When I was in the tenth grade in high school, I enrolled into a substance abuse class. At that time period, I did not realize that alcohol abuse in truth was a sub classification of drug abuse. While taking this class and learning more about drug and alcohol abuse and especially about alcohol side effects, I read a lot about Alcoholic Anonymous, their meetings, how their programs have twelve steps, and how successful the Alcoholics Anonymous recovery program has been for people all over the world. I also learned quite a bit about alcohol rehab and the different alcohol rehab facilities that are regularly available to individuals who engage in hazardous drinking.

Harmful Effects That are Correlated With Alcohol Addiction and Alcohol Abuse

Some of the harmful outcomes correlated with alcoholism and alcohol abuse that I learned about in this class absolutely terrified me. The ruined lives and countless difficulties experienced by most alcohol dependent individuals made me feel like I never wanted to drink alcohol when I became old enough. In short, I did not want to face the damage and ruination that alcohol dependent people almost always encounter.

Reflect on this for a moment. What fifteen-year-old individual wants to face premature death due to his or her drinking behavior? What young person wants to become so out-of-control regarding his or her drinking that drinking alcohol becomes the object of one’s life? What young person wants to go to one of the local alcoholic rehabilitation centers to deal with alcohol-related problems before he or she becomes twenty-one?

What young person wants to deal with alcohol withdrawal symptoms when he or she tries to quit drinking? Why would an individual engage in drinking to such an extent that it would cause serious issues in every area of his or her life? Drinking later in life after an individual has a career, a family, and develops personal responsibilities makes sense. But why would an adolescent want to sacrifice his or her education, employment, finances, and relationships for a life that revolves around abusive drinking?

These issues were so meaningful that I discussed some of them in class throughout the school year. What was absolutely amazing to me was the number of students who simply didn’t care about the damaging effects of abusive drinking that I talked about. It was almost as if they couldn’t be bothered with reality and how these consequences can ruin their lives. For the first time in my life I started to appreciate something that my grandfather used to articulate throughout my youth: you can lead a horse to water but you can’t force it to drink.

It’s Invigorating, Important, and Beneficial to Stay Away From the Unhealthy and Debilitating Consequences of Drug and Alcohol Abuse

And even at my young age, I also started to comprehend how liberating, beneficial, and important it is in life to keep yourself from the unhealthy and destructive effects of drug and alcohol abuse.

It is fascinating to articulate something that family members who have been harmfully affected by the alcohol dependency of another family member obviously do not grasp. It appears that by protecting the alcoholic with untruths and dishonesty to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have actually created a situation that makes it easier for the alcoholic to carry on and advance with his or her unsafe, detrimental daily life.

To be sure, rather than helping the alcohol addicted person and themselves, these family members have in reality become enablers who have inadvertently helped negatively affect the alcohol addicted individual’s drinking problem even more.

Perhaps the real downside of this is that the alcoholic will continue drinking in an excessive and abusive manner and go through a variety of “alcohol side effects.” Some of these side effects include poor health, deteriorating relationships, considerable financial problems, employment difficulties, legal issues (such as getting arrested for one or more DUIs), and diminished mental functioning.

Relapses Can and Do Transpire

According to the research literature and statistics on alcohol addiction, another key alcohol dependency issue has to do with alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcoholic has effectively undergone alcohol addiction therapy and then returns to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first thought, this situation seems contradictory to common sense and seems so unrealistic that it forces an individual to question why anyone who has experienced the horrors of alcohol dependency can return to drinking a short while after effective alcohol treatment and in turn after achieving sobriety. There are, without a doubt, many rational reasons for this.

It should be noted, conversely that alcohol addiction research that has focused on the long-term effects of alcohol addiction has demonstrated-proven that long after the alcohol dependent individual has discontinued his or her drinking, significant modifications in the way in which the alcohol dependent individual’s brain operates are still present. As a result, all a recovering alcohol dependent individual has to do to involve himself or herself in actions that correspond with the modifications that have taken place in the brain is to engage in drinking once again.

A Requirement for A Critical Lifestyle Change

There are even more reasons why quite a few recovering alcoholics return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after attaining sobriety. In accordance to the alcoholism research literature, to make an effective recovery, the alcohol dependent person needs new ways of acting and thinking in order to deal more effectively with taxing alcohol-related circumstances that will take place.

Conditions such as returning to the same alcohol addictive environment or to the same geographic location; interacting once again with friends from the time when the alcohol addicted individual was drinking excessively; or familiar songs, smells, or activities—all of these situations can bring about memories that can trigger psychological stress or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcoholic to engage in excessive drinking once again. Unfortunately, all of these situations may not only negate long lasting alcohol recovery for the alcohol dependent individual but they can also lead to relapse and therefore go against one’s alcohol recovery.

The Good News: Quality Help is Readily Available

In an attempt to “protect” the family alcohol dependent individual, family members can actually cause unintentional harm by enabling the unsafe drinking behavior of the alcohol addicted person.

The drug abuse research literature demonstrates the fact that most individuals who effectively complete alcohol counseling go through at least one relapse. Alcohol dependent individuals and their family members need to know this so that they do not get defeated or overwhelmed when a relapse manifests itself.

Fortunately, involvement in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up treatment and training have resulted in more productive, enduring alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency therapeutic results, have helped decrease alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcoholics attain ongoing alcohol recovery.

When I was in the tenth grade in high school, I took a drug abuse class. At that time period, I did not understand that alcohol abuse in truth was a sub division of drug abuse. While taking this class and learning more about drug and alcohol abuse and particularly about alcohol side effects, I read a lot about Alcoholic Anonymous, their meetings, how their programs have twelve steps, and how successful the Alcoholics Anonymous recovery program has been for individuals all over the world. I also learned quite a bit about alcohol rehab and the various alcohol rehab facilities that are frequently available to individuals who engage in heavy drinking.

Damaging Results That are Associated With Alcohol Addiction and Alcohol Abuse

Some of the harmful results associated with alcoholism and alcohol abuse that I learned about in this class definitely startled me. The ruined lives and many difficulties experienced by most alcoholics made me feel like I never wanted to drink alcohol when I became old enough. That is, I did not want to face the disaster and devastation that alcohol dependent people almost always experience.

Reflect on this for a moment. What fifteen-year-old person wants to face premature death due to his or her drinking behavior? What adolescent wants to become so out-of-control regarding his or her drinking that ingesting alcohol becomes the object of one’s life? What teen wants to go to one of the local alcoholic rehabilitation centers to deal with alcohol-related difficulties before he or she becomes twenty-one?

What young person wants to go through alcohol withdrawal symptoms when he or she tries to quit drinking? Why would an individual engage in drinking to such an extent that it would cause difficulties in every area of his or her life? Drinking later in life after a person has a career, a family, and develops personal responsibilities makes sense. But why would an adolescent want to sacrifice his or her education, employment, finances, and relationships for a life that focuses on abusive drinking?

These issues were so important that I discussed some of them in class throughout the school year. What was entirely incredible to me was the number of students who essentially didn’t care about the damaging effects of abusive drinking that I discussed. It was almost as if they couldn’t be bothered with reality and how these outcomes can shatter their lives. For the first time in my life I started to comprehend a saying that my grandfather used to emphasize all through my younger years: you can lead a horse to water but you can’t force it to drink.

It’s Beneficial, Important, and Energizing to Keep Yourself From the Debilitating and Unhealthy Results of Alcohol and Drug Abuse

And even at my young age, I also began to realize how liberating, beneficial, and important it is in life to keep yourself from the unhealthy and damaging effects of drug and alcohol abuse.