huge chance that they are able to stay sober.

Recovering addicts should use all the resources available to them to get treatment and to hang on to a job. There are laws and programs designed to help people that are newly sober that are looking to enter the workforce again. During or after treatment, a patient looking for work may be able to enter the workforce through connections at the treatment facility. From the beginning, EAPs should be considered and made use of, and employee’s legal rights should be reviewed, in order to give the newly sober individual the best chance at success.

Sources

$3.6 million grant awarded to study decisions of drug users

Tough economy poses challenge for addicts

Can depression hurt an economy?

Interventions used to always be very secretive, with the alcoholic being caught off guard by their well-meaning family. Newer practices, however, include enlisting the input of the alcoholic and making them a part of the intervention process.

The Importance of an Intervention

Interventions are sensitive procedures, and most people avoid them whenever possible. But there are times when interventions are necessary and they become the tool needed to get a loved one to accept help for an addiction. Because an intervention can be a family’s last resort, it is important that it is done correctly. Always get the help of a trained professional to ensure the proper steps are taken before, during, and after an intervention.

Benefits of a Systemic Family Intervention

It might not be what we would expect, but it is often in the alcoholic’s best interest to let them know you are organizing an intervention, and invite them to come and hear what people have to say to them. This newer type of intervention is called a Systemic Family Intervention, and it helps avoid embarrassment and shame on the part of the alcoholic. An alcoholic that is surprised by an intervention may feel pressured to go along with the family and tell them what they want to hear. In these cases, the family will think they’ve gotten through, but the alcoholic may have no intention of entering treatment and my go right back to their ways.

A surprise intervention can also cause the alcoholic to feel they don’t have any control in the situation, and that can be scary. We all like to have a say in what happens to us, and to suddenly hear from others what our problem is and how we need to fix it can be intimidating and cause us to resist.

An open family intervention allows loved ones to approach the alcoholic first and let them know they are concerned. The professional interventionist can help with all the communication to help the alcoholic see the importance of meeting with their family in this way. During the process of intervention, the counselor will keep the tone from becoming confrontational, so that family members can say what they need to without causing barriers to go up.

A controlled and directed intervention can help an alcoholic see the hurt their family is in, and that they need help, but also that the family cares about them and will stand together. Of course, the desired end result is that the alcoholic gets help for their addiction. This too is a process, but with the right help the entire family will be able to get the help they need to start functioning again.

Sources

Systemic Intervention Associates

Family Intervention Alcoholism

Alcohol and Drug Abuse Hurts Everyone in the Family

Al-anon

“So you don’t think you have a drinking problem? Prove it.” How many times have we felt like saying this to someone? How many people should have said this to us? During the remainder of the summer, we’d like to issue a challenge: Stop drinking so much.

Too Much Drinking

Our society has glamorized alcohol to the point that many people consider it normal to consume large amounts of alcohol. But our society would be better off if we all drank less. We’d reduce the number of alcohol-related accidents or injuries, reduce the incidence of alcoholism, improve our health, and save a lot of money along the way.

People that abuse alcohol don’t often think about their drinking as a problem. The challenge to stop drinking so much will help determine who has a dependency problem and who doesn’t. If we ask everyone to stop drinking for 90 days and see what happens, we’ll find that those that do not have an alcohol abuse problem will be able to do this; the rest will struggle and fail. Someone that is dependent on alcohol will not be able to go even a day without it, and needs medical help to detox from it. These people should go through therapy and support sessions to learn how to abstain from alcohol altogether. For those that aren’t addicted, let’s just start with drinking less, because alcohol abuse is also a problem. If we cut down on the number of drinks we have each day, or every week, we can gain some control over our behaviors and tendencies.

Tips to Reduce Drinking

To drink less, first keep track of how much you actually drink. You might be surprised at the amount you consume. The healthy normal is 1 drink daily for women and 2 for men. If you are consuming much more than this, seriously consider cutting back.

Set a goal, and spell out your reasons for that goal. You know why you should drink less – maybe it’s to improve the relationship with a family member, or to improve your health, or to take charge of your life. If you do plan to drink, don’t let it be more than one or two drinks per day. And set aside some days to not drink at all. Knowing that you can accomplish this will be empowering.

To keep yourself on track, empty out your alcohol cabinet at home. Keep only a few drinks in the house in order to avoid temptation.

Slow down your drinking. Start with a glass of water, and then take your time with the alcohol.

Replace drinking with positive activities. Get involved with a community group, take up a hobby, or go to the gym. Surround yourself with friends that won’t pressure you to drink.

There is much more to life than alcohol. Too often we forget about what’s really important and focus only on having a good time or relieving stress. This summer, make it a goal to drink less alcohol. Encourage friends to do the same. If you find you are not able to control your drinking, get help.

Sources

Alcohol intake of friends, family impact your drinking habit

Drink too much? How to tell

SAMHSA

We would save ourselves a lot of trouble and hassle if we could find ways to manage stress and busy days in ways other than drinking alcohol. Our natural reaction to bad news, busy weeks, or hard days is often to have a drink. We seem to think that alcohol soothes the mind, or medicates our nerves, or maybe that it is our reward after enduring something negative. But we forget about how alcohol makes us feel the morning after, and how much time and money we actually waste on this substance that usually causes more harm than good. So maybe the next time we experience hardship, we shouldn’t reach for the alcohol. Maybe we shouldn’t make so many jokes about how a mom is really going to need a drink after that long day with the kids. Maybe we shouldn’t encourage co-workers to come out to the bar to drink their stresses from the day away.

There are many more effective things to do to relieve stress or to make ourselves really feel better. Sometimes just starting one of these activities will be enough to take our mind off of drinking. There really is so much more to life, and rewarding ourselves too quickly with alcohol takes away from these other experiences we could be having. The next time you feel pressured or entitled to drink your troubles away, try one of these activities first:

Go for a long walk

Visit a museum or the zoo

Go for a swim

See a movie

Take a class on languages or art

Get some coffee at your favorite coffee shop

Learn to play an instrument

Attend a play at a local high school

Take in a recital

Walk around the mall

Read a book

Play a game

Plant a flower or tree

Volunteer at a local food bank or shelter

Write a letter to a far away relative

Organize your photos

Call an old friend

Make a meal from scratch

Organize a baseball or volleyball game with friends or co-workers

Clean out a closet at home

Take a bath

Repaint a room in your home

Look through old yearbooks

Start a new hobby

Study the history of your town

Visit the Humane Society

Paint a picture

Go to the library

Ride a bike

Have a picnic

Plan your dream vacation

Sources

10 Steps to Stop Drinking Alcohol

NIH.gov

Things to do instead of drinking alcohol

One thing that we have all learned to do is to cope with our problems, but we don’t all handle them the same way. Some people express their anxiety or get help from others right away. Others bottle up their feelings and continue pushing on until they burst. Many of us, however, do a pretty good job of feeling sorry for ourselves and allow ourselves a little bit of pleasure to make up for the hard times. That’s where substance abuse, especially alcohol abuse, can often start.

Using Alcohol to Cope

For example, a working mom has had a long day at the office; she comes home to wild and disobedient children, a messy house, and no idea of what to have for dinner. Wouldn’t we almost expect one of the first things she does when she has a second to herself is grab a glass of wine or something to help her relax? Or a police officer, after a long shift filled with stress, may crack open a couple of beers the moment he gets home.

We see this all the time, we expect it of each other, and we joke about it, but is this kind of drinking really healthy? The problem is that we as a society often feel entitled to make ourselves happy. True, the pursuit of happiness is one of our rights, but this world is full of difficulties, and some of the ways we compensate for them are not actually going to make us truly happy anyway.

Say a close loved one dies. No one would think twice about the grieving family spending a little extra time out at the bar. We lose our job; again it’s expected that some alcohol will be consumed. Long days at work equal some wine or a drink at home, and don’t we think all stay-at-home moms get to drink in the evenings as a reward for their tough day?

Unhealthy Habits

If we continue in this way of thinking, we risk driving ourselves to alcoholism. Sure, it might still seem ok to reward ourselves for big accomplishments, or to comfort ourselves with alcohol. And sometimes drinking like this doesn’t cause any harm at all. But after a while, we start to use anything as an excuse to drink, and the combination of this self-medicating attitude, as well as the alcohol that our body is beginning to tolerate, can cause us to become addicted. After a while any excuse will do: I just had an argument with my sister, my neighbors are jerks, my cable went out, or even, I’m tired of doing the laundry; I get a drink.

Too many people have started out drinking at times like these and then gotten so caught up in the drinking that they became dependent on it. But the ironic thing is that drinking alcohol doesn’t fix our problems, it adds to them. If we drink too much, we wake up the next morning dragging our feet and unable to take on new challenges effectively. And if we are led to alcoholism because of it, that brings on its own set of troubles.

Sources

LAPD officers questioned in gunshots outside restaurant

Alcohol Alert

Drinking Alcohol To Relieve
Stress…A Dangerous Choice

Maybe after hearing about Alcohol Awareness for a whole month, you’re ready to do something about the alcoholism in our country. To take some action. Sometimes the problems of drug abuse and alcoholism in the world are overwhelming, and we may not feel qualified to do anything about it. But the good news is that there are things we can do that will make a difference.

Help Your Community

First of all, you can participate in Alcohol Awareness activities in our areas. Alcohol Awareness month is recognized nationally, and many state and local governments also observe it through events and activities. Parades, educational campaigns, activities for kids, rallies, and pledges are only some of the ways people choose to celebrate this month. More information can be found through your local chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous, or the state or federal health department. These organizations are usually looking for citizens to help out with their campaigns, or to help plan and host events. You can get involved with an annual program already established, or you can work with authorities, schools, churches, or community groups to plan your own event. It is important to get the word out about the dangers of alcohol abuse and alcoholism, to work on prevention techniques, and to connect individuals with treatment when necessary.

Help Your Loved Ones

Secondly, you can be aware of friends or loved ones that may be struggling with alcohol abuse or alcoholism. You aren’t helping anyone out if you turn the other way and ignore someone’s alcohol abuse. A good friend will take the time to have a positive conversation with someone about their drinking habits. You can lovingly tell your friend or family member that you are concerned about them, and offer to help in any way. Then you can encourage them to get treatment, and stand behind them as they work their way toward sobriety.

Help Yourself

Thirdly, you need to look at yourself and your drinking habits. It’s not normal to need a drink every day, or to binge drink occasionally. It is dangerous to drink and drive, or to get involved with risky trends while drinking. Drinking can impair judgment and it can cause people to do things they normally wouldn’t do. It may cause you to lose your temper with your spouse or children or hurt the people that you love. Alcohol can cause you to feel depressed and can mess with your thoughts and emotions. While drinking in moderation is a fine past time for many, for others, alcohol is a toxin that poisons their behavior and life, causing terrible side effects. If you’ve been abusing alcohol, now is the time to come clean. You may not be able to help every person you encounter that abuses alcohol, but you can help yourself. Get treatment today and start planning for a better future.

 Sources

Activities for Colleges

SAMHSA

Alcoholics Anonymous

As we’ve talked this whole month, there are many people in our country that abuse alcohol. There are an estimated 14 million alcoholics or alcohol abusers in the United States. But let’s not be so blind to our own actions that we see the alcohol problems around us and forget to look at ourselves. This week, let’s take a long, hard look at our alcohol tendencies, and find out if there is something we need to take care of in our own lives. The questions below will help us determine whether or not we have a drinking problem. For more questions like these, see the Michigan Alcohol Screening Test.

1. Do I have a hard time stopping after 1 or 2 drinks? The recommended guidelines are 2 drinks per day for men and 1 per day for women. Someone who binge drinks is abusing alcohol and putting themselves at risk.

2. Can I go one day without a drink? Alcoholics are dependent on alcohol; therefore they cannot go a day without alcohol or they will suffer serious withdrawal symptoms.

3. Do I drink when lonely, upset, or stressed? Self-medicating with alcohol is a sign of instability, and can lead to alcoholism, depression, and other mental health problems.

4. Do I feel the need to hide my drinking habits? When we know we are abusing alcohol, we may want to keep loved ones from finding out. We may tend to withdraw from people that will look down on our behavior.

5. Do I ever lose consciousness or blackout when drinking? Drinking large amounts of alcohol can cause blackouts as the alcohol effects the body.

6. Do I drink at improper times, or sneak alcohol in where not permitted? Someone that cannot go without alcohol will find ways to sneak it and consume it even when inappropriate.

7. Do I ever drink and drive? There were 17,000 traffic fatalities last year caused by people abusing alcohol.

8. Do family members or friends voice concern about my drinking? Sometimes we can’t see things clearly ourselves, but the concern of a loved one may be accurate.

9. Does my drinking interfere with work or family? As alcohol takes over a person’s life, other things don’t seem as important.

10. Do I think I have a drinking problem? Sometimes it is something we feel deep down and don’t acknowledge out loud.

If you have answered yes to any of these questions, you may have an alcohol problem. Both alcoholism and alcohol abuse are serious and can lead to a life of addiction, or cause injury or death. If you have found that you are using alcohol in an unhealthy way, you may need help. Professionals are ready to give support, treatment, and counseling. Getting help early is the best way to succeed.

Sources

http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/FAQs/General-English/

Statistics on Alcoholics

http://www.treatmentsolutionsnetwork.com/addiction-assessment/assessment.php?n=3

We’ve talked a lot about Alcohol Awareness this month. We’ve challenged you to drink less, or to go a day without drinking. Whether the previous challenges or advice have been followed or not, there are times when we simply should not drink. This may be because of ethical or moral issues, or because of health or safety reasons, or because of the potential risk of alcoholism.

Moral Reasons

When prohibited. This one is just common sense. If you are not supposed to be drinking because you are too young, or because you are sitting in the nondrinking section of the baseball park, don’t. Don’t drink when you are at work and are on company time. Courtesy and common sense should tell us that we should wait until a more appropriate time for alcohol.

Around alcoholics. Some people question this one and may say we can do whatever we want, but wisdom helps us see the struggle we may cause by drinking around a recovering alcoholic. A supportive friend should be able to control themselves and not flaunt drinking in front of someone who has quit.

Health and Safety Reasons

When on medication. Many medications interact poorly with alcohol. You are asking for trouble in the form of mental or physical side effects if you combine the two.

When pregnant. Every year 40,000 babies are born with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Alcohol and pregnancy just don’t mix. Be responsible. Protect your baby. Don’t drink.

When responsible for others. Parents, babysitters, or caretakers should be responsible enough to not drink when they are caring for others. Too much alcohol means skewed judgment, and too many children have been injured because an impaired adult abused them or allowed them to do something unsafe.

When driving. The most common devastating effect of drinking is drunk driving. If you are going out to drink, don’t drive. Get a designated driver, take the bus, or walk. It’s not worth the risk to get behind the wheel, eve if you think you are ok.

Risk of Alcoholism

Family history. Someone with a family history of alcoholism may choose to never drink. These people should at least be very careful about what and how much they drink, to decrease the already high risk of alcoholism.

Addictive personality. Even if your father wasn’t an alcoholic, if you have an addictive personality, you will be more likely to develop alcoholism. Don’t even give it a chance; curb your drinking now.

Stressed out. Many addicts start out by drinking alcohol to relieve stress. This is dangerous behavior, because it can quickly become a crutch that the person keeps going back to, until finally, they are dependent on the alcohol.

Sources 

Energy Drink, Alcohol Not an Invigorating Mix

When not to drink

Why Shouldn’t I Drink?

Drinking Alcohol During Pregnancy

Does anyone really want to have to participate in an intervention with a family member? It’s usually a very hard thing for people to do, because we feel like we will upset the person, or make them feel bad, or drive a deeper wedge between us. Or maybe we are so frustrated and resentful of the person that we don’t even want to take the time to tell them that we do care about them. Many people think interventions are full of confrontation and accusations, with everyone in the family ganged up against the one. We’ve all envisioned them in our heads before – the time to let loose and tell the person how we really feel about them, how angry they make us, and what they need to do to make it better. It doesn’t really sound like fun.

But well-planned interventions are designed to be a benefit to both the alcoholic and their family. With the help of a professional, interventions can be organized, controlled, and enlightening.

Goal

The goal of an intervention is to help the alcoholic see the effects their drinking has on others, that they have a problems with alcohol, and that treatment is necessary. It should never be done to attack the person, or get them back. Blaming a person or making them feel bad is not a way to make ourselves feel better. Family therapy is designed to help family members that feel cheated or wronged by the alcoholism – it should not be handled at the intervention.

Getting it out in the Open

An intervention should bring together the close family and friends of the person that have been impacted by the person’s drinking, or that firmly believe it is in the person’s best interest to seek treatment. The professional that is coordinating the intervention may ask everyone to write down their feelings in a letter to the person, laying out concrete examples of why they feel the way they do. These letters may be read at the intervention, or they may help prepare the family members for speaking out at the intervention.

At the intervention, family members will have the chance to say what they’ve prepared and let the person know that they care about them and are concerned. The professional will be there to moderate and make sure things continue to move along without getting too caught up in finger pointing.

The result of the intervention will hopefully be that the alcoholic agrees to get help for their disease. The family should have treatment options lined up already, so once the person agrees to it, they can quickly be admitted to a facility that will give them the help and support they need to regain sobriety.

Sources

Intervention

Alcohol-Related Problems: Recognition and Intervention

How To Do an Intervention for an Alcoholic