People at Alcohol Anonymous will not tell you whether you are an alcoholic or not. So it is up to you to judge if you are one, in case there are any doubts. If you feel the urges or cravings to lay hands on your favorite poison, always end up drinking more than what you wanted to, or are physically dependent on alcohol to get you through the day or the night, then you are what can be termed an alcohol dependent or alcoholic person. Self-supporting: Alcohol Anonymous is a self supporting, non- professional organization that is founded, run and managed by past or even current alcoholics, and everybody is free to join in. There are no requirements to be met to become a member, apart from the inclination to kick alcoholism. Alcohol Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous has the distinction of being the world’s largest self help organization. Branches and AA groups can be found in almost every city in the world. The group’s members meet almost every week, where they discuss the problems that they are facing as a result of being alcohol dependent, how they want to kick the habit, how they have managed to get out of the quick sands of alcoholism and what are the positive and negative changes in their lives as a result of alcoholism and as a result of getting rid of it.
by Ed Philips
People at Alcohol Anonymous will not tell you whether you are an alcoholic or not. So it is up to you to judge if you are one, in case there are any doubts. If you feel the urges or cravings to lay hands on your favorite poison, always end up drinking more than what you wanted to, or are physically dependent on alcohol to get you through the day or the night, then you are what can be termed an alcohol dependent or alcoholic person. Self-supporting: Alcohol Anonymous is a self supporting, non- professional organization that is founded, run and managed by past or even current alcoholics, and everybody is free to join in. There are no requirements to be met to become a member, apart from the inclination to kick alcoholism. Alcohol Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous has the distinction of being the world’s largest self help organization. Branches and AA groups can be found in almost every city in the world. The group’s members meet almost every week, where they discuss the problems that they are facing as a result of being alcohol dependent, how they want to kick the habit, how they have managed to get out of the quick sands of alcoholism and what are the positive and negative changes in their lives as a result of alcoholism and as a result of getting rid of it.
Double Fist Your Drinks: If you are drinking an alcoholic beverage it is a great idea to have a glass of water there as well and drink the two together. Drinking the water in between sips of your alcohol can help to keep the concentration of the alcohol down in your blood stream. You are also less likely to have a hangover the next day if you keep hydrated as well. Designate a Driver: If you are going out and plan on drinking, always make sure that someone is designated to drive and that they have no alcohol whatsoever. If there is no designated driver, you should be the responsible one and abstain from drinking. Remember that driving under the influence, no matter how little, can kill. Having responsible drinking habits is very important if you are planning to consume alcohol. Being responsible while drinking can keep you healthy, keep you out of embarrassing situations, and most important of all - it can save your life.
Drunk driving is no accident. There were 16,885 alcohol-related fatalities in 2005 - 39 percent of the total traffic fatalities for the year. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), “A motor vehicle crash is considered to be alcohol-related if at least one driver or non-occupant (such as a pedestrian or pedalcyclist) involved in the crash is determined to have had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .01 gram per deciliter (g/dL) or higher. Thus, any fatality that occurs in an alcohol-related crash is considered an alcohol-related fatality. The term ‘alcohol-related’ does not indicate that a crash or fatality was caused by the presence of alcohol.” The statistics reveal that most fatal alcohol-related crashes do indeed involve drunk drivers and far fewer of these fatalities involve intoxicated pedestrians or “bicyclists and other cyclists”. Nationwide in 2005, alcohol was present in 24 percent of the drivers involved in fatal crashes (BAC .01-.07, 4 percent; BAC .08 or greater, 20 percent). The 16,885 alcohol-related fatalities in 2005 (39% of total traffic fatalities for the year) represent a 5-percent reduction from the 17,732 alcohol related fatalities reported in 1995 (42% of the total). The 16,885 fatalities in alcohol-related crashes during 2005 represent an average of one alcohol-related fatality every 31 minutes.
Stopping long-term, regular, heavy drinking requires a major life change, and the difficulty of doing this should never be underestimated. The first step in the healing process for these patients is to admit that they are alcoholic and that they have a drinking problem. The second step is to truly want to stop drinking. The third step is to accept the fact that they must never drink again. For most people, the next step is to admit that they need help to stop drinking and maintain abstinence. It is important to note that there is no such thing as a “cured” alcoholic. Alcoholism is a chronic disease that can go into remission, sometimes indefinitely, but relapse can be provoked by many life situations, both good and bad. Will these problems go away? No. These problems will last for a child’s whole life. People with severe problems may not be able to take care of themselves as adults. They may never be able to work. What if I am pregnant and have been drinking? If you drank alcohol before you knew you were pregnant, stop drinking now. You will feel better and your baby will have a good chance to be born healthy. If you want to get pregnant, do not drink alcohol. You may not know you are pregnant right away. Alcohol can hurt a baby even when you are only 1 or 2 months pregnant.
Here are quick and simple ways that we can care for our skin. Nourish your skin by eating the proper foods. This means a healthy and balanced diet. A healthy and balanced diet promotes general well-being and optimizes the body to function at its best. To have healthy skin, eat plenty of seed food, i.e. fruits that contain seeds, and vegetables - organic is better as it contains additional nutrients. Drink plenty of water. The recommended eight glasses of water a day is essential in maintaining the elasticity and suppleness of skin. Water also clears your skin and aids in the proper elimination of waste. Remember, less waste products in your body, more beautiful skin you would have. Exercise regularly. Exercise is good for our hearts and bodies. Even our skin benefits from exercise since blood circulation is increased, thus bringing enough oxygen and nutrients to the rest of our bodies. Exercise also triggers the body to produce more sebum which is natural moisturizer for body. Be smoke- and alcohol-free. Smoking tends to destroy the Vitamin C in your body and damage the elastic tissues that keep the skin tight. Drinking liquor on the other hand tends to expand your blood vessels causing red spots and itchiness on your skin.
Just ask yourself these four quick questions. 1 - Is your drinking habit getting on your spouse’s nerves? 2 - Do you feel that your family is slowly drifting away from you? 3 - Is your life moving in a direction that you otherwise don’t want to go? 4 - Are you one of the millions of people suffering from alcoholism? Often times it is difficult to accept the fact that one is already suffering from the symptoms of alcoholism. Sometimes this starts out as light indulging with a group of friends. Sometimes work dictates the occasion of alcohol consumption, maybe a few shots of alcohol with important clients, but sometimes this innocent indulging can progress into chronic bouts of heavy alcohol drinking and before you can say no to another drink you are already deep into the habit.
If you just crave the occasional glass of wine or beer, make sure you are aware of the craving and make a conscious choice to have a glass, or skip it. Don’t let your cravings or emotions make the decision for you. If you find yourself addicted to alcohol and are unable to not give in to the cravings, please seek professional help. Alcohol addiction is very serious and the earlier you seek treatment, the easier it will be to kick the habit and take control over your alcohol cravings.
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