Alcohol Help

Everyone that abuses alcohol should acquire the knowledge that is necessary to quit the habit and destructive behavior. They should be informed that alcohol is the contributing factor to their addiction. However, when a person is deep into alcohol abuse, they are not open to hearing anything positive. They just want to get the next drink in the same way a drug addict years for the next fix.

A lot of individuals that abuse alcohol are not aware of the damage that this can cause them physically, mentally and spiritually. However, a Christian alcohol rehab program can help the individual to experience sober recovery for alcohol abuse if they seek that kind of assistance, which will provide them with spiritual therapy and counseling as well as other services.

An alcoholic develops the addictive behavior due to different reasons and these tendencies were not developed overnight, but may have stemmed from a variety of issues experienced earlier in life.

If someone lives in a home that is plague with alcohol abuse during childhood, it can affect them adversely later in life. There are many people that grew up with alcoholic parents or in an alcoholic environment and still do not go on to abusing alcohol. However, there are many that do not have that type of discipline and control that others do and go on to abusing alcohol because of how they grew up.

Alcoholics are usually emotionally and spiritually affected when they become addicts. The physical ramification of the abuse of alcohol is also a tell tale factor when the body starts to experience cirrhosis of the liver, cancer and other diseases.

Most alcohol addicts crave attention and love. These are the people that have low self esteem and no self confidence. Alcohol helps them to cope better; at least, this is what they think. It is the lack of attention and love that sometimes drive them into over using alcohol and becoming abusive drinkers. Even though, it is a choice for them to drink or not to drink, they find it hard to control the urge and usually ending up with a bottle in their hand.

After going through treatment, a lot of alcoholics find it hard to remain sober. Their sober recovery for alcohol may have been administered in a faith based rehab program or other treatment. However, if they did not receive the right tools and resources to help them after the program, they will soon relapse especially if they are hanging around with the same friends.

Taking the first step to overcoming alcoholism is one of the most difficult things for an alcoholic. They find it hard to relinquish the habit and are oftentimes in denial for years until they hit rock bottom and lose everything that they ever had.

It is not until bad health, losing a loved one to DUI or some other traumatic event happening that an alcoholic will make the drastic change of seeking help. It is at that crossroads that they will seek a higher power and so a Christian alcohol rehab program will seem appropriate to them at that time.

Transformations

Alcohol addiction among teenagers is a growing problem. Right now, it is a possibility that over 300 million teens may have problems with addiction to alcohol.

A teen may take his or her first drink at as young as 12 years of age. The main causes of teen drinking are peer pressure, little communication between a teen and parent, and not enough supervision by a parent. Problems within a family, including too severe discipline, or inconsistency in discipline can also contribute to teen drinking.

Family history also plays a part in teen drinking. If a family member has a problem with alcohol or drug abuse, then the risk that a teen will start drinking is increased. Sometimes, that first drink is all that is needed to start the cycle of teen alcohol abuse. This is especially serious because a teenager’s body is still growing and undergoing changes.

Alcohol abuse by teenagers can affect the body in a number of ways. Memory is affected, causing teens to not only forget what they have learned, but to have problems retaining new information and skills. The risk of suffering from depression is increased, particularly in teenage girls.

The teen’s body must metabolize the alcohol in the same way as for an adult; however, because a teen has not yet reached adulthood, the effects on internal organs may be more severe. Lower body weight and mass may also increase the risk of a teen suffering from alcohol poisoning.

And, then there are the dangers associated with teenage drinking. These include, but are certainly not limited to, being seriously injured or killed in an automobile accident that occurred as a result of drinking and driving as well as the consequences suffered from poor judgment and decision-making.

Drinking can lead a teenage girl to engage in indiscriminate sex, often without giving any thought to protection. This in turn can lead to teen pregnancy, which brings its own set of complications. Women who drink during pregnancy run the risk of giving birth to a child who is suffering from fetal alcohol syndrome-a condition that can cause both physical and mental defects.

Unprotected sex also leads to the possibility of the girl contracting a sexual transmitted infection (STI) or a sexually transmitted disease (STD). And, some of these, such as HIV, AIDS, and Hepatitis C, can truly be considered “real killers”.

No state is immune from the problem of teenage drinking. This includes Nevada; however, alcohol addiction in Nevada is being addressed through the available of treatment centers.

Many of these centers offer all-inclusive treatment. It begins with the detoxification process, a very unpleasant but altogether necessary step. Some centers, however, do give prescription medication which will decrease the length of time and the severity of the withdrawal period. Some discomfort will still be felt, but the recovering teen may find it easier to face with the medical intervention. When withdrawal is drug assisted, the ten usually enters an in-patient facility.

Alcohol Addiction and Substance Abuse

There are many types of alcohol addiction treatment. These include extended stays in treatment facilities (inpatient treatment), receiving treatment as an outpatient, and attending regular support group meetings, such as Alcoholics Anonymous.

Many alcohol addiction treatment programs ask that a minimum of 28 days be devoted to inpatient treatment. Some programs may offer longer stays, while others may use a combination of inpatient treatment and outpatient follow-up and support.

Alcohol Addiction treatment centers are available in every State. Some offer treatment for specific addictions, such as alcoholism, while others offer programs for many different addictions.

Alcohol intervention programs provide help in treating alcohol abuse and treatment. If you know someone who is has alcohol addiction, you don’t have to concern yourself with planning an intervention yourself and hoping it helps. Texas offers intervention programs whereby a person who is specially trained in alcohol intervention, called an interventionist will help you with this process.

Additionally, an interventionist can provide information on the alcohol treatment programs and options that are available, where they are located, and how the programs work. For instance, Texas offers treatment programs which include detoxification procedures, inpatient programs of 30 days’ duration, and 60-day or longer residential treatment programs.

The help does not end there, however. Outpatient counseling and follow-up contacts are also part of the treatment process.

Well over 50 cities in Texas offer these types of alcohol treatment programs. These include the cities in and around the Fort Hood area, as well as those close to the larger cities such as Dallas. Coastal residents can find locations in or near Saint Padres Island, and residents near the Texas/Mexican border can find help in San Antonio.

Alcohol intervention programs may be public or private. Private programs may be more expensive, but many people will pay the extra amount in order to maintain anonymity and discretion. Others take advantage of the public programs.

Alcohol Addiction treatment in Oklahoma is also available. Intervention programs help those who have alcohol-related problems learn to live a life of sobriety. Further, those who operate these programs pride themselves on their follow-up and support aspects, because they know how important that is to continued success.

Addiction Recovery

New powers to tackle underage drinking, including making it easier for police to confiscate alcohol, move on groups of teenagers causing trouble and stop retailers selling to underage children come into effect today.

The powers were introduced through the Policing and Crime Act, which received Royal Assent in November 2009, and can be used from today by police forces across England and Wales.

The powers are:

• confiscating alcohol from young people – by amending police powers to confiscate alcohol so that they no longer need to prove that the individual ‘intended’ to consume the alcohol;

• making it easier to move on groups of young people – by extending the police’s ability to issue ‘Directions to Leave’ so that they can be issued to people aged 10-15; and

• greater power to tackle persistent underage drinkers – by introducing a new offence for under-18s of persistently possessing alcohol in a public place.

• tackling those selling alcohol to children – by changing the offence of persistently selling alcohol to under 18s from three strikes within three months to two strikes in the same period;

Also coming into effect today are tough new powers for local councillors to tackle problem premises. In addition to the police and members of the public, local councillors will now also be able to call for a review to restrict or remove an alcohol retailer’s licence.

Home Office Minister Alan Campbell said:
"Alcohol-related violent crime is down by a third since 1997 but we are continuing to take action through a wide-ranging strategy of enforcement and education.

"The majority of young people are model citizens but there are a minority that are not. These powers will make it easier for police to take tough action against those groups whose behaviour can affect a whole community.

"Alongside this we are challenging young people’s attitudes about binge drinking. Our Know Your Limits campaign continues to make people think about how much they are drinking."

Schools Minister Vernon Coaker said:
"The powers coming in to force today support our work to delay the age at which young people start drinking alcohol. It is right that we give the police tough powers to crack down on the very small minority of young people who are causing problems in their communities.

"We are backing up this enforcement with prevention and support for young people, by providing them with activities and places to go to, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights, so they have positive alternatives to drinking.

"We are committed to helping families work together to build safe and sensible relationships with alcohol, however for the minority of young people still looking to purchase alcohol, these powers give police the ability to take swift action."”

ACPO lead on licensing Commander Simon O’Brien said:
"The Police Service welcomes these new measures to combat the problem of underage drinkers and those supplying alcohol to them.

"The ability to remove alcohol from underage drinkers and take action against those who, through vulnerability or lack of personal responsibility, regularly misbehave under the influence of alcohol will assist the police in dealing with the complexities of alcohol misuse and misbehaviour.“

The new powers are part of a wider government strategy to tackle underage drinking and associated crime and disorder which was set out in the Youth Alcohol Action Plan, published in 2008.

Home Office

More than half of drinkers think only binge drinking harms their health

A new campaign backed by major health charities will warn drinkers of the unseen health damage caused by regularly drinking more than the NHS advises.

The £6 million Government funded campaign shows the damage that is being done to drinkers’ organs while they are drinking in a pub or at home.

This is being launched by Public Health Minister, Gillian Merron today and is part of the cross-Government strategy to tackle the harms that alcohol causes.

The Department of Health has developed the campaign in association with Cancer Research UK, the British Heart Foundation and the Stroke Association to create the series of stark TV, press and outdoor adverts showing the harm that regularly drinking more than two large drinks a day can cause.

A new YouGov poll launched to coincide with the campaign shows that more than half (55%) of English drinkers misguidedly believe that alcohol only damages your health if you regularly get drunk or binge drink.

The survey of over 2,000 adults also found that 83% of those who regularly drink more than the NHS recommended limits of 2-3 units a day for women (about two small glasses of wine) and 3-4 units a day for men (about two pints of lager) don’t think their drinking is putting their long-term health at risk.

With 10 million adults in England estimated to be drinking above the recommended limits, this is equivalent to around 8.3 million people potentially unaware of the damage their drinking could be causing.

Although 86% of drinkers surveyed knew that drinking alcohol is related to liver disease, far fewer realised it is also linked with breast cancer (7%), throat cancer (25%), mouth cancer (28%), stroke (37%) and heart disease (56%), along with other serious conditions.

Scientific evidence shows:

· you could be three times more likely to have a stroke and three times more likely to get mouth cancer if you’re a man regularly drinking more than two pints of strong lager a day; and

· you are 50% more likely to get breast cancer and twice as likely to have high blood pressure, which could lead to a stroke or a heart attack, if you’re a woman regularly drinking two large glasses of wine or more a day.

Public Health Minister, Gillian Merron said:

“Many of us enjoy a drink – drinking sensibly isn’t a problem. But, if you’re regularly drinking more than the NHS recommended limits, you’re more likely to get cancer, have a stroke or have a heart attack.

“With alcohol misuse damaging so many people’s health and lives, the Government has teamed up with Cancer Research UK, the British Heart Foundation and the Stroke Association to produce this straight talking campaign. It’s important to show drinkers the unseen damage alcohol can do to their body.”

Professor Sir Liam Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer for England:

“Over a quarter of the population regularly drink above the Government’s recommended daily limits, with over two and half million adults regularly drinking above the higher-risk levels, putting their health at risk of serious diseases and conditions. It is important people realise the harm they, unknowingly, can cause to their health by regularly drinking more than the recommended daily limits.

“This campaign gives people the facts about the effect alcohol can have on their body and provides support for people who choose to drink less.”

Over 9,000 people in the UK die from alcohol-related causes each year. The World Health Organisation estimates that 20% of alcohol-related deaths are from cancer and 15% are from cardiovascular conditions such as heart disease and stroke, while 13% are from liver disease.

Joe Korner, Director of Communications for The Stroke Association said:

‘‘We are pleased to be involved in this campaign because it alerts people to the long term health risks of regular heavy drinking.

“Stroke is the biggest cause of severe adult disability and hits 150,000 people a year. So, it’s vital that people understand that women who persistently drink more than 3 units of alcohol a day and men who drink more then 4, are more likely to get high blood pressure, the single biggest risk factor for stroke.“

Dr. Mike Knapton, Associate Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation, said:

“While sensible drinking in moderation has been shown to offer some protection against heart disease, this should not be seen as a green light to start drinking.

“There are better ways to protect yourself from heart disease. The evidence is clear, regularly drinking above the recommended daily limits harms the heart as well as causing a host of other harmful effects.”

Sara Hiom, Cancer Research UK’s director of health information, said:

"We know from decades of research that alcohol can increase the risk of several cancers including cancers of the breast, bowel, liver, mouth, foodpipe, throat and voicebox.

“Scientists estimate that alcohol is responsible for around 9,000 cancer deaths every year in the UK.

“Our bodies convert alcohol into a toxic chemical called acetaldehyde which can lead to cancer by damaging DNA and stopping our cells from repairing this damage.

“Alcohol can also increase levels of oestrogen and unusually high levels of oestrogen can increase the risk of breast cancer. The simple message is that the more you drink the greater your cancer risk but the more you cut down the more you reduce that risk.”

The campaign website, www.nhs.uk/drinking launches on Monday 1 February and will feature interactive tools to arm people with the information they need to make healthier choices.

Department of Health

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) published its latest data on alcohol-related mortality rates in the UK.

Although there have been suggestions that the steady increase in alcohol-related deaths since the early 1990s was levelling out, the latest figures show alcohol related deaths in males to have increased in all age groups in 2008 compared with figures in 2007.

The rates of male death has more than doubled since the early 1990s with a steadier increase in the female death rates from alcohol-related causes.

The release of the ONS statistics coincides with the launch of the latest campaign from the Department of Health aimed at raising awareness of the unseen health harms caused by regular drinking of what many people mistakenly consider to be low level quantities.

The new campaign, specifically aimed at men and women between 25 and 55 who regularly drink what they consider to be low levels of alcohol, highlights the increased risks of developing serious conditions including cancers, heart disease and strokes. However, Alcohol Concern, has warned that education campaigns are insufficient, with greater evidence pointing towards a change in alcohol pricing as being a more effective way or reducing alcohol-related mortality.

Alcohol Concern’s Chief Executive Don Shenker said:

“As levels of consumption have increased over the last 10 to 15 years we have seen a huge rise in alcohol-related problems.

“These deaths and tragic and avoidable. They are all the more shocking by the government’s lack of action in tackling the cheap price of alcohol.

“There is a wealth of national and international evidence which shows that the cut-price booze, predominantly sold in supermarkets, is the main driver of increased drinking in the UK. Even the government’s Chief Medical Officer has recommended that minimum pricing should be introduced.

“We understand that such a measure would not be popular in an election year – but public health needs to come before politics.

“Evidence has shown that most people significantly underestimate the amount they drink [1] and this lack of awareness is storing up catastrophic health implications for the future.

“Alcohol Concern welcomes the launch of this new health campaign – but without tackling the issue of alcohol pricing we will continue to see mortality rates increase."

Alcohol Concern

One of many reasons that attendance at Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings helps people with alcohol use disorders stay sober appears to be alleviation of depression. A team of researchers has found that study participants who attended AA meetings more frequently had fewer symptoms of depression — along with less drinking — than did those with less AA participation.

"Our study is one of the first to examine the mechanisms underlying behavioral change with AA and to find that AA attendance alleviates depression symptoms," says study leader John F. Kelly, PhD, associate director of the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Center for Addiction Medicine. "Perhaps the social aspects of AA helps people feel better psychologically and emotionally as well as stop drinking."

The authors note that problems with mood regulation such as depression are common among people with alcohol problems — both preceding and being exacerbated by alcohol use. Although AA does not explicitly address depression, the program’s 12 steps and social fellowship are designed to support participants’ sense of well being. While mood problems often improve after several weeks of abstinence, that process may happen more quickly in AA participants. The current study was designed to investigate whether decreasing depression and enhancing psychological well-being help explain AA’s positive effects.

The researchers analyzed data from Project MATCH, a federally funded trial comparing three treatment approaches for alcohol use disorder in more than 1,700 participants. While participants in that study were randomly assigned to a specific treatment plan, all were able to attend AA meetings as well. Among the data gathered at several points during Project MATCH’s 15-month study period were participants’ alcohol consumption, the number of AA meetings attended, and recent symptoms of depression.

At the beginning of the study period, participants reported greater symptoms of depression than would be seen in the general public, which is typical among alcohol-dependent individuals. As the study proceeded, those participants who attended more AA meetings had significantly greater reductions in their depression symptoms, along with less frequent and less intensive drinking.

"Some critics of AA have claimed that the organization’s emphasis on ‘powerlessness’ against alcohol use and the need to work on ‘character defects’ cultivates a pessimistic world view, but this suggests the opposite is true," Kelly says. "AA is a complex social organization with many mechanisms of action that probably differ for different people and change over time. Most treatment programs refer patients to AA or similar 12-step groups, and now clinicians can tell patients that, along with supporting abstinence, attending meetings can help improve their mood. Who wouldn’t want that?"

Massachusetts General Hospital

Data released today by the NHS Information Centre highlights the worrying increase in the amount of alcohol consumed by young people around the country.

Despite variations between regions in the levels of alcohol consumption by 11-15s, what remains clear is that the quantities of alcohol consumed by young people who drink is increasing to the limit of what is considered be safe for adults.

Today’s regional breakdown shows that in the North East, young people who drink alcohol are consuming an average of 17.7 units each week – the highest levels in the country. While boys’ levels of consumption in this region is almost level with suggested limits for adult males, girls are drinking 15.5 units per week, well in excess of levels considered safe for adult females.

Commenting, Alcohol Concern Chief Executive Don Shenker said:

“Today’s figures are very worrying. We’ve seeing a slight decline in the number of children who drink, but those who do drink are drinking much more.

“Too many young people are now drinking at or above safe adult levels, yet their bodies are less able to cope with the harm alcohol can cause.

“We’ve already seen an almost one thousand per cent increase in liver cirrhosis deaths in the 25-44 age group. This is impacting our health services and the lives of families across the UK.

“Time and time again we hear from families that alcohol is too cheap and too easy for young people to get hold of. If the Government really wants to tackle alcohol misuse in this country, then it needs to get tough and follow the Chief Medical Officer’s recommendations for a minimum price for alcohol.”

Alcohol Concern

In a study published today, Marin Institute researchers concluded that alcohol-related harm is disproportionately worse depending on demographic factors such as race, ethnicity, age, and gender.

"The most striking results came from the race and ethnicity data," explained lead author Mandy Stahre, a PhD student at the University of Minnesota. "Hispanics have a significantly higher alcohol-attributable death rate from homicide than non-Hispanics. Moreover, while Whites and Blacks had similar numbers of traffic fatalities, the alcohol-related homicide rate for Blacks was five times higher than for Whites. This is disturbing because it’s similar to data from 20 years ago, indicating that not much progress has been made in reducing racial disparities from alcohol harm," she added.

The first study of its kind in more than 20 years, "Alcohol-related Deaths and Hospitalizations by Race, Gender, and Age in California" is published in The Open Epidemiology Journal, and is co-authored by Mandy Stahre and Michele Simon, research and policy director at Marin Institute.

For the under 21 population, the leading cause of alcohol-related death in California was homicide (263 cases), and the second leading cause was motor vehicle crashes (207). "California estimates are driven by high numbers of underage males who die from homicide," Stahre explained. "For California females under age 21, the leading cause of death mirrors the national culprit – alcohol-attributable motor-vehicle traffic crashes."

"Thanks to widely publicized media campaigns, sometimes funded by the alcohol industry, most people still associate alcohol problems only with drunk driving, but our study showed that the majority of alcohol-related deaths and hospitalizations were due to chronic illnesses such as liver disease," added co-author Michele Simon.

"The fact that African-Americans, Latinos, and youth are dying in disproportionate numbers from alcohol-related homicides is a wake-up call to California policymakers and the Governor," said Ruben Rodriguez, Executive Director of Pueblo Y Salud and Co-Director of the Los Angeles Coalition on Alcohol Policy (LA-CAP). "The alcohol industry’s ’drink responsibly’ campaigns are not enough. Big Alcohol should pay its fair share through higher alcohol mitigation fees for prevention programs to reduce the 10,000 annual alcohol-related deaths in California," he added.

Marin Institute