Posts Tagged ‘Alcohol’
Texas Takes a Stand
Last Updated on Thursday, 7 January 2010 10:50 Written by Monica Thursday, 7 January 2010 10:50
How serio
us is the drug and alcohol problem in Texas? It has risen quite a bit just in the past few years. Not only is there pot and alcohol, there is crack cocaine, crystal meth, There are prescription drugs available not only in person but also online. It is not just a problem across the border but all over the United States. The drug problem is Texas is serious.
Texas takes it serious as well. Texas cracks down on drug offenses. It does not decriminalize pot and alcohol. Drunk driving is more than a slap on the wrist and if it happens twice, it can lead to serious jail time and three times is a definite felony with hard time involved. The same holds true with pot.
Texas takes a hard look at juveniles caught with drugs and alcohol and in practically all instances, insists on drug or alcohol treatment. Texas wants its juveniles helped early and lets them know that drugs and alcohol are no laughing matter.
Why is Texas one of the hardest states legally on drugs and alcohol? Because Texas believes people are wroth saving and if someone refuses to learn a lesson, then innocent bystanders are still worth saving either way. Drug and alcohol offenses often have victims involved, whether through drunk driving accidents or armed robbery to get money for drugs or domestic violence disputes or any other number of instances.
Does Texas have a serious drug and alcohol problem? Yes, it does. Yet it also has the stamina and the willpower to address these problems. In order to battle a serious problem, one has to TAKE it seriously and Texas does just that. It does not molly-coddle or tiptoe around something that can literally destroy a person’s life. No, Texas meets the problem head on in a decisive way, both legally and morally. It calls a person on the carpet for the problem and expects responsibility to be taken.
Texas does not apologize for its hard core vigilance in trying to deal with drug and alcohol problems. Every person with an addiction needs outside help in one way or another. If it ends up going too far, Texas will deal with it in a “tough stance” way. In the end, the person with the addiction can often find him or herself able to have a second chance with a life free of addiction. In turn, people who do that generally also end up paying it forward to help someone else.
Texas takes a stand when it comes to drugs and alcohol. Texas takes pride in that.
The First Day of the Rest of Your Life
Last Updated on Friday, 1 January 2009 02:24 Written by Monica Friday, 1 January 2009 02:24
Today is the first day of the New Year. I thought it would be good if we could do something new. I thought we could start a theme. Mondays could be all about informational articles on drugs, laws and all else that involves drugs and alcohol in the state of Texas. Wednesdays could be a sort of discussion panel on some of the news and headlines involving the seriousness of drug and alcohol situations. Fridays could be sort of a free for all with support, encouragement and optimism. It is a new year and this blogger if full of optimism.
With that being said, how many of you are starting not only a new year but a new life free of drug and/or alcohol addiction? Congratulations! How many are perhaps just realizing that there is something missing or wrong and you want that new life without drugs controlling you? This is the perfect time to begin that new life.
It is not easy and any person who has ever had a drug or alcohol addiction and overcame it will tell you that. Your best bet is to get professional help in an environment that teaches you the tools you need to have a continually successful recovery. You will also learn what a support group is and that there are people out there who will help you even when you leave a treatment program.
Today is the first day of a new year and a new decade. Let it be the start of a new life, a second chance and do not come in third behind misery and depression. You can do it. Whether you are a Texan born and bred or any other fine young man or woman or teen from any state or country, look into your own eyes and the eyes of those who love you and you will see a person worth going the distance and fighting the fight for. Yes, you may have noticed there are a lot of cliches in this article, but it is a new year and why not go with the best cliches and an attitude filled with hope and optimism when it comes to a drug or alcohol addiction just as you would any other battle or resolution?
So while you have heard many times in many ways over the past few days the phrase Happy New Year, let it be added one more time in a setting that speaks truthfully, openly and honestly about drug addiction. Today is the first day of the rest o f your life. Make it the best year of your life as well. Happy New Year.
Tags: Alcohol, drug addiction, Happy New Year, resolutions | Posted under Texas Rehab | 1 Comment
People in Texas (and Everywhere) Care
Last Updated on Monday, 14 December 2009 01:23 Written by Monica Monday, 14 December 2009 01:23
I volunteer in my community and my church quite a bit because not only do I feel it is important to give back in some way but honestly? I feel just as good about it as the ones I am helping because I have been there in one way or another. Because of the type of volunteering I do, I run into a lot of people who have fallen on hard times and are fighting drug and alcohol addictions. Perhaps those addictions put them in the situations they find themselves in. Maybe they turned to the addictions to forget about their situations. The bottom line is, no matter how they got there, some of them are clearly addicted to drugs or alcohol.
I remember a few years back when a woman walked into the restaurant where I worked. She was hungry and obviously coming down from a high of some type. I fed her and paid for it. She sat there for several hours. I finally agreed to give her a ride to the mission in our city when I got off work. Some of the regular customers frowned on that but they knew me and knew it was just like me to do that.
The woman walked outside for a bit and soon a trooper came in that regularly had coffee and lunch as he patrolled the area. He said she had asked someone for money and started an argument and he had to talk to her and in the ensuing moments some heroin fell out of her shirt pocket. I was chastised by him and the regulars alike for what they thought could have been a bad situation for me.
Still, I thought long and hard about that woman. I called a friend who is a drug and alcohol counselor from my church. Something about her had touched me. She seemed isolated and alone and I knew she needed help. My friend was able to go and see her and part of her sentence was rehabilitation. She ended up grateful that she went to jail that night instead of to the mission because she had to stop cold turkey and then went straight from jail to drug treatment.
Our paths have not crossed during the time since but I did ask my friend about her the other day. As luck would have it, he had just heard from her. She had returned to her sister’s home, was still clean and going to support group meetings. She attends a different church than us with her sister.
Our paths are all intertwined in some way, whether we stop in a restaurant in north Texas, volunteer in our communities or feel at the end of our ropes. Interaction does not have to be negative. There are wonderful programs here in Texas that will help someone to get off whatever drug he or she is addicted to. There are programs to help you. Take the first step. You can reach out for help without having to go through an arrest or getting to a point of desperation. That person you dimly remember? That is you. If you did not care, you would not be looking at sites that encourage getting help. That alone shows you are worth getting help and there are wonderful treatment programs that will be happy to help you get that help. Because people in Texas (and everywhere) care.
Tags: Alcohol, drug addiction, drug and alcohol counselor | Posted under Texas Rehab | No Comments
Signs of Alcohol Addiction
Last Updated on Tuesday, 1 December 2009 10:26 Written by Monica Monday, 30 November 2009 12:11
What are the signs of alcohol addiction? Are there any? Yes. Whether it is you or a loved one, the signs of alcohol addiction are there. They may be harder to read in some people but they are there nevertheless.
Alcohol addiction can lead to a loss of control. People over-indulge and find themselves stumbling around or speaking incoherently, losing control of their physical and mental abilities such as walking, thought process and speech.
Another sign is the craving. Do you find yourself “needing” alcohol? Meaning, do you desire alcohol at different times of the day, specifically wanting a drink versus being hungry or wanting to see someone or getting something done. The only thing going through your mind is you need a drink. This is a major sign of alcohol addiction.
Do you tend to turn to alcohol more and more to forget your problems? You could be stressed over something at work, you may be arguing with your spouse, whatever the reason, you just want a drink so you can forget about your day; your week; your life, for a brief moment in time.
Perhaps you are in denial about the alcohol addiction. If so, let’s look at some questions. Now, answer them honestly to yourself, okay? After that, we can decided if you have an alcohol addiction.
Look at that credit card bill or that bank balance for the month. How much money was spent on alcohol? Seriously, when you began grumbling to your wife that you don’t know where all the money went as she is paying bills, how did you feel when she showed you a $200 bill for vodka for a two week period and $400 for beer for the month? You can’t blame her because she isn’t a drinker so who does that leave?
Did you call in sick on Monday again even though you aren’t? Friends call or come by and you are in the bedroom. Your wife tells everyone you are in bed sick but the truth is, you are drinking or you have an outrageous hangover. We can’t tell anyone, though, because you could lose your job so it is a secret.
Now think back. Are a couple of your friends a little upset with you at the moment and you can not understand why? They mentioned something about how you behaved when you were drinking. You tell yourself it is impossible though, because if it was that bad you would have remembered, right? Wrong.
If these questions are hitting uncomfortably close to home, then you need to face the fact that they are signs that you do have an alcohol addiction. Now, go sit down and tell your wife she was right and let’s get you the help that you and your family deserve.
Tags: addiction, Alcohol, signs | Posted under Alcohol Addiction | No Comments
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