Archive for the ‘drug abuse’ tag
A Young Man Gets a “Driving Under the Influence” Arrest, Gets Depressed, Decides to Hire a ”Driving Under the Influence” Attorney, Gets Inspired to Always Drink Responsibly, Learns About His Self Esteem, and Triumphs Over His Depression
Ralph had just received his fourth “drunk driving” arrest. Though he was extremely depressed about this, he was giving some serious thought about representing himself in court. His father, Sam, if may be pointed out, told him that this would be a really big mistake. When Ralph heard this, he asked Sam why he should even consider hiring a DUI attorney.
Although Sam wasn’t a lawyer, he explained to his son that he learned the hard way when as a young adult he received a “drunk driving” arrest, represented himself in court, paid three thousand dollars in penalties and fines, and served 90 days in the local city jail. As he mentioned to his son, after he got out of jail, he found out from a lawyer friend that had he hired a DWI attorney to represent him in court, he probably would have had his fines and penalties significantly reduced and he may have never served any time in the county jail.
What a DWI Attorney Can Do in a Drunk Driving Arrest.
When Ralph heard this he knew he needed more DUI facts so he asked his dad for more information about what a ”driving under the influence” lawyer can do in a “drunk driving” arrest. His dad then articulated the following: “Many if not most DUI attorneys will do everything they can to help you when it comes to your DUI arrest. To prevent you from losing your driver’s license and to keep your record ‘clean,’ DUI lawyers start by believing that you shouldn’t have been arrested. With this clearly in their minds, they will ‘fight’ for you and for your legal rights.”
When Ralph listend to his dad explain this, it was as if his eyes were opened for the first time about the critical nature of hiring a ”drunk driving” lawyer. Stated differently, Ralph realized that he needed a DUI lawyer.
The Reality About Taking Field Sobriety Tests
He then told his father that he had heard a lot about field sobriety tests. As a result, he asked his father what a field sobriety test was.
His father responded with the following: “Ralph, field sobriety tests are given by police officers to determine if an individual has been operating a motor vehicle while impaired by alcohol, drugs, or both. Field sobriety tests frequently consist of the ‘pen light’ test, the ‘one-leg stand,’ test, the ‘walk and turn’ test, and other field sobriety tests. If you are stopped by the police for a suspected DWI, you need to know that you are not required to take these or any field sobriety tests. What is more, many DUI lawyers think that sobriety tests lack scientific merit and are invalid.”
Ralph’s father then wanted to accentuate the following: “Ralph, keep in mind that you are not legally required to take any field sobriety tests. The police officer that gives the tests is the only ‘judge’ of your performance and is consequently typically documenting only the things you do incorrectly. As a consequence and in most instances, a polite refusal to perform any sobriety test will be appropriate.”
Near the end of their conversation, Ralph said that was beginning to grasp the significance of “drunk driving” laws and what DUI attorneys can do for a person who has received a ”driving under the influence” arrest, but he was still wondering why he was stopped by the police in the first place. In his own words Ralph asked his father the following question: “Dad, why was I pulled over by the police? Specifically what were they looking for”?
His father answered Ralph in the following way: “Ralph, there are several diverse reasons why you could have been ‘stopped’ by a police officer. Some examples include the following: involvement in a traffic accident, expired registration tags, missing a front license plate, weaving in and out of traffic, speeding, tinted windows, and driving erratically. Not only this but someone could have also reported you to the police after seeing you leaving a sporting event, a party, a restaurant, or a bar ‘under the influence’ and getting behind the wheel of a vehicle. In a word, there are more than a few reasons why you were ‘stopped’ by a police officer.”
After getting “schooled” about “drunk driving” arrests, the role of DWI lawyers, and the fact that he didn’t have to agree to take any field sobriety tests at the time of his arrest, Ralph decided that he would without question hire a ”driving under the influence” attorney to represent him in court.
Ralph Gets Inspired That He Will Always Drink In Moderation and Never Experience Another DWI Arrest
Something else, however, happened after he had talked to his father. Ralph at last started to comprehend the serious nature of DWI arrests and as a consequence, he made up his mind that from this moment forward, he would always drink in moderation so that he would never again have to suffer through another DWI arrest.
His dad smiled at Ralph and told him the following, “Ralph, it took me until I was fifty years old to realize what you just told me. I am really proud of you.
Ralph thanked his dad and then said, “if I can always drink in moderation, I will never need to hire a DUI attorney again!”
Does Ralph Need Alcohol Rehabilitation For His Alcohol Abuse or For His Alcoholism?
There was, however, one thing that neither Ralph nor his father thought about, namely, if Ralph needs alcohol treatment for his alcoholism or for his alcohol abuse. In fact, Ralph may be required by the court to get rehabilitation for his careless drinking.
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What I Learned About Drug Addiction and Alcohol Dependency in High School
When I was in the tenth grade in high school, I took a substance abuse class. At that time period, I did not comprehend that alcohol abuse actually was a sub category of drug abuse. While taking this class and learning more about drug and alcohol abuse, I read a lot about Alcoholic Anonymous, their meetings, how their programs have twelve steps, and how successful the Alcoholics Anonymous recovery program has been for individuals all over the world. I also learned a lot about alcohol rehabilitation and the diverse alcohol rehab facilities that are habitually available to individuals who engage in excessive drinking.
Some of the negative results correlated with alcoholism and alcohol abuse that I learned about in this class undeniably worried me. The ruined lives and numerous problems experienced by most alcohol addicted individuals made me feel like I never wanted to drink alcohol when I became old enough. In a word, I did not want to face the damage and devastation that alcohol dependent individuals almost always experience.
Ponder upon this for a moment. What fifteen-year-old individual wants to face premature death due to his or her drinking behavior? What young person wants to become so out-of-control regarding his or her drinking that drinking alcohol becomes the object of one’s life? What young person wants to go to one of the local alcoholic rehabilitation centers to deal with alcohol-related difficulties before he or she becomes twenty-one?
What adolescent wants to go through alcohol withdrawals when he or she tries to stop drinking? Why would an individual engage in drinking to such an extent that it would cause problems in every area of his or her life? Drinking later in life after an individual has a career, a family, and develops personal responsibilities makes sense. But why would a young person want to sacrifice his or her education, employment, finances, and relationships for a life that focuses on irresponsible drinking?
These issues were so meaningful that I talked about some of them in class during the school year. What was totally unbelievable to me was the number of students who essentially didn’t care about the injurious consequences of excessive drinking that I talked about. It was almost as if they couldn’t be bothered with reality and how these results can destroy their lives. For the first time in my life I started to understand a saying that my grandfather used to emphasize all through my teen and pre-teen years: you can lead a horse to water but you can’t force it to drink.
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What I Learned About Drug Abuse and Alcoholism in High School
When I was a sophomore in high school, I took a substance abuse class. At that time period, I did not understand that alcohol abuse in truth was a sub category of drug abuse. While taking this class and learning more about drug and alcohol abuse, I read a lot about Alcoholic Anonymous, their meetings, how their programs have twelve steps, and how successful the Alcoholics Anonymous recovery program has been for people throughout the world. I also learned quite a bit about alcohol rehabilitation and the various alcohol rehab centers that are repeatedly available to individuals who engage in abusive drinking.
Some of the detrimental effects correlated with alcoholism and alcohol abuse that I learned about in this class without a doubt startled me. The ruined lives and many difficulties experienced by most alcohol dependent individuals made me feel like I never wanted to drink alcohol when I became old enough. In short, I did not want to face the damage and destruction that alcohol addicted people almost always go through.
Think about this for a moment. What fifteen-year-old individual wants to face premature death due to his or her drinking behavior? What young person wants to become so out-of-control regarding his or her drinking that drinking alcohol becomes the object of one’s life? What teenager wants to go to one of the local alcoholic rehabilitation centers to deal with alcohol-related difficulties before he or she becomes twenty-one?
What young person wants to go through alcohol withdrawal symptoms when he or she tries to quit drinking? Why would a person engage in drinking to such an extent that it would cause difficulties in every area of his or her life? Drinking later in life after a person has a career, a family, and develops personal responsibilities makes sense. But why would a teenager want to sacrifice his or her education, employment, finances, and relationships for a life that revolves around hazardous drinking?
These issues were so important that I talked about some of them in class throughout the school year. What was totally inconceivable to me was the number of students who basically didn’t care about the injurious outcomes of excessive drinking that I talked about. It was almost as if they couldn’t care less about reality and how these effects can destroy their lives. For the first time in my life I started to grasp a saying that my grandfather used to tell me all through my younger years: you can lead a horse to water but you can’t force it to drink.
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What I Learned About Alcohol and Drug Abuse in High School
When I was in the tenth grade in high school, I registered for a substance abuse class. At that time period, I did not realize that alcohol abuse actually was a sub classification of drug abuse. While taking this class and learning more about drug and alcohol abuse, I read a lot about Alcoholic Anonymous, their meetings, how their programs have twelve steps, and how successful the Alcoholics Anonymous recovery program has been for individuals all through the world. I also learned a lot about alcohol treatment and the various alcohol rehab facilities that are commonly available to problem drinkers.
Some of the harmful end results linked to alcoholism and alcohol abuse that I learned about in this class unquestionably worried me. The ruined lives and countless serious issues experienced by most alcohol addicted individuals made me feel like I never wanted to drink alcohol when I became old enough. In a word, I did not want to face the disaster and devastation that alcohol dependent individuals almost always go through.
Reflect on this for a moment. What fifteen-year-old teenager wants to face premature death due to his or her drinking behavior? What young person wants to become so out-of-control regarding his or her drinking that drinking alcohol becomes the object of one’s life? What teenager wants to go to one of the local alcoholic rehabilitation centers to deal with alcohol-related issues before he or she becomes twenty-one?
What adolescent wants to experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms when he or she tries to stop drinking? Why would an individual engage in drinking to such an extent that it would cause serious issues in every area of his or her life? Drinking later in life after an individual has a career, a family, and develops personal responsibilities makes sense. But why would a teenager want to sacrifice his or her education, employment, finances, and relationships for a life that centers on hazardous drinking?
These issues were so significant that I talked about some of them in class during the school year. What was entirely astonishing to me was the number of students who essentially didn’t care about the detrimental outcomes of excessive drinking that I discussed. It was almost as if they couldn’t be troubled with the facts and how these consequences can wreck their lives. For the first time in my life I started to grasp something that my grandfather used to articulate throughout my teen and pre-teen years: you can lead a horse to water but you can’t force it to drink.
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Alcohol Relapse, Dishonesty, and Enabling
It is interesting to articulate something that family members who have been harmfully affected by the alcoholism of another family member evidently do not know. It seems that by protecting the alcoholic with untruths and deceit to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have in effect created a circumstance that makes it easier for the alcoholic to carry on and move forward with his or her damaging, detrimental lifestyle.
Undeniably, instead of helping the alcoholic and themselves, these family members have in truth become enablers who have unintentionally helped worsen the alcohol addicted person’s drinking problem even more.
The Possibility of a Relapse is Real
Another key alcohol dependency issue involves alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcohol addicted person has successfully undergone alcohol addiction therapy and then resorts to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first thought, this circumstance seems contradictory to logical thinking and looks so doubtful that it forces one to question why anyone who has lived through the wretchedness of alcohol dependency can return to drinking a short while after effective alcohol treatment and in turn after reaching sobriety. There are, of course, more than a few feasible reasons for this.
It should be noted, conversely that alcohol dependency research that has centered on the lasting effects of alcohol dependency has revealed that long after the alcohol dependent person has terminated his or her drinking, key modifications in the way in which the alcohol dependent person’s brain functions are still present. As a result, all a recovering alcohol dependent person has to do to involve himself or herself in behaviors that correspond with the changes that have come about in the brain is to engage in drinking again.
The Necessity for A Major Lifestyle Modification
There are additional reasons why quite a lot of recovering alcoholics return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after achieving sobriety. According to the alcohol addiction research literature, to make an effective recovery, the alcohol addicted individual needs new ways of acting and thinking in order to deal more competently with demanding alcohol-related situations that will take place.
Circumstances such as returning to the same alcohol addictive atmosphere or to the same geographic location; interacting once again with friends from the days when the alcohol dependent person was drinking in a hazardous manner; or familiar songs, smells, or activities—all of these situations can bring about memories that can set off psychological anxiety or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcohol dependent individual to engage in hazardous drinking once again. Regrettably, all of these circumstances may not only work against lasting alcohol recovery for the alcohol addicted person but they can also result in relapse and thus negate one’s alcohol recovery.
Summary
In an attempt to “protect” the family alcoholic, family members can in fact cause unplanned destruction by enabling the destructive drinking behavior of the alcohol addicted person.
The alcohol abuse research literature highlights the fact that most individuals who effectively complete alcohol treatment go through at least one relapse. Alcohol addicted individuals and their family members need to know this so that they do not get down in the dumps or stressed out when a relapse takes place.
Fortunately, taking part in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up treatment and education have resulted in more successful, enduring alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction therapeutic results, have helped decrease alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcohol addicted persons attain long-term sobriety.
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