How do you want to solve your problem? | Self Improvement

By DanBrown
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The term "alcoholism" would be described as an addiction to alcohol. When a person has a strong case of alcoholism, it is very difficult for them not to drink. Some people who suffer from this are unable to feel content with themselves without consuming alcohol. Unlike cravings for food, alcohol cravings are much more potent and much more difficult to ignore for people with alcoholism. Often times, people craving alcohol feel that they need it to sustain themselves more than food or water. In worst case scenarios, people feel they can't go an hour without drinking alcohol. This results in a loss of control over body and mind in the alcoholic.

Alcoholics often gain weight as a result of constant drinking. Most victims of alcoholism don't exercise or regulate their diet as they ought to, meaning that all the calories of food and drink sink to the midsection. This can lead to health problems in the future, such as heart problems, risk of blood clots, and obesity. These consequences of drinking invariably minimize the possibility of leading a normal and healthy lifestyle. Besides the possible health issues, safety issues are also a problem, for being drunk while walking on the street is practically an invitation for muggers and the like.

The success of the M.A.D.D. and S.A.D.D. prevention programs has had a decreasing effect on drinking and driving. At the same time, however the car accident alcohol-related death rate of middle age people is still on a rise. Despite significant reductions in the amount of the alcohol-crash problem, drinking and driving continues to present a major threat to the safety of all road users. About one third of deaths among people between the ages of 15 to 24 are the results of motor vehicle-related crashes. Studies have been done in high schools nationwide on the patterns of alcohol use. These studies have reported that 17 percent of students have participated in drinking and driving one or more times. The odds of drinking and driving have increased 2.5-fold to 14-fold while incidents of drinking rose from 3 to 5 times per month to more than 2.

Alcohol addiction causes so much suffering in marriage. Besides being physically and emotionally harmful to alcoholics themselves, addiction is also harmful to those whose lives touch them. Addiction makes people insensitive to the feelings of those who care most for them, and they will stop at nothing to feed their addiction. Alcoholics commonly engage in their most painful habits while under the influence. Acts of infidelity are common. The fact that he or she is drunk at the time is no consolation to a grief-stricken spouse. It can require a lot of strength for children to resist peer pressure and media influences. When it comes to alcohol and drugs, the most useful weapon that your children can have is facts and knowledge, instead of scare tactics and threats from their parents. Children's trust in parents can go way up on the scale when they actually researched the topic of drugs with their parents. Many successful parents decide that one of the best ways to avoid their children being drawn into drugs, is to educate them, and learn together, rather than simply condemning the topic out of hand. If you do not want to create that taboo effect in your household, while you do not wish to condone alcohol and drugs, you should make sure that your kids know that they can talk to you about these issues at anytime they wish. Although many parents may disagree, but other say that if their kids are going to try alcohol then they might as well try it in safety at home. One advantage of this liberal approach is that in children's minds, if it does not seem like things are "off limits" then they will not be attracted to doing it just because they are not supposed to.

If you think your drinking is a problem, try following these steps: STEP ONE: Decide what your aim is. Do you want to give up alcohol altogether? Or do you want to cut down to within daily benchmarks? Or maybe you want to avoid binge-drinking and all the problems that go with it. The decision is yours but be clear about what you want to achieve. STEP TWO: Pick a day in the next week to start cutting down. Go for a day when you are likely to be relaxed and not under pressure. Plan ahead for a day when it is easier to avoid alcohol. STEP THREE: Work out how you can avoid situations when you know you end up drinking more. If you often drink at home, stock up on alternatives to alcohol, like alcohol-free beers, or lagers or wine or soft drinks. You might like to tell other people that you are cutting back, this should avoid them putting pressure on you to drink and they might even join in. STEP FOUR: Do not give up! Changing habits like drinking takes time and hard work and sometimes it is difficult to drink less. Keep focusing on the positive things you have achieved. If you do relapse, set a new date to start reducing again. STEP FIVE: If you continue to find it difficult to cut down you could see a trained alcohol counsellor to help you develop strategies or contact Drinkline for advice. Try phrases such as: No thanks ,I have had enough or I have got a lot on tomorrow. Reward yourself. Chart your progress. Cutting down requires willpower and self-control so you should be pleased with yourself for succeeding. Buy yourself something special with the money you save from not drinking. Be honest with yourself. Make sure you only reward yourself when you meet the targets you set yourself.

Over the past 20 years, modern methods of evaluating medical therapies have been increasingly applied to alcohol treatment. Alcohol treatment centers use both counseling and medications to help a person stop drinking. With support and treatment, many people are able to stop drinking alcohol and rebuild their lives. Alcohol treatment programs work for many people.But just like any chronic disease, there are varying levels of success when it comes to alcohol treatment. Some people stop drinking and remain sober on their own. Others have long periods of sobriety with bouts of relapse. With alcohol treatment, one thing is clear, however, the longer a person abstains from alcohol, the more likely he or she will be able to stay sober.

Here are some good step by step ways to stop drinking: 1. Write your reasons for cutting down or stopping. Why do you want to drink less? There are many reasons why you may want to cut down or stop drinking. You may want to improve your health, sleep better, or get along better with your family or friends. Make a list of the reasons you want to drink less. 2. Set a drinking goal. Choose a limit for how much you will drink. You may choose to cut down or not to drink at all. If you are cutting down, keep below these limits: Women: No more than one drink a day Men: No more than two drinks a day. A drink is: a 12-ounce bottle of beer; a 5-ounce glass of wine; or a 1 1/2-ounce shot of liquor. These limits may be too high for some people who have certain medical problems or who are older. Talk with your doctor about the limit that is right for you. Now-write your drinking goal on a piece of paper. Put it where you can see it, such as on your refrigerator or bathroom mirror. Your paper might look like this: My drinking goal I will start on this day ____________. I will not drink more than ______ drinks in 1 day. I will not drink more than ______ drinks in 1 week. or I will stop drinking alcohol. 3. Keep a "diary" of your drinking. To help you reach your goal, keep a "diary" of your drinking. For example, write down every time you have a drink for 1 week. Try to keep your diary for 3 or 4 weeks. This will show you how much you drink and when. You may be surprised. How different is your goal from the amount you drink now? Use the "drinking diary" below to write down when you drink.

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