:The AA Blog

Though there are many Alcohol Treatment Centers in The US, there are a few that have established quite a following of celebrity clientele over the years and stand to be some of the most widely known and famous Alcohol Treatment centers in this country.

Betty Ford Treatment Center At Eisenhower.

Here is a brief history of the Betty Ford Center from www.BettyFordCenter.org:

“The history of the Betty Ford Center is part of the life story of their founder, former First Lady Betty Ford. After completing her own treatment for chemical dependency at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Long Beach, Mrs. Ford talked to her friends about the need for a treatment center that emphasized the special needs of women. Her good friend, Ambassador Leonard Firestone, encouraged Mrs. Ford to pursue her dream and in 1982, they co-founded the non-profit Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, California.”

“From its earliest days, the Betty Ford Center has treated women and men suffering from chemical dependency. The Center has always saved 50% of its space for women and 50% for men. Treatment is gender-specific; women and men reside in separate halls. Today the Betty Ford Center offers programs for the entire family system affected by addiction.”

“All family members are deeply affected when one family member is chemically dependent. Family members are offered support and education through our five-day Family Program. The Children’s Program is for children ages 7 to 12 who are not themselves addicted, but are living with chemically dependent family members. With such a high-success rate The Betty Ford Center has become one of the most widely respected names in Alcohol related treatment centers. With its history and high-regard for ALL members of an Alcohol challenged home, it is clear to see why The Betty Ford Center is Number One on our list for most famous Alcohol Treatment centers in the United States of America.”

Visit www.BettyFordCenter.org for more information on this center.

2 Comments

Studies have been able to identify that women are more vulnerable to the affects of Alcohol than men. Women reach higher concentrations levels of alcohol in the bloodstream and become much more impaired than men after drinking the same amounts of alcohol.

The effects on the liver are much far more severe for women than men. Women develop alcoholic liver disease, alcoholic cirrhosis and hepatitis, after a shorter period of time than men. More alcoholic women die from cirrhosis than men.

A study by the Journal of the American Medical Association, showed that a woman’s risk of breast cancer rises with the amount of alcohol she consumes on a regular basis. Drinking moderately or not at all can reduce the chance of getting breast cancer.

Of course these studies only relate to women with an Alcohol problem not necessarily a women that drinks a glass of wine a day. But as always with this type of Addiction it is important to always remember to be in control of your Alcohol consumption and to never allow Alcohol to run your life.

1 Comment

Coming to terms with the fact that you have a drinking problem is not easy. Furthermore, overcoming an Alcohol problem is very difficult and reaching sobriety takes a lot of time and effort. These things are not easy to give when you have a drinking problem and is a lot harder than you would expect.

Although approximately 80% of people suffering from addictive behavior never seek formal treatment, and many successfully decrease or stop their addictions, quite often core issues remain unchanged. Think of your Sobriety as the light at the end of a long dark tunnel, that without help may never be reached.

Sometimes, family and friends can help you with your drinking without needing to involve outside help. Listen to what they have to say to you and see if you can come up with an agreement or a plan to change your drinking habits. No one wants to go cold-turkey on an addiction, so perhaps you might agree to drink only on certain days or to reduce your level of drinking on any one day to a certain amount. Perhaps you might need things from those around you to help you change your drinking pattern.

In speaking and consulting with others, you may find that you need some professional help or some outside help. There are a number of people and resources available who can help you with your drinking problems. A public drug and alcohol service is available in each state. Most services are free, and anyone is allowed to contact them without a referral.  Your family doctor will be able to tell you where local services are located close to you and how you can contact them.

If you want to do something about your drinking, you need to get back the control that has been taken away from you by alcohol. You also need to take responsibility for your own drinking and for any problems your drinking is causing and make the changes that are needed. Upon reaching this mentality, you will begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel get that much closer. SOBRIETY IS POSSIBLE. STICK WITH IT AND YOU WILL SEE.

1 Comment

It’s the best way I can describe my alcohol addiction.  My name is Russ and I’m a recovering alcoholic.  I guess you could say I was always a bit of a loner.  I did well in school but didn’t really play any sports or hang out with a lot of people.  I went to a local community college, got an Associates Degree and got myself a job as a cold caller for an insurance company. 

Life was good and I moved my way up the ranks to become a full on salesman before long.  But I found sales was vastly different from my cold calling days.  In sales, I had to meet in person with clients and not only did I have to tell them about the product, I also had to be personable and wine and dine them too.  Well, I started to notice that the more I did the wine part, the easier it became for me to make small talk and be the guy that I thought everybody liked. 

I became this slick salesman that could sell ice to people in winter and the money was kept getting better, but alcohol was also becoming my sales partner.  I’d start drinking by 11AM and keep going through the dinner hour and into the night when I got home.  I don’t know how it happened because I didn’t even feel it happening. It wasn’t all at once, it was like a quiet sneaky trick that the bottle played on me… as time went on my problems got worse and worse.

And they began to notice at work.  The big bosses spoke to me about it, and I would dry out for a couple days but the fact is, as long as my sales numbers stayed great nobody really cared if I was boozing again or not. Alcohol would creep back into my life slowly at first and take me over like a storm washing over the coast of Maine.

My sales would drop, my bills stopped getting paid and I went from hero to zero. I tried to get sober a few times on my own and each time it ended up failing short. I’d do better for a while, get a pat on the back from my bosses and then fall back down just as fast again as the cycle repeated itself over and over.

You can’t eliminate addiction, but you can overcome it. The first step is replacing it with something else, something healthy and constructive.  Just as alcohol was my crutch, I needed a crutch to lean on so that I could beat my dependence one and for all.  The fellowship of men and women that welcomed me into rehab became that crutch. 

The hope and strength that they shared with me through their own experiences helped me get my life back on track.  The process was long and hard, but I can say I’m on my way back up from zero to hero and I’ve learned not to measure my dignity with sales figures or empty bottles.  Every day is a new day and I want to thank all my brothers and sisters that have helped me along on my journey.

NEVER GIVE UP HOPE ONCE YOU STOP DRINKING — EVERY THING ELSE FALLS INTO PLACE.

1 Comment

Meditation is a very effective form of therapy for relapse prevention in Alcohol Dependent individuals. The Eleventh Step of Alcoholics Anonymous states:

“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 the power to carry that out.”

The brain waves of individuals who meditate can show why they are usually healthier. It has been proven that people who meditate can modify their brain activity throughout different places in the cortex.

It has been found that concentrating brain waves towards the stress-prone frontal cortex can produce a calming effect. Thus, people who meditate are usually happier and calmer individuals than those who don’t.

Practicing meditation techniques can produce deep, inner stillness; a process that becomes easier as it is repeated.

Some benefits of practicing Meditation techniques are:

• Control of emotions
• Self confidence
• Self awareness
• Improved personal relationships
• Calmness
• Inner peace
• Improved concentration
Certainly, there are several benefits to meditation which can help recovering addicts achieve sobriety, as well as gain more self confidence and awareness. Meditation can undoubtedly become a useful tool during the recovery process.

Meditative Traditions:

Many meditative traditions teach that the spine should be kept “straight,” that is, the meditator should not slouch. Often this is explained as a way of encouraging the circulation of what some call “spiritual energy,” the “vital breath”, the “life force” (Sanskrit prana, Chinese qi, Latin spiritus) or the Kundalini.

In some traditions the meditator may sit on a chair, flat-footed (as in New Thought); sit on a stool (as in Orthodox Christianity); or walk in mindfulness (as in Theravada Buddhism). Some traditions suggest being barefoot, for comfort, for convenience, or for spiritual reasons.

Medatative Traditions provided by Wikipedia

2 Comments

Elizabeth Zelvin’s first full-length mystery Death Will Get You Sober features amateur sleuth Bruce Kohler, an alcoholic struggling to stay sober, a character first introduced by the author in the short story Death Will Clean Your Closet.

Elizabeth Zelvin is a New York City psychotherapist whose new mystery, Death Will Help You Leave Him, will be out from St. Martin’s in October 2009. It follows Death Will Get You Sober, first in the series about recovering alcoholic Bruce Kohler. She has written and lectured widely on codependency, relationships, and addictions.

The short story, “Death Will Clean Your Closet,” was nominated for an Agatha award for Best Short Story. Another story, “Death Will Tie Your Kangaroo Down,” won an honorable mention in the Crimespace Short Story Contest and will be published in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine. Liz currently does online therapy via chat and email and is working on the next mystery about Bruce and his friends.

Here is what some reviewers had to say about “Death Will Get You Sober”
“Smooth prose and outstanding storytelling ability….a remarkable and strongly recommended first novel.” – Library Journal

“A hell of a job….Great characters and a wonderful voice. Zelvin is an author to keep your eye on. – Crimespree Magazine

“Entertaining debut novel by a psychotherapist…a good surprise ending.” – Booklist

“A refreshing, oddly light-hearted look into the world of alcoholics….an extremely original debut mystery with unique and engaging characters.” – Cindy Chow, No Name Cafe

2 Comments

Lindsey Lohan, just like many other celebrities in Hollywood, has admitted herself into rehab multiple times already. Despite her reputation as a party girl, Lohan had long denied that her social life had gotten out of hand.

In a statement released by her publicist, Lohan states, “I have made a proactive decision to take care of my personal health. I appreciate your well wishes and ask that you please respect my privacy at this time.”

The 22-year-old starlet checked herself into L.A.’s Laurel Canyon Wonderland Center after an all-night drinking binge led to her being found early the next morning passed out in a hallway at a party hosted by Prince at the Beverly Wilshire.

According to the facility’s Web site, the Wonderland Center is a “residential treatment and detoxification facility providing services for alcohol, substance abuse and relapse-prevention programs.”

In a July 26 letter to Lohan, the CEO of Morgan Creek Productions, James G. Robinson, said Lohan was “discourteous, irresponsible and unprofessional” and was acting “like a spoiled child.” Being late to movie sets, skipping meetings with casting directors, and filling water bottles with Vodka at 19, this girl definitely needs to get her sh*! straight.

More and more celebrities are being admitted into rehabilitation for Alcohol and Narcotic Abuse these days more than ever. Why is it that these celebs can’t take control over their actions? If I were lucky enough to be as financially set as some of these rehab-a-holics are, I certainly wouldn’t be found passed out in a hallway.

Though many do argue that Lohan’s childhood fame, is the root of her current issues, I think its nothing more than an excuse. Hopefully she can get herself under control and get back into the spotlight where she definitely has alot of potential to becoming a respectable actress.

2 Comments

When reaching for your keys, after becoming intoxicated, its not a question of whether you are legally intoxicated or just “buzzed” it’s a question of whether or not it is safe to drive when you have consumed any amount of alcohol. Research shows that impairment begins long before a person reaches the blood alcohol concentration level of .08. So why do so many teens and adults take those chances?? We live in a world OVERFILLED with IRRESPONSIBLE and SELFISH people!

Every single injury and death caused by drunk driving is totally preventable. Although the proportion of crashes that are alcohol-related has dropped dramatically in recent decades, there are still far too many such preventable accidents. Here are some informative facts on Driving under the Influence of Alcohol.

The average BAC among fatally injured drinking drivers is .16

The relative risk of death for drivers in single-vehicle crashes with a high BAC is 385 times that of a zero-BAC driver and for male drivers the risk is 707 times that of a sober driver, according to estimates by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

High BAC drivers tend to be male, aged 25-35, and have a history of DWI convictions and polydrug abuse.

Due to the efforts of groups like Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD), hundreds of new DUI laws have been passed nationwide since 1980. The penalties have increased for driving under the influence, especially for repeat offenders. Many state legislatures have passed laws requiring mandatory jail time for repeat DUI convictions. The fines have gotten larger, the length of license suspension has gotten longer and its not as easy as it was back in the day to get a ‘bread and butter’ license to get yourself to and from work.

People need to wake up and realize how their actions affect other people. The time for selfishness needs to end and we really have to start looking out for eachother. Because in the broad spectrum of it all, who else will?

1 Comment

Some may not know the difference but there are many between the two terms. Alcohol abuse is described as any “harmful use” of alcohol.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV describes alcohol abusers as those who drink despite recurrent social, interpersonal, and legal problems as a result of alcohol use. Forgetting responsibilities and lack of social activity are what makes this such a strong Abuse.

Alcohol Dependence on the other hand, is someone who also has all of the symptoms of Alcohol Abuse and more. here are some additional symptoms that define one as Alcohol Dependent.

• Tolerence to alcohol
• Sympoms of withdrawal
• Drinking to feel “normal”
• Compulsion to drink

Knowing the difference between the two is important for people looking for information on Alcoholism. Always being in ‘the know’ is what makes YOU able to share your knowledge with others in times of need. Staying clear of Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Dependence can help you achieve your goals of Sobriety.

1 Comment

Sobriety is defined as a solemn or dignified personal behavior, in particular abstinence with regard to (typically) the consumption of alcoholic beverages. Reaching Sobriety is not easy, 12 step programs can be helpful, and group support has many positive effects but at the same time, not going to a meeting can be pretty easy.

Looking around online, can lead you to whole new realms of information on whatever it is you want to find out about. Taking advantage of this is important for those looking to recover from a long or short standing Alcohol Abuse problem.

Here are just a few of the many help options available online.

• Sober Forever
  

This website is dedicated to helping you achieve sobriety from Alcohol using a treatment method to  achieve full physical detoxification.

• The Watershed Addiction Treatment Programs

This is a 24 hour alcohol and drug addiction information line with qualified referral counselors who can provide you with a free alcohol or drug addiction treatment referral to a licensed rehabilitation center. They even have the option of speaking with a counselor live on the web.

• Recovery Connection

This website focuses more on helping you find group support. Many argue that group support is a good first step is helping you realize that you have a problem. The website aims to connect you to every possible group support out there ranging from Overeaters Anonymous to Codependents Anonymous. Search within your state for a support group meeting near you.

Recovering from an alcohol addiction doesn’t end with an twelve-step treatment program. It’s a lifelong process that takes deep dedication. With the right knowledge and help your road to recovery can begin to seem a little brighter.

2 Comments