One out of seven hospital beds is filled by a drinker

By admin | March 16, 2010

ONE in every seven hospital beds in the Lothians is taken up by a patient who is ill through alcohol abuse, it has emerged.
The statistic is the latest stark illustration of the rising cost of alcohol abuse to the NHS.

Included in the tens of thousands of people occupying beds in the ERI every year because of drink, are those with alcohol-related liver and heart problems as well as those whose binges end with them being hospitalised.

The figures, released through a parliamentary question from Lothians Conservative MSP Gavin Brown, show that last year there were at least 33,554 bed days blamed on drink. Those statistics are only provisional, and could still rise.

It is estimated there are around 240,000 total bed days across NHS Lothian for all patients, meaning that 14 per cent could be avoided with sensible drinking.

Mr Brown said: “Alcohol misuse is increasingly becoming more and more of a drain on NHS Lothian resources and long term solutions are required to tackle the problem.

“What we require are plans that will tackle the blight that alcohol has on many, and today’s figures further highlight just how much work needs to be done. The number of acute bed days taken up by those aged over 60 are particularly shocking.

“While much of this will have to do with the accumulative effect of many years of drinking – this is further evidence, if any was needed, of why we need workable long-term solutions to tackle the blight of alcohol abuse across the Lothians so that it will put less of a strain on NHS Lothian resources.”

Over-60s took up by far the most bed days, with more than 16,000. Alarmingly, 185 “booze bed days” were for under-19s, while 831 were patients in their 20s.

The problem costs NHS Lothian more than £6 million a year, and undoubtedly has a knock-on effect on bed blocking and waiting lists.

Ross Finnie, the Liberal Democrats’ health spokesman, warned that even if people did start drinking less, there was a huge backlog of health problems waiting to emerge.

Citing recent data on liver disease in Scotland, he said: “Changing Scotland’s drinking culture was never going to happen overnight.

“But I’m pleased that long-term health campaigns are now beginning to pay off.

“The massive jump in chronic liver disease is a reminder that even if we do change the drinking habits of this and the next generation, we will still have to treat the thousands of Scots whose habits didn’t and won’t change quick enough.”

source: http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Topics: Alcohol, Alcohol Addiction | No Comments »

Reducing blood alcohol limit to 0.02 won’t stop car crashes, say experts

By admin | March 15, 2010

THE Queensland Government’s proposal to see the alcohol limit cut to 0.02 across Australia has been labelled as “nonsense” by alcohol and accident experts.

Motoring groups, police, accident research centres and hotelliers all rejected moves to slash the drink-driving limit outlined in a Queensland Government discussion paper released yesterday, arguing it would make little difference in reducing the number of accidents.

Transport Minister Rachel Nolan acknowledged not all ideas in the paper were feasible, and a 0.02 limit would have to be part of a national push.

“In the last week we have announced alcohol interlocks . . . the next step is the question of what should the blood alcohol limit be, which is a matter for broad community discussion,” she said.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says the proposal should be discussed by ministers across the country in a systematic manner.

“This is best deliberated on between the transport ministers of Australia - state and federal - together with the health ministers,” he said.

But experts rejected any move to reduce the limit saying the proposal was “draconian” and wasn’t backed by any evidence that accidents would be reduced.

Monash University’s Professor Max Cameron said a drop to 0.02 was “nonsense” when the major problem was drivers above 0.15.

“It’s absolutely watertight that there is no (accident) increase(s) in levels below .05,” Mr Cameron said.

The alcohol-crash expert said Queensland mirrored Victoria, where two-thirds of booze-related crashes involved drivers with blood alcohol readings of 0.15 or above, many of whom were repeat offenders.

Mr Cameron said impounding the cars of repeat drink-drivers was more effective than licence suspensions, which tempted offenders to hop back in their cars.

Motor Accident Commission spokesman Ben Tuffnell said if the Government decided to introduce the proposals, they might as well cut the legal limit to zero.

“One drink for one person may put them over the limit while another person will be fine,” Mr Tuffnell said.

He said 35 per cent of people who died in motor accidents last year had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05 per cent or higher.

RACQ spokesman Gary Fites said said lowering the alcohol limit would punish those who drank responsibly. A blood alcohol reading of 0.02 was “almost equivalent to zero”, he said.

“The risk of crash between 0.02 and 0.05 is absolutely minute compared with the exponential increase in risk when you get to 0.08 and above,” Mr Fites said.

Mr Fites said the RACQ supported examining other proposals in the discussion paper, such as impounding vehicles and abolishing work licences for serious offenders.

Queensland Opposition transport spokeswoman Fiona Simpson said more effort should be invested in penalising law breakers.

“My concern is you may have a lot of mums and dads who may have a beer or a glass of wine who may be criminalised if we move the limit down to 0.02,” she said.

Hotel owners said the proposed restriction was “draconian” and would have a considerable effect on the hospitality industry’s bottom line.

“Certainly this is going to have a significant impact on the business of pubs, hotels and restaurants,” Australian Hoteliers Association SA general manager Ian Horne said. “Not being able to have a single beer or a glass of wine over dinner without knowing if you’re over.”

Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers yesterday said more police officers on the street was the answer.

source: http://www.news.com.au

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Topics: Alcohol, Alcohol Addiction | No Comments »

Romancing Alcohol

By admin | March 13, 2010

I was all ready to write about Step Three this week because it is one of my favorites and I felt so inspired after my Monday meeting having heard so many thought-provoking shares. But something more timely came to my attention and I really wanted to share it with all of you.

Do any of you remember the movie “Sleeper” with Woody Allen? For those of you who are younger in years and have not, the basic premise is that Woody Allen is frozen and he wakes up years later. What I remember about the movie is that when he wakes, he finds that science has made these fantastic strides and had proven that chocolate and smoking are healthy and good for you. We laughed at the absurdity.

Today I have to wonder what is the purpose of some of the research done today and what kinds of messages are the results of research sending. One of the conclusions I have drawn is that I think that those of us who are alcoholics and/or addicts are far ahead of the average guy or gal in more ways than we may think. Without sounding righteous, we have learned very important lessons about alcohol and drugs that “normies” will never fully comprehend.

I’m going to start with an article that I saw online a couple of days ago. I can’t actually give you the link to the website because it isn’t something I am permitted to do in my articles but I will give you as much information as I can. It was in the Lifestyle section of MSN by David Granger and the title of the article is “Can 30 Days Without Drinking Make You Feel Better?” The subtitle is “Surprising answers from an excruciating experiment on alcohol-free sleep, cravings and happiness”.

For whatever reason this article made me crazy. I wish I could just give you the whole article but I’ll have to select “key” phrases like when you decide not to drink and you say to the bartender, “Club soda on ice, with a piece of lime.” “It’s a little embarrassing.” Embarrassing? Who the heck is this guy? He continues to go through how “difficult” it is not having a drink at 11:00 pm when you are watching TV; or the “times when having a drink would just make the situation better”. And to paraphrase, when you smell a drink and you are not drinking, you “realize the moment actually could be better”.

The author says that “Overall, the first eleven days are the worst” but then it does get better. There are some positives, he claims, for not drinking. “You have no trouble falling asleep…your mood is better; you feel more optimistic…at the end of a night, not to have to think about whether to drive home or not…you’re hungrier…and each of the positive effects gets a little more pronounced.” Bottom line to the article is that “the month teaches you that not drinking is an option. Just not an option that you will choose all that often.”

Perhaps this article bothered me because I don’t think he understands that the reasons he cited for drinking are, in fact, really reasons why many of us did drink and couldn’t stop. He may not be an alcoholic but he is drinking for the very same reasons; to relax, to fit in, to help sleep, etc. He calls 30 days of not drinking “excruciating”. I called it salvation. Mr. Garner states that “Without a drink in your hand, your doing nothing. You’re just sitting there. People will worry. With a drink at your side, though, you are doing something. You are having a drink.”

I’m grateful I don’t have to think that way anymore. I recognize that I felt that way at one time and the sad thing is, alcoholic or not, this is exactly the attitude of many people who drink. Pretty sad but perhaps a commentary on society today and what is a social norm.

So as I finished reading this article, the next is “Is Wine Good For Your Waistline?” Now I had just heard that on the news and basically it is this: “A new study finds women who drink moderate amounts of alcohol are less likely to gain a lot of excess weight through adulthood than non-drinkers.” This one really got me. They didn’t have to do a study that took time and money. All they had to do was go to the nearest Alcoholics Anonymous meeting place, interview a bunch of women who started drinking moderately and we would have told them, “yeah, I haven’t gained any weight and the more I drank the less weight I gained.” Who needs food when you can drink! Of course, add all of the latest research about the benefits of red wine and if moderate is beneficial, than more than moderate should be great and I should be as healthy as a horse! Of course, as each of these studies is published there usually is some sort of caveat that they are talking “only” about two-three drinks a day or whatever.

Lastly, and I only remember hearing this so I have no solid article behind these words, but the latest on marijuana is that it is harmful, addictive, and fries your brain (I know. Very unscientific). Well, ask the person sitting in AA or NA what got them in the room and many will tell you a combination of alcohol and weed. So what do we as alcoholic/addicts know that scientists in their infinite wisdom just can’t seem to understand?

So, my friends, this article is a bit tongue-in-cheek but it legitimately bothers me when something is printed that romances, promotes (even moderate use) and dignifies alcohol and/or drugs. Personally, I know where I stand and today with the grace of God I am sober. I hope if you are reading this, you can say the same about yourself. We can be grateful that when we do read about drugs and alcohol we are no longer part of the problem but helping those in need find the solution.

source: BellaOnline

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Topics: Alcohol, Alcohol Addiction | No Comments »

Binge drinking mums

By admin | March 12, 2010

Almost a thousand Scots babies are suffering from potentially fatal brain and organ damage because mothers are drinking too much in the early stages of pregnancy, research has revealed.

Many more babies in Scotland may also face a lifetime suffering from malformations or learning difficulties.

Researchers say the effects of excessive drinking on unborn babies are largely being ignored and the Alcohol Bill currently going through the Scottish Parliament needs to address this issue.

Avoidable

Women who binge drink in the first three months of pregnancy can cause Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) or the less obvious Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Researchers say both are completely incurable and entirely avoidable.

Dr Jonathan Sher, director of research, policy and programmes at Children in Scotland, said: “Foetal alcohol syndrome is the proverbial tip of the iceberg. It is easier to diagnose because the damage can be seen.

“Thousands more children, teenagers and adults across Scotland have suffered serious harm to their brains that is invisible, but continues to have a negative impact on their learning, behaviour, wellbeing and life chances.”

Damaged

The research, submitted to the House of Commons Health Committee, states: “A conservative estimate is that there are 900 children in Scotland who have FAS – and many times more children and young people who were damaged in more subtle, but still serious, ways by foetal alcohol exposure.”

Dr Brian Keighley, chairman of the British Medical Association in Scotland, said: “We need to raise awareness of the emerging evidence on FASD among healthcare professionals so that children are diagnosed quickly and get the help they need. The lack of awareness and research in the UK on this subject, together with the complexity of the syndrome itself is leading to delays in diagnosis and referral.

“Healthcare professionals also need to get the message across to expectant mothers that consuming alcohol can cause irreversible harm to their unborn child. It’s about giving people the right information so that they can act responsibly — and save children from completely preventable life-long disabilities.”

Shocking

Dr Richard Simpson, Scottish Labour Health spokesman, said: “The conclusions of this report are shocking. Children’s charities are absolutely right to highlight the impact of alcohol abuse on unborn children and raise awareness about the dangers of alcohol consumption in pregnancy.

“I believe that expectant mothers should be given much clearer advice, but we also need to deal with problem drinking at an earlier stage.

“The truth is that too many young women, and young men, are drinking excessively.”

The report comes as children’s charities in Scotland back Scottish Government plans for minimum pricing on alcohol.

Preventable

Forrester Cockburn, Emeritus Professor of Child Health at Glasgow University, told The Herald newspaper that far more children in Scotland are suffering from the syndrome “than were ever damaged by thalidomide”.

“The commonest preventable cause of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), autism and congenital heart disease is Foetal Alcohol Syndrome,” he said.

“You may see these conditions as a result of other problems but this is the one thing which is entirely preventable and young women should be made aware of that.

“For the first three months I would not recommend any drinking, but one or two units a week after that might be okay. This is nine months of a woman’s life whereas the outlook for the child is for life.”

Pricing

Prof Cockburn believes imposing a minimum price on alcohol and clearly labelling its harmful effects would help.

Dr Harry Burns, Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer, said recently that prenatal exposure to alcohol “is the leading cause of brain damage and developmental delay among children in industrialised countries”.

Last week a consortium of children’s charities in Scotland, including NSPCC’s ChildLine service in Scotland, urged the Government to put “children’s interests at the heart of alcohol policy”.

source: Christian Institute

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Topics: Alcohol, Alcohol Addiction | No Comments »

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)

By admin | March 11, 2010

Alcohol has been around for centuries, it has been used for many purposes, but mainly for enjoyment. It has been said, that beer even preceded bread as a staple. Alcohol can be enjoyed, there are wines that are exquisite and highly priced, and spirits painstakingly made for pleasure.

But alcohol, has also ruined many people’s lives. Alcoholism has also been around, for just about as long as alcohol itself.

Alcoholism, is normally when a person can no longer control their drinking, when trouble and alcohol seem to go hand in hand.
It often puts the user in very dangerous or unpleasant circumstances. And often friends, family or loved ones, have complained about their drinking.

For these people there is Alcoholics Anonymous, founded by Bill. W in the early 1950’s, it has grown to be an international success story, that has helped millions, get control of their lives again.

The basis of the program, is to allow people with common issues to come together, and discuss their problems.

They don’t focus on the drinking or what you drink, but the actual disease of alcoholism. Many people who frequent AA have given up trying to control their drinking. And the feelings of guilt, hopelessness and loneliness have become far too much to bare.

Alcoholics Anonymous, offers a safe, secure and confidential environment, for you to talk about your own issues, if you wish, or learn from others, who have maybe had more experience with it.

The process is a slow one, and it is a one day at a time thing. Being able to work through not only your drinking, but the issues of why you drink, and what triggers you to drink, will take time.

Many people who have found Alcoholics Anonymous, have attempted to stop drinking, promising themselves a week or so, only to start drinking within a few days.
They also often wish, others around them would stop looking into their business regarding drinking, and offering advice or trying to get them to stop.

Others may have also started to need to drink just to start their day, purely to get going, or to just stop shaking.

Or maybe the problems with their drinking have become so bad that they have started to miss days of work or school, and it has even started to effect their home, family and relationships.

These are the people, who could really find solutions with AA. There are many reasons to want to stop drinking.

Such as the illnesses it can bring, like liver disease, in which 13,050 people died in one year from alcohol.
Or the massive number of alcohol induced deaths, which excluded accidents and homicides, at 22,073, this number is staggering.

With $40- $60 billion spent each year on alcohol addiction problems, it is obviously a serious issue. Every 30 minutes an alcohol related accident takes place on roads within the USA.

With these numbers, it needs to stop, people need to take charge of their lives, and Alcohol Anonymous may be able to help.

If you are having issues with alcohol, or know someone who is, then you need to contact AA right now. This first step could be the change your life is needing, and it may be the one thing that you have not attempted that can make it all change.

You have nothing to lose apart from a few hours of your time.

source: Drug Alcohol News

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Topics: Alcohol, Alcohol Addiction | No Comments »

US expert says positive thinking is the smart way to recover from alcoholism

By admin | March 10, 2010

Joe Gerstein, founder of the Smart Recovery treatment programme that is spreading from the US as an alternative to AA, explains why he rejects the myth that alcoholism is a ‘disease’ to be endured rather than cured

Alcoholism is a disease that leaves victims powerless and needing to stay in permanent recovery if they are serious about stopping the demon drink from inflicting further damage, conventional wisdom holds. Given that most people can’t afford to pay for a stay in a Priory clinic, then the best way for chronic drinkers to tackle their addiction, so the theory goes, is to turn to Alcoholics Anonymous, seek the help of a higher power with their struggle, begin using the 12-step programme, and be ready to attend meetings for the rest of their lives.

Not so, says Joe Gerstein, a retired clinical professor of medicine in the US. “A myth has grown up that you can’t get over a substance addiction without AA,” he says. “It’s a widely-held belief, but it’s a myth.”

For years, he admits to buying into the myth and referring patients with alcohol problems to AA, with varying degrees of success. “I would see people in my office during the day who had big, swollen bellies from liver cirrhosis and tell them about how serious their problem was, and then I’d see them again at 7pm coming out of the liquor store carrying a bag that didn’t contain doughnuts,” he says.

Although he describes AA as “an absolutely remarkable programme”, given that millions have found it useful over the last 75 years, he also calls it “ethically wrong, medically wrong and psychologically wrong”.

Gerstein is the founding president of Smart Recovery, an alternative to AA that is catching on in America – where it began in 1994 – and worldwide. He was the main speaker at a conference in London yesterday, organised by charity Alcohol Concern, and funded by the Department of Health (DH), that was designed to promote Smart Recovery – Self-Management and Recovery Training, to give it its full title – as another way to help England’s 1.1 million problem drinkers.

The DH, keen to expand the number of options for treating the scourge of alcohol, is funding a £100,000 two-year trial of Smart Recovery, which currently has a low profile and is the David to AA’s Goliath. In London, for example, some 300 different AA groups meet regularly. But there are just 20 or so Smart ones in all of England – even Gerstein is unsure exactly how many – and about the same number in Scotland.

However, it is attracting attention from experts in the field. Nicolay Sorensen, Alcohol Concern’s director of policy and communications, says: “AA is huge, and people wouldn’t go if it didn’t work. Smart Recovery at the moment is the only alternative. It’s got momentum, it’s got a good evidence base, and it’s growing in popularity.”

Similarly, Addaction, the UK’s largest drug and alcohol treatment charity, is setting up an alcohol recovery service for over-50s in Glasgow, funded by the brewers Heineken and using Smart Recovery.

Smart is based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), and especially an element of it called rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT). Gerstein calls Smart “a self-empowerment programme”, and rejects utterly AA’s disease theory of alcohol and the labelling of people with serious drink problems as alcoholics.

Smart Recovery and AA are both international not-for-profit organisations. Smart is used in Australia, Uzbekistan and beyond. Its handbook has been translated into Russian, Farsi and Mandarin Chinese, among other languages. Both programmes are used in prisons, seek abstinence from participants, and are free – although they rely on donations from those attending their groups. But, crucially, Smart is science-based and secular, while AA has heavy religious associations. Many of the people attending the 370 Smart groups across America have tried AA and been put off by its insistence that members undergo a spiritual awakening, Gerstein says.

For him, though, the key difference is that Smart is a positive philosophy. “We believe that addiction is a very human condition that can be corrected, and that it’s the people themselves who do that through natural recovery,” he says. “We don’t think people are hopelessly taken over by addiction. Other people use books, medicines, help from family or professionals, whatever works for them. But with Smart Recovery, people do it on their own. That belief that human beings have the capacity within themselves to overcome even severe addictions and go on to lead a meaningful life is vital.”

Where AA has its Big Book, Smart has four key points and a “toolbox” – a set of ways in which problem drinkers can change their behaviour. For instance, if someone is feeling stressed at the end of their working day, they may choose to use the ABC tool. That is: A for the Activating Event, the walking out of work; B for the Belief, that the person needs a drink now to relax; and C for Consequences, that someone ends up drinking because of their stress.

Smart teaches participants ways to disrupt this irrational belief system by helping them understand why they act as they do – damaging their lives and relationships in the process – and to then challenge that thinking. CBT is also the basis of the “talking therapies” programme that the DH has been rolling out in recent years to help people ranging from long-term benefit claimants wanting to resume working to couples whose relationship is in peril.

A key part of the Smart trial is the creation of six Smart Recovery groups – in Birmingham, Norwich, Croydon, Gateshead, Cumbria and Sheffield – so that alcoholics in those areas needing major help can choose between that and AA.

Don Lavoie, a DH alcohol adviser, explains: “The DH has issued some high-impact changes for the alcohol sector – one of which is aimed at supporting and improving specialist alcohol treatment. Involved in that development is the promotion and growth of peer support, and ensuring that there is a range of choices for people with an alcohol problem.” Who comes, why, and how they fare will be evaluated to see which approach works best.

Gerstein points out: “At Smart Recovery meetings, we don’t pray, do the Lord’s Prayer or sing Kumbaya. We don’t depend on higher powers to help and we don’t expect people to come forever. They come, recover, and get on with their life”.

source: The Guardian

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Topics: Alcohol, Alcohol Addiction | No Comments »

Staying sober: Recovery is a daily struggle for those trying to kick alcohol addiction.

By admin | March 9, 2010

Drinking is a rite of passage for the typical college student.

Pat doesn’t know what normal is, so he drinks to try to feel that way. He struggles with sobriety every day. This is his third try and he hopes it will work this time.

His relationship with alcohol began when the drinking age was still 18 — the same age at which he had his first blackout. Driving home from a party in Wisconsin, he woke up at O’Hare Airport with no recollection of how he ended up there. Even after multiple blackouts, Pat still denied he had a problem. It took five days of being in a motel room, boozing and snorting cocaine, to realize he had a problem.

Pat is one of millions of recovering alcoholics in the United States. For them, the story rarely changes — they have thrown away college educations, big time jobs, houses with white picket fences and loving families who try, in vain, to help them into recovery.

“I had the home and the family, but I tore it all down. All the times I got sober my life changed completely, but I never changed and that was the problem,” Pat said.

There are 14 million alcoholics in the nation. Experts estimate that 32 percent are of college age.

Some students see drinking as a reward for a long week of studying or a job well done.

“I work really hard all week, I go to school and I have two jobs and I deserve to have fun on the weekends,” said Lindsey Areaga, a SAC student who averages seven or eight drinks on a good Friday night. “I’m not going out every night and getting drunk.”

For many college students who drink to relieve stress this leads to a lifelong burden for them and their families and, for some, years of addiction.

Young adults often overestimate the drinking habits of their peers and assume their fellow students drink more than they actually do. Some of this can be attributed to aggressive advertising campaigns that often lure the college set into the hard partying lifestyle, American Medical Association researchers say.

Many alcohol ad campaigns target young adults by promoting sleek, sexy liquor bottles and beautiful people having the time of their life with drinks in hand. In the ‘80s there was the Spuds Mackenzie campaign, the hard partying Budweiser Mascot, and the ‘90s brought the infamous Budweiser frogs.

These days, gaudy pirates ask if you have any Captain in you and the ubiquitous Absolut Vodka is available in a rainbow of flavors. Slogans quickly enter the American lexicon along with sensory overload from television, Internet and radio. Children and teens view 20,000 commercials a year, and about 2,000 of those are for beer and wine, according to the Alcohol Policies Project. Alcohol has wedged itself into pop culture and, by default, our daily lives.

The alcohol industry spends about $5 billion a year in the United States on advertising and promotion. About 75 percent of those dollars go towards promotional efforts, including sponsorship of community events.

Alcohol conglomerates like Anheuser-Busch donate more than $370 million to charitable organizations, including public education and environmental causes. However, the alcohol industry costs taxpayers more than $180 million in accidents, productivity loss and hospital visits.

Alcohol takes its toll on more than just the taxpayer. Friends and family members of alcoholics often visit support groups like AlaTeen or Al-Anon to help cope with the after effects of a loved one’s drinking.

“It is incredibly difficult to deal with an alcoholic in the family,” said Martha, an Al-Anon member. “They don’t want your help even though you try to help them. In the end, you blame yourself. These meetings help us better understand that no one can fix the addict besides themselves.”

Some people don’t realize they need help until they have bottomed out and can no longer function.

“I just couldn’t stand myself anymore,” Pat said. “I had to change that. I had gone to jail, my family had left, none of that mattered to me anymore. You just have to change yourself at some point.”

Risky drinking habits first appear in the eighth grade and increase dramatically during the early college years. Underage drinkers generate $10 billion in profits for the alcohol industry. Their alcohol consumption is rarely in moderation; typically, they consume five or more drinks in a single session, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Here at SAC, there are no on-campus support groups for alcoholics seeking treatment. Although there are many Alcoholics Anonymous groups that meet in local churches and community centers.

“There’s sometimes an element of embarrassment to AA meetings. Students don’t want their peers to know that they have a problem,” Health Center Coordinator Arlene Warco said.

However, students can be referred through psychological services to find a local support group or be referred to a rehab facility through private insurance.

Pat is still on a one-day-at-a-time path to sobriety. He knows that once an addict, he will always be one, and that it is all a matter of will power.

“There are hot summer days that I sometimes feel the urge, but those urges are fleeting. The longer I stay sober, the more fleeting they become,” Pat said.

Pat is one of many alcoholics who have gotten sober and can function as adults. For others the battle is much more difficult. One SAC student recently relapsed after a little over 30 days of sobriety.

“I don’t know why I did it. All I know is that I’ve screwed up and I need to get back up again,” the student said. “As hard as it is, I can’t let it beat me because even though it’s the simple solution, I would be throwing away all of this progress I’ve made.”

source: http://www.eldononline.org/

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Topics: Alcohol, Alcohol Addiction | No Comments »

Guilt encourages excessive drinking, finds study

By admin | March 8, 2010

According to a novel research, the popular advertising approach relying on guilt or shame to stamp out drinking habits and bring out good behavior can backfire, goading people to consume more liquor.

Nidhi Agrawal, an expert in consumer psychology at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, and co-author of the study stated, “That’s what blows my mind. The ads aren’t just ineffective … they hurt the very cause you’re trying to help.”

The researchers call this “defensive processing” of information. According to them, the feelings of remorse about a drunken night may be enough to keep one off the bottle but focusing on the consequences of the behavior can inspire them to indulge in excesses out of some illogical defiance.

“We’re all defensive – ask our mothers,” said Agrawal. “We feel shame when we do something mean or bad, but we cannot function in this world if we go around thinking we are mean, bad people.

“If you overload people with these emotions when they’re already feeling guilty, then you give them an incentive to dissent … because we need to preserve our notions of ourselves as good people.”

1200 undergraduates questioned

The researchers conducted a study to evaluate the link between feelings of guilt and shame and risky behaviors such as binge drinking.

The experiment involved 1,200 undergraduates who were exposed to two anti-alcohol ads provoking feeling of self-disgust associated with excessive drinking.

The students were then asked to complete a questionnaire about their drinking sessions in the following year compared with the previous one.

Findings of the study

The results revealed the guilt-laden students were more inclined to indulge in binging in the coming year when exposed to anti-drinking campaigns focusing on shame and guilt.

The researchers noted the students reacted adversely to the advertisement, resisting the good intentions of the message and resorting to the very behavior it was trying to discourage.

The reaction was more pronounced among those already burdened with guilt sentiments for other reasons.

Additionally, most of the students considered themselves safe from the negative consequences of binge drinking while they rated their friends as vulnerable.

Study researcher Adam Duhachek, a marketing professor at Indiana University stated, “Because people aren’t as defensive when assessing their friends, they felt their friends were at greater risk while they were not.”

According to the researchers, advertisements meant to elicit emotional state of guilt are just not limited to binge drinking but also address issues like drug and steroid use, sexually transmitted diseases, and smoking.

“The situation is worse than wasted money or effort,” said Duhachek. “These ads ultimately may do more harm than good, because they have the potential to spur more of the behavior they’re trying to prevent.”

source: Med Guru

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Topics: Alcohol, Alcohol Addiction | No Comments »

Drinking Alcohol Raises Prostate Cancer Risk in African Americans

By admin | March 7, 2010

Alcohol consumption may be associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer in African-American men, according to researchers.

A team led by Lionel L. Bañez, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C., prospectively collected data, including information on alcohol intake, from 334 men undergoing prostate biopsy at Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center from 2007 to 2009. Overall, regular consumption of three alcoholic drinks per week was associated with a significant 2.46 times increased risk of prostate cancer, the investigators reported here at the Genitourinary Cancers Symposium. When the investigators stratified subjects by race, alcohol intake was associated with a significant fivefold increased risk of prostate cancer in African Americans but a nonsignificant 85% increased risk in Caucasians.

“There may be genetic differences in the way African Americans metabolize alcohol,” Dr. Bañez said.

If the findings are confirmed in other populations, he and his colleagues concluded, public awareness of the negative effects of alcohol intake on prostate cancer, specifically in African Americans, should be promoted.

Most studies examining the association between alcohol consumption and prostate cancer risk have found no link, but these studies have involved predominantly Caucasian men, he said. Previous studies have found that certain polymorphisms of the alcohol dehydrogenase gene specific to African and Native Americans may lead to bodily accumulations of acetaldehyde, a carcinogen, Dr. Bañez explained.

The symposium is sponsored by the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Society for Radiation Oncology, and the Society of Urologic Oncology.

source: Renal and Urology News

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Topics: Alcohol, Alcohol Addiction | No Comments »

Getting treatment when it all falls apart

By admin | March 6, 2010

Substance abuse has become a 21st century epidemic with one in four homes affected. While it may seem like a personal problem, citizens pay the price in law enforcement and court costs: domestic violence, divorce, and policing drunks on the road and dealers on school campuses. The statistics are sobering.

In 2008, Ottawa County alone had four alcohol-related crash deaths. In one year, the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office reported 206 car crashes involving alcohol, 54 injury crashes involving alcohol, and 686 suspected drunken driving arrests. In 2009, the Holland Police Department arrested 246 drunken drivers; 21 of the drivers were arrested at the scene of an accident.

At Holland Hospital’s emergency department, 507 admissions were alcohol related: domestic abuse incidents, drunken driving crashes, and alcohol withdrawals.

“Alcohol abuse is so far-reaching: falls, assaults, car accidents,” Dr. Doug Hoey said. “We see all of these things, and not all of those cases have alcohol in the final paperwork.”

Alcoholism’s smallest victims

“Almost every family member is directly or indirectly affected by it,” said Mark Bombara, a substance abuse counselor at Holland Hospital.

“Generally speaking, it’s a sign of deterioration of the family structure,” said Andy Page, executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Holland.

When parents struggle with alcohol, their children often get the worst of it.

“It really hurts kids in terms of security, self esteem,” said Ralph Edgington, executive director of Ottawa Addictions Recovery. “Quite often the kids will feel that they’re causing the problem.”

And, there is the danger that history may repeat itself; as they grow older, children can mimic behavior they’ve observed in alcoholic parents.

In a home where alcohol contributes to domestic violence, there is a “major issue with safety for the kids involved,” said Holly Seymour, residential services manager for the Center for Women in Transition. “The two together can be very toxic.”

Research shows that women whose partners abused alcohol were 3.6 times more likely than other women to be assaulted by their partners.

“It definitely doesn’t happen all the time, but children exposed to violence can grow up to be abusers or victims themselves,” Seymour said. “Your home life is what you think is normal.”

According to the Marin Institute, in an estimated 45 percent of domestic abuse cases, men had been drinking.

“When you are a kid, if you see abuse, you think that’s how families are supposed to interact with each other,” Seymour said.

“Alcohol reduces people’s inhibitions, so maybe they’re emotionally abusive when they’re sober but when they’re under the influence, perhaps they become physically violent.”

According to one local treatment center specializing in alcoholism, Ottagan Addictions Recovery, 32,850 people are alcohol or drug dependent out of Ottawa and Allegan counties’ combined population of 365,000. OAR serves about 25,000 people per year, what director Edgington called “the tip of the iceberg.”

‘The disease doesn’t go away’

Often alcoholism starts at a young age and coincides with some other, untreated disorder, Bombara said. A person with undiagnosed depression, anxiety or mental illness will self-medicate with alcohol. It’s called a co-occurring disorder.

If the “whole person” isn’t treated, the original causes of the alcohol problem can keep reigniting the drinking.

“Co-occurring disorder treatment is very, very necessary,” Bombara said. “It’s so overwhelming. It’s a physical addiction but it’s also an emotional addiction.”

In local Alcoholics Anonymous groups, alcohol abusers at different points in the recovery process help one another realize there’s always an alternative to drinking.

“It’s pretty difficult to keep living the same life if you know there’s something different and better,” said David, a recovering alcoholic in Holland who has been attending AA meetings for 28 years. David preferred not to give his last name. “AA is like planting a seed. Sometimes it takes awhile for it to germinate.”

Recovery in AA includes textbook study, writing in a daily reflection book and “looking at yourself, seeing where you’ve been at fault,” David said. “Making amends to people in your life, because sometimes those are some of the most difficult things to mend.”

The disease of alcoholism “doesn’t go away,” he added. “I continue to go to meetings because it’s really important for me in order to maintain my sobriety. Also, I’m uniquely useful in this world to help other people in that position. I can help when maybe no one else can.”

Court ordered intervention

David said many new AA members start coming to meetings because they’ve been ordered to by the courts after a drunken driving conviction.

Holland District Court Chief Judge Bradley Knoll and Judge Susan Jonas implemented a sobriety court several years ago to give drunken drivers an alternative to jail.

“At the outset, it involves AA meetings five times per week, mandatory counseling, daily sobriety testing, random drug testing and random home visits,” Knoll said.

Relapses happen, and the defendants know they can be sentenced to jail time if they don’t follow the program. But the idea, Knoll said, is to give those who are truly struggling with alcoholism or drug dependence a chance to change.

“We can throw them in jail, but then after they’ve served their jail time, they’re still thirsty,” he said. “They haven’t addressed the issues. A jail term might be a short-term solution, but it doesn’t provide a long-term solution.”

In 1982, after his freshman year of college, Frank Wilson was arrested for drunken driving. And for most of his young life, driving drunk, blacking out and lying to parents was the norm. “No question, I could’ve killed somebody,” said Wilson, who grew up in Holland.

After his DUI, Wilson’s parents took him to get help for alcoholism at the Holland Rescue Mission. “I just really began to see, it wasn’t anybody’s problem but Frank Wilson’s problem.”

He hasn’t had a drink since. As the mission’s food services director, Wilson counsels others struggling with alcoholism at the mission.

“I know a lot of alcoholics that, they can be told time and time again, but until they hit rock bottom, until they have nowhere else to go except sober, they do not get it.”

source: Holland Sentinel

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Topics: Alcohol, Alcohol Addiction, Drug Addiction, Treatment Centers | No Comments »

Getting sober in the Jewish community

By admin | March 5, 2010

Like the term teetotaler, the notion that Jews can’t be alcoholics is a bit quaint.

It’s also a myth that can be an obstacle on the often painful but ultimately exhilarating path to recovery.

“I think it can make it more difficult,” says a Camden County businessman and Reform Jew who, at 51, has been sober “for seven years, two months, and three weeks.”

“But who’s counting?” he quips.

To encourage other alcoholics and the families of alcoholics to explore recovery – especially its key element, spirituality – the Samost Jewish Family and Children’s Service (SJFCS) will host Jewish Recovery and Wellness Day on Sunday. Included in the event, at the Katz Jewish Community Center in Cherry Hill, will be a faith-based healing service, yoga, drumming, and chanting.

“There’s so much denial and stigma in the Jewish community about alcoholism,” says Meira Itzkowitz, a social worker with the service, who is coordinating Wellness Day.

Attitudes have changed – the SJFCS runs two support groups – but many Jews still have “an especially difficult time admitting problems of an addictive nature,” Itzkowitz says.

In addition, meetings for 12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous often are held in churches and may include the Lord’s Prayer, which Itzkowitz notes “can feel foreign” to Jews.

“For me, going into the basement of a church wasn’t an option,” says a Jewish mother of two whose ex-husband is an addict. (Like the names of all the group members interviewed for this story, hers has been withheld to protect her privacy.)

The Gloucester County resident attends a SJFCS support group for relatives – “it brings me comfort,” she says – and is looking forward to Sunday’s event.

Also planning to attend is a retired Burlington County woman who is active in her Conservative synagogue. Her 26-year-old son has been in three rehabs and lives in a halfway house.

“I thought . . . addiction was not something that happens to educated, professional Jewish families. Unfortunately, I was wrong,” she said by e-mail. “It’s been a rocky road.”

Recovery is often difficult, especially in the beginning. But for those who successfully abstain, spirituality is a common denominator – whether it involves a traditional god, AA’s “higher power,” or another concept.

“Look at the root of the word addiction, which means to give oneself over to something that controls your life. Spirituality is the exact counterbalance,” says Rabbi Yaacov J. Kravitz, the keynote speaker Sunday.

To recover, addicts “make a commitment to change their entire lives,” and spirituality offers “a moral compass,” adds Kravitz, a psychologist and founder of the Kabbalah-based Center for Spiritual Intelligence in Elkins Park.

A shared religious heritage offers addicts – who may be isolated, angry, and afraid – a bond. “They can be part of a community that will support them,” Kravitz says.

The Camden County businessman says that while 12-step programs are the “core” of his recovery, his Judaism has been reinvigorated.

“Before, that relationship was detached and certainly ambivalent,” he says. “Now, it’s connected and growing strongly.”

source: Philadelphia Inquirer

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Topics: Alcohol, Alcohol Addiction | No Comments »

Anti-drinking ads boost boozing for some

By admin | March 4, 2010

Health campaigns aimed at keeping teens and others from drinking and driving, smoking and other risky behaviors often use shame and guilt to get their messages across.

But a new study finds anti-drinking ads can actually spur increased binge drinking for some audiences.

“The situation is worse than wasted money or effort,” said study researcher Adam Duhachek, a marketing professor at Indiana University. “These ads ultimately may do more harm than good, because they have the potential to spur more of the behavior they’re trying to prevent.”
Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here

Duhachek and his colleague Nidhi Agrawal of Northwestern University showed that particularly for individuals already in an emotional state of guilt or shame, the ads could trigger a defensive mindset. The defense essentially allows them to underestimate how vulnerable they are to the consequences, thinking, “It only happens to other people.”

“The conventional wisdom from people who design these ads is, ‘If we scare people enough it’s always going to be a good thing,” Duhachek told LiveScience. “We demonstrate circumstances where they [not only] aren’t effective, but they cause a backlash where people actually drink more than if they hadn’t been exposed to the ads.”

The findings come from several experiments involving more than 1,200 undergraduate students who looked at anti-drinking ads meant to elicit shame or guilt.

They tested two ads that showed the back of a person hugging the toilet bowl after a night of drinking. One ad, the guilt-inducing one, included information about the negative consequences a person’s drinking could have on friends and family, such as injuring others in a car accident. The other shame-inducing ad showed what friends and family would see, including watching the drunk person get into a car accident or get arrested.

In one part of the study, 478 undergraduates either wrote about an event in which they felt shame, guilt, or just an everyday experience, before looking at anti-drinking ads. Afterward, participants rated the likelihood they would binge drink in the coming year compared with the year prior. Binge drinking was defined as five or more drinks in one setting for guys and four drinks for girls.

The guilt-laden students were much more likely than others to say they would binge drink in the coming year when they saw anti-drinking ads meant to elicit guilt. A similar result showed up for the group primed to feel shameful before seeing the shame-inducing ads. So the backfiring of the ads showed up when an individual was already primed to feel some level of guilt, plus they got a dose of the guilt ad. The emotions of both the person and the ad had to match up, in other words.

Similar results were found in other parts of the study, including one in which students viewed the ads and then indicated the likelihood that they would consume three or more alcoholic beverages in the next two weeks as well as go to a bar in that time. The results will be detailed in the Journal of Marketing Research.

To tease out why the ads might boost drinking, the researchers asked participants the likelihood they and others would suffer the negative consequences of drinking, such as getting into fights or getting sick.

Students who saw the emotion-compatible ads (the guilt group viewing guilt-inducing ads, and the shame-primed group viewing the shame ads), were less likely to think they were at risk of these consequences compared with other groups.

And in another part of the study, students who looked at the emotion-compatible ads tended to rate their friends as being at risk of the negative consequences of drinking, but when asked the same of themselves they didn’t think they were vulnerable to those outcomes.

“Because people aren’t as defensive when assessing their friends, they felt their friends were at greater risk while they were not,” Duhachek said.

Lab results don’t always translate to the real world. But the researchers think these experiences, in which one feels a sense of guilt and then views an anti-drinking advertisement, do happen in the real world.

“We argue that it’s very infrequent when people aren’t under the influences of some emotion,” Duhachek said.

For instance, the researchers say it’s easy to imagine someone watching a TV show that triggers some kind of guilt or someone feeling shame after attending an alcohol treatment program.

Duhachek’s advice: If you want to positively influence drinking, make sure campaigns convey both the dire consequences and a message of empowerment. For instance, the ads could include ways to control one’s drinking or show instances where someone resisted the temptation to down too much alcohol.

“If you’re going to communicate a frightening scenario, temper it with the idea that it’s avoidable,” he said. “It’s best to use the carrot along with the stick.”

source: Live Science

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Topics: Alcohol, Alcohol Addiction | No Comments »

What Is Alcoholic Liver Disease? What Is Alcoholic Hepatitis?

By admin | March 3, 2010

Alcoholic liver disease, also called alcoholic hepatitis, refers to a range of conditions and related symptoms that develop when the liver becomes damaged due to excessive intake of alcohol. While distinct from cirrhosis, alcoholic hepatitis is regarded as the earliest stage of alcoholic liver disease. Alcohol has long been associated with serious liver diseases such as hepatitis which is an inflammation of the liver.

According to Medilexicon’s medical dictionary:

Hepatitis is “Inflammation of the liver, due usually to viral infection but sometimes to toxic agents.”

However, not all heavy drinkers develop alcoholic hepatitis. The disease can occur in people who drink only moderately or binge just once.

Damage from alcoholic hepatitis can often be reversed by stopping drinking. The disease is likely to progress to cirrhosis and liver failure if alcohol dinking continues.

The precise explanation of why alcoholic hepatitis develops is not clear. A person who has alcoholic hepatitis needs to avoid alcohol and other substances that can harm the liver. For some people with severe liver damage, a liver transplant may be an option.

Alcoholic liver disease does not usually cause any symptoms until the liver has been extensively damaged. When this happens, alcoholic liver disease can cause:

* jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and skin)
* loss of appetite
* nausea
* weight loss

The liver
The liver is a complex organ in the body with more than 500 functions, most of which essential for living.

The functions of the liver include:

* filtering toxins from the blood
* helping to fight infection and disease
* producing blood-clotting agents that prevent excessive bleeding
* producing important chemicals, such as proteins and hormones
* regulating cholesterol levels in the blood
* storing energy for use when the body needs an immediate energy boost

Alcohol
The liver is a very tough and resilient organ, capable of regenerating itself. Despite this resilience, prolonged alcohol misuse over many years can damage the liver.

When there is alcohol intake, the liver filters out the poisonous alcohol from the blood.

Each time the liver filters alcohol, some of the liver cells die. The liver can regenerate new cells. But after heavy drinking, for many years, the liver will lose its ability to regenerate new cells, causing serious damage.
Stages in alcoholic liver disease

* Alcoholic fatty liver disease: It is the first stage of alcoholic liver disease. Heavy consumption of alcohol, even for only a few days, can lead to a build-up of fatty acids in the liver. Fatty liver disease rarely causes any symptoms but it is an important warning sign that the current drinking level is harmful to the health. Fatty liver disease is reversible.

After stopping drinking alcohol for two weeks, the liver should return to normal.

* Alcoholic hepatitis: It is the second more serious stage of alcoholic liver disease. Extended alcohol misuse over many years can cause the tissues of the liver to become inflamed. This is known as alcoholic hepatitis. In some rare cases, alcoholic hepatitis can occur after drinking a large amount of alcohol in a short period of time (binge drinking).

Alcoholic hepatitis is usually reversible by stopping alcohol consumption for several months or years.

* Cirrhosis: It is the final stage of alcoholic liver disease. Cirrhosis occurs when prolonged inflammation of the liver has caused scarring of the liver and subsequent loss of function. Loss of liver function can result in death.

The damage caused by cirrhosis is not reversible. In mild to moderate cases, stopping drinking alcohol immediately can prevent further damage. Gradual recovery of the liver function can be achieved. In more severe cases, a liver transplant may be required.

A heavy drinker is someone who regularly exceeds the recommended weekly limit for alcohol consumption. This is 3 to 4 units of alcohol a day for men and 2 to 3 units for women.

Women who regularly drink more than 6 units of alcohol a day (or more than 35 units a week) and men who regularly drink more than 8 units a day (or 50 units a week) are at the highest risk of alcohol-related harm.

Women are more likely to develop alcoholic liver disease but men are more likely to die from it, possibly because men tend to be heavier drinkers.

Death rates linked to alcoholic liver disease have risen by over 69 percent in the last 30 years. This makes alcohol one of the most common causes of death, along with smoking and high blood pressure.

Fatty liver disease and hepatitis can develop at any age. Cirrhosis usually develops in people aged 40 or over.

The outlook for alcoholic liver disease depends on whether the patient is willing to stop drinking alcohol.

source: Medical News Today

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Topics: Alcohol, Alcohol Addiction | No Comments »

Rescuing The Alcoholic/Addict: 14 Reasons Why It’s Hard To Break The Cycle

By admin | March 1, 2010

I was terribly confused about the meaning of ‘compassion’ when I came to Al-Anon. I thought it meant making excuses for the alcoholic or covering bad checks. Al-Anon helped me to find another word for this behavior: ‘enabling.’ I learned that when I cleaned up the consequences of alcoholic behavior, I enabled the alcoholic to continue drinking comfortably and acting out without having to pay the price. A more compassionate way to respond to those I love might be to allow them to face the consequences of their actions, even when it will cause them pain. ( This is quoted from the Al-Anon book Courage to Change and truer words have never been spoken. )

But what do they mean? What does the “rescuer” or “enabler” look like and why are these labels so common to so many well meaning family members and friends that love the alcoholic/addict?

As caring, compassionate people we naturally and instinctively want to protect and help our loved ones. There is a universal drive of both animals and human beings that beckon us to stand between what we see as a potentially harmful situation and the ones we love — especially if those loved ones are weak or sick.

But, there is a fine line between being part of the solution or being part of the problem. The challenge comes in breaking the cycle or habit of being part of the problem, and becoming part of the solution.

So, why is it so hard to do, when we know that rescuing our loved one (the alcoholic/addict) is truly detrimental to not only their well being, but to ours as well?

Rescuing makes us feel wanted and needed. It is a momentary adrenaline rush when for a brief instant we are the center of someone else’s world. They thank us, are grateful and chances are someone else has said no to them, so you are their Hero du jour…and that is a heck of a warm and fuzzy feeling. The addiction (yes, I said addiction) of enabling and rescuing others (a family member or the mailman) over and over again is usually found holed up somewhere in the psyche of people that might not have much going on in their own personal life, or what they have is not as fulfilling as it should be.

People that are bored or insecure are ripe for wearing the enabling and rescuing crown. If you’re bored, it’s easy to shelve that boredom by suggesting, foisting your opinion or even trying hard to take over another’s life if you don’t feel that they are doing a good enough job on their own, or approve of their life style.

People that are insecure with themselves or uncomfortable in their own skin may be seeking the attention from others to satisfy these needs. A wonderful way to fill that void is to enable and rescue someone that you think is screaming out for a life preserver. Whether they are or not — you think you know best. By donning your rescue cape, your hope is that not only will you be praised for your efforts, insights and sensitivity, but you will take a well deserved bow because of your 6th sense.

Enabling and rescuing someone who is an alcoholic/addict can range from lying and covering up the infractions from their intoxication to throwing what you think is a life line. And yet that well intended helping hand could result in a dangerous outcome. You probably have no idea what their patterns or habits are regarding their addiction and your enabling could unintentionally continue to promote out of control behavior.

Here is a list of 14 reasons why we continue to rescue and enable even though we know we should turn and walk away:

1) We hope against all hope that tomorrow will be different.

2) Ego. We are the ones that “saved the day.”

3) Ego again. We want to be liked.

4) What if they die and we could have stopped it?

5) They are sick and not responsible for their actions.

6) Don’t want to hurt their feelings if we say “no.”

7) Afraid of their anger, punishing or retribution.

Afraid they may do something “bad” (act out) — blaming us for their actions. The “I’ll show you or you’ll be sorry” attitude.

9) We will be perceived poorly for not caring about our family members or friends.

10) Something new has entered the equation, so we try one more time.

11) Too weary or too lazy to implement change.

12) This “dance” has been part of your life for so long, you don’t know what purpose you would have without it.

13) The need to protect other family members from embarrassment, scorn or ridicule.

13) They need to protect yourself from embarrassment, scorn or ridicule.

We all fall into some of these categories during different times of our life whether it revolves around the alcoholic/addict or not; and hopefully fall out depending on the situation. It takes strength, confidence and fortitude in not being tempted to enable and/or rescue, but it’s worth the effort, for it will produce a healthier life style for not only the alcoholic/addict, but you as well.

source: Huffington Post

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Topics: Alcohol, Alcohol Addiction | No Comments »

I love me: The key to responsible drinking

By admin | February 26, 2010

According to the number of units I down on an average Friday night, I am officially a binge drinker. Drinking four standard glasses of white wine in one evening may seem perfectly reasonable, but convert those drinks into units and it adds up to a whopping 8.4 – more than double the daily recommended amount of two to three units for women.

Getting your units wrong can have severe health consequences. Exceeding your units every day significantly increases risk of developing high blood pressure and liver disease. And, as well as being more than twice as likely to have a stroke, it can also raise your risk of getting breast cancer by 50 per cent.

Men regularly drinking more than just two pints of strong lager a day are three times more likely to have a stroke and develop mouth cancer.

Binge drinking

We all know we need to watch our units, but often we have no idea what that actually means. That’s why Drink Wise Greater Manchester are out in the city centre’s Exchange Square on a freezing Friday in February to get Manchester revellers to think about how many units they are really drinking – and make them aware of the hidden dangers to their health.

“Alcohol does cause problems that you can’t see,” explains Mike Jones, alcohol programme manager for Greater Manchester.

“A lot of people don’t realise that alcohol causes increased risk of cancer, high blood pressure and heart disease. These are health issues that people just aren’t aware of.”

A steady stream of over-18s called at the Drink Wise stall, and they were all given special ‘measures’ that allowed them to see exactly how many units there are in their favourite drink.

The results genuinely surprised the drinkers. Most people still equate one drink with one unit, and are shocked to see just how much more than their recommended daily and weekly amounts they are putting away.

Binge drinking – or cramming the maximum recommended weekly units into one night out – is very common, especially in younger people, says Mike.

“We want to promote the idea of looking at units on a daily rather than weekly basis,” he explains.

“People think it’s acceptable to save all their units until the end of the week, but that results in binge drinking.

“If you do that, you will get bad indigestion over the next couple of days because your body will be struggling to process the amount of alcohol you’ve drunk.

“The liver can regenerate quite quickly, but only by slowing down and stopping drinking. In the short-term, binge drinking can also cause bad skin and can leave you feeling depressed.”

Moderation

The campaign – run in conjunction with the Department of Health – is attempting to encourage drinkers to think about their tipples in terms of units rather than glasses or pints.

The system can seem complex, but it is actually quite straightforward. One unit is 10ml of pure alcohol; generally, you get that in half a pint of mid-strength lager, beer or cider, a 125ml glass of wine or one measure of spirits.

Current advice is that men shouldn’t regularly drink more than three to four units a day; women, no more than two to three units a day, and it should be avoided if possible when pregnant.

Revellers are advised to be alcohol-free for 48 hours after a heavy drinking session.

If you are concerned about how much alcohol you are drinking, contact Drinkline on 0800 876 6778 or at drinking.nhs.uk, or make an appointment with your GP.

Most people who chatted with Drink Wise Greater Manchester staff did seem keen to learn about the importance of units.

After years of merrily ignoring the health advice, is booze Britain finally getting the message? “It is about opening up people to talking about alcohol without feeling they have a problem,” says Liz Burns, alcohol public health adviser with NHS Manchester.

“People are now thinking about smaller measures and looking at what is being sold to them. They have an awareness of the different percentages of wines in the same way they would think about different ingredients in food.”

Tips to stop yourself drinking too many units include setting yourself a daily limit. Work out when you do most of your drinking, and see if there are obvious times when you can cut back.

Don’t drink on an empty stomach, go out later or have your first drink of the day later than usual, and always try to drink a glass of water alongside your glass of wine.

Keep a range of grown-up, non-alcoholic alternatives at home, and if you’re drinking alcohol at home, try to stick to small measures and half pints.

Choosing to cut down, says Mike, can have a really positive effect on the state of your health and your finances – booze is best enjoyed in small quantities.

“We don’t preach to people,” Mike adds. “We don’t want people to stop drinking. It’s about moderation.

“We want people to improve their well-being, and give them the information to make the decisions that are best for them.”

Counting the units

* Double vodka: abv 40%, size 70ml, units 2.8, kcals 144
* Large glass of wine: abv 14 %, size 250ml, units, 3.5, kcals 196
* Champagne: abv 12 %, size 120ml, units 1.44, kcals 89
* Pint of cider: abv 4.5%, size 568ml, units 2.6, kcals 239
* Bottle of spirits: abv 40%, size 1 litre, units 40, kcals 2240

source: Manchester Evening News

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Topics: Alcohol, Alcohol Addiction | No Comments »

Scots are drinking themselves into early grave

By admin | February 25, 2010

Scots are drinking themselves to death faster than Ever as the nation’s disturbing booze-binge culture starts to take its toll among thirtysomethings.

Hospitals are now being swamped with more than 100 patients needing treatment for alcohol-related conditions Every Day, the frightening new NHS figures show.

Liver disease has trebled in the past 15 years. But it’s up a whopping 500 per cent for those in their 30s – with a shocking Sevenfold increase for women in their 20s since 1990.

Alarmingly, death rates from liver disease among patients in their 30s have risen five times over in the past 25 years.

Last night Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said the figures are yet more “grim” proof that serious and swift action is needed to break Scotland’s “love affair” with the booze.

And she repeated her call for a price hike to end cheap alcohol deals and help wean Scotland off the bottle – with the figures showing that 270 kids under Fifteen were also treated in hospital.

She said: “These shocking statistics make grim reading and provide yet more evidence that we must turn the tide of alcohol harm.

“Scotland’s love affair with drink is well documented.

“We’re taking radical and decisive action to tackle pocket-money prices which – as the World Health Organisation recognises – help to drive consumption and harm.

“Most worrying is the rise in alcohol-related problems among young people, who are putting themselves at risk of serious health problems.

“Alcohol is now around 70 per cent more affordable than it was in 1980 and, over the same period, consumption and alcohol-related harm have spiralled. These factors are not unrelated.”

Ms Sturgeon insists an index that links alcohol content to price is the only way to turn the tide. She said: “Cheap alcohol is making a serious situation even worse. By linking price to product strength, minimum pricing will put an end to the sale of high-strength alcohol for less than the cost of bottled water.

“This will help to address the staggering cost to Scotland – both in economic terms and in terms of lost or blighted lives.”

The NHS figures show the problem is rapidly accelerating out of control. In the past five years, people treated for alcohol-related problems has increased by nearly 10 per cent overall. Among those aged 30-34 the increase is even steeper – up by 22 per cent. For those aged 35-39, the rise is 19 per cent.

Jack Law, chief executive of the anti-addiction charity Alcohol Focus Scotland, agreed the trend in younger boozers dying from drinking too much is a serious concern.

He said: “Cirrhosis of the liver is commonly associated with older people. These figures are alarming – we now see much younger age groups dying from drinking too much.

“To lose young Scots in their 30s to illnesses such as cirrhosis of the liver is an unnecessary tragedy which could be avoided by stopping alcohol being sold at rock-bottom prices. We need to see urgent action, such as the introduction of minimum pricing to help cut down our levels of drinking and ultimately reduce our health problems and deaths.”

Responding to the figures last night, Lib Dem health spokesman Ross Finnie said the booze scourge blighting our nation is storing up even MORE problems for the NHS in the future.

He said: “Changing Scotland’s drinking culture was never going to happen overnight.

“The massive jump in chronic liver disease is a reminder that even if we do change the drinking habits of this and the next generation, we will still have to treat the thousands of Scots whose habits didn’t and won’t change quick enough. The NHS needs to be prepared for another surge in chronic liver disease.

“The Government must make sure that the right staff are in place and the resources are there to make sure that health boards are ready.”

Scottish Sun doctor Carol Cooper also described the figures as “alarming” – especially for young women.

She said: “Alcohol affects women more because they have less body water and more body fat.

“They can’t tolerate as much alcohol as men but are going out with the sole aim – like male drinkers – of getting legless.

“They face health problems from heavy drinking – including liver, heart and brain disease and even mouth cancer. Increased alcohol intake can also effect a woman’s fertility. There is no easy solution to the rise in people with chronic liver disease. Minimum pricing of alcohol may be one way of reducing the amount of alcohol people drink – but it’s a very complex problem.”

Labour are still fighting any moves to increase the price of booze.

They believe the Government needs to regularly test problem drinkers and bring in a mandatory proof-of-age scheme for people under 25 – such as retailers’ Challenge 25 initiative.

Labour health spokesman Dr Richard Simpson said: “The sharp rise in rates of chronic liver disease is extremely concerning. I am particularly worried about the large increase in young women who are drinking excessively.

“We know from studies that minimum unit pricing would make very little difference with this group.

“Ministers should stop obsessing about this policy and engage in a serious debate about how to deal with Scotland’s hard-drinking culture.

“We need to consider radical measures to reduce the level of problem drinking – including Alcohol Treatment and Testing Orders, a mandatory Challenge 25 scheme and also better education about the dangers of abusing alcohol.”

source: The Sun

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Topics: Alcohol, Alcohol Addiction | No Comments »

Parent notification policies for underage drinking evolve

By admin | February 24, 2010

For years, Virginia Tech had a complicated system for deciding when to let parents know about their underage children’s alcohol-related transgressions. Visits to the hospital or police station warranted immediate notification, but Mom and Dad didn’t have to know about less-serious offenses, such as sneaking a six-pack into the dorm, unless it happened more than once.

But this semester, Virginia Tech joined a growing list of colleges that notify parents every time a student younger than 21 is caught drinking, drunk or in possession of alcohol. George Washington University also tightened its notification policy last year after a student died of alcohol poisoning.

Concerned about injuries, deaths, rising alcoholism rates and lawsuits, colleges and universities have realized that, in addition to levying official penalties, seeking parents’ help can bolster anti-drinking efforts. Research shows that parents can have a significant influence on their children’s drinking habits.

“Students are more concerned about their parents being notified than they are of the legal consequences,” said Edward Spencer, vice president for student affairs at Virginia Tech.

Privacy laws prohibit university officials from communicating with parents about much more than tuition bills, but for more than a decade schools have had the legal authority to notify parents of students younger than 21 about alcohol- and drug-related matters. Many do so only for the most serious incidents. Others restrict parental notification to drug crimes.

Schools have found themselves in a delicate balancing act. Officials want to protect students’ heath and honor parents’ demands for information, but they also want to help students develop a sense of independence.

Kevin Williams said he didn’t know that GWU notified parents of all alcohol violations until he was busted for hosting a Halloween party in his dorm room when he was a freshman in 2008. He received a $50 fine and had to go before a school judicial hearing but was relieved to learn that the incident would not go on his permanent record. About a week later, his mother called from New Jersey with a form letter from the school in hand and a lot of questions.

“It was not good,” Williams said of the conversation. “She said: ‘You’re in college. I know you are going to be drinking. But are you going to be dumb and get caught?’ ”

Williams, now 20 and a sophomore, said he thinks parents should be notified if a student has a serious problem or is rushed to the hospital but “not if it’s a minor getting-caught-having-fun-with-your-friends-on-Halloween thing.”

Virginia Tech has long had some of the strictest alcohol sanctions in the region, including a three-strikes policy: two strikes for serious offenses, one for minor offenses. Students who rack up three or more strikes during their school careers are asked to leave for at least a semester.

The university decided to change its notification policy because officials had received complaints from parents who wanted to know whether their child had a drinking problem long before it got serious. The policy also applies to illegal drugs, including marijuana, but students caught with drugs are usually suspended.

Student body President Brandon Carroll said students were “shocked” when they heard about the new approach. Even though the university is legally able to share such information, that doesn’t mean that it should, said Carroll, 21. “If the school calls someone’s parent, that could put a lot of pressure on them. And how is that going to help?” he said.

College drinking is getting worse, according to researchers at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Between 1998 and 2005, the latest period for which figures are available, binge drinking rates increased, more students drove drunk and the number of alcohol-related deaths increased more than 25 percent, from 1,440 to 1,825.

“The problem is not getting better, but I think it can be turned around,” said Ralph Hingson, the director of epidemiology and prevention research at the institute. “Interventions at multiple levels make a difference.”

The federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 prevents universities from sharing most student information, but it allows them to contact parents if a child’s health or safety is at risk. In 1998, the act was amended to give colleges and universities permission to notify parents anytime a student younger than 21 had any alcohol or drug violation.

That legislation was introduced by then-Sen. John Warner after five Virginia college students were killed in alcohol-related incidents in fall 1997, prompting a state investigation. Three were Virginia Tech students who died in two incidents over Halloween weekend.

Deaths at other campuses also have resulted in policy changes and, sometimes, lawsuits. In 2000, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology paid $6 million to settle a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by the parents of a freshman who died of alcohol poisoning after a fraternity party in 1997.

Last year, a University of Kansas freshman died of alcohol poisoning less than two weeks after he was kicked out of campus housing for alcohol violations that his parents knew nothing about. Within months, the university began to notify parents about serious or repeat alcohol violations.

In 1997, the University of Delaware became one of the first schools to implement an “every time” notification policy. School officials say the policy, along with aggressive penalties, has reduced binge drinking on campus and curtailed the university’s party-school reputation.

GWU soon followed and enhanced the policy last year, after the death of a student. The school now contacts parents within 24 hours in a serious case and follows up with parents when the student begins an alcohol education program. For a less-serious case, they send parents educational materials.

In the past five years, several schools have joined the movement, including the University of Georgia in 2006 and the University of New Mexico in 2007. In 2008, Tennessee passed a state law that requires all public higher-education institutions to notify parents of alcohol violations.

“There is no magical line here between May of their senior year of high school and college. When do they really become a responsible adult?” said John Zacker, director of student conduct at the University of Maryland, which notifies parents when a student’s drinking threatens to get him or her kicked out of the dorms or school.

At the University of Virginia, students are usually given about 48 hours to call their parents before school officials do. The calls are made in the most serious cases, such as an arrest or hospitalization, or if a student shows an ongoing pattern of intoxication. But in most cases, Dean of Students Allen Groves said, he trusts his instincts.

“The easy thing to do is say, ‘Here’s a cookie-cutter process, and we are going to use this process the same way for every single case,’ ” Groves said. “But every case is not the same.”

The effects of parental notification have not been widely studied, but the concept seems to work best when universities coach parents on how to react to the news, said Thomas Workman of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, who chairs a committee focused on alcohol education. Officials need to be mindful of family dynamics and cultural differences, he said.

“We can’t assume a parent knows what to do and that they would do the right thing,” he said. But if approached in the right way, parents can be the perfect partners for an intervention, he said.

“Even with cellphone technology, no student would call home four or five times a day a generation ago,” Workman said. “We have a very different generation. And it’s smart of institutions to say, ‘We should take advantage of that.’ ”

source: Washington Post

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Topics: Alcohol, Alcohol Addiction | No Comments »

Study links violence to take-away alcohol

By admin | February 23, 2010

US scientists have shown what they say is a direct link between the number of shops selling alcohol in an area and the violence occurring there.

The study was conducted in Cincinnati and considered all types of outlet, including bars and restaurants.

The more shops selling alcohol in an area, the scientists say, the more assaults were recorded there.

They presented the study at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting.

Professor William Pridemore from Indiana University, who led the study, spoke at the meeting in San Diego.

He and his colleagues used a mathematical technique to divide the city into blocks. They compared the density of bars, restaurants and shops that sold alcohol with police records of the number of assaults that occurred in each of those blocks.

“The police data are geo-coded,” he told BBC News, “so we know in which of those blocks the crimes occurred.

“There was an association between the density of alcohol outlets and the density of assaults.”

The strongest association with violence was linked to “off-premise outlets” – shops rather than bars or restaurants where alcohol is consumed on the premises.

He explained that this was likely because there was “more social control” in bars.

“You have management, you have bouncers and you have bystanders who may step in an break up a fight before it gets more serious,” he said.

Professor Pridemore suggested that a “pub culture” might help ease the impact that alcohol has on levels of violence and illustrated this by discussing previous research he had carried out in Russia.

“Historically, Russia has no bar or pub culture and I think that’s one of the reasons there’s such a strong association between alcohol and violence there,” he said.

“It’s just speculation at this stage, but I think it’s because there’s so much more drinking at home or in the yards of the apartment blocks. There is very little social control in that setting.”

George Tita, associate professor of criminology at the University of Pittsburgh in the US, who was also speaking at the AAAS meeting, said that such mathematical studies were useful for finding out more about the predictable patterns of violence in communities.

source: BBC News

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Topics: Alcohol, Alcohol Addiction | No Comments »

Bill offers zero tolerance for bus drivers with alcohol

By admin | February 22, 2010

A Senate committee gave unanimous approval Friday to a bill that would prohibit school bus drivers from having any alcohol in their bodies — or in their possession.

Senators questioned whether the language in the bill, sponsored by Del. Ben Cline, R-Rockbridge County, actually would prohibit transporting children after just one drink. They decided it did.

Cline said the need for the bill arose when a bus driver in the Harrisonburg area had a drink or two at about lunchtime. An adult noticed him driving the bus on the wrong route. There was no accident and no one was hurt, but the adult smelled alcohol on the driver’s breath.

Police were called, and the driver was charged with child endangerment.

However, the driver blew only a 0.03 on the breath test — just below the 0.04 that would have made the driver guilty under the standard for commercial drivers’ licenses, which school bus drivers must have.

Cline’s bill, HB1353, would make anyone “who possesses or consumes an alcoholic beverage while operating a school bus … while transporting children … guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor,” punishable by up to 1 year in jail and a fine up to $2,500.

The Senate Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services voted 15-0 to send the bill to the Senate floor. It already has been approved by the House of Delegates.

Sen. Robert Hurt, R-Chatham, asked whether the bill’s language about “possesses or consumes” would apply to a driver who had a drink before boarding the bus and didn’t carry the alcohol on board.

Both Cline and Sen. Richard Stuart, R-Montross, explained that if a person has alcohol in his system, the law deems that to be “constructive possession” of alcohol.

Stuart said it didn’t matter whether the alcohol was consumed two or three hours earlier.

A person who had a drink with dinner the night before wouldn’t still have alcohol in his or her system, Stuart said, but a person on a binge and drinking at 4 a.m. would still have alcohol in their system the next morning.

“That’s exactly what we’re trying to protect children from,” Stuart said.

“I’m surprised the law doesn’t already do that,” said Sen. Linda Puller, D-Fairfax, chairwoman of the committee.

source: Lynchburg News Advance

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Topics: Alcohol, Alcohol Addiction | No Comments »

Clinical physician argues changes needed to cut into alcohol abuse

By admin | February 21, 2010

Fighting the estimated $5 billion impact of alcohol and drug abuse on society requires more than stricter criminal laws, a physician told a local group Friday.

Dr. Richard Brown, Wisconsin Initiative to Promote Healthy Lifestyles clinical director, argued there are several ways to cut such costs in courts, social services and health care:

# Boost community support for policy changes to outweigh lobbying from alcohol and tavern interests.

# Strengthen enforcement of drinking age laws and the perception that scofflaws will get caught.

# Reduce the number of taverns, places to get liquor late at night, and other liquor outlets.

# Hike Wisconsin’s beer tax, the second lowest in the nation.

# Implement successful treatment plans.

Brown told the 120 people at the community forum at the Kenosha Public Museum that improved detection of underage drinkers, not serving intoxicated patrons and making youth aware of the consequences of excessive drinking would help.

The initiative is implementing a program funded by federal money called screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment, or SBIRT, which identifies risky behaviors and encourages treatment. Brown said SBIRT has cut alcohol-related arrests by 46 percent, hospitalizations by 30 percent, binge drinking by 20 percent and traffic crashes by 50 percent.

Fifteen insurance companies in Wisconsin pay for the program, but not all doctors use it.

“So if they did, we’d see a significant decline in health care costs, employers would see an increase in productivity and we’d have safer highways,” Brown said in a Thursday interview.

Patients of doctors who use SBIRT fill out a form and receive treatment recommendations if needed. The initiative Web site said the program as of Jan. 14 had offered 81,644 screenings, referred 323 patients and led to treatment of 116 people.

The assessments are important because Wisconsin ranks first nationwide for binge drinking and drunken driving, Brown said.

Why the state ranks high in risky behavior is unknown, he said. His opinion was that, among other things, the state was settled by Europeans whose cultures were open to alcohol use.

“That and the Wild West American party ethic has combined to give us those distinctions,” he believed.

source: Kenosha News

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Topics: Alcohol, Alcohol Addiction | No Comments »

« Older Entries

Premier Centers

Home | Forums | News | Articles
Downloads

Get Help Now

Tag Cloud

addiction Addiction Treatment age Alcohol Alcohol Addiction alcoholics anonymous alcoholism binge drinking breast cancer children cigarettes cocaine counseling crack cocaine Depression drinking drugs DUI Eating Disorders effects families fetal alcohol syndrome genetics harm reduction health heroin legal drinking age liver disease marijuana Mental Health methadone naltrexone nicotine nicotine addiction opiates poisoning pregnancy Prescription Drugs rehab society teenagers teens treatment underage drinking women

---

Search

Recent Posts

• One out of seven hospital beds is filled by a drinker
• Reducing blood alcohol limit to 0.02 won’t stop car crashes, say experts
• Romancing Alcohol
• Binge drinking mums
• Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
• US expert says positive thinking is the smart way to recover from alcoholism
• Staying sober: Recovery is a daily struggle for those trying to kick alcohol addiction.
• Guilt encourages excessive drinking, finds study
• Drinking Alcohol Raises Prostate Cancer Risk in African Americans
• Getting treatment when it all falls apart

Rate Me on BlogHop.com! help?

Health Blog Directory

5,419 spam comments

blocked by
Akismet

---

Archives

• March 2010
• February 2010
• January 2010
• December 2009
• November 2009
• October 2009
• September 2009
• August 2009
• July 2009
• June 2009
• May 2009
• April 2009
• March 2009
• February 2009
• January 2009
• December 2008
• November 2008
• October 2008
• September 2008
• August 2008
• July 2008
• June 2008
• May 2008
• April 2008
• March 2008
• February 2008
• January 2008
• December 2007
• November 2007

Blogroll

• Sober Re-Sources - Addiction and Alcoholism News Blog

Categories

• Addiction Science
• Addiction Treatment
• Alcohol
• Alcohol Addiction
• Cancer Research
• cannabis
• Depression
• Drug Addiction
• Drug Treatment Centers
• Dual Diagnosis
• Eating Disorders
• Medical News
• medical science
• Meditation
• Mental Health
• peer support
• Prescription Drugs
• Psychology
• Research
• society
• teenagers
• Treatment Centers
• Uncategorized

Meta

• Log in
• WordPress

Sponsored Links

Premier Centers

---

BBC Health News

Get this widget!