The Canyon

A sure sign that someone has a serious drinking problem is when they lose control of their drinking behaviors. They frequently say one thing then do another, leaving the concerned friend or relative really wondering. If you are watching out for someone who seems to lose control of their drinking on a regular basis, you may very well need to talk with them about getting alcohol treatment. But first, take a look at the following examples to see if you need to take action.

Alcohol Use More Than Intended

Your roommate says he’s just going to have one or two beers over at a friend’s place. You drop by about an hour later and find that he’s finished a six pack and is heading into a new one. A woman tells her husband she’s going to have a drink after supper. Two hours later, her husband has noticed her refilling at least four times.

Maybe it’s part of the denial, but the two people described above both said one thing and did another. They each indicated they were having a fairly small amount to drink, but in reality they had at least three times as much. Did they really think they were only having one or two? Or did they just say that outloud to someone else to make it seem OK? It could certainly be both.

Use Drugs For Longer Period Than Planned

A husband tells his wife he’s just going to watch the game and drink a few beers at a friend’s house, then he’ll come home and they’ll go out for dinner. However, he doesn’t come home in time for dinner, and his wife can’t reach him. He and his friends had gotten drunk during the game and went down to the bars for a few hours.

Once a person with alcoholism gets rolling, it can be hard to stop. Drinking almost always takes longer than they say because they have little ability to control the amount they have. They can become oblivious to the passage of time or other obligations. The goal of their drinking is not to have a mild buzz once in a while. It is to get intoxicated, even when they don’t say so.

Not Being Able to Keep Track of Alcohol Amounts

If you ask an alcoholic how much they had, you will invariably get some strange answers. Some will swear they only had four or five, when a blood alcohol count from a DUI will show almost twice the legal limit. Or, they may simply say, “I don’t know,” which is probably the most accurate.

Alcoholics almost always underestimate their amount. They aren’t keeping track in the first place because again, their drinking is not done in a socially responsible manner. They are drinking in an out of control manner because they are using the alcohol as a coping mechanism. Getting drunk is what they have done for so long they may not know or remember how to monitor themselves accurately.

Stop Out of Control Drinking With Alcohol Rehab

Check back here for another post describing more ways alcoholics lose control of their drinking. Unfortunately, there’s just too much to put in one post. Alcohol treatment is the best way to truly stop drinking that has gone out of control. Sometimes a short stay at a residential alcohol treatment center is the best thing. A person taken out of their environment can get a real fresh start, especially when the problem has been chronic and serious.

Just Say No To Drugs was the mantra in the late 1980′s. Nancy Reagan championed this phrase give teens a simple response to drug and alcohol peer pressure. Many parents simply tell their kids that drugs are bad and they should stay away from them. But why is this approach just not enough? Talking with kids about drugs and alcohol is a challenge, but it doesn’t have to leave you tongue-tied.

Be Honest About Why Drugs May Seem Fun

It’s tempting for parents to simply demonize drugs and alcohol, attempting to scare their children away from even the idea of trying it. While this approach is understandable and pretty common, it probably leaves some good learning opportunities out of the picture. It’s strong on power but weak on understanding the nature of teenage temptation.

A more effective approach would include being pretty honest about the reasons people think taking drugs and drinking is fun. Honestly describing the attractive effects of drugs doesn’t necessarily make taking them more likely. Being honest keeps the mystery down and keeps the talk straight.

For example, you can say that some people really enjoy how alcohol relaxes them. It makes them feel kind of silly and loose, like they are having fun and forgetting their troubles. It’s also why friends might try to convince someone else to try it (like your kid). Then say how friends are more likely to tell you the “good” things about drinking and taking drugs, or make it seem cool or funny to get in trouble and buck against the adults.

Be Just As Honest About The Dangers of Drugs

Tell them just as honestly how alcohol and drugs affect their feelings in bad ways, too. Sadness gets sadder when they are drinking, anger gets stronger, crazy mood swings are exhausting. They are more likely to do things they would regret while drinking or taking drugs. They have a better chance of hurting themselves accidentally or intentionally, a better chance at having dangerous, abusive, or unprotected sex.

Talk about kids and adults who have had big enough problems that they needed to go to drug rehab or an alcohol treatment center. Even if it hasn’t happened in your community, the internet makes it convenient to look up good examples of kids who went far off the track with drugs and alcohol.

You know your kid better than most other people, what they value, what they wouldn’t want to get off track, what they need from you as a parent. If they have big concerns about friend rejection, they may take drugs to feel like they fit in and have friends. If they have anxiety from academic and success pressure, their weak spot might be tension relief.

Kids Will Listen To What Their Parents Say About Drugs

Kids still listen to their parents as teenagers, and they certainly don’t need their parents less at this age. But peers do become very important to teens and preteens. If you can appreciate this and help your kid see the bigger picture, you will remain a valuable source of support and honesty for them.

You probably won’t be there when those big moments of temptations happen. But locking your kids in the closet isn’t going to teach them much about making good choices either. If you discover that your child already has a problem with drugs and alcohol, you may need to consider drug rehab or alcohol treatment. When you keep the communication open and honest, there’s always a chance for a good outcome.

Lindsey Lohan’s had one, so has Paris Hilton, Heather Locklear, and even Joba Chamberlain this weekend. They’ve all been arrested for or charged with a DUI recently. If you’ve had a DUI, you know it can be a costly, embarrassing, and soul-searching ordeal. A DUI can even prompt a trip to an alcohol treatment center or outpatient alcohol rehab. Now matter how difficult the experience, it can become one of the best things to ever happen to you.

DUI Breaks The Facade That You Have Everything Under Control

Just because you can’t see the brick wall doesn’t mean you aren’t headed straight for it. A DUI can really wake you up and turn your routines upside down. Suddenly you have to bum rides from friends, your social life is likely very different, and your financial obligations are steeper.

You thought you knew what you are doing, maybe that you even “drove better” than other people you knew who drove drunk. But once your problems were exposed, you realized just how awful your life really was at the time. You had no significant other, you felt like you were in a rut at work, one of your parents had just died, and everyone you knew was getting married and having a happier life than you. After some alcohol rehab, you were able to understand your problems better and start to untangle them. You started exercising, made a couple new friends, and made better choices. By the time you got your license you were still in the process, but you had some true hope for a better quality life. Strangely, you felt thankful your lies were stopped in their tracks.

DUI Costs Money Embarassment Legal Problems And More

A DUI can hit you in so many ways – your wallet, your public and social image, your transportation options, and your legal record. Amazingly, some people have multiple DUI’s before they get serious drug or alcohol rehab. Sometimes, just one DUI is all it takes to turn your life around. For a person with untreated mental illness, a deeply set addiction, or multiple addictions, it may take more to get the message through.

A person of limited income will feel the hit to the pocket book a lot harder than a celebrity, but the celebrity can have immense damage to their reputation from just one offense. You often don’t realize the freedom of being able to drive wherever you want until that privilege is taken from you. You may think you understand being self conscious until you hear how many people have read your name in the paper. You may take your auto insurance for granted until you discover you have a higher rate for a few years. No matter your income or social status, a DUI is intended to be taken seriously.

DUI And Alcohol Rehab Force Reality Upon You

If you can stand it, a DUI is a huge opportunity for you. It forcibly stuns you into reality. A cop has your blood alcohol level, has your driving and behavior on videotape, records the alcohol smell. Tough to deny. Reality may be something you are actively trying to avoid. Get drunk and you don’t notice too much around you. Convince yourself you have only had “a few” and can drive OK.

Reality may bite, but it doesn’t lie. Once you really know you have a drinking problem, it’s time to begin accepting the fact. You can hide from it, but it doesn’t make it disappear. If you are ready to face the truth and keep your head out of the sand, alcohol rehab is a great place to start. Reality is the real blessing of a DUI and alcohol rehab.