alcohol rehabilitation

There are addicts of all sorts all over. Now with the neoclassical definition that many are proposing it would seem that every single individual is an addict of some kind and it is only the level of addiction that varies. Addiction is a persistent on-going condition where the individual or animal would crave for a particular substance(s) or seek to repeat certain behavior(s) in order to satisfy a need(s). As is being proposed this in itself is not a problem until the individual becomes physiologically or psychological unstable when that need is not satisfied (then there is no more self-control).


It is this lost of control on the part of alcoholics and other addicts that affect every single aspect of society. First and foremost the individual is affected in a variety of ways depending on his addiction. There are those addictions that are not obvious to anyone and may remain hidden and kept secret from those close to you as well as the outside world for several years (in fact others will only know of it after you have confessed). Then there are addictions that are a little more obvious but only to those who are close to you (friends and family members) and can only be kept secret for so long. Then there are addictions that you could see from a mile way (so obvious it stinks). At every level, the individual and by extension society is affected in some way or another.

Individuals who through abuse of alcohol have become addicted are more than likely to undergo a personality change. This change of personality will definitely affect anyone who is close to them. Some alcohol addictions lead to indifference to matters and issues that were once of serious interest to the alcoholic (a college education may no longer be their top priority!). Work ethics and the sense of responsibility that an addicted person once had would no longer be upheld. Personal pride (being neat and well groomed has now taken a back seat) and self-esteem would suffer, leading to actions that are uncharacteristic of the individual.

All of these effects of alcoholism would then be spilled over into other areas of their lives. Lack of work ethics and the continuous deterioration of the quality of work they produce may lead to them eventually losing their jobs, which in turn affects the finance and well being of their family. Uncharacteristic behavior of the alcoholic could cause them to become abusive (whether it be physical, emotional or mental) to their spouse and children. There is the factor of risk-taking where their life and that of those around them become less important and they are likely to place themselves and others in life-threatening situations. Alcoholism in many cases, may lead to disassociation from friends and family members in an effort by the alcoholic to either hide his addiction or avoid criticism from others about his addiction.

Alcoholism that has lead to the addict withdrawing from close friends and in particular family members could have serious emotional effects. In many cases family members who are close to the alcoholic are completely taken aback after becoming aware of the addict’s problem. This may seem rather impossible as there are obvious indicators of smell and lack of coordination among other things that would indicate that someone has been under the influence. While this may be true and family members are aware of the signs of the individual being under the influence of alcohol; you often find that it is only late into the addiction that they become convinced that the individual is an alcoholic; as much effort is usually made by alcoholics to conceal their alcoholism from other individuals.

Then there is the abuse that close family members, in particular spouses and children, are likely to be subjected to. These are likely to have even longer lasting impact on the family. In many cases, after the alcoholism has been dealt with and treated, the scars from such abuse would remain as a thorn when trying to mend broken relationships. For many families involving alcoholism, the deal breaker is money. Some addictions may lead to job loss for the victims; and financial problems for their family. Studies have shown that many families under financial pressure can only hold on for so long before it all comes caving in. In some cases you may find that these very alcoholics, in order to sustain their habit, would initially deplete all of their own money (savings and joint-savings with spouse); and when that is done, try to do the same to other family members. With the alcoholic’s obvious indifference to such problems and the financial strain that would be created would result in unwanted consequences. This is likely to lead to delinquencies in meeting certain obligations such as mortgage payments and utilities, which would only serve to aggravate the family situation.

Alcohol abuse, like any other drug, also greatly increases the risk of individuals developing health problems. Complications with liver, kidneys and a whole lot of other vital body organs are a common side effect of alcoholism. This not only complicates the situation for the individual but the family at large, as limited financial resources are would have to used to remedy such ailments.

Even when there has been professed cases of overcoming alcoholism, the damage done prior to attaining that victory is usually so extensive and severe that many lives (in particular that of the individual and family members) would never be the same. Lifelong relationships may have become permanently severed and the alcoholic, for the most part, would have been left completely despondent and dejected after the ordeal. It may seem unfair to many victims of alcoholics and family members where addictions have brought total chaos and destruction that those alcoholics need their total love and support. It is true, alcoholics need every bit of their love ones that could be offered when recovering from alcoholism and even more so while they are still being controlled by it. So whenever possible be patient and loving towards those who need you most; even when it seems like that most difficult thing to do

If you feel that you drink too much, these steps may help you quit drinking.



1. Change your attitude about quitting! Remember, you're not being forced to give up a good friend who has treated you well. Instead, you are finally ridding yourself of an awful enemy who has robbed you of many great pleasures in life.
2. Constantly remind yourself of what a great thing you are doing and hold tightly to your quit. Remember that you are pardoning yourself from a life sentence in the prison of alcoholism and you will always hold the key.
3. Try to pick some significant date to quit. Be ambitious, but reasonable. If you are very heavy drinker you must first slow down to avoid withdraws (in this case it is best to have your doctor help you plan your quit date).
4. Get rid of all bottles, cans, etc.
5. Drink a lot of water.
6. Never take another sip.
7. Deny yourself nothing except the alcohol - You can have anything you want, as long as it's not alcohol (so long as you're not replacing the alcohol with another addiction).
8. Don't try to explain quitting or trying to quit to people -- if they themselves are not in this situation, they are unable to fathom what you're trying to do. Many people will try to enable you and convince you to drink so they can feel better about their own addiction.
9. Admit to yourself, and remember it, that there is absolutely nothing in your life more important than this one thing.
10. Do not avoid all situations where you would normally drink. Instead approach them with a good attitude and remember that you can have a good time without drinking.
11. Memorize a prayer, poem or something (i.e. Hamlet's speech "To be or not to be") to repeat to yourself when you are losing your mind; trying to remember it will keep your head together sometimes.
12. Give yourself a prize for every day or every hour that you haven't had a drink.
13. Find a support group. Either in person or on-line. Sometimes just reading other people's success stories is enough motivation. Here's a good online support group http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/
14. Talk to your doctor.
15. Remember steps 2, 5 and 6.
16. "He who conquers others is mighty. He who conquers himself is almighty."

Steps

1. Distract others from your breath. While it is hard to hide your alcohol breath, there are certain smells that override alcohol (even if you are bombed and still drunk). Halls cough drops (preferably the Menthol kind). Pop those babies like they are going out of style. They tend to override the smell but make sure they are in your mouth at all times. If anyone is suspicious just tell them you have a cold--- they will likely want to stay away from your breath anyway to avoid getting sick. With the cough drops in mind, put on heavy amounts of cologne (preferably the cheap stuff). You will stink, smell like you are cheap, people will think you are sick but most importantly--- it will mask your intoxication or alcohol breath.

1. Avoid mixing drinks. Find a drink you like, and stick with it. Its difficult to remove the smell from your breath if you've been drinking vodka, gin, beer, wine, and whiskey all night. And even if you do succeed at hiding the smell, you won't be able to hide the sound of your body crashing up or down the stairwell or hallway... and thats not good. Sticking with something clear in a mixed drink form would be the best thing, like vodka tonic or vodka cranberry. Whiskey and other colored alcohol tend to be very aromatic. Beer tends to make you burp and no matter how much gum or food you eat, if you're burping, traces of alcohol scent are bound to show up.
2. Eat aromatic foods. Foods that are strong in flavor and smell are always good, not to mention food has a sobering effect. Anything with garlic and or onion is effective, and spicy foods are a must also. If you can mix and match all three of these its a winning combo. Potato chips and peanut butter are also good. After eating extremely smelly food, have a few pieces of gum, and drink something with a little sugar and caffeine, like Coke, as to wash everything down and maybe help out your already intoxicated state. Then wait a few before going home.
3. Try coffee It is strongly scented and may help with the smell of alcohol.
4. Chew gum. Gum can be helpful, but can also hurt the process by showing that you're trying to hide your drinking by adding a strong minty or fruity smell to the alcohol on your breath, and sometimes can even intensify it. So, you will want to use gum in addition to the other steps. Always have some on you. The strong sugar-free dental gum is the best, with flavors like peppermint and "ice". The more burn, the better. There are products like "Breath Assure" that work from a stomach level which is good, but how many of us tend to have something like that stumbling home wasted after an all-nighter?
5. Brush your teeth. After eating aromatic food and chewing gum (there is no real order in which to take these steps) brush your teeth. Use mouthwash also, brands such as "Listerine" are highly reccomended. Tongue scrapers can be useful, though not as widely used as mouthwash.
6. Find a safe place to go. If you're in a situation where you are absolutely not allowed to drink, it would be best to try and crash at a friend's house or someone you know well to avoid all conflict. Drinking too much in general is highly discouraged if you've already been in trouble in the past, which is quite possible if you are reading this article. If you are under the age of 21 and trying to hide your problem from your parents, don't ruin your life. You have plenty of time to drink and party, now is the time to plan for your future so that when you are finally out on your own, you're not continuing a cycle of self-abuse and addiction. You don't want to end up pushing a shopping cart wearing headphones and talking to yourself.

Tips

* NOTE: Even if you stay the night somewhere else and wake up thinking your alcohol breath is gone, think again. Alcohol breath can last well into the next day depending on how much you consume. Ask a trusty friend to check your breath (not the one passed out with "divorce" written on his forehead in permanent marker) before going home.
* Don't over-do it. The more you drink, the harder it is to get rid of the smell, theres a point when alcohol begins to seep out of the pores.
* Learn how to drink. If you get in trouble for drinking, then there is obviously something wrong. Learn how to drink so you don't have to hide it, or don't drink at all.


Warnings

* Note: These suggestions will NOT work for a breathalyzer test. Never drive under the influence or think you can fool a cop with mouthwash and garlic pizza.
* Seek addiction help. If you are at the point where you have to hide the smell of alcohol on your breath, there may be a problem. Learn how to handle your drinks or seek the help of addiction programs like Alcoholics Anonymous, research online, or contact a doctor. If you have alcoholism/addiction in your family it is best to stay away from addictive substances.