Quit Drinking And Overcome Alcoholism

Rational Recovery, was founded in 1986 by Jack and Lois Trimpey and offers an abstinence-based solution for stopping drinking and are the bitter arch-rivals of Alcoholics Anonymous.”

The Rational Recovery (RR) program is based upon the Addictive Voice Recognition Technique� (AVRT), which is a method of identifying with your addiction.It is based on a Structural Model of Addiction and a free crash course in AVRT is demonstrated on the Rational Recovery web site in the form of 28 flash cards. Many people (myself included) have benefited from this approach to quitting drinking.

Don’t be put off by Jack’s intense dislike of Alcoholics Anonymous, I understand completely where he is coming from. When I quit drinking I tried AA and they didn’t like the fact that I believed I was strong enough to beat alcohol on my own. I was ridiculed and was told I would fail and yet here I am over two years later without a relapse.

Jack believes that AA is a cult” he calls it a “radical cult, an evil cult, a widespread cult, and a dangerous cult” and a “cancer on the soul of the nation.” He also claims, “Chemical dependency counseling is a professional guild created by AA in order for its members to practice stepcraft in public institutions and agencies.”

I couldn’t agree more, AA uses brainwashing techniques for the members who question their methods. I experienced this first hand when they attempted to get me to attend 90 meetings in 90 days. They had given up trying to get me to change my beliefs about self empowerment, realized that I didn’t believe I was a Dry drunk (someone who has quit drinking but still has all the problems), that I was condemned to die if I didn’t give in to their system etc.

I saw AA for what it really was and I was having no part of it!

Try Rational Recover before AA you may well find that it is all you need to stop drinking for good. Take me for example, I quit drinking and know I will never start again. Nobody in AA can say that!

Visit Rational Recovery, it may be all you need to stop drinking for good.

Rob

Alcoholism is a term with multiple and sometimes conflicting definitions. In common and historic usage, alcoholism refers to any condition that results in the continued consumption of alcoholic beverages despite the health problems and negative social consequences it causes.

The Journal of the American Medical Association defines alcoholism as “a primary, chronic disease characterized by impaired control over drinking, preoccupation with the drug alcohol, use of alcohol despite adverse consequences, and distortions in thinking.

The term “alcoholism” was first used in 1849 by the physician Magnus Huss to describe the systematic adverse effects of alcohol. The modern medical definition of alcoholism has been revised numerous times since then. It is common for a person suffering from alcoholism to drink well after physical health effects start to manifest.

The social problems arising from alcoholism can be significant. Because alcohol use disorders are perceived as impacting society as a whole, governments and parliaments have formed alcohol policies in order to reduce the harm of alcoholism. A variety of medications may be prescribed as part of treatment for alcoholism. Acamprosate (also known as Campral) is thought to stabilize the chemical balance of the brain that would otherwise be disrupted by alcoholism.

The quantity, frequency and regularity of alcohol consumption required to develop alcoholism varies greatly from person to person. According to the APA Dictionary of Psychology, alcoholism is the popular term for alcohol dependence. Those who approach alcoholism as a medical condition or disease recommend differing treatments than, for instance, those who approach the condition as one of social choice. The treatment community for alcoholism typically supports an abstinence-based zero tolerance approach; however, there are some who promote a harm-reduction approach as well. The effectiveness of alcoholism treatments varies widely.

If an alcoholic is defiant about getting help, what can you do about it? Alcoholics do not react very well to advice, suggestions, or threats. One would imagine that under these circumstances an alcoholic is condemned to oblivion. You must recognize that the alcoholic is desperate to get more and more alcohol, and as a result may lie, cheat and steal in order to do so.

Put simply, an alcoholic is a person whose life is controlled by alcohol and they are sick. However if the alcoholic is sick why doesn’t he or she just go to the hospital? This is because in the early stages of alcoholism, the alcoholic does not look sick or in pain, or is apparently abnormal. Alcoholics do not get the picture that they will become a very sick person, and neither do the people around them.

By the time an alcoholic is in the late stage they are often illogical, deluded, and unable to see what has happened. The alcoholic is plainly not aware of what is going on in their body and is in a constant state of denial.Being an alcoholic is not a curse. The alcoholic is a sick and should be treated as such. Alcoholics are born with a inherited, genetic sensitivity to addiction because of their brain chemistry. Alcoholics need to ingest alcohol before the addiction takes hold. Alcoholism is a growing disease, and without treatment it only gets tougher to beat.

If an alcoholic is unwilling to seek help, how can you get them to receive treatment? The court system forces alcoholics to receive treatment all the time and rehab centers are overflowing with people who don’t want to be there. The real question is, will forcing an alcoholic into treatment assure recovery? The answer is no, because the alcoholic can only quit when they are ready to and when they realizethat they have a problem. No alcoholic is hopeless. If you are attempting to get an alcoholic to quit, you have to accept the fact that they are sick, controlled by an illness they cannot control, and neither can you. The alcoholic is addicted and an addict cannot easily stop on their own.

The first step in treating the alcoholic is the detoxification stage and the alcoholic must truly want to stop drinking or detoxification will not lead to continued abstinence. The biggest hurdle to overcome is for an alcoholic to accept that they have a drinking problem.

An alcoholic can only be helped (and is worth helping) only if they decide not to drink. Once an alcoholic is in treatment, it is likely that they will be asked to join Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings, usually daily. This however is no guarantee for continued abstinence as many people try and fail with AA. The right alcohol recovery program depends upon the severity of the condition and the nature of the alcoholic and most importantly how committed and motivated they are. A big component of getting the alcoholic into treatment, is defeating the hurdle they face of actually accepting treatment. Many of the hurdles are delusional, but to the alcoholic they are impassible. The hurdles are manufactured from fear, dishonor, embarrassment, and denial. The uncertainty of a future without alcohol is enough to trigger too much stress and they will refuse treatment. We may never understand what causes alcoholism, and (AA) is only one of many recognized methods for treating alcoholism.

More than 700,000 Americans receive alcoholism treatment of one kind or another on any given day. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is the best known treatment option for a recovering alcoholic, but it is not the best. Another program which should be given some attention is Rational Recovery. Rational recovery is a far more effective method of addressing addictions and I personally believe that if the alcoholic really wants to quit drinking then Rational Recovery is the program they should be looking at

Overcoming denial and enabling is often the first step to successful recovery for the alcoholic. Treatment only works if the alcoholic is ready and forcing a treatment program on an alcoholic will be doomed to failure. If an alcoholic is going to get anything positive out of an alcohol treatment program, they must be willing and receptive

At the end of the day It’s up to the alcoholic to take action and to do something about their problem. Doing so will empower them and make them stronger individuals. If someone you love has is an alcoholic do what you can to make them aware of their problem by talking about it, but don’t lecture them or they will switch off. Try making them aware of the bad things that their alcoholism brings about, try to encourage them to think about better ways of finding enjoyment.

Free ebook describing the hazards and effects of drinking alcohol to excess. May act as an “eye opener” if you believe you may have a problem with alcohol.

alcohol_hazards.pdf

Here’s some good reasons for stopping drinking, obviously there are many more, but anyone with a drinking problem will recognize that a life without alcohol does indeed have it’s benefits.

1. To stop alcohol from causing you to question what kind of person you are, to stop alcohol from making you feel like you aren’t good enough, to stop alcohol from affecting how you feel about yourself

2. You can save money.

3. You do not have blackouts and you do not have to wake up with a hangover anymore.

4. You never have regrets or shame at what you did last night.

5. Feel good emotionally and feel fitter as you are not poisoning your body.

6. You don’t have to worry about what you texted the night before, or who you called whilst drunk and what you said.

7. You can start accomplishing the important goals you want in your life.

8. You won’t feel sick all of the time.

Alcohol impacts on so many affairs in your life. It damages your self-confidence and makes you feel that you are a failure and useless. It keeps you depressed and gives you a grim outlook on life.

Even worse, it seems that it will be inconceivable to quit drinking for good. Every time you say to yourself you are going to quit drinking for good, you are driven to pick up another drink. Alcohol has a strong hold on you and it won’t let go.Do you really deserve this kind of punishment? Do something about it and get some help whilst you still can!

My children are pleased that I quit drinking because they now have a reliable father who doesn’t let them down frequently because of alcohol. They like the fact that I don’t fall asleep on them all the time, that they can wake me if they need to. That we can go out and enjoy summer days because I’m always sober enough to drive.Quitting drinking has improved my relationship with my children and it’s really great.

If alcohol is making you forsake the relationship you have with your children. GIVE UP!!! It really isn’t worth ruining your relationship with your children. If you quit drinking your children will look up to you and are less likely to develop an addiction to alcohol when they are older.

Quit drinking for your children, it will be the best decision you can ever make!

An ever growing number of teenagers are found to be afflicted with alcoholism.

Alcohol is more prevalent and readily available to younger people today.

The stigma attached to getting teen alcoholism treatment has lessened in recent times (at least to some degree).

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Finally, there are more teen alcoholism treatment programs available worldwide.

Researchers in various disciplines, in considering teen alcoholism treatment, have concluded that statistically speaking an increasing percentage of the teenage population is starting to drink at an earlier age.

During the past three decades there has been a noticeable reduction in the stigma that attaches to getting teen alcoholism treatment. This is due in part to the advocacy work of celebrities as well as medical experts.

Medical experts and alcoholism counselors now understand the important of developing specialized teen alcoholism treatment programs for young people with drinking problems and with alcoholism.

You are about to know what alcoholic must know about teen alcoholism treatment.

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I was married to my kids father for 7 years. We split up last june because he had not had a job in 5 years and i was tired of dealing with his alcoholism. We shared custody of the kids for awhile but i was still paying all of his bills and taking care of his finatual needs. I am now engaged to a wonderful man and my kids love him and so do i. He has given me and my children everything. My ex-husband went to jail in another state recently and my kids started calling my new boyfriend daddy. I\’m not stopping it but i\’m not encourging it. I have decided that when my ex gets out of prison i\’m going to try to get joint custody with me the primary caretaker and get child support. I Am not going to pay hs bills anymore either. Am i wrong for just completly cutting him off. I\’m so confused about things
the reason he is in prison is for hitting me one night when i went to get the kids

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It\’s a quote that goes something like, \”it\’s only called alcoholism when you\’re out of college\”…

not sure if that\’s entirely it but I thought it was funny. Anyone know of any other good college quotes?

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Interesting content from the web
From \”Rethinking Substance Abuse.\”In the closing chapter of their 2006 book, \”Rethinking Substance Abuse,” editors William R. Miller and Kathleen M. Carroll attempt to sum up what has been learned about the science of addiction. Their useful contribution, entitled Drawing the Science Together, offers \”Ten Principles\” that are designed to synthesize the welter of recent scientific research on addiction and help make sense of what we know.In vastly truncated form, they are as follows:1. Drug Use is Chosen Behavior At least in the beginning, people choose to take drugs, as one of the behavioral options available to them.2. Drug Problems Emerge Gradually \”Dependence emerges over time, as the person\’s life becomes increasingly centered on drug use,\” the authors write. \”The diagnostic criteria for classifying people with \’drug abuse\’ and \’drug dependence\’ represent arbitrary cut points along a gradual continuum\” (p.296).3. Once Well Established, Drug Problems Tend to Become Self-Perpetuating Once regular drug use has caused dysregulation of limbic reward systems, addictive behaviors \”take on a life of their own,\” and become \”surprisingly resistant to ordinary forces of persuasion, religion, punishment, and self-control. It can be challenging to destabilize such a self-organizing system\” (p.296).4. Motivation is Central to Prevention and Intervention Miller and Carroll write: \”Taking action also predicts change. Better outcomes follow from attending more sessions or staying longer in treatment, going to more 12-step meetings, adhering to treatment advice, or faithfully taking one\’s medication. It appears that actively doing something toward change may be more important than the particular actions that are taken\” (p.297).5. Drug Use Responds to Reinforcement \”Drug use tends to be associated with a foreshortening of time perspective, so that longer term delayed rewards are discounted in value…. People who more steeply discount delayed rewards are at higher risk for drug use and problems; moreover, drug use exacerbates discounting. Some effective medications reduce the reward value of drug use, which can enhance the appeal of alternative reinforcers\” (p. 298).6. Drug Problems Do Not Occur in Isolation, but as Part of Behavior Clusters In young people, drug abuse often co-exists with mood disorders, behavioral problems at school or the job, and anti-social behaviors. As Miller and Carroll remind us, the same is true of adults. Family violence, health problems, unemployment, and child neglect are frequently associated with cases of active addiction.7. There Are Identifiable and Modifiable Risk and Protective Factors for Problem Drug Use \”It is clear that heredity contributes to risk for alcohol problems, and evidence is mounting for genetic predispositions for or against other drug use\” (p.299).8. Drug Problems Occur within a Family Context In addition to the evidence pointing to a direct genetic mode of transmission, parental drug use is also a risk factor. Anything that delays an addiction-prone young person from first use of alcohol or other drugs decreases the risk of long-term addiction.9. Drug Problems Are Affected by a Larger Social Context \”Social isolation is both a promoter and a consequence of the progression of drug dependence, and social bonding with nonusers can be an antidote\” (p.301).10. Relationship Matters In formal treatment settings, effectively matching counselor to client is crucial. Confrontational counselor styles are generally \”countertherapeutic.\”Graphics Credit: University of Utah, Genetic Science Learning Center

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