Alcohol abuse knows no age or economic barriers. People from all walks of life struggles with their addiction to alcohol that can ruin families and careers. Thanks to innovative new treatment options for alcoholism more and more people are finding the strength to put down the drink and regain control over their lives.
Most people take for granted that they know what alcoholism really is. They have an image in their back-head that almost automatically appears each time they hear this word. But can we really be sure that our perception is right? Before we elaborate any further about treatment methods, let's make sure that we are on the same page. To accomplish this, lets take a closer look at the definition of alcoholism:
"A disorder characterized by the excessive consumption of and dependence on alcoholic beverages, leading to physical and psychological harm and impaired social and vocational functioning. Also called alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence.
1. The compulsive consumption of and psychophysiological dependence on alcoholic beverages.
2. A chronic, progressive pathological condition, mainly affecting the nervous and digestive systems, caused by the excessive and habitual consumption of alcohol. Also called chronic alcoholism.
3. Temporary mental disturbance and muscular incoordination caused by excessive consumption of alcohol. Also called acute alcoholism. "
Treatment for alcohol problems has been around almost as long as alcohol itself has been a part of our culture. Centuries ago treatment consisted of barbaric methods of imprisonment and starvation in attempts to help cure those who were in a constant state of drunkenness. Today, a variety of programs exists that help people understand why they are drinking and help them find ways to put down the bottle and enjoy their life naturally. Many programs operate with dedicated support groups that will stay the person seeking treatment for the rest of their lives. These support groups are there to help them overcome temptations and to find alternative ways of dealing with problems or stress other than using alcohol.
A vast majority of people who have a dependence on liquor don't realize they have it. Intervention is an important part of many alcohol abuse programs. The first step often isn't taken by the alcoholic but rather by friends, family or co-workers who are concerned for their health and well-being and seek out treatment options.
If you know anyone who has a problem with alcohol help them take the first step. Seek out treatment options and discuss them with the person. Most importantly, remember that they need your help now more than ever and your intervention no matter how hard they may resist it may be the single most important event that ever takes place in their lives.
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Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
When Your Fears And Depression
What do you do when your fears and depression are stronger than what you can handle? There are times that no matter what you do, your fears have the best of you. Here is a list of techniques and suggestions on what to do when this happens.The first step is to learn to take it one day at a time. Instead of worrying about how you will get through the rest of the week, try to focus on today. Each day can provide us with different opportunities to learn new things and that includes learning how to deal with your problems. You never know when the answers you are looking for will come to your doorstep. We may be ninety-nine percent correct in predicting the future, but all it takes is for that one percent to make a world of difference.
When a person is feeling depressed, he or she should take a few minutes to write down all of the things that he is thankful for in his life. This list could include past accomplishments and all the things that that they take for granted. The next time you feel depressed, review your list and think about the good things that you have in your life.
Remember that there is one power that is stronger than your fears and depression and that is the power of God. A person does not have to be religious to use the power of God. When the going gets tough, talk to God about your problems as if you were talking to a friend. Review the Bible and pray hard. Be persistent and be open in the avenues that God may provide to you in solving your problem. It is not always easy, however God is in control and he will help you if you ask him.
If you decide to use the services of a professional, get into the habit of reviewing with your counselor what techniques work for you and which ones don?t. Dealing with your fears takes practice so use this situation as a learning experience in improving your skill sets. In every anxiety-related situation you experience, begin to learn what works and what doesn?t work in managing your fears and anxieties.
As a Layman, I realize it is not easy to deal with all of our fears, however there are all kinds of help available. The key is to be patient and not to give up. In time, you will be able to find those resources that will help you with your problems.
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When a person is feeling depressed, he or she should take a few minutes to write down all of the things that he is thankful for in his life. This list could include past accomplishments and all the things that that they take for granted. The next time you feel depressed, review your list and think about the good things that you have in your life.
Remember that there is one power that is stronger than your fears and depression and that is the power of God. A person does not have to be religious to use the power of God. When the going gets tough, talk to God about your problems as if you were talking to a friend. Review the Bible and pray hard. Be persistent and be open in the avenues that God may provide to you in solving your problem. It is not always easy, however God is in control and he will help you if you ask him.
If you decide to use the services of a professional, get into the habit of reviewing with your counselor what techniques work for you and which ones don?t. Dealing with your fears takes practice so use this situation as a learning experience in improving your skill sets. In every anxiety-related situation you experience, begin to learn what works and what doesn?t work in managing your fears and anxieties.
As a Layman, I realize it is not easy to deal with all of our fears, however there are all kinds of help available. The key is to be patient and not to give up. In time, you will be able to find those resources that will help you with your problems.
Read More..
Effective Goals in Recovery
Twice a week I encourage and coach each client to participate fully in an exercise of learning and putting into practice the technology of well-formed outcome. Participating in the goal setting exercises allows for clients to learn the technology of setting well formed goals and also to begin learning about the internal constraints and barriers that stop them from achieving their goals.
On Monday afternoon I enroll the clients into setting a goal that they will complete or accomplish by Friday morning. The coaching is to make the goal simple and attainable. On Friday morning I conduct another session to process their progress towards completing their chosen goal. The processing of what stops them or how they achieved their goal can be very powerful. Powerful breakthroughs can appear for clients in this process. On Monday afternoon the client’s progress from the weekend is processed and the goal setting exercise starts over again. The repetition of this exercise will allow the client to utilize the technology of setting effective, well formed goals in his or her recovery program and also learn about how he she sabotages himself in the process.
The goal setting exercise is initially about answering three questions:
1. What goal I am committed to achieving by Friday morning?
2. What I will need to do everyday to achieve my chosen recovery goal by Friday.
Question one is about the planning stage. The planning stage is about creating a goal or a well-formed outcome, that which a person will go about achieving. The conversation about well-formed outcome is primarily from the field of Neuro Linguistic Programming. Many people do not achieve the goals that they set for themselves because they are not well formed.
The seven criteria for setting effective goals are taught as apart of the sessions that I conduct. There are seven criteria for creating a well-formed outcome:
1. Is your chosen goal specific?
2. Is your goal within your personal control?
3. Do you have with it takes to achieve your goal?
4. How will you know when you have achieved your goal?
5. Is your goal expressed positively?
6. Is your goal at the right level?
7. What else in your life might be affected by your goal? Question Three is about accountability.
The client is given the opportunity to choose another client to hold them accountable for their chosen goal. It will be the responsibility of the individual chosen to check with the client everyday to see if the client is doing what he or she has said they would do to achieve their goal.
The entire exercise process gives a client the opportunity to repeatedly practice creating and achieving a particular goal or well formed outcome and will assist them in their recovery process. If the goal is recovery oriented it will be vital that the individual create a specific goal in alignment with being well formed.
Read More..
On Monday afternoon I enroll the clients into setting a goal that they will complete or accomplish by Friday morning. The coaching is to make the goal simple and attainable. On Friday morning I conduct another session to process their progress towards completing their chosen goal. The processing of what stops them or how they achieved their goal can be very powerful. Powerful breakthroughs can appear for clients in this process. On Monday afternoon the client’s progress from the weekend is processed and the goal setting exercise starts over again. The repetition of this exercise will allow the client to utilize the technology of setting effective, well formed goals in his or her recovery program and also learn about how he she sabotages himself in the process.
The goal setting exercise is initially about answering three questions:
1. What goal I am committed to achieving by Friday morning?
2. What I will need to do everyday to achieve my chosen recovery goal by Friday.
Question one is about the planning stage. The planning stage is about creating a goal or a well-formed outcome, that which a person will go about achieving. The conversation about well-formed outcome is primarily from the field of Neuro Linguistic Programming. Many people do not achieve the goals that they set for themselves because they are not well formed.
The seven criteria for setting effective goals are taught as apart of the sessions that I conduct. There are seven criteria for creating a well-formed outcome:
1. Is your chosen goal specific?
2. Is your goal within your personal control?
3. Do you have with it takes to achieve your goal?
4. How will you know when you have achieved your goal?
5. Is your goal expressed positively?
6. Is your goal at the right level?
7. What else in your life might be affected by your goal? Question Three is about accountability.
The client is given the opportunity to choose another client to hold them accountable for their chosen goal. It will be the responsibility of the individual chosen to check with the client everyday to see if the client is doing what he or she has said they would do to achieve their goal.
The entire exercise process gives a client the opportunity to repeatedly practice creating and achieving a particular goal or well formed outcome and will assist them in their recovery process. If the goal is recovery oriented it will be vital that the individual create a specific goal in alignment with being well formed.
Read More..
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