MedWorm Tags: drinking:

Alcoholism, a Family Problem

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Mon, 03 May 2010 17:32:00 +0100

Problem drinking doesn’t just affect society, it also affects people at a more personal level – at home – and can create serious emotional problems for all family members. Maybe you’re reading this because there’s an alcohol problem in your family. If so, you’ve taken the first step in helping yourself. Let’s look briefly at what can happen in a family when one member of the family has a drinking problem. Usually, the alcohol problem is creating a lot of stress in the home. Maybe the person with the alcohol problem isn’t doing their share of taking care of children or paying bills. Maybe they’ve lost income because of drinking. Maybe they’ve gotten in some legal trouble because of their drinking or, when drunk, they’...

10 Things We Want to Do This Weekend

Autism Vox — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 18:22:01 +0100

In less than 12 hours, it’s officially the weekend, and we’re already planning every hour. Here are the top 10 things we’ll be daydreaming about all Friday: See Cherry Blossoms Cherry Blossom festivals are in full bloom (get it?!), so we want to make sure to get our fair share of time under their boughs. Eat Asparagus It’s peak season for one of our favorite spring vegetables, and we have 10 great recipes to choose from. Ride A Bike Spring weather and two days out of the office make us want to break out our two-wheelers and get some exercise in the great outdoors. See Date Night If you’re like us, you love Tina Fey, but just haven’t made it to the big pictures lately. If it starts raining, we’re there. Clean House OK, so we’re not exactly...

10 Things We Want to Do This Weekend

Breastfeeding 1-2-3 — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 18:22:01 +0100

Letting Go of Shame

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 03:33:52 +0100

Often those of us who live or have lived with someone else’s problem drinking either blame ourselves or the drinker. “If I were a better spouse, he wouldn’t be drinking.” “If she really loved me, she would have kept her promise and given up the alcohol.” When we understand that alcoholism is a progressive disease that affects the drinker as well as those close to the drinker, we realize that blame is as relevant with this disease as it is with diabetes or Alzheimer’s. The more we know about the disease we are dealing with, the better we are able to make healthy choices as to how we react. “Many of the symptoms of alcoholism are in the behavior of the alcoholic. The people who are involved with the alcoholic react to his behavior. They try to control it, make up for it, or h...

Quit Begging Your Alcoholic Spouse to Stop Drinking Alcohol

Alcoholic Spouse Advanced Help — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 17:19:32 +0100

Are you experiencing the nightmare of living with an alcoholic spouse? Do you beg or plead with your alcoholic husband or alcoholic wife to stop drinking alcohol? Does your alcoholic spouse “cave in” under pressure and promise to quit drinking only to have an alcohol relapse within a few days or a few weeks? Why is your alcoholic spouse breaking a promise to you that is more important to you than anything in your life right now? Here are 5 typical reasons why eliciting a promise to stop drinking alcohol fails EVERY time: Your alcoholic husband or alcoholic wife is experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms because his/her brain has become alcohol dependent. Drinking alcohol relieves these symptoms. Your alcoholic spouse has strong alcohol cravings. These alcohol cravings pr...

Quit Begging Your Alcoholic Spouse to Stop Drinking Alcohol

Alcoholic Spouse Advanced Help — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 17:19:32 +0100

Alcoholic Spouse, Alcohol Relapse, and Vanilla Fudge Ice Cream

Alcoholic Spouse Advanced Help — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 15:13:55 +0100

Are you wondering how in the world alcoholic spouse, alcohol relapse, and vanilla fudge ice cream are related? If you have ever eaten vanilla fudge ice cream you know that you cannot have the vanilla without eating the chocolate ; they go together, no matter what. An alcoholic spouse and alcohol relapse go together in the same away. You can’t have an alcoholic husband or alcoholic wife without the alcohol relapse. Sorry, It just doesn’t work that way. Here’s an example of this “sobering” fact: I just treated a wonderful woman from another state who has a serious alcohol problem. I treated her for alcohol withdrawal and then treated her depression and anxiety with medication. She also was in therapy and participated in an intensive outpatient program. She went ...

Alcoholic Spouse, Alcohol Relapse, and Vanilla Fudge Ice Cream

Alcoholic Spouse Advanced Help — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 15:13:55 +0100

Alcoholic Spouse? Dual Diagnosis Spells Double the Trouble

Alcoholic Spouse Advanced Help — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 15:45:51 +0100

Are you married to an alcoholic spouse? Is your alcoholic husband or alcoholic wife unlucky enough to be suffering from another diagnosis in addition to their alcohol problem? The most common dual diagnoses I see in my psychiatric practice that accompany an alcohol problem are an anxiety disorder, depression, attention deficit disorder (ADD), and bipolar disorder. If these underlying mental health disorders are not treated with the appropriate medications, alcohol is often used to self medicate symptoms. Here are some danger signs. Does your alcoholic spouse do any of the following: Drink too much after work to “unwind”. This shows an ability to manage daily stress (anxiety disorder). Drink too much to “feel good”. Your alcoholic spouse is altering his/her depresse...

Alcoholic Spouse? Dual Diagnosis Spells Double the Trouble

Alcoholic Spouse Advanced Help — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 15:45:51 +0100

AA Preamble

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 00:41:41 +0100

The AA Preamble is; A statement which briefly explains the purpose of AA. The preamble is read at the beginning of most AA meetings. Is is based on a portion of the foreword to the first edition of the Big Book. Defining Alcoholics Anonymous Following is the definition of A.A. appearing in the Fellowship’s basic literature and cited frequently at meetings of A.A. groups: The AA Preamble “Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for A.A. membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions. A.A. is not allied with any sect,...

Help an Alcoholic 7

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 15:59:00 +0100

Set a good example and flow around drinking From her own experience, a wife thinks it’s important for family and friends not to drink in front of people they’d prefer not to be drinking. Indeed, one of the common themes in advice to loved ones is to be good role models, setting an example by taking steps like avoiding drinking around them and not bringing alcohol into the house. She adds, “Don’t let your good times revolve around drinking.” She recalls how many of the things she and her husband did together used to involve alcohol: “Every event I perceived as a good time revolved around booze. And he just went along with me. We would go to his softball games and out for beer afterward. And if we went to parties or summer picnics, alcohol was always involved.” In short, if a m...

Help an Alcoholic 5

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 15:33:00 +0100

Seek help It’s dumbfounding to learn that some never seek help of any kind with severe alcohol abuse. One wife says, "If my husband had sought help, he would have been admitting how serious my problem was. It was a big family secret." But other people emphasize the importance of not going it alone when someone you care about has a drinking problem. This comment captures the essence of many suggestions: "Join a support group to keep your own life buoyant and prosperous and to analyze your own negative coping strategies." Not surprisingly, many people who take traditional twelve-step recovery routes suggested going to Al-Anon, also a twelve-step-based program. Also, a number of people make a general comment that family and friends should seek counselling for their ow...

I Drink Alone and You Can't Stop Me

Healthbolt — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 13:58:32 +0100

photo: Thinkstock A pint of Vanilla Swiss Almond. Three episodes of 30 Rock/Lost/Project Runway/Top Chef/Grey’s Anatomy on DVR. Pie for breakfast. Pancakes for dinner. All are respectable-enough guilty pleasures, but compared to mixing yourself a stiff cocktail on a any given weeknight, they lack a certain, well, punch. Actually, scratch that – they’re for amateurs. For me, there’s no better way to decompress after work than exactly the way the world tells you not to: drinking alone. If you take up this taboo habit, prepare for repercussions: Your GP will frown on exceeding your recommended weekly drink quota; your personal trainer will balk at the empty calories; your therapist will grill you about what’s really going on; your friends will suggest AA meeting loca...

Recovery from Alcoholism in AA

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 19:30:00 +0100

Recovery from alcoholism in Alcoholics Anonymous. AA is a self-help, volunteer organization begun in the mid-1930s that views alcoholism as a disease, not a defect of will. Its founders, themselves alcoholics, maintained that persons with the disease should completely stop drinking, but they did not concern those who could handle alcohol. This position contrasted with the premises of most temperance advocates, who saw drinking as a moral choice and opposed any alcohol use by anyone. The Twelve Steps embody the wisdom of the founders of AA about pursuing ongoing recovery from alcoholism. The procedure they describe has evolved into one of the most successful programs for helping alcoholics. Many drug treatment programs also have based themselves on this twelve-step model. The abbrevi...

What does Alcohol do to You?

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 18:14:00 +0100

Alcohol Related Harm Hangovers are the most obvious result of a heavy drinking episode. They are a much talked about subject due to the self inflicted feelings of sickness and nausea they cause a person. But a hangover is not the only reminder of a heavy drinking session. The British Royal College of General Practitioners highlighted the potential harm related to alcohol arising from either regular heavy drinking, intoxication or alcoholism. They categorised the resulting problems as social, psychological or physical, and listed these problems in two lists – Problems as a result of heavy drinking and problems as a result of intoxication, drunkenness. These are; Problems related to regular heavy drinking Social Family problems Divorce Homelessness Work difficulties Unemploymen...

Alcohol and the Family

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 22:13:17 +0100

Alcoholism is a disease experienced by the family. Not only is there a significant genetic component that is passed from generation to generation, but the drinking problems of a single family member affect all other family members. The family environment and genetics can perpetuate a vicious and destructive cycle. Many marriages break up over a husband’s or wife’s drinking. Domestic violence typically erupts when one or both spouses have been drinking, and drinking makes domestic violence more dangerous. Families play a critical role in recovery from alcoholism. They can be instrumental in encouraging a family member with alcoholism to seek treatment. Strong family support also increases the chances for successful recovery. Alcoholism and Problem Drinking Pervasive in Family ...

Alcohol and the Family

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 22:13:17 +0100

Alcohol Brief Intervention in Primary Practice

Twelve Step Facilitation.com — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 23:39:20 +0100

Are Brief Alcohol Interventions Likely to be Effective in Routine Primary Care Practice? A number of meta-analyses have demonstrated the modest efficacy of brief interventions (BI) for nondependent unhealthy alcohol use in primary care settings. Whether this level of efficacy can be expected when BIs are delivered outside of research studies in not known. This systematic review identified 22 randomized trials including over 5800 patients. Investigators classified the trials on a spectrum from tightly controlled (efficacy design) to real world (effectiveness design) studies. The scale considered whether patients presented to health care with a range of conditions, whether practices delivered a full range of medical services, whether practitioners routinely worked in the service rather than ...

God Grant Me The Laughter

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:31:00 +0100

The strength of our recovery is in direct proportion to our ability to laugh at ourselves. Laughter heals, particularly the laughter that comes when we understand the lifesaving difference between “how it was” before recovery and “how it is” living in sobriety. These hearty cartoons and humorous anecdotes reflect with powerful clarity how our drinking or drug-using days contrast with our lives today. Laughter helps us celebrate our recovery and it reminds us how grateful we are for sobriety and for the priceless camaraderie of people in Twelve Step Fellowships. - Order today >> God Grant Me The Laughter - Alcoholism, Addiction & Codependency Recovery Bookstore Hazelden Books, DVD's & Medalions (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com)

5 Reasons Your Alcoholic Spouse May Choose To Quit Drinking

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 21:02:15 +0100

As you watch your alcoholic husband or alcoholic wife drinking today, do you wonder what in the world will ever get them to quit drinking alcohol? Are you absolutely amazed at how much your alcoholic spouse can drink? How and when did you spouse’s alcohol problem get so bad? Should you give up on your marriage? How long should you brew in your resentment before you pull the plug on your marriage? Don’t lose hope. Here are the 5 most common reasons I see in my psychiatric practice that spur a person with an alcohol problem to quit drinking alcohol: Loss of job. For your alcoholic husband, this is a big one. Losing a job is losing his ability to support his family, his children. He may be risking losing his home. If his wife doesn’t work, this is an extremely stressfu...

Symptoms of Alcoholism

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:42:23 +0100

Alcoholism is characterized by a preoccupation with alcohol and impaired control over alcohol intake. Alcoholism is a chronic, often progressive disease. Left untreated, alcoholism can be fatal. You may continue to abuse alcohol despite serious adverse health, personal, work-related and financial consequences. Alcoholism usually involves physical dependence on alcohol, but genetic, psychological and social factors contribute to the addiction as well. It’s possible to have a problem with alcohol, but not display all the characteristics of alcoholism. This is known as “alcohol abuse,” which means you engage in excessive drinking that causes health or social problems, but you aren’t dependent on alcohol and haven’t fully lost control over the use of alcohol. Stat...

Oh, I knew you’d make it

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:29:37 +0100

“As we walked back through the hall, I, for the first time in my life, said to another human being, ‘I’m having trouble with my drinking too.’ She took me by the hand and introduced me to the woman that I’m very proud to call my sponsor. This woman and her husband are both in A.A., and she said to me, ‘Oh, but you’re not the alcoholic; it’s your husband.’ I said, ‘Yes.’ She said, ‘How long have you been married?’ I said, ‘Twenty-seven years.’ She said “Twenty-seven years to an alcoholic! How did you ever stand it?’ I thought, now here’s a nice sympathetic soul! This is for me. I said, “Well, I stood it to keep the home together, and for the children’s sake.’ She said, ‘Yes, I know. Y...

What Drinking may do for You ;-)

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:29:37 +0100

6 beers 2 glasses of wine 2 bottles of wine – shared of course Too many Margaritas 3 Kamikazes 7 rum & cokes 1 large purple haze 3 martinis 1 bottle of Tequila NB; To our knowledge, none of these animals actually drank alcohol. (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com)

Oh, I knew you’d make it

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:29:37 +0100

What Drinking may do for You ;-)

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:29:37 +0100

Am I an Alcoholic?

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 04:48:31 +0100

Individual drinking habits may be found on a continuum from responsible drinking through alcohol abuse to alcoholism, or physical dependence. There are many signs that may point to an alcohol problem. Drunkenness on its own or solitary drinking does not necessarily indicate alcoholism. The questionnaire will be meaningful to you only if you are honest with yourself when taking it. The important question is: Is your use of alcohol creating significant negative consequences in your life? Do you sometimes drink heavily after a setback or an argument, or when you receive a poor grade? When you experience trouble or are undergoing stress, do you always drink more heavily than usual? Can you handle more liquor now than you could when you first began drinking? Have you ever awakened the “...

Living Sober

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 09:51:01 +0100

You are not alaone Some methods A.A. members have used for not drinking About that title… Even the words “stay sober”-let alone live sober-offended many of us when we first heard such advice. Although we had done a lot of drinking, many of us never felt drunk, and were sure we almost never appeared or sounded drunk. Many of us never staggered, fell, or got thick tongues; many others were never disorderly, never missed a day at work, never had automobile accidents, and certainly were never hospitalized nor jailed for drunkenness. We knew lots of people who drank more than we did, and people who could not handle their drinks at all. We were not like that. So the suggestion that maybe we should “stay sober” was almost insulting. Besides, it seemed unnecessarily drast...

Living Sober

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 09:51:01 +0100

10 Roadblocks to Success

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 01:40:00 +0100

Ten Roadblocks to Creative Success To stay competitive in the work world today, you must use your imagination and creativity. These innate gifts have the potential to give us an edge in business and life, yet we are often blocked and fail to accomplish the projects we intend to finish. People in recovery from alcoholism, addiction and codependency also need to use imagination and creativity. But, perhaps, in a different manner than they did while drinking or drugging. Or, perhaps, using these life skills for the first time they get confused and disheartened. Creativity is one of the most essential human talents. You have all the creativity you need to accomplish your goals. Your creative ideas provide you with tools for meeting challenges and coping with adversity. By definition, creativit...

Update From Haiti: Despair Sets In And Women Consider Suicide

Disruptive Women in Health Care — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:53:51 +0100

The following interview with Dr. Jan Gurley, a board-certified internist physician, was recently featured on the Better Health blog. Dr. Jan Gurley just returned from a mission trip to Haiti, 5 weeks after the earthquake hit. In this audio clip, she relays a horrific first-hand account of the current realities of life in Port Au Prince. With no running water, bathrooms, or place to shelter – and packed into a field with 100,000 people – some young women are choosing to stop drinking water in an effort to commit suicide. Dr. Gurley describes the loss of human dignity associated with the crisis in Haiti, including a near stampede when sanitary napkins were offered in a crowd of women. She explains that the place is becoming dangerous – and the screams of women being raped i...

Harry Tiebot, Alcoholism the Disease

Twelve Step Facilitation.com — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 12:11:57 +0100

Dr Harry M. Tiebout One of the first psychiatrists to describe alcoholism as a disease rather than a moral failing or criminal activity. Harry M. Tiebout was also one of the first to wholeheartedly endorse Alcoholics Anonymous as an effective force in the struggle against compulsive drinking. This volume brings together, for the first time, some of Tiebout’s most influential writings. Many of these pieces–from explorations of the therapeutic approach to alcoholism to instructive discussions of the act of surrender so crucial to recovery–are seminal documents in the history, treatment, and understanding of alcoholism. Together, they represent the significant contribution of one man to the countless lives shaken by alcoholism and steadied with the help of Alcoholics Anonym...

Harry Tiebot, Alcoholism the Disease

Twelve Step Facilitation.com — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 12:11:57 +0100

I Did Not Realize!

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:21:50 +0100

Who me? “When the idea was first presented to me that I was an alcoholic, my mind simply refused to accept it. Horrors! How disgraceful! What humiliation! How preposterous! Why, I loathed the taste of liquor – drinking was simply a means of escape when my sorrows became too great for me to endure. Even after it had been explained to me that alcoholism is a disease, I could not realize that I had it. I was still ashamed, still wanted to hide behind the screen of reasons made up of unjust treatment, unhappiness, tired and dejected, and the dozens of other things that I thought lay at the root of my search for oblivion by means of whiskey or gin. In any case, I felt quite sure that I was not an alcoholic.” (A Feminine Victory; Personal Story from the First Edition of the book Alcoho...

I Did Not Realize!

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:21:50 +0100

Recovery Stress Relief

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 02:27:00 +0100

Running water is good stress releif Stress recovery For most people in today’s world, stress is a fact of life. In recovery it is especially true and can be a cause of relapse to drinking or drugging. Although it is impossible to eliminate all stress from daily life, it is possible to control the effect that stress has on the body and the mind. The first step in managing stress is to become aware of events in your life that cause you stress. The causes of stress vary from person to person, so that what causes you stress may not cause stress for another person. Once you are aware of what causes you stress, the goal is to find ways to avoid or control these things. Relaxation techniques, when used consistently, can prove effective in controlling stress by helping you reach a state of m...

Recovery Stress Relief

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 02:27:00 +0100

What is Relapse?

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 03:31:10 +0100

Relapse often happens alone Relapse is defined as returning to drinking after a period of not drinking – abstinence. Relapse to drinking or drug use does not come on suddenly and without warning, it is a process over time. Staying clean/sober is not recovery, working a program and finding some serenity and peace is sobriety. Relapse cannot be avoided by shear willpower of self-discipline. SELF-TEST FOR RELAPSE WARNING SIGNALS. Here is a simple list of relapse symptoms. Lack of personal confidence to remain clean/sober or abstinent. Denial Convincing yourself that you will never ever drink or use again. You start imposing recovery on other people. You become defensive when talking about your problem is recovery. Compulsive behavior appears, you adopt a non-structured lifestyle. You s...

Beware of the Legal Drug Pushers, They’re Out There

Life with Chronic Pain — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 22:26:57 +0100

Occasionally, in my experience as a nurse I have run into doctors who are very, shall we say, “loose” with the prescription pad. I don’t know why or what drives an educated physician who has practiced for a short time or long to decide to take the road of least resistance; but some do. You have to wonder why they would risk their professional trust, but occasionally some do. I’m sure there are a myriad of reasons but that’s not for me to say. Part of the problem is the complete subjective nature of pain. When a patient enters a doctor’s office and states they have pain, it often is not as simple as it sounds. Sometimes it is a legitimate complaint, sometimes it is not. There are many ways this can be expressed to the doctor during an office call. I would presume there are as ma...

Partners of Alcoholics

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 01:42:00 +0100

Partner’s Criticism Linked to Alcoholic Relapse A new study published in Behavior Therapy apparently confirms that Al-Anon’s purpose of offering “understanding and encouragement” to those with drinking problems is best approach family members can take in dealing with the situation. The study, conducted by William Fals-Stewart of the State University of New York at Buffalo, found that men recovering from substance abuse are less successful if they believe their spouse or partner is critical of them, rather than supportive. The study found that of 106 married men studied, those who reported greater criticism from their partners were more likely to have relapsed, regardless of the severity of their drug problem, age or race. Al-Anon is a support groups for those who are affect...

Partners of Alcoholics

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 01:42:00 +0100

Disabling Enabling

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 15:30:16 +0100

Self propelled merry-go-round Some people, known as co-dependents, act to protect the alcoholic or attempt to make the drugging stop in ways that at first seem to disable the drinking. But, paradoxically, the effect on the addict is the opposite. What usually happens is more drinking. Enabling can take several forms, such as; Avoiding and shielding: Any behavior by the codependent covering up for, or preventing the abuser, or self from experiencing the full impact or harmful consequences of drug use. Attempting to control: Any behavior by the codependent performed with the intent to take personal control over the significant other’s drug use. Taking over responsibilities: Any behavior by the codependent designed to take over the abuser’s personal responsibilities, such as hous...

Disabling Enabling

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 15:30:16 +0100

Al-anon Speaks for Itself

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:01:47 +0100

Al-Anon Speaks for Itself A wife, father, husband, and daughter describe what it is like to love someone who has a drinking problem. The wife says, “I didn’t live in reality at all. I covered up and made believe.” The father says, “When the police came and told me the charges against my son, it was unbelievable. To see my son taken away in handcuffs was the most difficult day of my life.” To the right of the YouTube panel you will find other videos about Al-anon. Click here for the YouTube video; Al-Anon Speak Part 1 Al-anon Speak part II Al-anon Speak part III Al-anon Speak part IV See also; Al-anon / Alateen Recovery MP3 tracks for all 12-Step Fellowships Self-care Boundaries Language of Letting Go A Woman’s Way Through The Twelve Steps Related R...

12 Health Risks of Heavy Drinking

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:18:03 +0100

Dr tansplanting a cirrhotic liver Health Risks of Alcohol: 12 Health Problems Associated with Chronic Heavy Drinking It’s no secret that alcohol consumption can cause major health problems, including cirrhosis of the liver and injuries sustained in automobile accidents. But if you think liver disease and car crashes are the only health risks posed by drinking, think again: Researchers have linked alcohol consumption to more than 60 diseases. “Alcohol does all kinds of things in the body, and we’re not fully aware of all its effects,” says James C. Garbutt, MD, “It’s a pretty complicated little molecule.” Here are 12 conditions linked to chronic heavy drinking. Anemia This can trigger a host of symptoms, including fatigue, shortness of breath, and l...

12 Health Risks of Heavy Drinking

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:18:03 +0100

What is Relapse?

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:48:29 +0100

Relapse - One drop in not a flood Relapse is defined as returning to drinking or drugging after a period of not drinking – abstinence. Relapse to drinking does not come on suddenly and without warning, it is a process over time. Staying clean/sober is not recovery, working a program and finding some serenity and peace is sobriety. Relapse cannot be avoided by shear willpower of self-discipline. SELF-TEST FOR RELAPSE WARNING SIGNALS Here is a simple list of relapse symptoms. Lack of personal confidence to remain clean/sober or abstinent. Denial Convincing yourself that you will never ever drink or use again. You start imposing recovery on other people. You become defensive when talking about your problem is recovery. Compulsive behavior appears, you adopt a non-structured lifestyle. ...

AA At A Glance

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 01:56:29 +0100

What is A.A.? Alcoholics Anonymous is a voluntary, worldwide fellowship of men and women from all walks of life who meet together to attain and maintain sobriety. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for A.A. membership. Current Membership It is estimated that there are more than 100,000 groups and over 2,000,000 members in 150 countries. Relations With Outside Agencies The Fellowship has adopted a policy of ·cooperation but not affiliation· with other organizations concerned with the problem of alcoholism. We have no opinion on issues outside A.A. and neither endorse nor oppose any causes. How A.A. Is Supported Over the years, Alcoholics Anonymous has affirmed and strengthened a tradition of being fully self-supporting and of neithe...

Signs That You are Too Drunk

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 12:35:06 +0100

You lose arguments with inanimate objects. You have to hold onto the lawn to keep from falling off the earth. Your job is interfering with your drinking. Your doctor finds traces of blood in your alcohol stream. The back of your head keeps getting hit by the toilet seat. You sincerely believe alcohol is the elusive 5th food group. 24 hours in a day, 24 beers in a case – coincidence? I think not! Two hands and just one mouth.. – now THAT’S a drinking problem! You can focus better with one eye closed. The parking lot seems to have moved while you were in the bar. Hey, 5 beers has just as many calories as a burger, screw dinner! Mosquitoes catch a buzz after attacking you. At AA meetings you begin: ’Hi my name is.. uh..’ The whole bar says ’Hi’ when you co...

Enabling of Alcoholism

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 03:53:00 +0100

Enabling is like a dam holding back responsibility Enabling is the ideas, feelings, attitudes, and behaviors that unintentionally continue to foster drinking, alcohol related problems or make matters worse by not allowing the alcoholic to deal with the consequences of their alcoholism. Enabling is part of the set of behaviors practiced by codependents of alcoholism. Researchers report that the majority of partners took over chores or duties from the alcoholic client at some point during the relationship, drank or used other drugs with the client, and lied or made excuses to others to cover for the drinker. Moreover, particular relationship beliefs were associated with higher behavioural enabling scores. Enabling Behaviors are practiced in four forms; Direct Enabling The behavior that acts ...

The Experiences of Alcohol Dependence

Twelve Step Facilitation.com — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 10:19:38 +0100

CONCLUSIONS: This systematic analysis of a small sample of alcohol dependent individuals gives insight into their experiences during alcohol dependency and the journey to recovery. The findings suggest that denial of the problem to the outside world occurs simultaneously with individuals being aware of their problem. Participants felt the illness carries a stigma and their negative experiences of health professionals other than GP’s suggests that nurses and other health workers need to revise their understanding of alcohol dependence and their approach to it. AA was a significant factor in recovery for these participants. Research report; J Fam Health Care. 2007;17(6):211-4. Experiences of alcohol dependence: a qualitative study. Dyson J. See also; BriefTSF is designed to help br...

Worried About His Drinking?

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:23:43 +0100

As a co-dependent I always felt that my loved one’s drinking was a terrible reflection on me, and I worried about what people thought. One day he told me he wanted to get sober. I was elated for a day, until his next relapse into a binge. Then I was devastated. Some months later, my loved one finally did go to Alcoholics Anonymous. Two days later, the drinking began again. The most important thing I’ve learned in Al-Anon since then is that my well-being cannot depend upon whether or not the alcoholic drinks. His behavior is not a reflection of me, it’s a reflection of his disease. However, my behavior is a reflection of me, and I owe it to myself to pay attention to what it has to tell me. I have to take care of myself. I have to accept that alcoholism is a disease, which...

Worried About His Drinking?

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:23:43 +0100

Military Families & Alcoholism

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 10:45:16 +0100

Al-Anon/Alateen Helps Military Families Recent published reports show that heavy drinking has increased in the military. What data is not shown are the effects of this drinking on others. For 55 years family members and friends of alcoholics have found help and hope in Al-Anon meetings. There are meetings held on or near military bases in the US, Canada, and around the world. Al-Anon provides a safe, confidential, and free place for military families to share with and learn from other family members and friends of problem drinkers. The latest Al-Anon/Alateen Membership Survey (completed in November 2003) shows that 25 percent of Al-Anon members and 29 percent of teen members surveyed have a relationship with a problem drinker on active duty in the military. An additional six percent have a...

Military Families & Alcoholism

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 10:45:16 +0100

Female Drinkers have more Problems

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 16:30:18 +0100

Avoid Excess Stress in Early Recovery

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 15:59:58 +0100

Alcoholics and addicts should avoid excessive physical and emotional stress during early abstinence. Researchers have found that an important system (The HPA axis) of the body that regulates stress, hunger and illness is “stunned” during alcoholic drinking. The researchers tested alcoholics in early recovery (less than 12 months) and found that the HPA axis recovers after about [...] (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com)

Living Sober

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 15:46:29 +0100

Some methods A.A. members have used for not drinking About that title… Even the words "stay sober" -let alone live sober-offended many of us when we first heard such advice. Although we had done a lot of drinking, many of us never felt drunk, and were sure we almost never appeared or sounded drunk. Many of [...] (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com)

Abstinence Solves Thinking Problems

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:34:31 +0100

Sobriety can counteract most of the brain and thinking damage caused by heavy drinking. (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com)

Brain Damage & Recovery from Alcoholism

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 20:01:12 +0100

Thinking Impairment and Recovery From Alcoholism Brain damage is a common and potentially severe consequence of long-term, heavy alcohol consumption. Even mild-to-moderate drinking can adversely affect thinking functioning (i.e., mental activities that involve acquiring, storing, retrieving, and using information). Persistent thinking impairment can contribute to poor job performance in adult alcoholics, and can interfere with learning [...] (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com)

Helping other Alcoholics, Helps

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:14:19 +0100

Those who were helping were significantly less likely to relapse in the year following treatment, independent of the number of AA meetings attended. (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com)

The 12 Steps to Recovery

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 16:43:34 +0100

The AA Recovery Program The relative success of the A.A. program seems to be due to the fact that an alcoholic who no longer drinks has an exceptional faculty for “reaching” and helping an uncontrolled drinker. In simplest form, the A.A. program operates when a recovered alcoholic passes along the story of his or her own problem [...] (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com)

Relapse Prevention

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 16:11:27 +0100

Relapse is not total failure; its only a stage Failure rates to comply with treatment for alcoholism do not differ significantly from other chronic diseases. People with disease such as diabetes, asthma and hypertension frequently fail to comply with treatment. (Lewis 2002) Relapse can range from a return to chronic heavy drinking to binge drinking, to a [...] (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com)

Holiday drinking

Dr. Needles Medical Blogs — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:17:00 +0100

Most of us underestimate how much we drink during heavy parties. Enjoying a drink is one thing, but often it leads to more than safe drinking without awareness. We often underestimate our drinking levels and also forget about the harm we can cause other families and communities by our drinking. How can you curb your excessive consumption of liquor? As a medical physician for over 51 years, I strive to give you the best medical information on controversial medical subjects, and help your read betwwen the lines. You must come to your own conclusions. I have no ties to any organization, pharmaceutical, or lobby group. As an practicing medical acupuncturist since 1982, I find western medicine and medical acupuncture are very complimentary. This results in as...

Drinking Alcohol and Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding 1-2-3 — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 11:22:20 +0100

Are you hoping to celebrate on New Year’s Eve with a drink and wondering whether you need to “pump and dump” or abstain from drinking altogether? Check out these resources on alcohol and breastfeeding. But first, maybe you’d like to test your knowledge with this fun alcohol and breastfeeding quiz. ~ You might be surprised what La Leche League has to say about drinking alcohol and breastfeeding. ~ Read my thoughts on the controversial Milkscreen test for alcohol in breast milk. Photo by Engindeniz~ Does the hops in ale or beer increase milk supply? ~ Check out what the Drug and Lactation Database has to say by typing in “alcohol” on this LactMed search page. ~ The American Academy of Pediatrics lists alcohol in its tables on The Transfer of Drugs and Othe...

Legal, but Lethal

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 10:12:24 +0100

Medication addiction Prescription medications can sneak up on you and lead to addiction. Many celebrities have recently fallen victim to prescription medication addiction and/or overdose. But its not just celebrities that need to be cautious its everyone who takes mood changing, psychoactive or pain medications. Every day medicines hold a punch that may be life changing, life changes you may not normally choose. A drug addict used to be someone who bought illegal fixes from a shady character in a back alley. But with more and more people admitting addiction to prescription drugs, your ’dealer’ can be the person you least expect to harm your health – your GP or chemist. Many doctors agree that powerful tranquillisers, sleeping pills and painkillers are addictive, and that the bo...

Alcohol Induced Dementia

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 03:45:47 +0100

Alcohol-induced dementia in a functional alcoholic? Woman lives with alcohol-induced dementia Cheryl Thorson remembers well when she started drinking at age 16. But she can’t remember what happened 10 minutes ago. Thorson, 54, of Wausau drank for 27 years after she started in high school, and before she quit, “it was nothing for me to go into a tavern and drink a bottle of rum,” Thorson said. “I enjoyed it. It was good.” She was what counsellors would call a “functional alcoholic.” She held down good jobs and eventually became a business owner. She said she never got in a serious car crash because of her drinking and never got pulled over for drunken driving. Consequences came later in the form of alcohol-induced dementia, a disease that has devast...

Duh: Magazine Ads for Alcohol Target Youths

Healthbolt — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 01:51:45 +0100

Time to open the Duh File for yet another Duh Study: Magazine ads for alcohol target youths not yet legally old enough to drink. In other words, teen-agers. They’re kidding right? The companies can’t possibly trying to tempt young people by using images of young adults having a lot of fun and they just all happen to be holding on to a glass or bottle filled with alcohol. (Sarcasm doesn’t translate well to the Internet, does it?) Researchers decided to do a study about magazine ads and teens to determine if the Wine Institute, the Beer Institute, and the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States were being truthful with their claims of not targeting young people with their advertising. What they found was this was not true. The study was published in the Journal of ...

How AA Members Get Sober in Taiwan

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 15:11:32 +0100

An ongoing process: A qualitative study of how the alcohol-dependent free themselves of addiction through progressive abstinence Abstract (provisional) Background Most people being treated for alcoholism are unable to successfully quit drinking within their treatment programs. … Note: Cross posted from Twelve Step Facilitation.com. Permalink Related Reading: Share/Save (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com)

More Booze for Older Alcoholics: Duh Study

Healthbolt — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:38:29 +0100

Yet another one for the Duh Files: Older alcoholics need more alcohol to get drunk. Really? Alcoholism is not something that is funny nor should it be joked about. It’s a serious problem that requires serious interventions. But who in their right mind doesn’t know or hasn’t figured out that the longer you abuse alcohol, the more alcohol you end up using? According to an Ohio State University press release about a study that looked at alcoholics and alcohol use, The findings suggest that older problem drinkers may have developed a tolerance for alcohol and need to drink even more than younger abusers to achieve the effects they seek. Really? To be fair though, the study also did find that binge drinking, something usually thought to be associated with young adults, particu...

Alcohol Misuse Among the Elderly

Twelve Step Facilitation.com — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:57:31 +0100

An Opportunity for Prevention Abstract: Current US census estimates predict that by the year 2020, 18% of the population will be 65 years or older. As most adults in this age group have health care needs, it is vital that clinicians are competent in identifying and intervening in the most common health issues among older adults. The article in this issue by Blazer and Wu again reminds us that alcohol use, including binge drinking, is common among older adults and that despite popular culture, alcohol misuse does not disappear as one ages. As noted in the article, the findings are very consistent with other epidemiological literature. Blazer and Wu found that 13% of men and 8% of women reported at-risk drinking and that 14% of men and 3% of women reported binge drinking. This is not to sugg...

Addiction Symptoms Video

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:38:00 +0100

Sarah Jessica ParkerA great video from Face the Issue about the effects of drugs narrated by Sarah Jessica Parker.This is an anonymous quote from a young addict trying to reclaim their life.“ok, so pot, is fine let’s not get into that….but whenever i hang out with my friends they’re always drinking, which i don’t do, because i’m on pills.lots of pills, pills to sleep, pills to wake up, pills to dull the pain, pills to be numb… it’s ok, i have a prescription….but for a while i got off them. because i ran outbut the other day i found some codiene and i took it, with other stuff… and in my spnish class it started kicking in…and i felt… complete…which is terrible because lately i’ve been hella down because coll...

Hottest Articles, Recovery Is Sexy

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:28:25 +0100

These are the hottest articles on Recovery Is Sexy in order of popularity.Alcohol and SexualityMature Women and SexWomen’s Sexual FantasiesSigns and symptoms of eating disordersCharacteristics of Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACOA’s)Sensual MassageWomen’s Sexual Arousal5 Ways to Please Your Man In BedThe Sexual G-spot, Male and FemaleAlcoholic Family RolesSex for Men Over 50About12-Step Speaker Tape LinksErotic FantasyPorn Addiction10 Reasons for Low LibidoAlcohol Related Brain InjuryAlcohol side effectsRelapse is never an accident10 Masturbation MythsRelated Reading: Share/Save (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com)

Symptoms of Alcoholism Video

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:19:20 +0100

The symptoms of alcoholism are graphically illustrated in this video narrated by Nicole Kidman.From; Facetheissue.com Related Reading: Share/Save (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com)

Alcohol Brief Intervention in Primary Practice

Twelve Step Facilitation.com — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:43:52 +0100

The Debate Over Distilled Water

Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 02:45:17 +0100

Believe it or not distilled water is a very controversial subject. Many people, such as myself, suggest drinking distilled water to keep from ingesting possibly harmful toxins. Others suggest that the natural nutrients in water are super-beneficial and by removing them from water, we are also removing the benefits of drinking it. Distilled water is made when you evaporate the water and then condense the vapor. The disadvantage is that it is devoid of any minerals, while drinking water, lets say from a stream, contains microelements.My point here is that the amount of minerals you really get from water is so minimal, that you have to take supplements anyway, so why take the risk of getting the toxins into your system as well? Another point is that, today in nature, you will never get clean ...

Do You Drink Too Much Alcohol?

Healthbolt — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:47:30 +0100

It seems like a simple question. Do you drink too much alcohol? But one person’s social drinking may be someone else’s too much. So how can you tell if you’re drinking too much and what exactly is drinking too much? First, we need to decide on what is a drink – what drinks are equivalent to each other. Generally, in North America, a standard drink is one that has about 0.6 fluid ounces of pure alcohol. But how much that is in your drink depends on what it is you are drinking. Generally, standard drinks are: • 12 oz beer • 5 oz wine • 3-4 oz of fortified wine (such as port) • 2-3 oz liqueur or aperatif • 1.5 oz brandy or hard liquor Does any of that surprise you? If you drink mixed drinks and would like to figure out how much al...

Is alcoholism a disease?

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 10:47:48 +0100

Yes, alcoholism is a disease. The craving that an alcoholic feels for alcohol can be as strong as the need for food or water. An alcoholic will continue to drink despite serious family, health, or legal problems. Like many other diseases, alcoholism is chronic, meaning that it lasts a person’s lifetime; it usually follows a predictable course; and it has symptoms. The risk for developing alcoholism is influenced both by a person’s genes and by his or her lifestyle. The only treatment for alcoholism is complete abstinence which a lot of alcoholics find hard to do. Sobriety can start at the entrance to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. Share/Save (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com)

Weekly Alcohol Allowance for Teens Best?

Healthbolt — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:07:19 +0100

Teens and alcohol have long been a source of concern for many parents – and adults in general. Different cultures believe different things and even legal ages for alcohol consumption change according to where you are. I live in Quebec where the legal age is 18, while our neighboring province Ontario’s legal age is 19. At the same time, an hour south of us, across the Canada/United States border, the age is 21. (One thing I can’t figure out is why you can allow an 18-year-old to own a gun, join the army, get married, vote, buy a house, etc, but he or she can’t have a drink?). Anyway, since there are such differences in beliefs about teens and alcohol, there are on-going studies to see if there are ways to see what may be best overall. Researchers in the United Kingdo...

Need to Form a New Habit? 66 Days

World of Psychology — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:49:31 +0100

A lot of the change that comes about through processes like psychotherapy (or even just reading a self-help article or book and trying to put those ideas into effect in your life) requires forming new habits. Habits of thinking differently, of reacting differently, of behaving differently. And it can be a frustrating process as you wait for these changes to take effect and become more automatic, as habits do. How long does it take to form a new habit? A week? A month? A year? At least 2 months (or about 66 days, on average), according to the research. Jeremy Dean over at PsyBlog the other week wrote a great entry that looked at what the research tells us about how long it takes us to form a new habit: Although the average was 66 days, there was marked variation in how long habits took to ...

Binge Drinking and Brain Damage

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 05:50:30 +0100

Binge Drinking . Binge drinkers have a higher risk of alcohol-related injury than chronic, heavy drinkers, the Health Behavior News Service reported Feb. 22. Binge-drinking women who otherwise drink in moderation had seven times the risk of injury as nondrinkers, while binge-drinking men increased their injury risk sixfold. Share/Save Related posts:Alcohol Related Brain DamageAlcohol related brain damageSo called low risk drinking isnâ€™tRisk of becoming Alcoholic?Heavy Drinkers and Sex Diseases (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com)

Abstinence Solves Thinking Problems

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 05:37:05 +0100

. A study of alcoholics who have abstained from drinking for between six months and 13 years concludes that sobriety can counteract most of the brain and thinking damage caused by heavy drinking. More at Abstinence Solves Thinking Problems. Share/Save Related posts:Alcohol Related Brain DamageAlcohol Abstinence Saves LivesAlcohol related brain damageAbstinence from Heroin WorksTreatment options for alcoholism (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com)

A Federal Ban on Texting While Driving?

Cato-at-liberty — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:56:09 +0100

In response to claims that texting-while-driving (TWD) causes traffic accidents, Congress is considering “a federal bill that would force states to ban texting while driving if they want to keep receiving federal highway money.” This approach to forcing a particular policy on the states mimics the 1984 Federal Uniform Driving Age Act, which threatened to withhold federal highway funds unless states adopted a 21-year-old minimum legal drinking age. The justification for that law was reducing traffic fatalities among 18-20 year olds. A federal ban on TWD is not compelling: 1. Federal imposition of the 21-year old minimum drinking age did not save lives. 2. A ban on texting might increase other distractions: adjusting the radio, putting on makeup, eating a sandwich, reading a map,...

Roast swan and port

NHS Blog Doctor — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 09:50:00 +0100

BMA House Dr Crippen: Is the BMA right to want to ban alcohol advertising?I joined the British Medical Association almost accidentally, as did most doctors. I wanted to receive its journal, the BMJ, and, when I was a student, the association offered a good value "membership and magazine" deal, so I signed up. And you know how it is with direct debits; you never get round to cancelling them. But the BMA is not my "trade union", it does not consult me about my views and it is not authorised to represent my views.The BMA's image is that of elderly medical crustacea who meet weekly to dine on roast swan, washed down with vintage port, before issuing yet another diktat about how less privileged folk should live their lives. The latest is that they want to ban alcohol advertising.There are...

AA’s Anonymity

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 15:09:00 +0100

AA’s Anonymity

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 15:09:00 +0100

AA’s Anonymity

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 15:09:00 +0100

There are several good reasons Alcoholics Anonymous wants its members to avoid the spotlight. A dozen years ago, after my first novel came out, I was on a live radio talk show in New York City when the show’s host asked, "So, are you in AA?" It was a logical question. My first novel took place at a drunk farm whose clientele attended meetings. And trying to figure out what’s biographical in a fictional work is the favourite sport of many interviewers — and readers. Everyone wonders: What’s true? What’s not? At readings and talks, one of the most frequent questions a novelist faces is some version of: Is the main character based on you? My first published short story was about a young woman who shot her boyfriend in the foot. I can’t tell you ...

Self Assessment – Drinking

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 05:20:00 +0100

Individual drinking habits may be found on a process from responsible drinking through alcohol abuse to alcoholism, or physical dependence. There are many signs that may point to an alcohol problem. Drunkenness on its own or solitary drinking does not necessarily indicate alcoholism. The questionnaire will be meaningful to you only if you are honest with yourself when taking it. The important question is: Is your use of alcohol creating significant negative consequences in your life? Do you sometimes drink heavily after a setback or an argument, or when you receive a poor grade? When you experience trouble or are undergoing stress, do you always drink more heavily than usual? Can you handle more liquor now than you could when you first began drinking? Have you ever awakened the &quo...

Help an Alcoholic Index

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:38:00 +0100

Over the last few weeks we have published 10 short articles on what wives, husbands, parents, partners or adult children can do to ‘Help an Alcoholic’. This is an index to those articles. Help an Alcoholic 1 – Don’t make it easy for the drinker to keep on drinking Help an Alcoholic 2 – Don’t stop loving them Help an Alcoholic 3 – Don’t nag, criticize, preach, or complain Help an Alcoholic 4 – Address the drinking problem directly Help an Alcoholic 5 – Seek help Help an Alcoholic 6 – Detach, separate, walk away Help an Alcoholic 7 – Set a good example Help an Alcoholic 8 – Take care of yourself Help an Alcoholic 9 – Be there for them when they’re ready Help an Alcoholic 10 – Learn about the disease ...

Recovery for Gays & Lesbians

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 08:43:00 +0100

Alcoholism Recovery in the Gay and Lesbian Community While alcoholism crosses all sexual orientations, gay and lesbian alcoholics in recovery often face unique challenges. Professional assistance may be sometimes tainted by the prejudices of those providing it, or at a minimum be limited by the caregivers’ lack of knowledge of those aspects of gay society that distinguish it from the larger straight community. These limitations may become more pronounced when one seeks assistance from mainstream sobriety self-help groups, where prejudices and lack of knowledge can be more glaring in lay men and women who, though sober, lack professional helping skills. See more at; Gay alcoholism 10 Secrets of Happy Relationships AA Offers Recovery Not Religion Brief-TSF can assist people...

Help an Alcoholic 10

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:43:00 +0100

Learn about the disease This is a bit like the picture at left – can you see other faces in the flowers and the disease of alcoholism? Understand the nature of the chemical alcohol, how alcohol affects the alcoholic and the non-alcoholic in different ways, and why the alcoholic continues to drink when drinking is obviously harming them. Learn about the early-, middle-, and late-stage symptoms of the disease and how these symptoms change as the alcoholic continues to drink. Learn about the underlying physiological changes, including adaption, tolerance, physical dependence, and the withdrawal syndrome, all of which have a profound effect on the alcoholic’s behaviour. Finally, learn why the alcoholic needs to drink, why he becomes irritable, frustrated, and depressed when he is not drink...

Help an Alcoholic 9

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 00:15:00 +0100

Be there for them when they’re ready Most comments on this subject go like this: "Be available when the alcoholic reaches out." "When they hold out their hand for help, grab it." "Help as many times as you are asked. Be there." When I asked an alcoholic why she thinks her husband stayed with her through her drinking days, she responded, "His parents taught him that if you care about someone, you never give up on them. I think he always thought I’d come out of it. He just didn’t know it would take twenty years!" She feels that one of the most important messages for friends and family is to "encourage the problem drinker to try again and again." One adds, "Be loving but firm, and understand that they may need a number of tries to...

Help an Alcoholic 8

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:26:00 +0100

Take care of yourself "Live a full life of your own." "Make sure you live a life of your own that does not depend on the undependable person." "Carry on with your life after you’ve let the alcoholic know you aren’t babysitting anymore." "Let them go, and focus on your own health and peace of mind.” These comments from masters underline the importance of taking care of yourself despite the problems with the drinker. Often, however, in an attempt to hide a family member’s alcohol abuse from others, spouses withdraw and isolate themselves from friends and other family members. Taking care of yourself might mean signing up for a class in the evenings, getting together with buddies from the past, or going away by yourself for a weekend. See al...

Help an Alcoholic 7

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 14:11:00 +0100

Set a good example From her own experience, a wife thinks it’s important for family and friends not to drink in front of people they’d like to stop drinking. Indeed, one of the common themes in advice to loved ones is to be good role models, setting an example by taking steps like avoiding drinking around them and not bringing alcohol into the house. She adds, “Don’t let your good times revolve around drinking.” She recalls how many of the things she and her husband did together used to involve alcohol: “Every event I perceived as a good time revolved around booze. And he just went along with me. We would go to his softball games and out for beer afterward. And if we went to parties or summer picnics, alcohol was always involved.” In short, if a major focus of your relati...

Help an Alcoholic 6

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 13:51:00 +0100

Detach, separate, walk away Somewhat at odds with the message of continuing love and compassion is the more "tough-love" message that comes from many people – some of whom give both suggestions. A more compassionate approach may be in order in the beginning, but a time may come, particularly after you’ve tried to help repeatedly and failed, when you need to walk away from the situation. One suggests, "If it’s adversely affecting you, don’t put up with it. It’s hard to do, but sometimes losing the people you love is what it takes for the message to sink in." Another advises, "Decide how much you are willing to put up with. Let the person know what will happen if he doesn’t stop. And whatever you decide, stick to it. Don’t make idle threats." Re...

Help an Alcoholic 4

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 15:16:00 +0100

Address the drinking problem directly Over and over, people shared comments like these: "Let them know that you are aware of their drinking problem. I thought I had everyone fooled, and they never told me otherwise." – alcoholic lady. "Hold a mirror up to the person, showing his or her behavior clearly and honestly." – wife. "Be open to discussing the behavior – it makes the loved one uncomfortable, but it needs doing." – partner. "Explain that you think they have a problem and which of their actions gives you that idea. Offer to help." – husband. Although nagging and complaining are certainly ineffective, so is the contrary tack of ignoring a drinking problem. Avoiding the problem is counter-productive. A wife told me, "In our ...

Help an Alcoholic 3

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:36:00 +0100

Don’t nag, criticize, preach, or complain Many say that nagging, begging, confiscating liquor, and sorrowfully reminding the person of the night before are to little or no avail. One alcoholic attests, "The more I was urged to cut back or quit, the more I denied I had a problem. My advice is, ’Don’t push.’ A wife offered insights about why this approach doesn’t work. She told me, "Nagging makes you feel bad, and alcoholics and addicts use it as another reason to use alcohol and criticize you at the same time. It’s a bad cycle to get into. He saw nagging as my attempt to control him, and it gave him another reason to believe that I was the problem and not him." A lady alcoholic says "Long before I walked through the doors of Alcoholics Anonymous, suggesti...

Drinkers Have Higher Risk of Cancer

A Hearty Life — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 22:02:51 +0100

This study shows that drinking daily can damage some folks, to the point of a high risk of cancer. Sometimes excesses like drinking are done out of habit. Change your habit, change your risk. Image: sxc.hu. Post from: Blisstree Drinkers Have Higher Risk of Cancer (Source: A Hearty Life)

Help an Alcoholic 2

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:13:00 +0100

Don’t stop loving them A powerful theme in advice for families and friends is continuing to love the problem drinker unconditionally – being supportive, offering encouragement, and not abandoning him or her. One husband says “Work with them to recognize that you care for them but that their behavior is harmful to themselves and others." A wife says, "Reassure them that you love them unconditionally – that you will be there for them, but that does not include picking up the pieces for them." A somewhat different but important message is to "be supportive and nonjudgmental – as much as you can without compromising yourself." A husband sums it up: "Love from family can be crucial to the alcoholic’s recovery. It does not necessarily include accept...

Help an Alcoholic 1

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:00:01 +0100

Don’t make it easy for the drinker to keep on drinking Discontinuing “enabling,” along with putting the onus for the drinker’s behavior and its consequences on the drinker. Do not cover up for them. Let them be responsible for their actions. Accept your responsibility, if any, for enabling, and then transfer 100 percent of the responsibility back to the alcoholic once you have talked it over. He or she is then unable to use you as an excuse. Enabling includes protecting the problem drinker from the negative consequences of alcohol use. After all, if someone makes excuses when you miss appointments because of drinking too much, reheats dinner because you’ve missed it after stopping at the bar on the way home from work, readily has sex with you even if you’re drunk, or lends...

Recovery Is Sexy Top Posts

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 09:59:57 +0100

Many articles have proved very popular over the last few years. These are the most popular. Alcohol and Sexuality 10 Masturbation Myths 10 Reasons for Low Libido 12-Step Speaker Tape Links 7 Effective Ways To Deal With Difficult People About Alcohol Related Brain Injury Alcohol side effects Alcoholic Family Roles Better Oral Sex Cannabis and mental health Character Defects Characteristics of Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACOA’s) Dysfunctional family Erotic Fantasy Foreplay Before Play Learn to recognize stress Lotus Eaters and Marijuana Male and Female Condoms Mature Women and Sex Most Effective Form of Harm Reduction Porn Addiction Relapse is never an accident Sensual Massage Sex for Men Over 50 Sex is Good for your Health Signs and symptoms of eating disorders The Grief C...

Alcoholic Refused Care Dies

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:58:01 +0100

‘Please help me Mum, I don’t want to die’: Last words of alcoholic, 22, who died after being refused liver transplant Mr Reinbach (left with his Mother) had the worst case of cirrhosis that doctors had ever seen in a man of his age but they refused to give him a new liver which could have saved his life. However, guidelines state alcoholic liver patients must abstain for six months outside a hospital environment. Regardless of public opinion and medical costs, is this humane? Full stories at; Man, 22, Dies After Liver Transplant Refused A 22-year-old alcoholic has died after being refused a life-saving liver transplant because he was too ill to leave hospital and prove he could stay sober. Man refused liver transplant dies A 22-year-old east London man who began binge-drink...

Moderate Alcohol Intake Is Associated With Nearly 40% Lower Risk of Dementia

Alzheimer's Reading Room, The — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:12:03 +0100

Among cognitively normal older adults, moderate alcohol intake (1-2 drinks/day) is associated with 40% lower risk of dementia over 6 years. In MCI, alcohol does not appear beneficial and heavy use is associated with greater risk of progression to dementia. Recommendations not to exceed 2 drinks/day are supported by these dataFor more Insight into Alzheimer's DiseaseSubscribe to The Alzheimer's Reading RoomModerate Alcohol Intake Is Associated With Nearly 40% Lower Risk of DementiaModerate alcohol intake, especially wine, has been associated with reduced risk of dementia in middle aged adults. It is not known whether this association is also true for older adults or those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).Kaycee Sink, MD, MAS, Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Department of Internal...

$4 Million Killer Kids

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:42:51 +0100

New research has examined the cost of raising kids from birth to age 17 years in America. The results are stunning as they compared normal, non-delinquent teens with the abused, the delinquent, the violent and the homicidal. Each group of 30 teenagers were assessed for total expenses, victimization costs, and criminal justice expenditures. The 17 years cost were; Normal, non-delinquent youth – $150,754 Abused, delinquent, and violent youth – $301,508 Homicidal youth – $3,935,433 Incredibly the cost to society of homicidal youth is 26 times the cost of a normal non-delinquent youth. While the severe personal costs to the victims and to the youth themselves needs to be addressed public health policies need to work on these issues more effective...

Trusting Amy

NHS Blog Doctor — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:51:00 +0100

Amy St JohnstonHard not to feel sorry for Amy St Johnston. When she was sixteen, and a sixth former at boarding school, she went to the Valentine’s Day ball. The school rules say that sixth formers may drink beer, wine and cider in moderation. There is an element of trust in these rules. Parents and teachers cannot follow teenagers around for every minute of the day and night. Amy broke that trust and drank too much. She was unsteady on her feet. A teacher saw that she was unsteady and told her to leave the ball and “cool” off. Amy ignored the advice. She went back to the ball. The staff noted this, and took her back to her room. She then managed to fall out of her window. Her injuries left her partially paraplegic. She can walk, but only with the aid of crutches.A tragedy.Amy has do...

From Humidity in the Air to Drinking Water

Healthbolt — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 08:57:15 +0100

Deserts are associated with high temperatures, cracked and parched soil, and little water. If any plants exist, they are usually few in number. Mirages are more likely than oasis and drinking water is a scarce commodity. But some German scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB in Stuttgart think they might have the answer. Working in collaboration with Logos Innovationen, the scientists have discovered a process that will convert air humidity into drinking water. And best of all, the process is energy-autonomous via thermal solar collectors, photovoltaic cells, and vacuum tanks. Here’s how it works: A brine (salt) solution runs down the tower-shaped unit absorbing water from the air. The water soaked brine solution is then sucked by vac...

Should Women Be Worried about Alzheimer's ?

Alzheimer's Reading Room, The — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:34:35 +0100

Current statistical studies indicate that at age 80, there is a one in five chance of suffering from Alzheimer's disease (20 out of 100).At age 85, the odds rise to one out of every two (50 out of 100). I call this the Alzheimer's danger zone.It is well known that women live longer than men. But, I don't think it is well known that healthy women live much longer than healthy men, and live into the Alzheimer's danger zone.Women who reach the age of fifty without suffering from cancer or heart disease can expect to live nearly ninety-two years (92).**Men who live to age sixty-five without suffering from cancer or heart disease, can expect to live to eighty-one (81).I believe most men and woman would find these aging statistics startling. Especially women marrying older men.I doubt that 50 ye...

Take the Alcohol and Breastfeeding Quiz

Breastfeeding 1-2-3 — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 10:51:50 +0100

Test your knowledge of how alcohol affects breast milk with these 8 questions! The trivia was derived from studies compiled on the LactMed database as of April 2009. For information about drinking and breastfeeding, see this article on alcohol and the controversial Milkscreen test. For current information on drugs and lactation, visit the LactMed database. Photo by Steve WoodsAnswer these 8 questions and compare how you did with the answers below. 1. Nursing after 1 or 2 drinks (including beer) causes the infant to: a) increase milk intake. b) decrease milk intake. c) Milk intake remains unaffected. 2. Nursing or pumping within one hour before ingesting alcohol: a) does not affect the level of alcohol in the milk. b) increases the level of alcohol in the milk. c) decreases the level of alc...

No Sex People

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 17:52:46 +0100

This article may help. Andy is young and healthy – yet he’s never experienced physical desire. And there are thousands more like him. Olly Bootle meets the asexuals. At 21, Andy Holland is happy, easy-going and interested in the same things as most university students. With one notable exception: Holland is not attracted to women, or to men. In fact, he has no desire to have sex. And in this, he is not as unusual as we might assume. The first crush that Tessa Barratt had was on a Transformers toy called Rat Trap. “He was my first heart throb,” she says. The shelves in her bedroom are lined with models of Transformers. Playing with them now, laughs as she admits, “I don’t know how I fell in love with a rat.” Barratt is now 22. But she’s not that much closer to having wha...

Happy St. Paddy’s Day: Diabetes & The Drink

Diabetes Mine — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 12:00:26 +0100

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Are you wearing green? Better yet, are you heading out to the bars after work to partake in a little St. Patrick’s Day celebrating? If you’re a PWD, you might want to take a few minutes to take a look at your “diabetes plan” to make sure you’re set — assuming [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine)

Canadian Al-anon

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 17:47:02 +0100

Al-Anon provides support to families dealing with alcoholism in Canada The Twelve Steps may help the alcohol abuser, but what about those who have been abused? Substance abuse is an issue in a number of Canadian families. The abuse of alcohol is known as alcoholism, and can be recognized by several symptoms according to the Mayo Clinic, a large medical research and treatment group, based in several U.S. cities, including Phoenix, Ariz. Symptoms include “drinking alone or in secret, blacking out, feeling a need or compulsion to drink, becoming intentionally intoxicated to feel good or drinking to feel ‘normal’.” These symptoms, however, are just that, symptoms. They are not the cause of the alcohol dependence. “Genetics, emotional state, psychological factors and social and cultur...

Friday Podcast: ‘Drinking Ages and Highway Fatalities’

Cato-at-liberty — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 21:00:09 +0100

Does the policy of setting a national drinking age reduce highway fatalities? In Friday’s Cato Daily Podcast, Jeffrey Miron, senior lecturer in economics at Harvard University, talks about the research he and student Elina Tetelbaum (now a Yale Law student) carried out on that question: What we find is that the only area where there is any evidence for efficacy of the law are states that adopted a higher drinking on their own without any compulsion. For the states that the feds forced … to raise [their] drinking age, there is no evidence of a beneficial reduction in traffic fatalities… We conclude quite strongly that it’s only when a state chooses a higher drinking age on its own, it’s only when it decides its going to devote enforcement resources and when there’s public ...

Chalk Talk’s Father Martin Dies

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 13:41:14 +0100

The Rev. Joseph C. Martin dies at 84; expert on alcoholism and drug addiction Martin’s lectures and films have been leading tools in recovery programs for more than 40 years. His book ‘Chalk Talks on Alcohol’ was published in 1982 and is still in print. The Rev. Joseph C. Martin, an expert on alcoholism and drug addiction whose lectures and films have been leading tools in recovery programs for more than 40 years, has died. He was 84. Martin, himself a recovering alcoholic, died Monday of heart failure at his home in Havre de Grace, Md., according to an announcement from Father Martin’s Ashley, an addiction treatment center located in Havre de Grace that Martin co-founded 25 years ago. He had been in failing health with heart issues for a number of years. Considered...

The NIAAA Helps Rethink Your Drinking.

Healthbolt — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 10:10:20 +0100

‘Just one drink. Okay, maybe just one more.’ Does that sound familiar? We have all been there at some stage or another. However, most of us never develop a drinking problem. We know when to stop and how much is too much. But even if you don’t have a problem with alcohol, it never hurts to learn more about what alcohol can do to your body and your life. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) have created a great interactive website called ”Rethinking Drinking” that’s definitely worth checking out. Aimed at helping people, especially those between 18 and 30, determine what type of drinker they are and whether they might be at risk of developing a drinking problem. Rethinking Drinking asks (and answers) the following ques...

MS bladder issues: When ya gotta go…

Life with MS — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 17:11:01 +0100

Multiple sclerosis bladder issues are nothing new to our topic of discussion here at “Life with MS” as we’ve discussed this a time or two. However, a couple weeks ago I had (or nearly had) an incident that I thought I’d share. So, I’m waiting for a ferry to take me back from the Olympic peninsula on a bright and sunny afternoon. There was no warmth in the sun, but it was surely nice to see it out. I had been up before 5:00am to catch my ride over for some consulting work about an hour’s drive from where I now sat for a late lunch. The day was bright, the work was done and only 12 miles of driving awaited me on the other side of the passage. A pint was in order. A nice chat ensued with my lovely waitress and time slipped by. I noticed a large ferry approaching the land...

VIDEO: Autism May Be Linked to Premature Birth, BPA Lingers in Body Longer Than Previously Thought, Drinking Too Much Water During Childbirth Leads to Hyponatremia

Malaysian Medical Resources — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0100

strWebsiteID = window.document.location.toString();strSplitWeb = strWebsiteID.split("/")strWebsiteID = strSplitWeb[2];document.write(”“); from the Malaysian Medical Resources VIDEO: Autism May Be Linked to Premature Birth, BPA Lingers in Body Longer Than Previously Thought, Drinking Too Much Water During Childbirth Leads to Hyponatremia (Source: Malaysian Medical Resources)

States Unleash New Ignition Lock Laws

Addiction Inbox — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 22:13:00 +0100

The brave new world of DUI enforcement.Starting this month, drivers convicted of driving while intoxicated in at least six new states will face a hi-tech hurdle to repeat offenses: ignition interlocks. After a high profile national campaign, Mothers Against Drunk Driving and other organizations convinced several state legislatures to pass laws mandating the dashboard installation of small ignition interlock device activated by a breathalyzer.“It’s amazingly inconvenient, “ David Malham of the Illinois MADD group told Associated Press. “But the flip side of the inconvenience is death.”Will high technology really help keep drunk drivers off the streets and highways? Malham, quoted in the Chicago Tribune, insisted that “it’s not about changing human nature, it’s about science ...

Know Your Measure

Addiction Inbox — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 20:10:00 +0100

Three quizzes for the holiday drinking season.It’s that time of year again, when the amateur drinkers take to the streets and taverns along with the professionals. If you go out on New Years Eve, and you plan to drink, count yourself lucky if you return with nothing more serious than a black eye or a broken taillight. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, federal traffic data shows that “from 2001-2005, an average of 36 fatalities occurred per day on America’s roadways as a result of crashes involving an alcohol impaired driver. That number increases to 45 per day during the Christmas period and jumps to 54 per day over the New Year’s holiday.”Herewith, three tools to aid you in determining whether the holidays have made you just a little bit TOO happy....

How to design an apartment in 5 easy steps:

B a b y B o u n d — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 17:28:15 +0100

Make sure you prep for the day by drinking several martinis the night before so that you are well on your way to a hangover for the day of fun at hand. After you are good and sauced, go check out the new apartment. Hopefully this will be your first time seeing it. Its very important to take measurements before you head to the store so get out those feet and walk it out. (Don’t write it down. Your awesomely impaired memory is completely fine for this) Agree on an early start. Always important when you have a big day planned. Then chack back and make sure you have successfully accomplished step 1 and roll out of bed only when the phone rings asking where you are. Go to Ikea. The world’s most horribly amazing place. An entire apartment fits on 1 flatbed cart. I...

12 Tips to Keep Joy in the Holidays

World of Psychology — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 13:37:49 +0100

The Christmas season is upon us once again, and once again we find ourselves balancing between our work or studies, hanging out friends, scheduling time with family, and maybe even attending a party or two. The Christmas tree stands are up down at the corner, where they magically appear every year, full of the usual perfect, green triangular symbols of the season. At some point though, in between the parties, the family gatherings and the endless shopping crowds, the cheer of the holidays can quickly leave our rosy cheeks and send us into a downward depressive spiral. How do you keep that depression from affecting not only your mood, but the mood of others around you? And how can you keep the joy in the holidays and stop them from turning into yet another year of an endless parade of mat...

Reporting on Driving Under the Influence

Nutrition and Wellness Biology 50 — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 05:02:54 +0100

I was able to find a short clip about a reporter who decided to become a volunteer drinker in a field sobriety test in this news report from 2007, on “How Much is Too Much?” His report shows some of the sobriety checks done by police officers to determine if someone has had too much to drink. Authored by drdyer. Hosted by Edublogs. (Source: Nutrition and Wellness Biology 50)

Take the Clean Water Challenge.

Healthbolt — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 14:31:00 +0100

Ever live in a place where you know the water is not safe to drink? Where you even use bottled water to clean your teeth? I have and I’ve got to say it’s not fun. I lived in Saudi Arabia for a year and was reliant on bottled water for drinking, cooking, and yes, cleaning my teeth. But while I found it annoying, at least I did have access to clean water which is more that millions of people around the world have. The World Health Organizations (WHO) says… “…1.1 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water. Unsafe water and inadequate sanitation kills nearly TWO MILLION people each year, mostly children under the age of five.” That’s way too many people without clean drinking water. Want to help out? Take the Clean Water Challenge Quiz… For each correct answer, th...

Effect of alcohol on sexual performance

Dr. Needles Medical Blogs — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 04:20:00 +0100

ALCOHOL AND SEX The pattern on the American scene is changing with more young people drinking, and more alcohol consumed, especially among women. The more affluent our society the more we can afford hard drinks, which is very destructive. A large amount of alcohol is a deterrent on sexual performance and is the major cause of impotence in middle-aged men. We are not talking necessarily about being an alcoholic, but just an excessive use of alcohol by anyone. DRINKING IN MARRIAGE As drinking increases, marital situations deteriorate. One of the spouses is repelled by the other’s drinking, cease to enjoy sex, and tries to avoid sex as mochas possible. This also may block the husband’s agility to maintain or get an erection. Both parties feel a lack of esteem at losing their...

Time to drink up, please

NHS Blog Doctor — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 11:31:00 +0100

I am, I suppose, somewhat old fashioned. Regular readers will not be surprised to hear that. I believe in being polite to patients. I do not routinely use first names. I always detested the madwives who assume that, because a women whom they have never previously met is lying on her back with her legs apart trying to push out a baby, they have the right to call her “Mary” rather then Mrs Jones. Hospital doctors are at it a lot these days. I have written about it before. It disgusts me. I tend to call male patients “sir” and female patients “Mrs Jones”. There are a few patients, mainly ones who have grown up with me, with whom I have not dropped the first name usage established in early childhood but they are the exception to the rule.Part of my old fashioned good manners (as I ...

Dentists Should Know: Bogus Bottled Water

dental blog for dentists about dentistry — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 12:40:51 +0100

Yesterday, MedicalNewsToday.com published an article about a 2-year study, by Environmental Working Group (EWG), on bottled water. It seems that bottled water is pretty much the same as tap water. However, 2 of the 10 brands examined had levels of chlorine over what’s allowed in California. And apparently there is a “voluntary standard” for reporting carcinogens in bottled water. Five states produce/allow sell of bottled water that exceeds the standards. As a dentist, you know that many areas have municipal water that’s fluorinated, but most bottled water is unfluorinated. All the bad, none of the good? What are we buying, and why? The researchers who conducted the study for EWG recommend that bottled water manufacturers be held to the same standards as municipal w...

What Type of Drinker Are You?

Addiction Inbox — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 17:45:00 +0100

U.K health officials classify problem drinkers.In an effort to combat problem drinking with “social marketing techniques,” the British Department of Health has released a study purporting to break down heavy drinkers into 9 distinct personality types, according to the U.K. Guardian.British Department of Health researchers performed the studies at the behest of the National Health Service, which says that alcohol-related illnesses cost England almost $5 billion each year. It was unclear what criteria were used to identify and define the nine types.BBC news quoted Health Minister Dawn Primarolo on the findings: "This will be a tough one to crack. Research found many positive associations with alcohol among the general public - even more so among those drinking at higher-risk levels. For ...

A Typical Drunk’s Mindset

A Dozen Steps — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 06:15:53 +0100

The “lust” of my life sent me this email and I thought I’d share it with you. It sounds sooo typical of us… Dear friends, I just read an article on the dangers of heavy drinking…. Scared the sh** out of me. So that’s it! After today, no more reading. Share This (Source: A Dozen Steps)

So called low risk drinking isnâ€™t

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 12:23:01 +0100

Researchers find 2,800 premature deaths vs. more than 800 prevented Like any drunken tale too good to be true, it turns out the supposed health benefits of low-risk drinking have been greatly exaggerated, says a Victoria researcher in an international report released Monday. "We need to be careful about our drinking and the idea that alcohol is really a health product," said Tim Stockwell, director of the Centre for Addictions Research of B.C. Focusing their findings on Canadian statistics, researchers found that while more than 800 premature deaths were prevented each year due to the benefits of moderate drinking, that same type of consumption caused 2,800 premature deaths. That means a net of 2,000 people die of so-called low-risk drinking annually in Canada, Stockwell said. Ad...

Alcoholic Mouthwash Could get you Drunk

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 12:23:01 +0100

People are drinking alcohol-based mouthwash because it’s now cheaper than regular alcoholic drinks in some parts of Australia. Health workers have warned that they risk serious consequences, even death Street cleaners lately have been stumbling on scores of empty bottles of a popular mouthwash, which is nearly 30 per cent pure alcohol. And in the space of a few weeks, supermarkets and pharmacists have seen mouth wash sales suddenly go through the roof. â€œThis particular mouthwash has eucalyptus oil in it, which is an essential oil, and it doesn’t take much eucalyptus oil to cause damage, it can cause fits, it can even cause death.â€ A health worker said in response to the question, â€œHow dangerous is it to drink?â€ Public health advocate, Doctor John Boffa, ...

Mummyism

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 12:23:01 +0100

The primary cause of alcoholism is not positively known in the present knowledge of the problem. Nor do we believe that the cause in most instances is singular, but usually a combination of causes. However, we are of the opinion that to date the best-defined cause for alcoholism is the one given by Dr Edward Strecker, Psyc D., head psychiatrist of Pennsylvania University. He defined the cause of alcoholism as â€œ’Momism’ mixed with alcohol.â€ By this is meant that the average alcoholic is the individual who was pampered or neglected in childhood. In the first instance - in the case of the over-pampered child - the individual grows to adult life and tends to retreat from life. Although this tendency is present in most human beings to a certain extent, it is emphatically...

Sex partners - How do you rate?

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 12:23:01 +0100

I’m not going to say how many sex partners I’ve had. But I’ve lived all my life in < ?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />Australia and this number is a bit conservative. How do you personally compare with your countries average? < ?xml:namespace prefix = o /> Country Global Turkey Australia New Zealand Iceland South Africa Finland Norway Italy Sweden Ireland Switzerland Canada United States Greece Israel Thailand Japan Chile Serbia & Montenegro United Kingdom Austria Denmark Bulgaria Czech Republic < ?xml:namespace prefix = st2 />France Croatia Belgium Singapore Netherlands Portugal Taiwan Spain Poland Germany Malaysia Slovakia Indonesia Hong Kong Vietnam China India Number of Partners 9 14.5 13.3 13.2 13.0 12.5 12.4 12.1 11.8 11.8 11.1 11.1 10.7 10.7...

Conscious contact with a Higher Power

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 10:25:19 +0100

Step Eleven: Cultivating conscious contact with a Higher Power In 1938, an alcoholic stockbroker named Bill W. declared his intention to write a book about an obscure new program of recovery from alcoholism. The program, which included twelve suggested steps, was unabashedly spiritual. Bill’s goal was to present this aspect of the program in terms so simple and so practical that one alcoholic could easily explain it to another. Today there are more than 25 million copies of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA World Services, Inc.) in print. And Bill managed to distill the essence of spiritual practice into the 32 words of Step Eleven: “Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and th...

Koreans Drink Excessively

Twelve Step Facilitation.com — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 13:15:15 +0100

Alcohol consumption and the CAGE questionnaire in Korean adults: results from the Second Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. J Korean Med Sci. 2008 Apr;23(2):199-206. Park JT, Kim BG, Jhun HJ. We evaluated alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems in Korean adults by evaluating alcohol consumption and responses to the CAGE questionnaire obtained from the second Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The age-adjusted prevalence of males who consumed 0, 0.1-20, 20.1-40, or >40 g/day of alcohol were 28.0, 51.5, 12.5, and 8.0%, respectively; 26.9% of male drinkers were CAGE-positive (> or =2 affirmative responses to the CAGE). The age-adjusted prevalence of females who consumed 0, 0.1-10, 10.1-20, or >20 g/day of alcohol were 67.7, 26.6, ...

What A Concept - IV

A Dozen Steps — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 06:15:23 +0100

Moving along in our book “Living Sober” we find ourselves at page 13 and we’re about to get active… “It is very hard just to sit still trying not to do a certain thing, or not even to think about it. It’s much easier to get active and do something else - other than the act we’re trying to avoid. So it is with drinking. Simply trying to avoid a drink (or not think of one), all by itself, doesn’t seem to be enough. The more we think about the drink we’re trying to keep away from, the more it occupies our mind, of course. And that’s no good. It’s better to get busy with something, almost anything, that will use our mind and channel our energy toward health. Thousands of us wondered what we would do, once we stopped, with all th...

Who Got More Waxed at Their National Conventions? Democrats or Republicans?

Healthbolt — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 01:06:44 +0100

Ah, national conventions. Those magical times where smarmy politicians down their vodka and tonics and fantasize about what Sarah Palin looks like spread out on one of her bear-skin rugs. C’mon, people, you know there is some serious partying going on at these things. But who’s having the most fun? At one time, conventional wisdom might have pointed to the Dems. Not so much due to their star-power and celeb-heavy support system (though that surely helps), but because their convention was held in the high altitude haven of Denver, Colorado. Every fool knows that drinking in the thin air will lead to moments of tipsy table dancing faster than at sea level, right? In fact, it has been reported that the DNC attendees were even handed out warnings saying as much. Not so, says resear...

The Debate on Alcohol and 21 Year Olds

World of Psychology — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 02:34:45 +0100

Suddenly it’s a new world once again, as states take their independence seriously and realize that they are not beholden to our federal government for laws they disagree with. The law in question is the forced adoption of the 21-year-old alcohol drinking age, basically federal law since 1984 (states who do not adhere to the guideline lose a percentage of their federal highway funding — a stick that has little to do with responsible alcohol consumption). Dana Boyd has an interesting essay on the topic, which has risen to the forefront of public debate as some states want to revisit the issue, noting the hypocrisy of sending 18-year-old children to war in Iraq who, after returning home from duty, still can’t have a drink while talking about the carnage they witnessed. En...

Stop the Presses (and the Tap)! Beer Goggles are for Real!

Healthbolt — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 16:37:42 +0100

Happy Sexbolt Saturday, everyone! I have a feeling that for some of you, hitting the bars and lounges is on your To-Do list for this evening, am I right? And for some of you, hooking up might also be on that very same list. Well, let me say that it’s only because I care about you and your reputation that I’m informing you it has now been proven as a scientific fact that the oft-feared “beer goggles” are really for real. Really. The scoop? When people have been drinking, others appear more attractive to them. And not just members of the opposite sex. Nope, when heterosexual subjects who had been drinking were shown photos of same-sex folks, they also rated those people as being more attractive. I guess now we know why Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl”...

Party Down in America’s Hardest Drinking Cities

Healthbolt — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 15:00:48 +0100

Hey, Austin, Texas! You guys are topping yet another list. In addition to having some of the ickiest restaurants in the nation, you are also some of the hardest partiers (maybe that’s why you don’t notice if a restaurant is filthy, eh? Um, sorry, bad joke.) Anyway, Texans may be the toppers, but Midwesterners aren’t far behind. In fact, Midwest towns capture close to half of the top 15 slots. Who else made the list? Check them out here, adapted from a Forbes.com slideshow (complete with awesome photos): 1. Austin, TX 2. Milwaukee, WI 3. San Francisco, CA 4. Providence, RI 5. Chicago, IL 8. Seattle, WA (tie) 8. Cleveland, OH (tie) 8. St. Louis, MO (tie) 9. Boston, MA 10. Cincinnati, OH 11. Pittsburgh, PA 12. Virginia Beach, VA 13. Portland, OR 14. Jacksonville, FL 15. Detr...

Female Drinkers Face More Health Risks than Men

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 12:16:54 +0100

A recently released study found that women who drink heavily face more severe, long-term health problems than men, HealthScout reported Dec. 27. For the study, researchers interviewed 711 St. Louis, Mo., women and men who were determined to be heavy drinkers in a National Institutes of Health study conducted 15 years earlier. The comparison found that the women were in poorer physical and mental health than the men.The women reported greater difficulty with such activities as climbing stairs, walking around the neighborhood, or caring for family members. In addition, the women had more physical disorders that forced them to decrease the amount of time spent at work or at social activities. "We were surprised by the magnitude of the difference between males and females," said Kyle...

Drinking and Gambling Linked

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 12:16:54 +0100

Strong Link Between Problem Drinking and Gambling A new study reveals a strong link between alcohol dependency and gambling problems, Reuters reported Dec. 17. According to researchers at the Research Institute on Addictions at the University at Buffalo, N.Y., adults with an alcohol addiction are 23 times more likely to have a gambling problem than those who do not drink. "If you’re in trouble with alcohol, the odds you’re also in trouble with gambling increase enormously," said lead author Dr. John W. Welte. "Most of that correlation is that problem behaviors tend to cluster in the same people." The study also found factors that identified which racial and ethnic groups were more likely to have a gambling problem. "Gambling is more common among lower ...

Heavy Drinkers and Sex Diseases

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 12:16:54 +0100

Heavy Drinkers More Likely to Get Sex Diseases Heavy drinkers were more than twice as likely to contract a sexually transmitted disease (STD) in the past year than young adults who abstained from alcohol, according to a new study from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Substance Use report found that 3.1 percent of 18- to 25-year-olds who reported heavy drinking in the past month had contracted a STD in the past year, compared to 1.4 percent of youths who did not drink in the past month. The study also found that 3.9 percent of youths who used alcohol and illicit drugs in the past month had contracted a STD in the past year. Youths who used any amount of alcohol or other drugs in the past month had an STD infection...

The Best Part of Wine

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 11:54:36 +0100

The Abstinent Approach to Healthy Wine Consumption In the Sober Kitchen by Recovering Chef Liz Scott No doubt since you put down that last drink, you have noticed that researchers are continually discovering good and healthy things about drinking, particularly red wine. Most recently, a compound called resveratrol, which is present in grape skins and seeds, has been pinpointed as the potentially key component in red wine that can contribute to good health. In addition to preventing damage to blood vessels, reducing bad cholesterol, and preventing blood clots, resveratrol may also help protect from obesity and diabetes. “…some studies have even shown that drinking red or purple grape juice provides the same heart-healthy benefits of red wine…” For sober folks an...

Coffee May Help Alcoholics Quit Drinking

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:24:41 +0100

Vanderbilt study suggests coffee may help alcoholics quit drinking Not all recovering alcoholics smoke cigarettes, but almost all of them drink coffee, according to a new Vanderbilt study suggesting that healthy intake behaviors could help addicts kick their habit. The study, “Coffee and Cigarette Consumption and Perceived Effects in Recovering Alcoholics Participating in Alcoholics Anonymous in Nashville, Tenn.,” will be featured in the October print issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research (ACER). Study co-author Peter Martin, M.D., director of the Vanderbilt Division of Addiction Medicine, said Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) participants are reportedly notorious for their coffee drinking and cigarette smoking, but very little research has quantified their cons...

Dangers of drinking too much water

Malaysian Medical Resources — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

The BBC has reported on a woman who was left disabled after following a “detox” diet which involved drinking large quantities of water. I don’t know if Malaysians have been also conditioned by the “hydration industry” to drink more water than they actually need. The question is really how much water should one drink? While the 8 glasses of water a day is indeed another myth, the water requirement really varies according to your physiological need. You will need to drink more if you perspire more, on hot days, or if you are ill with fever. Doctors will also advise patients on chemotherapy to drink more as good hydration will lessen the side effects of chemotherapy. Generally for under normal conditions, if one sticks to about 1-2 litres of fluids a day, it shou...

Longer AA Attendance Predicts Change

Twelve Step Facilitation.com — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:15:11 +0100

This study examined the predictors of self-efficacy in the year after treatment and 15 years later. A sample of 420 individuals with alcohol use disorders was assessed five times over the course of 16 years. Predictors of self-efficacy at 1 year included improvement from baseline to 1 year in heavy drinking, alcohol-related problems, depression, impulsivity, avoidance coping, social support from friends, and longer duration of participation in mutual-help Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Female gender, more education, less change in substance use problems, and impulsivity during the first year predicted improvement in self-efficacy over 16 years. Clinicians should focus on keeping patients engaged in self-help of AA, addressing depressive symptoms, improving patient’s coping,...

Safer Drinking

World of Psychology — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 22:01:31 +0100

In a study in the journal Psychology of Addictive Behavior that polled 247 college undergrads, researchers Dawn Sugarman and Kate Carey of Syracuse University examined which strategies were most likely to reduce harm if students did drink alcohol. If the intervention goal is to reduce alcohol consumption, encouraging the use of strategies that selectively avoid heavy drinking situations or provide alternatives to drinking may be most beneficial. … However, if the intervention goal is to decrease the negative consequences associated with alcohol use, it is possible that strategies used while drinking may be beneficial, consistent with the findings of Delva et al. (2004) and Martens et al. (2004). Things like learning to be in social settings without alcohol and learning other stress re...

Mature Age Sensuality and Sexuality

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 04:26:19 +0100

Sexuality, sensuality and the urge to love and be loved don’t fade with age. In recovery from alcoholism, addiction or codependency sensuality and sexuality are just as important and necessary as other times in life. Our sex-life changes as we age, but it doesn’t disappear! In fact, most mature people are sexually active and say that sex is important to them. Our sexuality is not just what we do, or how often we do it. Our sexuality includes how we think, how we feel and how we act. It is a natural and important part of living and enjoying life. Our pattern of sexual activity does not change much with age. If you were sexually active in your younger years, or while drinking and drugging, you will probably continue to be sexually active as you grow older and recover – though hea...

How NOT to Discourage Drunk Driving: The El Camino High Debacle

World of Psychology — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 02:37:11 +0100

Imagine you’re a high-school senior, sitting with friends in your Monday morning physics class. You notice that one of the popular athletes is absent but think nothing of it – he might have skipped class to go to the beach, you think, or maybe he caught that final cold of the season that’s been going around. Suddenly a uniformed highway patrol officer appears. Your jaw drops as she informs you and your classmates that the absent student, along with several other people you know, were killed in a car wreck over the weekend. You’re in shock, traumatized. Suddenly your upcoming prom and graduation don’t seem quite as exciting anymore, now that several of the people you wanted to share it with are gone. Now imagine your unspeakable anger a few hours later, when officials at your sc...