Dawn V Obrecht MD's articles from Holistic Health Articleshttp://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Tue, 07 Sep 2010 02:15:15 EDTHolisticHealthArticles.com http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/10450/397/Why-Can-t-You-Just-Control-Your-Drinking.html
This just in: heavy alcohol use can interfere with relationships!

"I don't want to stop drinking I want to drink moderately, like two or three beers a night If I do that I can get my wife/girlfriend/husband/boss off my back I think if I just stick to beer, maybe wine when we go out to eat, I'll be okay It's the hard stuff that's a problem " "Or maybe I could drink beer during the week, and the other stuff, just one or two maybe three drinks, on weekends "

This is the wish of every alcoholic: to drink like a "normal" person If alcohol has caused a problem in your life, a legal, health, job or family problem, why would you want to drink more of it? Is that seductive liquid, alcohol, so important that you are willing to risk another DUI and probable jail time? Or is the price of your drinking just a disappointed wife and another night passed out in front of the television? I know, you're just tired after a tough day You deserve a drink Right! You have not had "a drink" in a very long time

Choosing alcohol over your family makes some very clear statements, ones that are devastating to spouse and children It says that the alcohol is more important than they are Want to argue that? If you are alcoholic, of course you do; alcoholics spend a lot of time and energy justifying and defending their drinking If your spouse's request that you stop drinking or your children's hurt and disgusted looks are important to you, pay attention and put them ahead of your precious alcohol If you don't like being awake (un-passed out) during the evening, don't like being sober and emotionally present, give yourself a break and get help The need for a drink, even just a beer, to provide you with comfort in your own skin just might signify a little problem You think? Consider "taking a few months off" from drinking hmmm just do it to lose weight there's an idea New cure for obesity: stop ingesting thousands of calories of alcohol



Hint #1: if you are not alcoholic, it is no problem to not drink alcohol Non-alcoholics do not have to "control" their drinking; they can take it or leave it Real alcoholics CANNOT consistently drink moderately Period

Hint #2: If you cannot stop drinking and stay stopped, you deserve help Find a therapist who actually knows something about alcoholism recovery, not one who will try to "teach" you to "control" your drinking Normal drinkers do not have to control their drinking If you are not a normal drinker, or a non-drinker, you are a problem drinker and you deserve recovery Drop in at a 12 step support group it's free You have nothing to lose

Hint # 3: When/if you stop drinking, lots of feelings will come up You will have to find a way to deal with them

One three part definition of alcoholism goes like this:

Compulsive Use
Inability to Control the Amount Used
Continued Use in Spite of Adverse Consequences


More simply put, if alcohol is causing a problem in your life, you probably have a problem with alcohol and could probably call yourself alcoholic

If alcohol is not causing a problem, if you can take it or leave it (not substituting alcohol in pill form like Xanax and other benzodiazepines, smoking your alcohol in the form of favorite herb marijuana, or snorting something, shooting up, or using transdermal patches of Fentanyl), then you are probably not alcoholic Remember, an alcoholic is just an alcohol addict and addicts are able to substitute one drug for another

What have you got to lose if you actually try living alcohol and drug free just for a while?


Dr. Obrecht is an M.D. addiction medicine specialist, the only one on the western slope of Colorado. She is a Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine. Her office is in Steamboat Springs and she does consultations and referrals to anywhere in the country. Read more articles about addiction and relationships on Doc Dawn's website. ]]> http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/10450/397/Why-Can-t-You-Just-Control-Your-Drinking.html http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/10434/397/Marijuana-Is-it-just-an-herb.html
The marijuana subject is always controversial Will it be more or less so than my last column? Even alcoholics in recovery sometimes have a hard time understanding that getting high on anything is getting high You can eat, snort, shoot or smoke your alcohol and drugs and your brain does not know the difference The fact that you don't get a hangover, or that nobody knows, is immaterial Loaded is loaded

Why not smoke/eat this herb? Why spend much of your life stoned? Is your life really so bad that you cannot tolerate reality? Are you so boring that you cannot live in your head without using a mind altering substance? I hear you countering with, "I just like to be stoned; I can stop any time I want " Anyone can stop, but can you stop starting?

Here's what happens when you are constantly loaded: you cover feelings with the drug, even if it is the "natural herb " Opium is, by the way, "natural", from the poppy Remember? "Poppies make you sleepy " Why not just use Heroin since it's natural, just like marijuana? By using an external substance to change how you feel, you don't get to deal with reality Never mind external reality, what about your internal reality? Some of the stuff we learn going through life, hopefully in younger years if we are not stoned all the time, includes appropriate handling of life of conflicts, communications, relationships, feelings, thoughts, wins, losses and more We get to grow, emotionally, spiritually and in our ability to handle different situations in functional and constructive ways We learn that sadness, anger, fear, joy and all their subgroups are all just feelings We don't have to alter them to survive In fact, we can feel good about dealing with them, learning that the depth with which we can feel pain is comparable to the height with which we can feel happiness We don't have to accentuate our positive or diminish our negative; we can just be in reality and be present in our lives now

Of particular importance is that the human brain continues to develop, physiologically, until our mid twenties If we are using chemicals, we stunt that growth

In addition to impairing the physical development of our brains, we stay stuck emotionally at whatever age we were when we begin drug use Ever see a thirty year old act like a twelve year old? He is a child in an adult body, not just playing around, but seriously unable to deal with reality (Some twelve year olds are actually quite mature, but are not equipped with enough experience to deal with adult situations ) If he has been stunting his emotional growth for fifteen or twenty years with marijuana, our thirty year old does not have the adult skills to handle life on life's terms

So here is your argument: "It's my life and I'll do what I want " ( The Animals, from the sixties you are not the first one to think of this line) What I am pointing out is what your coping mechanisms do and do not get you What kind of life do you want? Most stoners are under performing at work or school Most have problems with meaningful intimate relationships and waste large chunks of time doing nothing but existing (kind of a purposeless life) If you want solutions to the above, begin by looking at your need for weed

Oh, and this little detail, marijuana is still illegal in this country Don't like the law? Many don't Not liking a law does not mean you are invited to just ignore it if you are interested in being a responsible "law abiding" citizen which, of course, you may not be You get to decide how you want to live your life and, perhaps more importantly for those of you who are parents, you get to decide what you want to teach your children If you are doing something you have to keep secret from anyone, including law enforcement, or your children, you are teaching that disregarding the law is okay with you If you are regularly stoned, you probably do want to teach your children to ignore any law they do not like Hmmm Careful, it may backfire Get ready to visit your kid in jail



Dr. Obrecht is an M.D. addiction medicine specialist, the only one on the western slope of Colorado. She is a Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine. Her office is in Steamboat Springs and she does consultations and referrals to anywhere in the country. Read more articles about addiction and relationships on Doc Dawn's website. ]]> http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/10434/397/Marijuana-Is-it-just-an-herb.html http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/6076/380/Ingredients-of-a-Healthy-Relationship.html
What's that? Never seen or heard of a "healthy relationship"? No problem You can learn You can do it differently None of us have to remain victims of what we have observed and endured so far we can change if we want to But the deal is we can only change ourselves We cannot change other people This is not to say that people in functional relationships don't make requests of each other They do Often the other person in the relationship responds affirmatively, sometimes not

So, what, exactly, is a healthy relationship and how do I get one? Begin by looking around at people who are happy and have some sense of joy and peace in their lives, including in their relationships Interactions with family, friends, coworkers, even others on the road, as well as spouse or significant other, tell us something about people Note how they speak to and about other human beings What do you like and what is less than admirable For starters, look for the following attributes and add your own:

1. Respect


2. Acceptance


3. Communication


4. Caring


5. Kindness


6. Openness


7. Emotional availability


8. Honesty


9. Responsiveness


10. Responsible


11. Appropriate boundaries


12. Generosity


13. Giving, sharing of self, not withholding


14. Loving


15. Appropriate independence


16. Appropriate dependence


17. Supportive


18. Not controlling


19. Not demanding


20. Willing to risk vulnerability to be close


21. Does not try to change other people


22. Willing to acknowledge mistakes


23. Willing to apologize, and change, when wrong


24. Willing to grow emotionally and spiritually


25. Does not take life too seriously No "heavy does it "


26. Takes you seriously enough


27. Does not keep score


28. Your Favorite Ingredient Here_____

Here is the catch: Be all of the things you want the people in your life to be Be all of the above and then some

Let's take a closer look at #1 Respect How do you speak to people? How do the people in your life speak to each other and to you? Is it respectful? Is it demanding, discounting, rude, name-calling? Do you answer them when they speak to you? Or do you ignore them, become unresponsive, inherently discounting them? Do you lie to them and to yourself? Are you overtly unkind and unfriendly, or do you make eye contact and acknowledge people?

How do you treat people? Do you smoke in your non-smoker friend's cars or homes? Do you let your dog poop on property that is not yours? Do you return calls? Smile and say hello? Hold doors open? Extend courtesy in traffic? Follow the rules? Do as requested when on another's turf? How about respecting the requests of other family members, including your parents? Or your adult children, especially when you are in their home? If you respect yourself and others, you can expect to be treated with respect in return but you may have to teach others that requirement

We mimic what we heard as children, not only at home, but at school and everywhere else Some of us mimic our friends just to fit in, or because we really do not know how we want to be; we have to copy someone because we are insecure and unsure Healthy people don't continue mindless mimicking beyond teenage years, but make a decision to work hard to become the best person they can be, the person they want to be If your models were not what you want to be, you can learn to pull certain qualities from several different people you admire, not necessarily your parents, but you must work hard at it It is much easier to become just a reaction to your past or to what you think someone else wants, instead of a conscious and well-thought-out individual

One absolutely vital ingredient for showing respect in a healthy relationship is owning your feelings and thoughts Never "you" or "should" on anyone No saying, "you should do it this way " Or "you think " or, "if you really cared about me, you would ," or my favorite, "you think I am " How do you know what I think of you? Maybe I don't think about you as much as you think I do If you have a complaint about someone, own it Try using "I" messages, like, "I request you call me more, or explain this or do that," instead of, "you don't want to call me," or "you never explain " The point is to take responsibility for yourself and not resort to blame

Could taking more responsibility for your own emotions and treating everyone with a little more respect change your relationships? Think about it


Dr. Obrecht is an M.D. addiction medicine specialist, the only one on the western slope of Colorado. She is a Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine. Her office is in Steamboat Springs and she does consultations and referrals to anywhere in the country. Read more articles about addiction and relationships on Doc Dawn's website. ]]> http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/6076/380/Ingredients-of-a-Healthy-Relationship.html http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/1939/397/Recipe-for-Anorexia.html
1 Take one child and put her (rarely, but sometimes, a him) into an unpredictable family

2 Add an emotionally distant parental unit or two, and encourage them to be overly controlling The child learns that she has no control over her life, her choices, and most of all over her parents The parents may be overtly dysfunctional: raging, alcoholic, critical and unkind or abusive to each other and/or the children There may be an unprocessed divorce, or some other destructive situation Or they may be covertly sending messages of unhappiness with themselves and others, their lives, and blaming their spouse, children, "the system" or something external for their finances, their work, and their "lot in life " Either way, they are not taking responsibility for themselves The child then takes on that responsibility and blames herself for her parents' unhappiness She fully embraces the sense that, "if I was only good enough, all would be well, and there is nothing I can do about it I have NO control "

3 Keep the parents from making close and consistent emotional contact with the child They may be physically absent many of her waking hours due to work and/or social life, or they may be physically present but preoccupied, intoxicated, or just focused on something other than the child She gets the message loud and clear, "I am not worth their attention " She also has nobody safe and nonjudgmental to go to with her fears and concerns, much less anyone able to teach her emotionally and spiritually healthy ways to deal with life

4 Teach the parents to attempt to control everything the child eats and doesn't eat If she doesn't eat everything on her plate, which one of the parental units has served with what HE or SHE thinks the child SHOULD eat (don't ever "SHOULD" on ANYONE!!!), make her sit at the table until she does, or make her eat it for breakfast, or inflict some other very controlling inappropriate punishment (Withholding dessert may be reasonable if a young child has not eaten an appropriate amount of a meal, but there are those who maintain, "dessert first, life is uncertain!") When you go out to eat in a restaurant, pretend it is for family fun, get her excited about choosing her own dinner from the menu, but don't allow her to have any control over what she orders Make comments like, "you don't want that," or "that's not good, why don't you get this?" "I'll just order for you " Take control and don't let her be treated like a person with preferences, valuable input, or a mind of her own Above all, don't encourage independence or allow her to think you value her for being her and trust and accept her decisions about age appropriate issues (like choosing a meal in a restaurant on a special occasion) If you encourage this independence, you may loose some of your (pathological) control over her; she may grow up to have ideas and opinions of her own!

5 Add one parent, usually female type, who is obsessed with her own appearance She criticizes herself for being: too fat, too thin, too much/little makeup, bad hair days, too old, wrong clothes, and so on She makes it clear she does not like herself This is the model for the girl-child: women do not like themselves; they are always too something, never OK, especially with weight They are frequently "on a diet" and berate themselves for not "sticking with it "

6 Impose a high dose of media emphasis on overly thin girls and women Consider looking at advertisements that use anorexic appearing models and commenting on how good they look

7 Throw in another adult, either brand, and teach him to make derogatory comments about the child's appearance As the child becomes an adolescent, instruct father to say things like: "you're getting a little chubby," "go to the gym, you need to get toned," "why can't you look like Susie-Q," "haven't you had enough to eat?" "don't eat that, you'll balloon up," "you don't need that ice cream " Apply overt and covert criticism to her as she becomes a teenager Be derogatory about her appearance, behavior, friends, neatness of bedroom, and everything else Contribute as much as possible to her self-hatred, already well established because she blames herself for your emotional absence and her mother's self criticism

8 Start a therapy fund, not a college fund



Dr. Obrecht is an M.D. addiction medicine specialist, the only one on the western slope of Colorado. She is a Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine. Her office is in Steamboat Springs and she does consultations and referrals to anywhere in the country. Read more articles about addiction on Doc Dawn's website. ]]> http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/1939/397/Recipe-for-Anorexia.html http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/1938/397/Sex-Addiction.html
Does the idea make you uncomfortable, make you laugh, make you say you want to meet one? Or does it make you wish for the capacity to have an emotionally intimate relationship, not dozens of superficial ones? Or perhaps you are concerned for the children and teenagers in your life, that they not become victims of sex crimes; or that they (or you) not become victims of someone unable to commit to and sustain a relationship, or spend their lives wondering why they cannot have a healthy relationship No question, the term, "sex addict" definitely provokes something in all of us

Like other addictions, sex addiction is a way to cover or change feelings It is a substitute for dealing effectively with life Non addicts or addicts truly in recovery are able to have healthy relationships, sexual and non sexual Sex addicts often destroy their primary relationship by going elsewhere to pursue their addiction They cannot relate normally as they are always looking for more or different Really they are searching for something external, anything, a substance or a process, to "fix" them An addict is simply NOT OK in his or her own skin

Example: it is common for addicts to use pornography, especially computer porn or movies The man who is involved in computer porn, or tuning in to "Adult Films" regularly, is not available for emotional intimacy with his primary sexual partner he spends time and energy focused on the porn, not on his wife or girlfriend He can use his addiction to isolate and avoid being vulnerable He, and she, misses the benefits of an honest and emotionally present relationship The computer has become his lover; he is having an affair, just as much as if he were involved with another woman

Other destructive examples of sex addiction include the men and women who have multiple affairs with multiple partners, never feeling close to any of them The addict is desperately lonely and yet unable to let anyone into his life; he is not able to allow anyone to really know him, living with a deep seated fear that he will be rejected or hurt Everything and everyone is sexualized Every trip to the gym is an opportunity to wear provocative clothing and covertly solicit Every encounter with a member of the opposite sex is either overtly or covertly flirtatious The "vibes" sent out by the sex addict are clearly detectable by anyone looking; they scream loud and clear, "I am available," "want to be with me," "let's have sex," and so on After the initial rush, the gnawing loneliness returns

Addicts can switch addictions easily (see my article Switching Addictions: Changing Seats on the Titanic), so it is not uncommon for an alcoholic to begin to use food, gambling, or sex, instead of, or in addition to alcohol Sex addicts are attracted to each other like magnets The progression of this disease, if left untreated, can be to sex crimes, including exposure and assault The addiction will escalate as the need for the "drug" (sex) increases There are treatment centers that specialize in the treatment of sex addicts, and many books on the disease and recovery To read more about Sex Addiction, begin with Patrick Carnes, Out of the Shadows

Recovery from this addiction allows the person to become available for other things in life, most importantly, for a relationship not contaminated by the dishonesty and shame of affairs, porn, or other behavior that takes away from closeness to one partner Here's a test: are you doing anything you would not want your family (grandmother, children, and wife) to know about? Recovery is possible It is not necessary to switch addictions from a substance or process to another substance or process; rather, it is possible to recover from the entire disease (dis-ease) of addiction, to be free to choose your own behavior, to not be bound by compulsions and obsessions



helloDr. Obrecht is an M.D. addiction medicine specialist, the only one on the western slope of Colorado. She is a Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine. Her office is in Steamboat Springs and she does consultations and referrals to anywhere in the country. Read more articles about addiction on Doc Dawn's website. Read Doc Dawn's article, Switching Addictions: Changing Seats on the Titanic here.]]> http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/1938/397/Sex-Addiction.html http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/1937/397/Switching-Addictions.html
There are some addictions to switch to that are less deadly than others If you must just change your "drug of choice," (instead of getting into recovery from all addictions), make it shopping, exercise, or food Remember, none of them are problems in and of themselves, in fact, most of us do all of them regularly It is when they become our reason for living, take over our lives, and cause conflict, chaos, and destruction, that they are problems

Everyone knows of an alcoholic or an addict who stops using the typical mind-altering drugs and "gets into recovery," either using a support group, treatment center, or just "white-knuckling" to get through each day without getting high Soon, this addict is putting on weight, or the opposite, becoming anorexic (more on this in a future column), smoking more cigarettes than previously, or perhaps spending all that extra money on buying "stuff " What is going on? Is this recovery? Well, not really True, I don't know anyone who ends up in jail from overeating or over-shopping, or even from smoking cigarettes But the cigarettes and food are one route to an early death from the health consequences More importantly, they are a way to avoid feeling If we cover up feelings with anything - drugs, food, even cigarettes, we lose the chance to grow emotionally and spiritually

OK, so how is exercise anything other than good? One example from a competitive Triathlete I know is this: when her children were teenagers and she had been through a divorce, she and the kids were in lots of emotional pain The kids would fight with each other and with her, unable to express their sadness and anger about their parents; none of them knew how to "recover" from this divorce and keep it from causing more destruction in their lives They did not get help from counseling, support groups, or anywhere else The mom, not having the tools to help her children through this time, just took off on her bike whenever the kids started fighting She later said that that was a very destructive way in which she used exercise She did eventually get some help for herself so she could help her children

In contrast, another Triathlete mother put her kids and their needs first, fitting her own exercise in around their needs and activities It is important to do both meet our own needs AND those of our children Both mothers were competitive athletes; one helped her children learn to deal with feelings, let them know they were important, and was still a model for taking care of herself, and thus another good example for our children to see

So, you can learn to be present, not mind-altered or obsessed with anything You can use food and exercise appropriately, and get in touch with your own feelings and needs!



Dr. Obrecht is an M.D. addiction medicine specialist, the only one on the western slope of Colorado. She is a Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine. Her office is in Steamboat Springs and she does consultations and referrals to anywhere in the country. Read more articles about addiction on Doc Dawn's website.]]> http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/1937/397/Switching-Addictions.html http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/1936/397/Switching-Addictions-Changing-Seats-on-the-Titanic.html
Anyone can stop using any drug, just start using another one! The only reason we use any drug is to change how we feel Most of us know that we can do that with any one of a number of mind or mood altering substances Most addicts (or "druggies," if you don't like the term "addict") have a favorite way to get high, a "drug of choice " If unable to get that drug, or into "proving" they are not really addicted to it, they may stop using it for a period of time a day, week, or longer, although not usually much longer than a few weeks During the time off of the favorite drug, the addict almost always uses something else, often alcohol or THC (marijuana, hash, etc ) All drugs have the same result: altering how we feel Someone recently wanted to argue that marijuana is not "mind altering," but "mind enhancing " DUH! It is the same thing if we are mind enhancing, we are mind altering! Still, any drug use is all in the service of changing how we feel, how we perceive things, respond to the world around us, deal with people, life, and so on When we are high, we are doing life through the filter of our drugs and we cannot be emotionally present

All the druggies I know are capable of using whatever is available when they want to get high Opiate addicts usually start out with either Heroin or prescription narcotics like Percocet, Vicodan, Dilaudid, or Oxycontin It is common for Heroin addicts to stop using Heroin, perhaps because it becomes difficult to get, or because the local supply is cut or contaminated, and switch to narcotic pills from a doctor or friend Some people actually justify that since it is a prescription, it is legal and it must be OK to use They deny that they are using it to get high Some addicts are more honest and acknowledge that they are just using their "H" in a different form If they have used needles in the past, it is likely they will shoot up (inject) the (dissolved) prescription pills as the high from eating a pill is not enough for a committed needle addict

Addicts are also able to switch categories of drugs Opiate addicts can pretend to try to get off of the narcotics and simply switch to benzodiazepines (Xanax, Valium, etc) It is just a matter of time before they are using both benzos and opiates Everyone except the prescribing doctor knows this Studies done on Heroin addicts in California found that one hundred percent of Heroin addicts who stopped using opiates for a full year, and continued drinking alcohol, were drinking alcoholically and having problems related to the alcohol within a year Another "DUH " Alcohol is a drug and can be substituted for other mind altering drugs The real addict always gets into trouble with his drug; it is just a matter of time Addicts are also known to switch to using a process addiction, like gambling or shopping The search is for something to fill the void

If you, or anyone you know, wonder if drugs are causing a problem for you, try stopping all drugs, not switching to prescription drugs, or to processes that give you a high You can always go back to using if you find that you can't deal with life without them Do not be fooled into thinking prescription drugs are safe Benzos and opiates are the most serious drug problem in this country; actually, the doctors who prescribe them are the most serious problem, as patients and their families are led to believe that they are safe, and not addictive if prescribed by a doctor Not True Any good addict can get a doctor to collude with him that he really NEEDS a 'script for a mind altering drug: again and again and again Benzos and prescription opiates get you just as high as street drugs!

This progressive disease eventually leads to overdose, suicide, or some other major dysfunction The end point of abuse of any drug is always the same: jail, or a mental institution from frying your brain cells, or nursing home from an accident that leaves you brain damaged, or death or recovery Switching from one drug to another is comparable to changing seats on the Titanic: you are going down wherever you sit, whatever your drug is just a matter of time


Dr. Obrecht is an M.D. addiction medicine specialist, the only one on the western slope of Colorado. She is a Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine. Her office is in Steamboat Springs and she does consultations and referrals to anywhere in the country. Read more addiction articles on Doc Dawn's website.]]> http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/1936/397/Switching-Addictions-Changing-Seats-on-the-Titanic.html http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/1935/397/About-Addiction.html
Addiction is a bad disease A really bad disease Addiction is sneaky and patient; it waits for its victims and subtly takes control of their lives An addict (an alcoholic is just an alcohol addict) is someone whose life is controlled by drugs, someone whose thinking is dominated by thoughts of drugs, thoughts of how and where to get more, thoughts of when to use and get high next Most addicts do not even realize they are thinking like this it has become part of them

Here's what I know:

About 10% of people become addicted to mind and mood altering substances There is a genetic component, and addiction is a disease of feelings The best definition I know is "if alcohol and/or other drugs are causing a problem, then you probably have a problem with drugs or alcohol"

Normal people, non-addicts, can "take it or leave it" Let's use alcohol as the example, although this applies just a well to other drugs, (yes, alcohol is a drug) An alcoholic (alcohol addict) cannot take it or leave it He or she meets the definition of addiction if ANY of the following apply:

1 Compulsive use, such as saying: "I will not drink, because " an important event the next day, perhaps an athletic event or exam, request of family member, or just wanting to take a day off from drinking The non-alcoholic can do this, not drink, for any reason The alcoholic MIGHT do it, but is equally likely NOT to do what he says he wants to do He cannot reliably not drink

2 Inability to control the amount used A non-alcoholic can stop by the bar and have A DRINK with friends and then go home An alcoholic MIGHT do that, but is equally likely to stop by the bar, telling his family he will have one drink and be right home, or telling his friends he will meet them after a drink at a movie or bowling alley He or she then does not show up for friends, and gets home a week from Tuesday The alcoholic is not able to predict what will happen once he has one drink

3 Continued use in spite of adverse consequences I do not know any alcoholics who stop drinking because they get a DUI They might stop drinking and DRIVING, but this is not enough to get their attention Most sober people would think a DUI is an adverse consequence of drinking

Another common adverse consequence is the disintegration of relationships Family conflicts and general dissatisfaction with relationships is a frequent result of alcohol use It is impossible to be present in a relationship, with a partner, friend, coworker, or anyone else, if your first love is alcohol Relationship problems? Think alcohol is the solution? Try looking at alcohol as the problem, or part of the problem If it is not part of the problem, go back to drinking after trying several months of sobriety

It is important to note that alcohol in and of itself is not a bad thing It is an inanimate object The problem is what we do with alcohol and what we let it do to us

If you think you have an alcohol or drug problem, or if you have general problems with family, friends, work, or school, try being emotionally present, clean and sober, for starters If we are clean and sober, we get to do life on life's terms, not life through a haze If it is impossible for you to stop and stay stopped, and be happy about it (This is the clincher), get help from others who have been there and understand the dilemma


Dr. Obrecht is an M.D. addiction medicine specialist, the only one on the western slope of Colorado. She is a Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine. Her office is in Steamboat Springs and she does consultations and referrals to anywhere in the country. Learn more about addiction and recovery at Doc Dawn's Adiction Articles.
]]> http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/1935/397/About-Addiction.html