Can a person with alcoholism stop drinking?

People who despite the best of intentions to remain sober, feel under compulsion to drink often choose to resolve the issue by denying that they have a problem.

Alcoholics need to have a desire to stop drinking and to see their alcohol use as a problem, in order to begin recovery.

Even when people have a capacity to overide temptation, and not have a drink, they will continue to have cravings, can become tense and irritable.  Despite the fact that they are not drinking, alcohol occupies their thoughts.

Is a dry alcoholic recovered?

Some would say they are not – not until they are free of cravings, and any desire to drink.

Can people completely resolve cravings and their “need” for alcohol

Alcoholism is a problem – is recovery possible?

Alcoholism has been called a disease because the behavior is entrenched. When an alcoholic feels a “need” to drink – sometimes he can identify a specific trigger, sometimes there is simply the need to reach out for alcohol, for what appears to be no specific reason.

Alcoholism is a response to feelings of negativity, about ourselves, about life, a response to feelings of pressure and social anxiety.

Alcohol creates a distancing between ourselves and our emotions. Alcohol drinking makes us less capable of physical activity, slows down our responses. Alcohol also activates parts of the brain that make us feel contented and rewarded.

Often people in a state of emotional tension caused by unresolved anxiety or depression have lived with it all of their life. It is part of their personality, the way that they are.

Most people encounter alcohol and find that it gives them respite for a while from the anxiety of living, from feelings of depression or boredom. They find the experience enjoyable.

Even if they feel a bit rough the next day – they will probably happily drink alcohol again - for the immediate and reliable release of tension that it brings.

Although people might joke and call work the curse of the drinking man, – most people would think it intolerable if they were forced to spend the rest of their life in an alcoholic stupor – doing nothing at all except drink alcohol.

In the normal way, people would want to sober up, get clean, eat food, engage in productive work, communicate with other people, enjoy sport and other recreational activities. No way does a normal, healthy person want to drink alcohol all day, everyday.

Forced to drink too much alcohol, we would rebel, and throw the bottle away – re-assert our right to life, to freedom and our own identity.

A healthy response to an enforced, continuous drinking of alcohol, has a parallel in the emergence of a young child from infancy.

Healthy growth and development is about emergence from being surrounded by nurture and enclosing comfort, to become productive and independant people who no longer need or want the total containment and support, the lack of independence in that early environment.

With physical, mental and emotional maturity, we outgrow it.

see article:

When we suffer a trauma in life, the inevitable result will be feelings of emotional insecurity, loss of confidence in ourselves and feelings of negativity. People with strong social connections, with emotional maturity tend to recover better from trauma, are able to normalize the experience, and move on with their lives. Sometimes the stress is overwhelming – we are left to some extent with post traumatic disorders of mood and motivation.

In discovering alcohol people can respond as if they have found a way to return to the magical days of infancy, an antidote to trauma.

For some it is the first time they have ever felt relieved of a tension that they never realized they had.

For others, better adjusted to the tribulations of their life – alcohol is still necessity from time to time, to take the “edge” off things. This is called “dependency”, rather than alcoholism but the difference is only one of degree – determined by the levels of stress we can tolerate, before we have a “need” to dive into the bottle.

But having a problem with alcohol, is not about alcohol really, if you think about it. Something is driving you to drink – and that’s what your problem is.

Naturally we don’t want to think about our problems – that’s why we use alcohol. In any case, why torment ourselves by thinking about something that makes us feel bad, that we can’t resolve – when there is alcohol to drink.

With the trending away from 12 step programs, many people are content, think they have found a solution to alcohol abuse by using anti-alcohol drugs.

see article:

Using anti-alcohol drugs, and a limited intake of alcohol is only a self-help combination drug method of continuing to avoid dealing with our problems.

Another self help solution is to try and drink the alcohol – and avoid the hangover.

see article:

Alcohol is a toxin that produces side effects - one of which is a hangover. The only way to avoid a hangover is by not drinking alcohol.

Alcohol recovery is very possible when you decide to stop the alcohol drinking, detoxify your body from alcohol effects, and use a professional, comprehensive program that is able to get down to the root causes of the problems that make you use alcohol.

When you are completely clear of alcohol intoxication, and also clear in your thinking – substance abuse and alcohol use is never a problem again, there are no cravings, no triggers.

Want to get back in control of your life?  Get back your self respect?

Become productive and effective?  Free of alcohol drinking?

Call Narconon today for drug free, natural, effective, complete – alcoholism recovery.

The adolescents took more risks of going on through the lights when they were being observed by their peers, although the “passengers” gave no verbal encouragement to teen drivers to act in a risk taking manner.

Recordings showed that the “challenge” presented to young drivers activated parts of their brain - namely the ventral striatum and the orbitofrontal cortex, areas associated with the assessment of risk and reward.

The research is cited in support of laws to prevent teen drivers from driving with other teenagers in the car.

see article:

Although nothing might be said or acknowledged, the teen who took a risk, and successfully got through the lights, would feel that he had demonstrated to his peers his skill as a driver, and so feel satisfied and rewarded. Conversely, it might be assumed that a teen who carefully stopped at each intersection, on an amber light would be considered a bit of a wimp.

A teen driver is six times more likely to have a fatal accident if there are three teenaged passengers in the vehicle. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration).

It is possible for parental teaching, or indoctrination, to over ride this behavior. One young lad had it drummed into him – never drive faster than you can see ahead and stop. This meant that on a country drive,  his mates got exasperated – you don’t have to slow down for the crest of every hill, we’ll never get there, they said.

Fortunately, the lad stuck to his guns – all of his mates went strangely quiet a few miles down the road as they slowly went over a hill, and managed to pull up inches short of a truck – that was jackknifed across the road.

There are risks that teens take where they have no control over the eventual outcome, and risks that require skill and judgement.

New Brunswick, in Canada provides a model of graduated licensing for young drivers, that maps getting a full licence to experience, rather than age – and makes it very clear that driving on a public road is a privilege – not a right.

see example:

New Jersey, USA, has 10 years of graduated driving licence law in 2011 - the statistics show that although teen deaths in car crashes have considerably reduced – there is still a high level of impaired driving and risk taking by teen drivers.

see article:

Despite all measures, including curfews and bans on electronic devices being used while driving, teens still cause the biggest number of motor vehicle accidents of all groups in North America, and around one third of the fatal accidents involve alcohol.

see article:

SADD is a group for young people, established 30 years, that used to be called Students Against Drunk Driving, now called Students Against Destructive Decisions, that involves understanding that many teens don’t drink alcohol and that the right time to be making decisions about alcohol is before they are confronted with it, with a similar attitude expressed towards drugs and all risky or life threatening behavior.

see article:

SADD is not about teens not taking risks – but about making responsible choices and decisions so that teen safety and the safety of others is always made a priority.

SADD works with other community groups and government, in an attempt to influence the driving behavior of teens on the road, for the better.

The primary reason why well intentioned strategies fail to curb problem behavior in youth, or people of any age, is that the approach to behavioral change is made at a cognitive level.

There is no young person who has a capacity to drive who does not know that if he drives and crashes the car, people are going to get hurt.

Kids of 15 get into a car and drive it down the freeway at a 140kph – they don’t know it’s risky?

What ultimately makes a driver safe is not their driving skills but their level of socio-emotional maturity. People with emotional maturity take pride in driving safely. Pulling off a risky stunt provides no reward, no payoff, there is no desire to do it.

It is probably is the case that as a person drives their car, so they live their life. Competence in lifeskills makes for competent drivers.

Socio-emotional maturity doesn’t happen overnight, nor does it happen by chance. Hoon drivers on the road might have exceptional car handling skills but lack the emotional maturity to be a safe and competent driver.

Comprehensive drug addiction recovery programs do more than get people off drugs - the programs develop in addicts the social and emotional skills that they need so as to be co-operative and mature in all of their decision making processes.

see article:

Graduates of Narconon addiction recovery programs – are safer, better drivers.

Anyone can benefit from attending the programs that develop life skills that are taught by Narconon drug recovery programs, in Canada.

Alcohol generally does not directly interfere with the action of antibiotics. Antibiotics are a range of medications extracted from fungi, molds and bacteria that have an ability to kill off bacteria that are causing an infection in the body. Antibiotics are specfic to kill or neutralize fungi, bacteria or parasites that infect the body.

In normal good health, the body has an effective immune response to bacterial infection. Antibiotics are used to supplement the natural resistance of the body to bacterial invasion. If an antibiotic is needed, to promote a return to health, chances are that the natural immune function of the body is weak.

Drinking alcohol  tends to cause a loss of energy and fatigue – people who want to optimize the road to recovery from illness tend to abstain completely from alcohol drinking while taking antibiotics.

Antibiotics often produce unwanted side effects – as does alcohol drinking. It is the incidence of side effects, caused by both antibiotics and alcohol, that puts most people off using alcohol and antibiotics in combination. People can feel dizzy, have an upset stomach, or feel nauseous or tired.

Some types of antibiotic interact with alcohol - in particular tetracyclines, such that the alcohol causes the antibiotic to be less effective.

Doxycycline (known as Doryx, or Vibramycin) effects can be reduced by alcohol drinking. People drinking alcohol might decide to take more antibiotic, to offset the impact of alcohol.

Alcohol reacts with many drug medications, including antibiotics. Death can sometimes occur – often the result of a bad alcohol antibiotic mix, or a related accident.

Cephalexin also reacts badly with alcohol,it is one of the cyclosporin antibiotics, and can increase the symptoms of alcohol toxicity.

The usual alcohol hangover that comes with thirst, tiredness, vomiting, headaches and general lethargy, can be made worse by antibiotic use – that can cause death by cardiac failure.

Other symptoms might include hallucinations, insomnia, weird dreams and coma, that might appear to be that someone has fainted, but the unconscious condition is more serious and may require medical treatment in ER.

Cephalexin is used to treat bacterial infection of wounds, skin conditions and may asssist in recovery from infections that get into bones. As a veterinary drug Cephalexin is used for bladder and lung infections in dogs.

In humans Cephalexin is used for infections and or inflammation of bursa, and tendons, known as tendonitis.

The most dangerous known direct toxicity due to mixing alcohol and antibiotics is with Metronidizole that is used for dental infections, vaginal pain caused by infection, and chronic ulcers.

Metronidazole is marketed in the US as Flagyl.

Adverse reactions from Metronidizole and Tinidizole can cause low  blood pressure, chest pains, Metronidizole is also a known carcinogenic. and most recently, alcohol has also been found to cause toxicity as a carcinogen. Metronidizole is banned from use as a treatment in food producing animals.

With alcohol, Metronidizole is said to produce a disulfram-like reaction.

Disulfram is used to treat alcoholism by making a person feel terrible if they drink alcohol after taking disulfram, by blocking alcohol metabolism, and causing an excess of the toxic acetaldehyde after alcohol drinking.

However, experts have also said that this alleged antibiotic-alcohol reaction is actually caused by serotonin syndrome arising from the adverse drug interaction.

Serotonin syndrome is typically treated wth benzodiazepines, to control the hyperarousal.

Whatever the basis for the adverse interaction, alcohol and Metronidizole, Tinidizole, also co-trimoxazole should not be combined together.

see article:

An antibiotic called linezolid reacts badly with the tyramine in some alcohol products, and taking erythromycin and alcohol can make you drowsy and the antibiotic less effective.

The ancient Chinese invented antibiotics, starting with the fungus from which streptomycin was later developed.

Nearly 1 million children in China have been made deaf by streptomycin misuse.

It is said that antibiotics are overused in modern medicine, which has led to antibiotic-resistant strains of many bacteria.

see article:

In China green tea is used as a herbal medication. Green tea contains many vitamins, and polyphenols that have health giving properties. Epigallocatechin-gallate (EGCG) is one of the best known phytochemicals to be found in green tea.

Drinking green tea as a therapeutic beverage can reduce and destroy antibiotic – resistant strains of bacteria.

Unfortunately some bacteria can develop a resistance to EGCG.  As with any antibiotic, it is important to maintain the recommended dose and also to keep on with the treatment until the course is complete.

It is becoming increasing obvious that drug use in the form of antibiotics, and in other contexts has reached a level at which drug toxicity is high compared with beneficial effects in many cases.

Best for the treatment of bacterial, fungal and parasitic afflictions is to abstain from alcohol and use natural, unprocessed products as herbal supplements, on the recommendation of your healthcare professional.

In Canada today it can be too easy to keep on alcohol drinking, whie taking antibiotics, to the detriment of our health.

Both alcohol and antibiotics are widely used, available and it is tempting to people with an alcohol habit to combine alcohol use with antibiotics.

Building good mental, and physical health, particularly in children, provides natural resistance to alcohol abuse and addiction – and the misuse of antibiotics.

Ethyl alcohol has been defined by researchers, as being a class 1 carcinogen since at least 2005

On the face of it, it would appear, that people who like to drink alcohol have been somewhat misled.

One or two drinks will relieve your stress, defuse the inner “anarchist”, help you with problems in social interaction, and get you to sleep on time – in time to wake up for another dose of the endless, daily grind of civilization, as we know it.

Alcohol has long been used, despite adverse side effects, as a means to keep society happily chugging along.

There has been no warning, no advice previously given about cancer being one of the adverse reactions, to ethyl alcohol, that comes with long term abuse.

There is no doubt that ever since attempted alcohol prohibition ended, in the US and Canada, alcohol use has been promoted as being beneficial to health and to have positive social benefits, when used in small doses.

Authorities have not expressly stated at any time before now, to the general public, that the habit of having one or two drinks that maintains the social order, that keeps people reasonably “happy”, is in fact potentially carcinogenic, that should at all costs be avoided.

As a result we have widespread, socially acceptable alcohol drinking, that generates for government, high levels of revenue.

The economic cost of dealing with alcohol related harm has gradually increased to a level at which governments now consider that “something” should be done about it.

Now there is alcohol advertising that clearly makes the point – drink any amount of alcohol, on any given day, and you are drinking a class 1 carcinogenic substance.

Yet you are implored not to drink any more than one or two standard alcohol drinks per day.

Like telling a child that matches are dangerous – please don’t strike too many.

There is no doubt that most people in Canada enjoy an alcohol drink - around three quarters of the population drinks, with many enforced abstainers, who don’t drink for the simple reason that alcohol drinking has already wrecked their health. It is a cultural norm, an imperative over which we have little control. Despite the well known adverse consequences of drinking alcohol, the alcohol industry continues to thrive – jobs and revenues are at stake.

Not many people stand apart – and deliver the straightforward message - alcohol drinking is harmful to health – and spoils the development of more healthy relationships at a personal and community level.

Should Canadians continue to drink alcohol in moderation, or is it time to accept the reality.

That our favorite, flavorsome tipple can cause terminal disorders in the body.

That while alcohol use appears to promote happy social interaction, with every alcohol drink that we use, we are undermining our health, and our capacity for more healthy, outgoing social relationships.

There is clear evidence that alcohol drinking promotes irritation and possible long term development of cancer in all of the parts of the body, from the lips to the colon, that intake and digest alcoholic drinks. The execretory organs, the liver and the kidneys also suffer distress, with chronic alcohol consumption.

Studies now show that alcohol plays a part in inducing cancer development in other parts of the body.

Alcohol alone might not cause disorder, but in combination, with other chemical interactions, alcohol in the system contributes to the onset of many forms of cancer and degenerative diseases.

see article:

Degeneration and disorder in the body, attributed to alcoholism, such as for example cancer, will not occur with alcohol drinking if the mind and body is in a state of effective healing and health – has an innate resilience to the onset of disorders.

In most cases of alcohol related disorder, alcohol drinking is not the primary cause. Alcohol drinking is only a contributing factor. We need to get back to the issue of stress as being a major cause of illness in our lives. Stress that leads to somatic disorder – and to alcohol drinking.

It is our persistent use of alcohol drinking as a form of self medication against stress related ailments, our use of alcohol drinking as a substitute for good health that leads to alcohol-related depletion of the body, and the onset of disorders such as cancer. Alcohol is only one of many carcinogens to be avoided.

see article:

Giving up alcohol drinking is a major step in the improvement of both mental and physical health, but to achieve optimal health we have to engage, at all levels, with actions and behavior that promote good health and recovery.

Although abstinence from alcohol alone will not promote good health and healing, – it is a step in the right direction.

see article:

Comprehensive alcohol and drug addiction recovery programs enable people to give up alcohol drinking and their addiction.

Comprehensive programs also provide support and practical education about the many ways in which we can improve and begin to live a healthy lifestyle – the best protection today against degenerative conditions, and the onset of cancer.

The experiment has shown that levels in the brain of neuropeptide F (NPF) will determine whether or not a rejected male fruit fly turns to alcohol drinking. Fruit flies with high levels of NPF chose to eat normal food in the experiment even when rejected, whereas fruit fly males with low levels of NPF, preferred the food laced with alcohol, whether or not they were rejected.

see article http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2012/03/16/3455045.htm

Neuropeptide Y, (NPY) in the human brain is the equivalent of NPF in the fruit fly. NPY plays a regulatory role in dealing with stress.

NPY in the human brain is associated with anxiety and depression, memory, the reward system and stress related adaptive behavior.

NPY function is associated with other biochemicals and parts of brain, such as the hippocampus that mediates memory, spatial location, learning behavior and stress. All of the “feel good” chemicals in the body are at optimal levels, and functioning well in a person who feels happy, rewarded and content.

Low levels of the biochemicals needed to support happiness and pleasure don’t just happen of their own accord and “by chance”. Disruption of natural, normal endorythmns is a direct response when the environment fails for one reason or another to provide support, encouragement and reward.

When our natural feel good chemicals are low – we feel out of sorts, dissatisfied, perhaps painfully unhappy. This not a disease, it is not a disorder. It is the bodies way of telling us that we need to make changes in our behavior, in our environment if we want to again enjoy life and regain our former feelings of happiness.

Medical science does not see it this way – they spend a lot of time discovering the chemicals that are out of balance when we feel “disordered”. Of course, there will be chemicals out of balance when we have a disorder – that’s what a disorder is.

Medical science seeks out disordered chemical regulators in the body with the view of developing up a drug to artifically modify them, by means of “medication”.

The remedy for disorders of body and spirit is to change our attitude, the environment to the extent that we can, for more healthy conditions. Artifically stimulating one part of the body or another, with a chemical substance might bring temporary, symptomatic relief – to reap a later whirlwind of rebound stress and disorder.

Low levels of NPY are associated with alcoholism, as is depression and addictive drug use.  Chronic stress and related high levels of cortisol in the body is the most frequent cause of chemical “dysregulation” in the body, that leads to variations in endocrine production, that unrelieved, and over time – can have a detrimental effect on good health.

Chronic stress leads to adrenal fatigue – the body might crave high energy food, to support activity to combat our stress – laid down as fat in the body when it is not used. Overweight, depressed, depleted, next thing we know we have diabetes type II and add insulin to our growing pile of healthcare medications.

The experiment in which sex starved fruit flies appeared to compensate for their frustration, by consuming alcohol in preference to normal food shows that the presence or absence of NPK is related to the drive for reward, when there is the experience of dissatisfaction. If you chemically inhibit, or increase the levels of a hormone in the body by artificial methods- you can cause “flow on effects” from that into other biochemcal processes.

Introducing any alien substance into the human body is effectively disruptive to normal balance and regulation. Best holistic practice ensures an optimal environment that promotes natural healing and recovery by the body and mind, that is essentially non-intrusive.

Sex and alcohol capture the human imaginattion, and to a large extent would seem to fulfil our recreational needs. Fruit flies feeling somewhat jaded, frustrated and depleted were offered alcohol in a clinical setting as an alternative pursuit. Without exception, it seems that NPK depleted fruit flies will take to the alcohol, that is a substance known to provide a positive reward, a source of energy.

Studies have shown however, that clinical studies are a restricted environment, in which choices are limited. Someone who is depressed, constrained by anxiety from exercising full freedom of choice might respond in a similar way to subjects in clinical trials. However, in the wider world there is a host of alternatives and options that we might try in preference to drug use. The human brain is designed to be inventive.

A person distressed at having to go out in the rain, because they will get wet, uses their brain to seek ways around the problem and invents an umbrella.

Medical science gives us a pill so that we don’t mind that the rain is wet. Happily we go out in the rain and come back with double pneumonia, but that’s not a problem as medical science – has a drug for that.

In a world of better options than drugs or alcohol, our sex deprived fruit flies might well take to cleaning their cars, or body building at the gym – natural options that provide pleasure, reward and use energy in a positive way.

Next time you feel disappointed, feel in need of reward, before you reach for the alcohol – think – am I a fruit fly in a clinical trial – or are there some better options available.

People who feel constrained by their lifestyle,

into bingeing on food or alcohol can get the help that they need for complete addiction recovery.

Comprehensive alcohol and drug addiction recovery programs in Canada, bring an end to substance abuse and addictive behavior – opening our minds to new solutions and opportunities.

Alcohol is well known for giving people “the Shakes”

Many people suffer from tremors that are not caused by alcohol drinking. It is unfortunate that in our society, people who suffer from any form of involuntary “shaking” or tremor of the muscles will be immediately assumed to have been drinking – and to be suffering the “after effects”.

People who suffer from the shakes, unrelated to alcohol abuse, have noticed that their symptoms reduce, that there is less shaking, if they have one or two alcohol drinks.

Scientists have been investigating this as a possible way to treat tremors on a medical basis with therapeutic doses of alcohol.

The result has been that, since 2004, (Bushara K, and others) – scientists have been experimenting with octanol to control involuntary nervous tremors.

Octanol is a form of alcohol that is colorless, and often used, as octyl acetate, as an ingredient in perfumes and manufactured flavorings.

Octanol usually occurs as 1-octanol, but there are several variations which occur naturally as esters in aromatic oils. Octanol is similar to ethanol that is found in fermented alcohol drinks, but it is less toxic.

Although since 2004, Octanol has been shown to be effective to reduce shaking, there are already drugs on the market such as the anti-epileptic gabapentin, beta blockers and anti anxiety medications that can be used for muscle tremors, such that Octanol has been a drug of interest, awaiting further trials.

A recent article in the Daily Mail on line reports the recent history in the potential development of Octanol as an anti-tremor medication.

see article:

Getting the shakes from excessive alcohol drinking is a similar condition to what scientists call essential tremor, a neurological condition which appears to medical scientists to be ideopathic, that is one of the many mysterious illnesses that people suffer from for which scientists can find no direct physical cause.

Alcoholic shakes and tremors are associated with delerium tremens, where the cognitive abilities of the brain and various unconscious processes are impaired by alcohol drinking. In advanced alcoholism, the effects of tremor and delerium tremens can be disabling, and there might be related epileptic fits.

Attempts have been made in the past to use electro-convulsive therapy to treat nervous tremors and tics. All of the related problems of tremors, tics, epilepsy, fits and convulsions can be triggered by alcohol drinking, the effects of other toxins, or from any form of prolonged neurological stress.

Alcohol withdrawal can cause the shakes and care needs to be taken when considering detox for chronic alcohol abuse that convulsions, fits and seizures are not triggered as they can be life-threatening.

Traditional methods for alcohol detox frequently use anti-anxiety or other sedating drugs to reduce symptoms for people who are going through alcohol detoxification.

Although Octanol could be used to moderate the effects of nervous tremors, clinicians have preferred to use the well established drugs for persistent tremors. With Octanol proving to be effective, it opens the way for potential development of natural essential oils as a treatment for nervous tremors – as essential oils for massage, or by inhalation as vapors.

While scientists are looking for the exact parts of the brain that control random tics and tremors, it can be seen, from a holistic point of view that there is a spectrum of related neurological disorders caused by some kind of external trauma. Alcohol abuse is frequently found to be a cause.

Comprehensive alcohol addiction recovery programs that use natural methods, without drug use, to help people withdraw and detox from alcohol.

Comprehensive alcohol recovery programs use a range of holistic, proven methods that assist to bring a reduction of basic stress and anxiety levels, and improve moods of depression.

The comprehensive approach to alcoholism recovery deals with the triggers that play on the mind, and which cause depression or anxiety, making some people turn to alcohol use for relief.

As a self- medication, alcohol abuse is not too far wide of the mark – in circumstances that are otherwise supportive of relaxation and release of tension – the evidence is clear that the use of essential and aromatic oils that contain Octanol will be beneficial to bring about intense symptomatic relief.

It is due to the intensity of the stresses, both chemically and psychologically induced today, that people might feel that they need a good belt of alcohol to overcome their distress, rather than a gentle whiff or dose of Octanol based essential oil.

It is becoming increasingly evident that the reason for many ideopathic disorders, for which doctors can find no cause, is either a specific intoxicant, such as alcohol or a drug, or the ideopathic disorder is quite simply a response to chronic stress, for which modern causes are many.

Alcohol abuse itself is a response to tension and stress. When levels of tension are high, alcohol use can be compulsive.

Achieving complete alcohol addiction recovery includes a capacity to resolve the compulsive nature of the alcohol drinking.

see article:

Ideally, when someone has recovered from alcoholism using comprehensive methods, they will be able to enjoy the company of people who are drinking alcohol – and not feel any cravings at all, or any desire to use alcohol any more.

Another benefit of using comprehensive methods for alcohol recovery is that the body is completely clean of toxic substances - the better to enjoy the mood enhancing properties of natural perfumes and flavorings that might contain some Octanol in their essential oils.

When any member of a family is alcohol addicted, then that family may be referred to as being an “alcoholic family”. Even one alcoholic, in a family, will have an effect on family relationships, and the interpersonal dynamics that operate as between family members.

Alcoholic parents impact on their children’s lives, alcoholic children are a problem to their parents. To brothers and sisters, cousins, uncles and aunts – the effects of alcoholism in a family spread far and wide – within the family structure and into the wider community.

A paper written by Robert J Ackerman, PhD, entitled “Alcoholism and the Family” presents an informative overview of the alcoholic family.

Ackerman says that alcoholism will affect all families differently – although often described as being a “family illness” individual family members all respond to and are affected in different ways to alcohol abuse in the family. Members of alcoholic families do not have a “collective mind” – family dynamics will depend upon how each individual family member chooses to deal with the problem

Ackerman says that there are three basic aspects of alcohol use in the family that will determine to what extent alcohol use might become problematic.

Firstly, Is the alcoholic able to function, and if so, to what extent, are they a social liability, can they hold down a job.

Secondly, and although living with any alcoholic is stressful, it is worse if they are a belligerent type, than if they are more convivial.

Thirdly, and most importantly is the perception of individuals in the family as to whether or not the impact of alcoholism in the family is actually harmful to them.

Ackerman finds that in alcoholic families there is a reactive phase during which the family organizes itself around the alcoholic - there is family denial, coping strategies are put into place, and social withdrawal.

Although many families remain in the reactive stage, Ackerman says that individuals may get to a second or “active” phase in which they come out of denial and try to de-centre their life from revolving around alcoholism.

Family members come to an awareness of their difficulties, and have a desire to be “normal”,  to participate in community life, determined to make the best of their negative circumstances.

Whether the family remains dysfunctionally united, separates or achieves genuine rehabilitation and unity will to a large extent be dependent upon the intervention of positive, external factors. Ackerman essentially says that the work of recovery is a comprehensive process that needs to take into account all aspects of the problem of alcoholism within the family

see article:

Studies now show that any amount of drinking can be hazardous to health, anyone who persuades themselves that living with an alcoholic, whether drinking or “dry”, causes other people no harm is living an illusion. Alcoholism will continue to cause distress until the alcoholic is fully recovered.

Alcoholism exists in families at all socio-economic levels, predictors of alcoholism are to be found at the level of individual experience.

Alcoholism becomes the “elephant in the room“, that depending on its size, twists and contorts the behavior and positioning of other family members until the elephant can be comfortably accommodated.

Although dysfunctional, denial serves the purpose of protecting external “appearances”, preserves the status quo. Coping strategies tend ultimately to fail – they tend to foster enablement of the alcoholic, lead to social disengagement, and wear the person down emotionally and physically. Until alcoholism is fully resolved – the family members are still living with it.

Some people, the children of alcoholics, are never able to overcome their sense of personal inadequacy, their feelings of emotional isolation.

see article:

When adults who are alcoholics, or the children of alcoholics come to the stage of recognition, and want to do something about their problems, the issue becomes where to find the comprehensive support that they need to achieve complete recovery.

Traditional resources are effectively limited to self help groups or psychological counselling.

The limited research available, on the effectiveness of 12 step and self help groups indicates that whilst group involvement generally benefits self esteem, such groups are of little benefit in the achievement of behavioral change, this being due to the difficulties of resolving negative, core beliefs, without comprehensive support.

Psychological counseling for substance related disorders implies cognitive behavioral therapy. Attempts to make behavioral changes tend to get “stuck” when faced with negative, core beliefs. Behavioral issues that are problematic tend to be referred for psychiatric assessment, and medicated, rather than referred to programs in Canada, that offer comprehensive support.

Alcoholics, and the children of alcoholics, in Canada, who may or may not be drinking, who have issues about trust, who have a negative self-script, who only want to resolve their problems – and lead a normal life, can get the help and support that they need – help that is truely comprehensive from Narconon International.

People will find that Narconon provides a complete detoxification from alcohol and drug residues that impede and delay complete addiction recovery.

A core theme of the coursework that Narconon teaches to alcoholics and members of alcoholic families is resolution of the conflicts and anxieties that haunt us from the past.

Alcoholism only “runs” in families because each new generation does not get the support, or have the necessary lifeskills and confidence to break free of alcoholism.

see article:

The comprehensive Narconon course for alcoholics and their children is unique, effective and complete. In an average of six to eight months alcoholics and members of alcoholic families can get clean of alcohol, free their ways of thinking and break the chains of alcoholism for ever.

Research conducted by the University of Montreal has revealed an aspect of alcohol drinking that relates to teen drinking and popularity. This study conducted in 2010 indicates that it is not only rebels and the disenchanted that take to drugs and drinking as teens but children who appear to be well adjusted and popular with their peers.

Jean-Sebastien Fallu, a Professor with the School of Psychoeducation, who led the study reports the children involved as being well accepted, very sensitive to social codes, who understood the compromises that it takes to be a popular person.

The study showed that in children who used alcohol, marijuana and or hard drugs, a progressive increase in consumption of these psychoactive substances occured as the children got older, regardless of their popularity. Testing was done on 500 children at the age of 10, 12 and 14.

The more popular the child, and their friends, within the substance using group, the more these children would drink, do drugs, smoke pot, by the age of 15.

Significantly, other childhood studies have found that children under the age of 15, who start abusing substances, are more likely to continue with that behavior through their teens and into early adulthood.

In the study, the rate of substance use doubled for kids who were both popular, and who had popular friends – kids that were generally well liked increased their substance intake – but not by as much.

According to Fallu, this research shows that alcohol and drug taking is not used to get into a group, or to gain popularity – these kids are already pivotal to their friendship groups, well liked and popular.

Fallu suggests that the reason why these children drink more alcohol or increasingly use drugs is about maintaining status within their peer group. These kids would appear to be overly reliant upon external validation, by their peers, and use substances to provide both emotional and social support.

Other studies have shown that less popular children may act out negativity, but will more often choose anger or violence, than engage in drug taking behavior. Teen anger and violence would seem to be less socialised, “fringe” behavior, not necessarily associated with drug taking.

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It appears from this study that popular young people might see substance dependence as a means to deal with social anxiety about status within the group. Substance use tends to increase regardless of whether it achieves the object of maintaining social status.

Part of the problem today with youth social interaction is that has become to a large extent modified and channeled through social media, conducted mainly by mobile phone, a composite device that also stores photos, creates playlists for music – in short, the mobile phone is a microcosm of the teenagers world.

Youth is a time when children are reaching out to peers so as to find a sense of identity, purpose and direction, a time for development of social skills and communication.

It could be said that to some extent the use of electronic media facilitates communication, in other ways the lack of direct and personal contact can lead to a lack of confidence and competence in real life meetings and relationships, perhaps a lack of depth.

People might be pleased to see that they have 500 Facebook friends – and feel anxious or depressed if anyone subsequently cuts them off or rejects them. Heavy internet use by children is commonly related to substance abuse.

Children who are popular both need and like the feeling – popularity is to some extent a cultivated activity that makes children feel secure. Children who are less popular are not necessarily sad or depressed – nor do they necessarily feel antisocial.

The “star” and its satellites is something in the nature of a theatrical production, in which people play their roles. Children who are not “leading lights” might simply be more independent of the group, not necessarily less happy, and apparently not so substance dependent.

Children in a position of power and popularity have something that they value, are at risk of losing, and so feel anxiety that is appropriate to their need for social status.

A simple answer to why it is that children take to using psychoactive substances is a desire to return to a playground where all the children are equally valued, and loved for who they are. Children high on psychoactive drugs have freedom and disinhibition, from the “burden” of social pressures.

As children grow up and start to develop “play” into more mature and adult relationships, the price of popularity rises – how much of your individuality do you sacrifice, to be one of the herd, is it better to have popularity, or friendships that are based on true community of values.

Alcohol and drug taking is part of our culture. Children who use substances to moderate their feelings, may be missing out, in terms of maintaining the security of popularity, at the expense of developing their own unique identity, taking on social responsiblities.

Youth is a time when young people should be questioning values, making judgments and organizing their life – too much stress leads children to seek refuge in alcohol and drugs, and over-reliance on peer popularity. Teens tend to mature out of substance dependence, others who feel at a loss might become more substance dependent.

The Montreal study has identified teens who are at risk of developing a lifetime pattern of substance abuse unless they get help to mature out of it.

The Narconon alcohol program, in Quebec,  is there to help teens who have issues with self esteem and self worth -

with courses directed towards gaining social confidence,

bringing an end to alcohol and substance abuse.

Heavy alcohol use produces detrimental effects on brain function, similar to Alzheimer’s Disease, AD

AD is a progressive disease that affects memory, functional ability and cognition. Usually AD comes with aging, and may be regarded as a form of senile dementia, however AD is increasingly being diagnosed in people as young as forty.

Against the studies that are investigating heavy alcohol drinking as a risk factor for AD, other research indicates that moderate alcohol drinking, improves memory, and might lower the risk of developing AD.

Science says that it is the daily decisions we make that determine whether our brain maintains a functionality by the time we are say, ninety.

Researchers say that alcohol is an anti-inflammatory and reduces “bad” (LDC) cholesterol, and that both inflammation, and LDC contribute towards AD.

Healthy lifestyles will achieve this, without negative alcohol effects.

Research at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center found that older people who had between eight and fourteen drinks a week, were 37% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s Disease.

However people of middle age, who binge drink at least once a month are three times as likely to develop Alzheimers – twenty five years later.

Therefore moderate alcohol intake reduces the risk of AD?

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The problem with this reasoning is that we simply do not know what positive lifestyle influences are around older people who, among other pursuits, enjoy a regular drink, and what negative lifestyle influences are around older people who make it their choice, to get drunk at least once a month.

Alcohol drinking can cause early onset dementia but it is not AD – with alcohol you get Wernicke-Korsakoff’s Syndrome but not Alzheimers Disease. However, the observable symptoms of W-KS and AD are virtually indistinguishable.

The way in which we “use” alcohol is indicative of a lifestyle – it is our total lifestyle that leads to the development of AD, and not our alcohol “use”.

Excessive alcohol use is indicative of a personality type that could be prone to AD. Alcohol has not been shown to be a protective factor, nor a cause of Alzheimer’s Disease.

The same logical fallacy applies to the reasoning behind the finding of a so called “gene for Alzheimer’s Disease” . There is no gene for AD, all that the research shows is that some people with a gene variation called ApoE4, tend to develop Alzheimers.

It is environmental and lifestyle factors that cause variations to the gene ApoE. All science is really saying is that – if you are exposed to the environmental and lifestyle factors that cause variation 4 in ApoE, then you are a person who is at greater risk of suffering from AD.

It is not ApoE4 that causes AD, but the environmental and lifestyle factors to which we are exposed that tend to cause variation ApoE4, and Alzheimers to occur.

If an APOE gene has been epigenetically modified, by the environment to become ApoE4, and ApoE4 is actually harmful to good health, then as surely, as day follows night, introducing a positive environment – can and will restore the gene to good order.

The remedy for AD is not genetic surgery, but for us to address and improve the environmental factors that have caused the relevant genes to “morph”, that cause a person to suffer AD.

In fact we don’t need to know what genetic changes are related to any kind of disorder in the body or mind.

The precursor of alcoholic dementia is easily seen to be drinking too much alcohol. The answer to alcoholism is to heal the causes of tension and stress, that lead a person to heavy drinking.

Alzheimer’s is no mystery – it is a gradual process of “sloughing off” all of the parts of the brain that we no longer use or have a need for, that can follow on in susceptible people from a major life change, causing stress at the level of trauma.

If our thinking has tended to be somewhat insular, introverted, autistic, and we suffer trauma, you are looking at a type of induced psychosis. The gradual, gentle aging process is normal – early or late onset AD is not.

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AD is caused by current trauma affecting a brain already traumatized by events of the past.

Needless to say, massive confusion is the order of the day, as people try, from a limited frame of reference, to re-construct their world, and failing, slowly become more confused and disorientated, paranoid, or psychotic.

Similar symptoms will appear with alcohol induced dementia or psychosis, with confusion between events here and now, and the past.

It is time we started talking to people, from an informed and professional stance, who are suffering today in our society from all types of dementia. Clean up what we can of a destructive environment, such as by stopping alcohol drinking, and infuse these people, not with toxic, mind numbing drugs – but with processes that assist healing.

Good food, support, exercise and rest – a tranquil space in which to reflect, to clear the mind, and heal.

Comprehensive programs for alcoholism recovery enable people to free themselves from the negative baggage of their past, give up their alcohol drinking, and find a new way of life.

If the same processes that are used, for comprehensive drug addiction recovery, were available to people at the onset of AD – they could resolve the trauma of their past, and the issues they face today – become free of their dementia, and find a new healthy life.

The more we begin to understand trauma as a cause of mental decline, the earlier we can start such programs. With infants as young as one year old, currently on prescription antipsychotics – it would seem – the sooner the better.

A lifesaver tells a story in which he dived down to save a swimmer, who as they surfaced, held him by the neck, pushing him down under the water, so that they nearly both drowned.

The lifesaver had been in the water and seeing that lifesavers with equipment were still some distance away, made the decision to go it alone, with the best of intentions.

If you think that someone you know is drowning in alcohol, there are risks in diving in, boots and all, determined to be their “rescuer”.

The main reason for this is that until an alcoholic comes to the point of taking responsibility for his condition, nothing and no one, no strategy can effectively put an end to compulsive drinking.

The purpose of setting boundaries and limits, in a relationship with an alcoholic, is partly designed to confront them with the reality of the problems that are caused, by their alcoholism. It is also important that boundaries and limits are set, so as to protect the sanity and health of the alcoholic’s partner.

If the partner of an alcoholic observes appropriate boundaries and limits, this also serves the purpose of letting the partner see, to what extent they might be enabling the alcoholic behavior.

Alcoholism is misunderstood as a behavioral condition. It is not a disease.

People who are alcoholics have simply found that the answer to their feelings of emotional tension and discomfort is to be found in drinking alcohol.

Other people might compulsively adopt other kinds of behavior to release and relieve their emotional knots, compulsive use of alcohol meets the need to overcome a specific type of emotional issue. While the alcoholic continues to use alcohol to resolve his tensions, he will not allow anything or anyone to disturb his feelings of peace and equilibrium.

Partners of alcoholics can easily become discouraged once they see that everyone and everything else plays second fiddle to alcohol, in the alcoholic’s life. Although it is only the start of recovery, recovery does not begin until the alcoholic stops drinking and starts taking responsibility. Until the alcoholic stops drinking, and begins treatment, the reality is that the alcoholic, their partner and alcohol are locked into a triangulation of you, me, and alcohol.

There is shame in any relationship in which an addictive drug is involved. Shame occurs when we feel that we fail to meet a standard. No one ever likes to admit that they, or their partner is addicted to alcohol, because in our society it is regarded as a sign of moral weakness and failure.

Blame is the most common way that we defend against shame - our failure is not our fault, and alcoholics are adept at playing games that result in blame being cast onto others.

Maintaining boundaries and setting limits denies the alcoholic the payoff from blaming others for his situation. Whilst he might not accept responsibiity, the alcoholic is at least forced to see that no one is accepting the responsiblity on his behalf, no one else is taking the blame.

Constantly assessing and defining the terms of a relationship, with an alcoholic can feel draining and consuming, and is to be seen as a band aid measure. Having to always be monitoring and setting limits on what you will accept or not in the relationship is only dealing with the symptoms of a condition that will only continue until the underlying causes are resolved.

Alcoholics have long been regarded as being difficult to treat, and medical science has contented itself with getting alcoholics to a stage of safe withdrawal, and then more or less left alcoholics to recover on their own.

As soon as an alcoholic has given up the drink, he is poised for potential recovery. But it doesn’t matter what agreements you have reached, what promises have been given – if the alcoholic gets to feeling overwhelmed by his feelings – he will be back on the bottle.

Giving up alcohol means that we have to explore the places in our mind that need to be developed up, so that we can begin to feel confident in dealing with the world, without feeling a need to retreat to the bottle rather than attempting to deal with confronting situations.

Setting limits and boundaries in relationships with alcoholics helps to prevent the relationship from sinking into the mire, with each party losing their self respect and identity, each submerged in the needs of the other.

However, it is not the key to freedom and will never resolve the fact that substance abuse and addiction is a law unto itself, that will always dominate the relationship until its causes are resolved.

see article:

Maintaining boundaries and setting limits in the alcoholic relationship is the key to survival.

The key to recovery is to obtain the benefits of a comprehensive alcohol addiction recovery program that uses no substitute maintenance drugs – that uses natural, supportive methods that teach you how to recover from substance abuse and have a happy, productive life.