Preview:  Some Doubt the Role Alcohol Plays
Statistics seem to indicate a connection between alcohol and drug abuse and domestic violence, but some researchers question the cause-and-effect relationship.
Studies of domestic violence frequently document high rates of alcohol and other drug (AOD) involvement, and AOD use is known to impair judgment, reduce inhibition, and increase aggression. Alcoholism an...

Preview:  Using Alcohol to Stop Pain Can Be Dangerous
The use of alcohol to depress the effects of pain is as old as the fermentation process itself. Alcohol is believed to be one of the oldest and probably the most widely used drug in the world.
Remember the old "cowboys and Indians" movies? Somebody needs a leg amputated? No anethesia? No problem, just break out a bottle of whiskey and let him take a fe...

Preview:  Families Left Behind are Also Victims
They seem so full of life. Their eyes reflect their dreams, their hopes, and their joy as they pose for the camera in happier times.
They are mothers and fathers, daughters and sons, friends and neighbors, and even grandparents, obviously loved by those near and dear to them.
But now they are gone -- their lives cut short when the crossed the path of drunk...

Preview:  Keeping it Legal Is the Key to Success
If you plan to use alcohol and drug testing as a part of a workplace substance abuse policy, there are many legal issues that must first be addressed.
Drug testing -- and particularly random drug testing -- is not allowed in every state in the U.S. Before proceeding with such a policy, a company needs to check with its state Department of Labor for current ...

Preview:  Workplace Drug Policy Can Reduce Loss
Establishing a workplace substance abuse program can drastically reduce the cost to business and industry from decreased productivity and increased health claims.
There is no absolute "model" substance abuse program that is right for all companies. The program should be tailored to the needs and circumstances of the individual company. There are, however, fi...

Preview:  A Dangerous and Expensive Problem
Alcohol and drug abuse by employees cause many expensive problems for business and industry ranging from lost productivity, injuries, and an increase the health insurance claims.
The loss to companies in the United States due to alcohol and drug-related abuse by employees totals $100 billion a year, according to the The National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Dru...

Preview:  Making an Accurate Diagnosis is Difficult
"Dual Diagnosis" refers to those who have been diagnosed with major mental health disorders and alcohol or substance addictions at the same time.
At least 50 percent of the 2 million Americans with severe mental illness abuse illicit drugs or alcohol, compared to 15 percent of the general population, according to the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Heal...

Preview:  Seniors Drinking Mostly Unreported, Undiagnosed, Or Ignored
Although alcohol and substance abuse is statistically at epidemic proportions among the elderly, it remains for the most part unreported, undiagnosed, or ignored.
The reasons that substance abuse by our senior citizens goes undetected are varied, but most have to do with the fact they are no longer active in mainstream society and there...

Preview:  Greater Risks Than Their Male Counterparts
Women who abuse alcohol, or even occassionally drink to excess, face greater risks to their health than their male counterparts.
As noted in a previous article, women who drink get drunk quicker than men, even taking into account the difference in body weight. But there is also evidence that they become addicted faster than men and suffer the consequenc...

Preview:  Health Problems Are Not the Only Risks
She wakes up groggy with a tremendous hangover, then makes a startling discovery. She is not in her own room, not in her own bed, and not alone.
Oh, no! I'm in bed with a man! How did I get here? I don't remember. Did I we have sex? We must have! Did he use protection? Could I be pregnant? Could I have a sexually transmitted disease?
How did this happen? E...

Preview:  A Guide Toward an Entire New Way of Life
The Twelve Steps, originated by Alcoholics Anonymous, is the spritual foundation for personal recovery from the effects of alcoholism, not only for the alcoholic, but also for their friends and family in Al-Anon Family Groups.
Many members of 12-step recovery programs have found that these steps were not merely a way to stop drinking, but they became a gu...

Preview:  Principles That Keep Groups Focused
The Twelve Traditions contain the spiritual principles that keep 12 step support groups focused on their primary purpose. Without such guidance, it would be impossible to maintain worldwide fellowship and keep the message undiluted.
Over a three-month period, visitors to the Alcoholism forum participated in a study of The Twelve Traditions by sharing their exp...

Preview:  Alcohol a Factor in 40 Percent of Violent Crimes
The U.S. Department of Justice Report on Alcohol and Crime found that alcohol abuse was a factor in 40 percent of violent crimes committed in the U.S.
Compared to 1983, the per capita rate of arrest for DUI in 1996 was 34 percent lower.
When I first heard that report on the news, I thought, "Oh, duh! I wonder how much of our tax money was wasted...

Preview:  Family Members Can Get Locked Into Playing Roles
If you find your self locked in to playing a role in the alcoholic's life, maybe it's time to call "time out."
In this article we described three of the "roles" that family members can find themselves adopting as they try to deal with alcoholic behavior.
Those examples may be somewhat of an exaggeration, but then again they may be very typical of...

Preview:  There are Many Ways to Enable an Alcoholic
As the saying goes, you are not the cause of someone else's drinking problem, you cannot cure it and you can't control it.
But there are ways that you may be contributing to the problem.
Before placing the blame for all the problems in your family or your relationship on his (or her) drinking, it might be wise to examine how the other person's drinking...

Preview:  Before Making a Decision, Give Al-Anon a Try
Alcohol abuse has probably ended more marriages and broken up more families than we will ever know. If you have been considering seeking a divorce because of your spouse's drinking problem, hold on! There may be other options available.
If you are just plain sick and tired of being sick and tired and don't know what to do -- if everything you have don...

Preview:  Why Do I Need Help? He's the Alcoholic!
Alcoholism is a disease that affects every member of the family, to the extent that the kids who make it into the Alateen rooms report they generally have more problems dealing with the non-drinking parent than they do the alcoholic.

What? But I don't have a problem! He... him... he's the alcoholic! He's the one who causes all the problems! He's the one ...

Preview:  Here Are Some Signs There May Be a Problem
If your child is using alcohol and drugs, it's a good bet he (or she) is doing everything possible to keep that activity hidden. The last thing he wants is for his parents to give him a "hassle" about his newly-found "entertainment."
But continued alcohol and drug use will affect your child's behavior, attitudes and even choice of friends.
Here are som...

Preview:  Some Questions That Provide Insight
Growing up in home with an active alcoholic can affect how a child looks at life and almost everything in it.
On the Al-Anon website there is a list of questions entitled, "Did you grow up in an alcoholic home?"
The wording of these questions offer an insight into some ways children are affected by growing up in a alcoholic home.
1. Do you constantly seek ap...

Preview:  Intervention Can Produce Some Undesirable Consequencies
Deciding to approach the alcoholic in your life with a confrontational intervention can produce some potentially very undesirable consequencies.
After last week's feature was published, a friend of mine who has spent his entire career as a highly-qualified professional in the treatment field, wrote to point out the possible negative side to...

Preview:  Sometimes It Is the Only Choice Left
Sometimes when the alcoholic's problems reach the crisis level, the only choice left to his family is professional intervention.
What is intervention? Basically it comes down to confronting the alcoholic with how his drinking has effected everyone around him. The alcoholic's family, friends, and employers tell the alcoholic in their own words how his (or her)...

Preview:  Princess Diana's Death Sparked New Campaigns
In light of the revelation that Princess Diana's driver was drinking, Mothers Against Drunk Driving and other groups used the 1997 incident as ammunition in their war against drunk drivers, sparking new laws in almost every state.
Immediately following the news that Henri Paul had a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit in France, MADD issue...

Preview:  There is a World of Help Available!
If you have decided, for whatever reason, that you want to stop drinking, there is a world of help and support available.
To get a better picture of where you are now, so that you can make an informed decision about how to proceed, perhaps the first person to talk with should be your family doctor.
Sometimes admitting to yourself and others that you need help...

Preview:  Women at Higher Risks for Serious Medical Consequences
Women have higher risk than men for certain serious medical consequences of alcohol use, including liver, brain and heart damage, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
A recent NIAAA Alcohol Alert reports that women achieve higher concentrations of alcohol in the blood and become more impaired than men after dr...