About seven weeks ago I met a twenty-five-year-old woman named Rachael who is bipolar and who is also dependent on drugs and alcohol. I remember hearing that in such situations, a person needs to get treatment for both medical situations and that mental health issues and chemical dependency commonly take place in the same person. Additionally, I remember reading that a history of unhealthy and abusive drinking, drug addiction, and/or mental health concerns frequently take place in the same family.
Evidently, Rachael is so overwhelmed by both of her medical conditions and her relationship difficulties that she in essence has little or no reason to accomplish much of anything. What is particularly unfortunate about this is that earlier in her life, Rachael finished three-and-a-half-years of college. Rachael’s circumstance makes me wonder if she is an illustration of an individual who has to hit the bottom of the barrel before he or she gets alcohol and drug addiction treatment that leads to lasting sobriety.
The Need For a Physician She Trusts and a Rehab Regimen She Can Believe In
If I were in contact with Rachael I could suggest a number of websites and blogs that could possibly help her locate information about addiction and alcoholic behavior, pertinent chemical dependency information, facts about alcoholism and drugs, info about addiction symptoms and alcoholism warning signs, and relationship information. In my honest opinion, however, Rachael needs to locate a therapist she trusts and a treatment regimen she can believe in and follow over the long haul. I could be in error but it seems to me that Rachael more likely than not needs to acknowledge the fact that she cannot drink responsibly or abuse drugs if she wants to get sober, stay sober, and start on the path to long-term recovery.
I am aware that there are quite a few recently discovered physician-prescribed medications that can help Rachael through her withdrawal symptoms, through the alcohol and alcohol detox process, and help her avoid a drug or an alcohol relapse. Clearly it would be in Rachael’s best interests if she learned about these meds.
It is apparent that Rachael needs to acknowledge the fact that there is utterly nothing productive about excessive and careless drinking and chemical dependency and that engaging in one or both circumstances is the map to a premature death, shattered relationships, deteriorating health, legal problems, financial difficulties, and poor work and school performance.
The Relevance of Support Groups Like Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous
There are probably a lot of persons such as family members, other individuals, and friends who would want to help Rachael but she more likely than not would experience greater understanding from a recovery group such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous rather than listening to people who drink just a few times per year or who have never taken drugs.
When People Accomplish Things They Like and About Which They Are Dedicated
There’s a psychological attitude that affirms that individuals who do things they love and something about which they are passionate arrive at a fantastic place in life. Stated more specifically, when people do what they love, they hardly ever go through boredom or an uneventful life. If they involve themselves in something that is satisfying, moreover, they become more complete and experience more contentment and delight in life and in their relationships.
To me, this sounds diametrically opposed to a life that is centered in alcohol and drug addiction because such a lifestyle removes the contentment and joy that life has to offer.
Because Rachael doesn’t have the fortitude to succeed at doing much of anything in her life, it is apparent that she definitely needs some hope for a better existence. And the sad thing is that hope is almost everywhere around Rachael if she could only get to the point in life to get the counseling she requires for her manic depression and chemical dependency and remain in her treatment protocol.
More Meaningful Relationships, A Wonderful Life, Self Esteem, and Positive Change Are Possibilities
Rachael is simply too young to be crushed in life. She doesn’t realize this at the moment but if she can learn how to abstain from drugs and alcohol through alcohol and drug rehab and get the counseling she requires for her bipolar issue, she can redirect her life and start living with direction, passion, and with self-respect.
Stronger relationships, a meaningful life, self esteem, and positive change are certainly possibilities for Rachael if only she could get inspired to seek the medical rehab she needs, follow through with her treatment protocol, live her life in a drug and alcohol-free and healthy way, and acquire a more positive attitude about life.
Mail this postIt took several years but Emily at long last made up her mind that she had it with her husband’s hazardous and excessive drinking. She was exhausted from seeing Barry come home after midnight from drinking instead of spending time with the family. She was also sick of the second DUI Barry recently got. In addition she was sick and tired of generating excuses for her spouse when he couldn’t make it to work due to his problems with drinking. In a similar manner she was nervous about the fact that their relationship was crumbling due to Barry’s hazardous drinking. And lastly she was sick and tired of the insecure financial quandary into which he had placed his family because of his unhealthy and abusive drinking behavior.
When Irresponsible Drinking Inspires a Person to do Something Productive About an Individual’s Problem Drinking
One Friday evening when Emily was reflecting on what she could do about her husband’s unhealthy and abusive drinking, she got to the point that she frankly had to do something constructive to cut into the damaging cycle of Barry’s hazardous drinking behavior.
So she looked online under “alcohol rehab” and discovered more than a few rehab clinics that were all located less than 45 miles away from where she and her husband lived.
Because she didn’t know much at all about these rehab facilities, she finally determined that she needed to call some of them and ask some pertinent questions. When she called each treatment facility she introduced herself and stated that Barry, her spouse, was involved in hazardous and abusive drinking behavior. She also articulated that Barry, her spouse, had a top-rate health insurance program at his job and that residential or outpatient alcohol treatment would be covered if a doctor in the company health network initiated the rehab.
At one rehabilitation clinic, Emily was pleasantly surprised that she was able to speak directly with a healthcare professional who suggested that she come to the rehabilitation facility to discuss her husband’s abusive and unhealthy drinking behavior in more detail.
Emily Talks to a Psychologist About Her Husband’s Excessive and Abusive Drinking
When Emily arrived at the rehabilitation facility, she filled out some required forms and then after approximately five or ten minutes got to see a physician.
After listening to Emily go over her husband’s unhealthy and excessive drinking, the psychologist in a compassionate but resolute manner explained to Emily how she probably played a part in her spouse’s abusive drinking through the years by making excuses for him rather than letting him go through the outcomes of his hazardous drinking behavior.
Emily Discovers She Has Been Enabling Her Husband’s Excessive and Abusive Drinking
Stated another way, the physician stated to Emily that she may have been unintentionally enabling Barry’s hazardous drinking behavior. The physician also stressed the fact that while Emily would not be able to control her husband’s behavior, with the guidance and encouragement of the rehabilitation team at the healthcare clinic she would not only be able to learn how to avoid contributing to Barry’s hazardous drinking but she could also learn how to encourage him to make an appointment at the rehab facility so that he could go over his abusive and unhealthy drinking behavior with a doctor.
Fortunately after Emily discussed this with her husband, and he saw that she was serious, Barry told her that he had been extremely apprehensive about his abusive drinking behavior and that he was somewhat thankful to learn that Emily wanted to do something constructive about his abusive and unhealthy drinking behavior. As a result, he made an appointment to see a physician at the local alcohol rehabilitation clinic.
Barry Agrees to See a Healthcare Professional About His Hazardous and Careless Drinking
While simply calling a treatment clinic does not mean that a person’s unhealthy and abusive drinking behavior will end or that one’s warning signs of alcoholism or the alcohol abuse signs one manifests will simply fade away, calling for an appointment is without a doubt a compulsory component in the rehab process. And due to the fact that Barry was serious about getting rehab for his hazardous and abusive drinking, the likelihood of a successful recovery was greatly enhanced.
Mail this postSarah and Jerry have been married for six years. They wanted to have some excitement and fun before they decided to have some kids and so they deliberately constructed an extremely active social life.
The essential problem, however, is that very nearly everything they do with their family and friends has something to do with drinking. As an illustration, all of the parties with friends, family get-togethers, dinner engagements, happy hours, and sporting events they go to somehow include drinking.
Sarah and Jerry Start to Become Aware of Some Clear-Cut Alcohol Related Difficulties That are Associated With Their Irresponsible Drinking
If they were moderate drinkers, this wouldn’t be a major issue. Since they drink in an excessive manner, nonetheless, they are starting to notice some noticeable alcohol-related difficulties in their lives.
For instance, just three days ago Jerry was arrested for a third DWI and has been leaving early from work because of alcohol-related health issues. Not only this, but Jerry’s last two or three performance evaluations at the office have been less than creditable and he has started to fail to recall what he says or does while he drinks. Finally, Jerry has been having sleep-related problems and his family is starting to get nervous about his drinking situation.
Similar to Jerry’s situation, Sarah has been feeling disheartened with life in general and to deal with these feelings, she has been drinking more frequently than any time in the past six months. Moreover, Sarah has been experiencing more than a few migraine headaches and going through excruciating hangovers due to her drinking. Lastly, Sarah has been feeling much less active in the morning, she has been getting to work late virtually every Monday, and she has been receiving some unhelpful criticism from her family members, coworkers, friends, and relatives about her excessive drinking.
Watching the TV and Going Through the Channels and Finding A Special Documentary About the Signs of Alcohol Addiction
One Tuesday evening while watching TV, Sarah and Jerry went through the channels and found an interesting program about the signs of alcoholism.
This TV program was a real bombshell to Jerry and Sarah because some of the alcoholism signs that were emphasized gave them the impression that they were indubitably linked to quite a few of the alcohol-related drinking problems Jerry and Sarah had been going through.
An Honest Talk About Drinking Behavior Discloses Alcohol Related Financial, Legal, Health, Relationship, and Employment Problems
After watching the television program, Jerry and Sarah decided to have a frank chat about their drinking activities. They both concurred that most, if not all, of their social functions had something to do with drinking, that they were drinking in an excessive manner, and that as a married couple, they were starting to note alcohol related relationship, health, financial, employment, and legal problems for the first time in their lives.
With thoughts of the TV documentary still fresh in her mind, Sarah asked Jerry if some of the alcohol addiction signs they have been manifesting could mean that they are alcoholic or maybe becoming alcohol dependent. Jerry didn’t know the answer to Sarah’s inquiry and so he recommended that they make an appointment with one of the physicians at the local drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility to find out more about the gravity of their drinking issues.
Dealing With Your Drinking Problems Might Decrease Your Trepidation and Give You Some Quietude
Ironically, although their drinking behavior hadn’t yet changed, it was plain to see that Jerry and Sarah were at the very least concentrating on their drinking problems, they were enthusiastic about finding out more about their drinking situation, and they were interested in finding out how they could notably reduce or get rid of the alcohol-related problems that had started to worsen.
When Sarah and Jerry went to bed that evening, they decided that the next afternoon, Jerry would call and schedule an appointment for both of them at the substance abuse treatment facility located just West of the State Capital. After they promised one another that they would do whatever it takes to triumph over the drinking difficulties that had become apparent in their lives, they in point of fact had the most energizing night’s sleep they could recollect in the last month.
Just before she fell asleep, Sarah turned to Jerry and noted how painless it is to lessen one’s anxiety and in point of fact experience a sense of calm by coming to grips with one’s problems head-on and making up one’s mind to do something constructive about them.
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