How to stop drinking

How to stop drinking

how to stop drinkingDrinking isn’t a scary thing until it becomes a problem. It gets especially scary when you find yourself drinking even when you don’t want to. It can seem impossible to overcome your drinking but there are actually steps you can to stop drinking. As long as you haven’t reached the point of no return you can do what you need to rewind and stop your problem drinking in its tracks.

How to stop drinking: acknowledge why you do it

Why do you engage in your drinking? You have to be able to answer that question in order to stop drinking. Is it to help you with anxiety and stress? It may be hard to admit why you have you are drinking but you can’t change what you don’t acknowledge exists. Admit why you engage in the problem drinking to yourself and you are on your to stopping drinking.

How to stop drinking: Think rational thoughts instead of sitting in denial

You probably understand at a conscious and intellectual level that your drinking is unhealthy yet you keep on using or drinking and this baffles you. If you are in denial about your drinking this is probably why. If you can’t get through the day without a shot of vodka, you may be self-medicating and if you have reached the point of knowing its bad and can’t stop you may need outside help from something like a drug rehab to stop drinking. Realizing this is a rational thought.

How to stop drinking: Using coping skills

People never break bad habits they merely replace them with new ones. Recognize that you get a reward of some sort from smoking, using drugs, and drinking. Find something else to give you that reward and you have found new coping skills and have stopped the drinking. If you have reached the point of no return and need to attend rehab it is still a very good idea to find new coping skills for life for when you are out of rehab. Finding new coping skills can stop drinking in its tracks. And if you can stop drinking then you can begin to live a healthy life again. You have the ability to quiet yourself without drugs and alcohol; without your alcohol. You also have the ability to reduce stress without drugs and alcohol. Find new things to use to stop drinking instead of drugs and alcohol which fuel it.

How to stop drinking: Have a support system and become accountable

If you truly want to stop drinking and get clean then you are going to need help from people and you are going to need to be accountable to those people. Accountability means showing up when you say you are going to and no longer engaging in alcoholic drinking behaviors like being flaky. The support system you have is meant to help you stop drinking by telling you the truth about yourself when you want to go into denial about your drinking. Your support system will also help you to find new ways to be healthier and do those things with you. Support and accountability can also come in the form of rehab to stop drinking.

 

 

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Alcohol and IBS

Alcohol and IBS

Drinking a lot of alcohol can cause a lot of problems including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Even if alcohol is only consumed occasionally it could end up doing damage to internal organs. It is a widely known fact that the ill effects of alcohol can be avoided by avoiding alcohol all together or by staying way below the recommended levels of alcohol intake. Although, someone who has irritable bowel syndrome may find that they are better off not drinking at all because even one drink could cause their symptoms to flare up.

What is irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)?

IBS is a functional disorder that is in the intestines. IBS doesn’t cause actual damage to the bowels but the symptoms can be really unpleasant and can also interfere with a person’s ability to enjoy life normally. Those people with IBS may have to deal with pain and/or discomfort in the abdominal area. They might also have to deal with frequent episodes of diarrhea or constipation. It is believed that about 20 percent of the US population will have to deal with the symptoms of IBS at some point in their life.

What is the cause of IBS?

The actual known cause of IBS is unknown but it could be due to many factors including:

  • Having a sensitive colon
  • High and long lasting stress
  • Bacterial infections
  • A more mild form of celiac disease (celiac disease causes damage to the small intestine and make it hard for the body to absorb certain foods)
  • High levels of serotonin in the gastrointestinal tract which can interfere with normal bowel movements and increase the sensitivity of pain receptors
  • An effect of taking antibiotics because the medication may kill harmless bacteria in the intestines that are used for normal bowel function
  • An alteration or change to normal bowel function which can leads to strong spasms or temporary suspension of bowel function
  • Over activity in the gut can also cause IBS

What are the symptoms IBS?

  • Abdominal pain
  • Bloating
  • Cramping with bowel movements
  • Constipation
  • The need to strain when passing stool
  • Diarrhea
  • Urgent need to open bowels
  • Loss of appetite
  • Belching
  • Tiredness
  • Nausea

 Alcohol and IBS

Alcohol and IBS do not mix well. Alcohol increases the severity of IBS symptoms. Even just one alcoholic drink can be enough to cause an attack of IBS. Because alcohol is a poison or toxic substance that irritates the bowel it is extremely common for IBS to have their symptoms flare up after drinking. Some alcoholic drinks are less likely to cause a flare up of IBS symptoms. It is known that beer can make symptoms of IBS much worse. Many people with IBS report their symptoms for IBS getting significantly better after they stopped drinking all together. It may be best for someone with IBS to stop drinking to see if it gets any better.

 

 

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

What are Delirium Tremens?

What are Delirium Tremens?

Delirium tremens or DT’s for short are a severe and possibly fatal form of alcohol withdrawal. Delirium tremens involve sudden and severe mental or nervous system changes. Anyone who has ever seen someone experience delirium tremens knows how frightening and scary they can be.

Delirium tremens don’t only happen to someone who is withdrawing from alcohol but this is when they are most common. Delirium tremens can occur due to head injury, infection, and illness too. Delirium tremens due to alcohol withdrawal though are probably the most severe.

When someone becomes physically addicted to alcohol they change the physical make-up of their brain. Then when they try to stop drinking the brain is no longer getting what it needs to take care of the body and that is when alcohol withdrawal begins.

Alcohol withdrawal symptoms usually begin within 72 hours of the last drink and can last up to 10 days after that. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms once they begin can quickly become more severe and worsen.

  • Body tremors
  • Changes in mental function
  • Agitation, irritability
  • Confusion, disorientation
  • Decreased attention span
  • Deep sleep that lasts for a day or longer
  • Delirium
  • Excitement
  • Fear
  • Hallucinations (seeing or feeling things that are not really there)
  • Increased activity
  • Quick mood changes
  • Restlessness, excitement
  • Sensitivity to light, sound, touch
  • Stupor, sleepiness, fatigue
  • Seizures

Most common in first 12 – 48 hours after last drink

  • Usually generalized tonic-clonic seizures
  • Symptoms of alcohol withdrawal
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Difficulty thinking clearly
  • Fatigue
  • Feeling jumpy or nervous
  • Feeling shaky
  • Headache
  • Insomnia (difficulty falling and staying asleep)
  • Irritability or excitability
  • Loss of appetite
  • Nausea
  • Pale skin
  • Palpitations (sensation of feeling the heart beat)
  • Rapid emotional changes
  • Sweating, especially on the palms of the hands or the face
  • Vomiting

Other symptoms that may occur:

  • •Chest pain
  • •Fever
  • •Stomach pain

And delirium tremens. Delirium tremens are a medical emergency and are one of the biggest reasons why someone who is experiencing alcohol withdrawal should seek outside help immediately if they begin experiencing any of the alcohol withdrawal symptoms mentioned above. Delirium tremens look a lot like seizures and the usual treatment for them includes the same medications that would be used to help seizures. For instance, valium, Ativan and diazepam are quite common for the treatment of delirium tremens and alcohol withdrawal in general.

Someone who is getting ready to experience delirium tremens will usually show some signs such as the following:

•Heavy sweating

•Increased startle reflex

•Irregular heartbeat

•Problems with eye muscle movement

•Rapid heart rate

•Rapid muscle tremors

The most important thing about delirium tremens is that they can be fatal. This is why it is so absolutely imperative that anyone experiencing any level of severity of alcohol withdrawal should check into an inpatient detox facility or go to the hospital. For someone who is going through the alcohol withdrawal themselves they won’t be able to help themselves should they begin to experience delirium tremens. Delirium tremens also for the person who is not medically equipped can be extremely scary. So if you begin to experience any type of alcohol withdrawal seek medical attention immediately.

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

What is MADD?

 MADD: Mother's Against Drunk Driving

MADD or Mothers Against Drunk Driving was created to help stop drunk driving. MADD is an acronym for Mothers Against Drunk Driving. MADD is a non-profit organization that was founded in the United States which focuses on just the issue of drunk driving. MADD was started in 1980 by Candy Lightner after her 13 year old daughter died due to drunk driving. Her daughter was hit by drunk driver while walking down the street in Sacramento, California. Because of that Lightner decided to start an organization to fight against drunk driving.

Drunk driving is a huge problem for the United States and MADD is trying to rectify the problem permanently. Drunk driving usually causes car crashes because the drivers have slower reaction times and seriously poor judgment. Most of the time the victims of the car crashes, are innocent and not drunk themselves. Passengers in other cars, pedestrians, cyclists are just as likely to be killed due to drunk driving as the driver. Many people feel drunk driving is irresponsible because it endangers not only the life of the driver but the life of someone else. Drunk driving is illegal in the United States.

Later on after MADD was established they added a measure to their goal to slow down underage drinking. MADD often uses a number of tactics which can be controversial to achieve this goal. Critics of MADD have said that the organization abridges civil rights in its want to stop drunk driving. Supporters of MADD argue that being killed by a drunk driver is an even more severe restriction of civil liberties for the victim. MADD is active in drunk driving legislation. MADD is also responsible for nation-wide legislation which penalizes drunk driving more evenly across the states and also increases the punishment for those caught drunk driving. MADD also lobbied for a reduction of the legal blood alcohol limit to .08 and it supports heavier fines and jail time to drunk drivers. MADD also supports a heavier punishment for repeat drunk drivers.

MADD (Mothers against drunk driving) also participates in victim advocacy and education. MADD assists victims of drunk drivers along with the survivors. MADD will sometimes try to get victims to give impact statements in trials for the drunk drivers and stages massively public campaigns to raise the awareness about drunk driving. MADD also educates schools and drivers education programs. MADD says that there has been a significant decrease in alcohol related accidents since its founding in 1980.

Every 52 minutes on average someone is killed in a drunk driving car accident. Every 90 seconds someone is injured and MADD believes this is totally preventable and is doing what they can to help with the 10,228 people total that died just in 2010 due to drunk driving. Along with their goal to eliminate drunk driving, MADD also offers parents of teens workshops and handbooks in order to help them talk to their kids about drinking.

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Hangover Bus

Have you ever woken up on your hotel room floor with a pounding headache and no memory of how you got there? Partied too hard on the first night of vacation and were too hung-over to go out again the next night? If you’re in Vegas, you’re in luck!

The newest Las Vegas tourist attraction promises a quick cure for a hangover, and the cure comes to you! A bus called Hangover Heaven is picking up clients up and down the Vegas strip and treating them for hangovers. For a fee, medical professionals will get you back on your feet after a night of hard partying. The retrofitted bus comes equipped with IV fluids, flat screen TV’s, mirrored ceilings, and nurses in…well…suggestive nurse outfits.

The hangover bus is the brainchild of board certified anesthesiologist Dr. Jason Burke. He insists that the hangover bus does not promote drinking; it merely brings some relief to tourists who overdo it in Sin City. He calls the new business a medical practice on wheels, like a mobile walk-in clinic that only treats one very specific ailment.

If you need the hangover bus, you simply give them a call, and they will pick you up within the hour. Once on the bus, the treatment takes less than an hour. For a $90 fee, you get the basic package, which includes one IV bag containing fluids, vitamins, the anti-nausea drug Ondansetron, and the anti-inflammatory drug Ketorolac. A premium package starts at $150, which gets you two bags. For an additional fee, medical personnel from the bus will treat you in your hotel room.

Critics question whether the hangover bus treatment is safe. They point out that some of these drugs have side effects, and the hangover bus may not be equipped to handle a bad reaction. A patient could be allergic to the medications or fail to report their entire medical history. Ketorolac can affect the kidneys, and Ondansetron can trigger abnormal heart rhythm. There could also be complications for people with esophageal or stomach ailments from chronic alcohol abuse.

Others question the wisdom of a “quick cure” for a hangover. Hangovers are nature’s way of telling you to slow down. Without the physical consequences, people may be tempted to over-drink. To some, offering a quick hangover cure is a violation of medical ethics.

Burke claims he doesn’t treat anyone who is visibly intoxicated or who has a complicated medical history. He believes these safeguards will keep the risk of complications low. He also says that he uses small amounts of the drugs and takes a full medical history before treatment. Burk also points out that they are equipped with a hospital “crash cart” and he is fully qualified to use it in case of emergency.

Hangover Heaven claims that the hangover bus treatment has a 95% success rate in returning patients to normal in 45 minutes.  In the short time that the hangover bus has been open for business, its popularity has skyrocketed. At this rate, it won’t be long until Hangover Heaven becomes the new Sin City hot spot!

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

The Top 5 College Drinking Games

 

The Top 5 College Drinking Games

By Jenny Hunt

March 9, 2012

 

5.            Power Hour: This game has pretty simple rules. It’s more of a drinking marathon than a game. Basically, everyone playing takes a shot of beer every minute for an hour. A more extreme version of the game is known as Century Club, where you take a shot of beer every minute for one hundred minutes. You can add rules to the game. An example is if you go to the bathroom before the end of the hour you must finish a beer.

 

4.            Flip Cup: This game requires a long table and enough plastic cups for everyone playing. Two teams should be formed with an equal number of players. The teams stand on opposite ends of the table, and a plastic cup full of beer is placed in front of them. When the game starts, the first player chugs his or her beer as fast as possible. Then they will set their empty cup on the edge of the table and then try to flip it upside down with their finger. They must keep trying to flip the cup until they succeed. Once they have flipped, the second person chugs his or her beer and tries to flip their cup. This continues down the line. The team that finishes first wins.

 

3.            Asshole: Asshole is a fun card game to play with four or more people. The object of the game is to be the first person to play all of the cards in their hand. Start by dealing out all of the cards. The person to the dealer’s left starts the play by laying down a card or cards with the same face value. The next person has to lay down the same number of cards with greater value (i.e. if the first person lays down one five, the next person has to lay down a six or above, if the first person lays down 2 tens, the next person must lay down two cards of the same value, and the value must be greater than ten.) A two, three, or four can be played at any time. A two clears the play, and it begins again with the person who cleared it. Threes are wild card. A four is a social: everyone drinks. If a player does not have any cards to play on his or her turn, they must drink. After the first hand, players are assigned a title based on the order in which they won the first game. The winner becomes the President, and he or she may make up a rule for the next hand of play (for example: no saying “drink”, “drank”, or “drunk”). Anyone who breaks the rule must drink. The President can demand that anyone take a drink at any time. The second place winner is the Vice-President and sits on the left of the President. He or she can demand that anyone except the President must drink.  The person that comes in last is the Asshole. The Asshole must shuffle and deal the cards, and plays last. The Asshole also supplies everyone else at the table with drinks, and must give his two best cards to the President in return for the President’s two worst calls at the beginning of play.

2.            Edward 40 Hands: For this game, all you need are two 40 ounce beers and duct tape for each player. You duct tape a 40 ounce beer to each hand, and you can’t take them off until you finish both beers.

 

1.            Beer Pong: For this game you need a ping pong table, plastic cups, and a ping pong ball.  Beer Pong is played with 2 teams consisting of 2 people per team. Each team is on one side of the table with 10 cups formed in the shape of a triangle and each cup filled 1/4 the way up with beer. The goal of the game is to eliminate all of your opponent’s cups before the cups on your side of the table are eliminated. You shoot the ping pong at your opponent’s cups and try to get the ping pong in one of their cups. When you make it, your opponents must remove the cup and drink the beer in the cup. First one to eliminate all their opponent’s cups wins.

 

 

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Alcohol Myths:Debunked

Alcohol Myths: Debunked

By Jenny Hunt

February 17, 2012

We’ve all heard the rumors about alcohol: beer before liquor makes you sicker, drinking too much Budweiser will give you a beer belly, or drinking alcohol will keep you warm in cold weather. Are any of these alcohol myths actually true?

1.)    Liquor before beer, you’re in the clear. Beer before liquor, never sicker: Almost everyone has heard this saying. Basically, the rumor is that if you drink liquor, then beer, you won’t throw up. However, if chase beer with liquor, you will get sick. This urban legend is in fact, not true. Whether you vomit from alcohol consumption is based on your Blood Alcohol Content and has nothing to do with the type of alcoholic beverage you consume.

2.)    Drinking lots of beer will give you a “beer belly”: Many people believe consumption of large amounts of beer will cause you to gain weight in your stomach. However, recent studies confirm that beer drinkers have the same amount of belly fat as people who don’t drink beer.

3.)    Drinking alcohol is a good way to deal with cold weather: Drinking alcohol in cold weather can actually be pretty dangerous. Alcohol makes the blood vessels in your skin dilate, making you feel warm, even as it causes your core body temperature to decrease. The decreased core body temperature brought about by intoxication could lead to fatal hypothermia.

4.)    Eating a big meal before you drink will prevent you from getting drunk: Food does not decrease the amount of alcohol that is absorbed into your blood stream, it only slows it down.

5.)    The worm in the bottom of a bottle of Mexican tequila is a hallucinogen: Firstly, Mexican tequila does not contain worms. It is another Mexican liquor-mescal-that contains the worms. The worms are grown on special farms just for this purpose, but they are just worms and have no hallucinogenic properties.

6.)    Sucking on a penny or putting it under your tongue will help you pass a Breathalyzer test: A penny in the mouth will not change the results of a Breathalyzer test in any way. The copper in the penny, which is mostly zinc, does nothing to the breathalyzer. 

7.)    Drinking coffee will sober you up quickly: There are no shortcuts to sobriety. The body processes alcohol at the rate of 0.15 percent of blood alcohol content per hour. This is true regardless of age, weight, gender, or race.

8.)    The number ‘33’ on a bottle of Rolling Rock refers to the year Prohibition was lifted: 33 is actually a reference to the number of words in their slogan on the bottles of Rolling Rock. The author was keeping track of the number of words in each slogan and forgot to remove it. The mistake made it to production, and the buzz it created convinced the company to keep it on future bottles.

9.)    Alcohol destroys brain cells: Studies have shown that alcohol does not diminish or destroy brain cells. In fact, recent studies have shown that it actually improves brain function.

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.