A DUI, a pending divorce, assault charges, and financial despair - these are common problems an alcoholic may face because of their destructive behavior.  Is there any way to turn things around?  Check out a few of the more destructive behaviors of a typical alcoholic and learn how a choice can make all the difference.

Foolish Financial Choices

When you really need to keep your alcohol stash going, you won’t let much get in the way.  Many alcoholics borrow money from people, often with little intention or maybe no ability to pay them back.  Others steal money or take cash off the top of their paycheck.  And that’s just to get the alcohol.

When a person is drunk a lot, they may do a lot of foolish things with their money.  They might gamble, decide to buy drinks for lots of other people, or make impulse purchases with money they can’t afford to spend.  They may also create expensive problems like getting into a car accident, getting arrested for DUI or an assault (fines, legal fees, etc), losing their job.

Unhealthy Relationships

An alcoholic is primarily concerned with one person - themselves.  Every complaint, every excuse, and every broken promise all reflects on their issues.  Most times, alcoholics can’t be counted on and get a reputation of being flakey.  They can sometimes be overly emotional and irrational, making them hard to get along with.

Alcoholics can sometimes become aggressive and even violent.  In a drunken rage, they may become abusive to their spouses or children.  If they had a blackout, they may have no recollection of their actions and not likely believe what anyone says.

Taking Way Too Many Risks

A hallmark of alcoholism or other drug addiction is poor judgment.  Alcohol intoxication makes a person’s inhibitions loosen up.  In other words, they don’t stop and think about what they are doing.  They misjudge the risk involved in driving intoxicated, walking home in the middle of the night from a party, and getting aggressive with another drunk person in a bar.

The poor judgment isn’t limited to times of immediate intoxication.  Once their judgment has been altered, they are likely to misjudge lots of other situations as well.  They are used to instant gratification or avoiding reality.  Therefore, they take lots of unnecessary risks because they can’t perceive reality well. And most likely, they began drinking heavily with the specific purpose of avoiding reality.  Unfortunately, the consequences of risky behavior almost always come back to haunt the alcoholic in some way.

Change Destructive Behaviors Of Alcoholism

The first step of changing these behaviors is to become sober.  For the best chance at lasting sobriety, an alcoholic needs some form of alcohol rehab.  There are many outpatient and inpatient alcohol treatment programs around the country.  Alcoholics Anonymous is not a alcohol treatment program, but it has provided support and education about alcoholism to millions of people around the world.  When those destructive behaviors finally catch up to the alcoholic, it’s time to make a choice.  Alcohol rehab can be the choice that changes everything.

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Sleep is a mysterious yet vital activity for people and animals alike.  Getting a good night’s rest can be the difference between a positive day and a torturous day.  Alcoholism does a lot to ruin a person’s sleep while they are actively drinking and even possibly for years after they become sober.  You don’t want to miss the truth about how sleep and alcoholism connect.

Sleep Disrupted Second Half of Night

Most people assume that having a night cap will help them nod of to sleep and avoid insomnia.  Or, if they are drinking with friends in the evening, at least they won’t have any trouble sleeping that night.  Alcohol may make a person drowsy at first.  But the big problem comes when they wake halfway through the night and have fitful or no sleep the rest of the time.  That can make the next day fairly miserable.  Even just a few drinks anytime in the evening can have these far reaching effects on sleep.

The older a person is, the more dangerous nighttime drinking can become.  Older people can become more intoxicated with the same amount as a younger person.  So while they might think that having one or two drinks at bedtime isn’t a big deal, the effects may overwhelm them if they wake in the night.  They might become unsteady and increase their chances of falling, which may already be higher because of their age.

Alcoholism and Sleep Problems

Since even a small to moderate amount of alcohol can adversely affect sleep, it’s easy to see how alcoholics would have some significant sleep problems.  It takes much longer for them the fall asleep and the nighttime waking is very disruptive.  Unfortunately, even a person who has been sober for years can have continued sleep problems.  The night disruption and ease of falling asleep may improve after several months or it may remain.  There is no way to know how any one person will react during their alcohol treatment.  Lack of feeling rested can be a strong relapse trigger for some recovering alcoholics.

Restore Sleep Patterns By Starting Alcohol Rehab

Going to alcohol rehab won’t necessarily mend an alcoholic’s sleep problems right away.  It can take a long time for sleep to become even somewhat restful in a predictable way.  But getting sober is the start for getting better sleep.  When you start alcohol rehab, you give your body a chance to live without the damaging effects of alcohol.  It’s a place learn about good sleep habits and a good sleeping environment.  Alcoholics wanting better sleep can get a good start at alcohol rehab.

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Going through alcohol rehab is no walk in the park.  It’s hard work and it takes guts.  In many cases, women just don’t feel like anyone else could possibly understand their most personal needs.  Certainly, drug treatment centers for men and women can be very effective and helpful.  But women sometimes just feel more comfortable dealing with such intimate issues in the presence of other women.

Womens Alcohol Rehab Stresses Connection

It goes beyond the typical alcohol rehab treatment methods.  It may even seem too obvious to some.  Social connection taps into a primal need for women, something hardwired as a way of surviving.  Of course, each woman is unique and this may be more important for some women than for others.  But in general, women have a much different need for a social network than men do.

It is more than just chatting or asking how each other is doing.  It is about role modeling, finding acceptance, and being part of a bigger thing beyond oneself.  It is about affirmation that each woman in the support network has value that can’t be duplicated.  They can rally for each other, see something of themselves in each other, and have empathy for each other.

Healing Sense of Community

This connection stirs up a healing sense of community.  It is a group that fights to survive by opening up and helping each other.  It is through their sharing in alcohol rehab that they can each become stronger and more peaceful inside.  Even though each woman has deeply searing pain from their addiction, they have enormous potential to providing healing support for others.  Since it is a community of support, whoever becomes open to this give-and-take dynamic can benefit from it.

Women attending an all-female alcohol rehab program may feel less need to explain themselves.  The congruency brings an unspoken understanding of sorts.  Women have some things they all inevitably face in their lives - the changes of puberty, their emotions, and the role of women in society to name a few.  Regardless of how they have dealt with these things, each woman can share and gain something from their rehab experience.  These different perspectives can add layers of depth to their rehab experience.

Start Womens Alcohol Rehab Today

If you or a woman you know needs to start alcohol rehab now, consider a program just for women.  Perhaps that will make it seem less intimidating or stressful.  Perhaps a woman really sees a chance for her to make some old wounds more tolerable.  No matter what the reason, an all-women alcohol treatment center might be just what an alcoholic woman needs to get sober.  A women’s rehab center could make all the difference.

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Liver disease is a well-known consequence of heavy drinking and alcoholism.  Unfortunately, by the time someone notices significant symptoms, they may have already caused serious injury to their liver.  Human livers were designed to filter toxins out of the blood, but not to handle toxic levels of alcohol consumption.  Learn important facts about alcohol related liver disease and ways to minimize damage.

Three Types Of Liver Disease Caused By Alcohol

Liver disease can be caused by many things.  When it’s caused by excessive drinking, it comes in three forms - Fatty Liver, Alcoholic Hepatitis, and Alcoholic Cirrhosis.  Read further to learn more about each progressively worse type.

-Fatty Liver

Nearly everyone who drinks excessively will develop Fatty Liver.  Fat cells build up in the liver because it can’t process the fat efficiently enough.  This can be uncomfortable, but is not harmful on its own.  If the excess fat leads to liver inflammation, then the liver can become damaged and scarred.

-Alcoholic Hepatitis

A person can develop Alcoholic Hepatitis when their liver becomes inflamed from excessive drinking.  This can cause jaundice, vomiting, pain, and loss of appetite.  If a person with Alcoholic Hepatitis stops drinking, the damage can usually be reversed.

-Alcoholic Cirrhosis

This is the most advanced and life-threatening form of alcohol-related liver disease.  Cirrhosis is the scarring of liver tissue, which cannot be reversed.  In many cases, chronic heavy drinkers will gradually go from having fatty liver, to hepatitis, and finally to cirrhosis.

Treatment of Alcohol Related Liver Disease

Before any medical treatment can be effective, a person with alcohol related liver disease must stop drinking.  There is no way around this reality.  Alcohol treatment may be needed to make this happen.  If someone continues to drink despite serious liver problems, their health will only get worse.  They could even be at risk for death.

Alcohol rehab is just the start for treating liver disease.  In most cases, a person with alcohol related liver disease won’t be able to have a liver transplant.  However, diet changes and medications can help with some liver function problems.  Women need to be aware that alcohol related liver disease can develop with less alcohol over a shorter time than for men.  This puts women at a particularly high risk.  Most importantly, alcoholics with liver disease need to understand the importance of sobriety.

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The criminal justice system is facing a growing problem with its population, and I’m not talking about overcrowding or broken down facilities. Criminal inmates with drug and alcohol problems are largely overlooked and not given proper drug treatment to help prevent returning to jail or prison. Take a closer look at this situation and how it could affect you.

Report Outlines Problems With Addiction Population and Incarceration

According to this report on the criminal justice system, just 11% of inmates with drug and alcohol problems received any sort of treatment. Worse yet, not many of those who did get some help did not get evidence-based treatment. At best, a person in the criminal justice system may have just the slimmest chance of getting drug treatment that will make a difference.  The lack of proper treatment is a key factor in relapse and almost certain re-offense.

Take a look at the financial side of this story.  The cost of keeping a person in prison or jail continues to go up all the time.  If just a fraction of that population could be effectively deterred from getting back into the system, think of the potential for financial savings. Proper treatment and support would be well worth the effort and expense.  This report estimates that every year an inmate remains out of prison and employed, society saves roughly $90,000.  Can you just imagine how communities could spend $90,000 in ways that can benefit everyone?

Problems Identified For Prisons And Drug Problems

The report echoes what the most casual person in many communities can observe.  Our criminal justice system tends to spend money on jails, prisons, and various ways to support incarceration.  This happens not only in large metro areas, but also rural regions and small cities.  While it may seem to reduce the most obvious symptoms of overcrowding, what does this do to prevent people from offending in the first place.  What does it do for inmates with treatable problems directly related to their likelihood of committing crimes? Very little.

Communities everywhere need to widen their focus to include better identification and treatment of those with drug and alcohol issues. Yes, some buildings need improvement and even replacement. Yes, good staff also costs money to provide community protection. Many justice systems just aren’t equipped or focused on treatment or reentry programs.

Funding and support for this may be heavy on the front end with grants and community funding. But evidence-based programs are just that - based on evidence of success and reduced symptoms. These provide the best chance for prisons to reduce some part of their population and save the community money.

Drug Treatment Important For Preventing Return To Criminal Justice System

This is clearly not a problem that will be solved overnight.  Many small meaningful steps will be needed to shift the focus from population control to drug treatment and prevention for those with alcohol and drug problems. Of course, this will not make much difference for those without these diagnoses. But it is a significant and under-diagnosed problem. Any positive change in this part of the criminal population will ultimately benefit all of society.

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