ALCOHOL, ENABLING, AND CODEPENDENCY

ALCOHOL IS A DRUG!

Drug – any substance that causes changes in person’s body or behavior.

Most abused drug in the US. Over 15 million Americans are dependent on alcohol.

500,000 are between the age of 9 and 12 140 Million World Wide

Alcohol acts as a powerful DEPRESSANT – slowing down the activity of the C.N.S.

Alcohol’s Effects on the body –

Alcohol can be toxic, or poisonous = INTOXIFICATION

Short Term Effects Blood Stream – Blood vessels widen allowing

blood to reach the surface. Brain – Functioning

Judgment, senses, inhibitions Response to pain and danger Brain stem that controls breathing and

Liver – breaks alcohol down into energy and waste

(CO2 and H2O) 1 drink/hr

Kidney – prevents the release of a chemical that regulates urine output.

Dehydration

Blood Alcohol Concentration (B.A.C.)

A BAC of 0.08 means that 8/100ths of 1 % of the blood is ethanol (Alcohol)

Factors that influence BAC Gender Age, weight, and height Amount of food in stomach % of alcohol (Proof) Rate of consumption in 1 hr

BAC for Men

BAC Chart for Women

Short Term Health Effects

Motor Vehicle Accidents 2/3 of all crashes ½ of all fatalities

PSA….Too Graphic?

Jackie and Reggie

Short Term Health Effects

Synergism Interacting with other drugs producing effects that are many times greater than either drug would produce on its own. Ex. Alcohol + Depressants = Coma/Death

Short Term Continued Overdose

Intoxification causes and to

Alcohol continues to 30-90 minutes after last drink.

Long Term Health Effects

Tolerance - resistance Dependence – Develop a chemical need for

alcohol. ADDICTION Brain Damage – Destroys nerve cells in brain

Long Term Continued

Digestive System – Causes irritations leading to cancer

Esophageal Stomach Colorectal

Liver Damage – Interferes with the ability to break down fats, begins to fill with fat (Fatty Liver) blocking blood flow and soon dies

Cirrhosis – Scarred tissue replaces normal liver tissue

Long Term Continued

Disease - BP and rate causes fat to

be deposited in heart tissue

ALCOHOLISM

Do you know someone who is addicted to alcohol?

What is alcoholism?

Alcoholism is a disease where people are addicted to alcohol.

cannot control their drinking; their major goal is to get drunk

An alcoholic’s drinking patterns eventually control every aspect of their life. Psychologically – alcoholics consider drinking

a regular, essential part of coping with daily life.

Physically – an alcoholic’s body requires alcohol to function.

What causes alcoholism?

Nature v. Nurture? Some believe alcoholism runs in family

leading us to believe it is genetic.

What do you think?????

No one is sure why some drinkers become alcoholics.

Stages of Alcoholism

1. Early Stage: Social drinkers, drinking small amounts with

meals, special occasions, consume alcohol to relieve stress.

This stage of drinking is known as problem drinking. Named for all the problems associated with excessive drinking Use alcohol as a “crutch”, making excuses for their behavior Often drink alone as they become dependent on alcohol. More prone to unintentional injuries such as falls, drowning,

burns, and accidents. Also contributes to violent crimes such as fights, spousal and

child abuse, rape, suicide, and murder.

Stages of Alcoholism

2. Middle Stage The alcoholic’s need for alcohol becomes

absolute. Alcohol dominates the drinker’s life.

Cannot stop after 1 drink, needs increasing amounts

May refuse to acknowledge drinking problem Signs of middle stage may include:

Absence from work or school Strained family, social, and business relationships

 

Stages of Alcoholism cont.

3. Late Stage: Begin to experience a Reverse Tolerance – a

condition in which less and less alcohol causes intoxication.

Serious health problems include liver and brain damage, cancer, lung disease, and heart disease are common in this stage.

When alcoholics are denied alcohol, they suffer from DT’s or Delirium Tremors. Delirium Tremors is a reaction of the Central Nervous System

to the absence of alcohol. Uncontrollable shaking of the entire body, nightmares,

seizures, fear of animals and people, and insomnia. DT’s be fatal

The Cost of Alcoholism

The disease of alcoholism affects people other than the alcoholic. Costs to Society –

Accounts for 150,000 premature deaths per year. Alcohol is a factor in half of all traffic fatalities. Alcohol related crimes, medical expenses,

injuries, lost productivity on the job, and treatment programs cost the U.S. an estimated $200 billion each year.

HealthCare Costs

The total cost of alcohol problems is $175.9 billion/year

Alcohol use by underage drinkers results in $3.7 billion a year in medical care costs due to traffic crashes, violent crime, suicide attempts and other related consequences. The total annual cost of alcohol use by underage youth is $52.8 billion

Alcohol-related car crashes are the number “2” killer of teens. Alcohol use is also associated with homicides, suicides, and drowning-the next three leading causes of death among youth.

The Cost of Alcoholism

Alcoholism and The Family – About 1 in 6 Americans grows up in an alcoholic

family. Stress arises from uncertainty and

embarrassment. In some cases, the alcoholic verbally and

physically abuses family members. Family-life centers around the alcoholic as the

needs of other family members are ignored.

 

Codependency and Enabling

Sometime people close to an alcoholic let that person’s drinking problem change their own daily activities.

People who assume responsibility for an alcoholic’s needs, feelings, and happiness are called codependents. They do not acknowledge having needs of their

own Codependents focus on taking care of others,

losing the sense of their own identity. They are not capable of taking care of someone

else since they are unsuccessful at taking care of themselves.

Enabling Enablers are people who

unintentionally protect addicts from the consequences, addicts are unaware of their dangerous behavior and therefore continue it. Ie. Family, friends, coworkers

Codependents are the primary enablers of their addicted loved ones.

Stages of Enabling

1. Denial: Enabler see’s behavior as fun and share in the drinking episodes. “Can’t happen to me.”

2. Loss of Self Respect: Due to inability to effect change, family become dependant and suffer fear and shame.

3. Collusion: Family excuses and protects the alcoholic from consequences. “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em”.

Chemical Dependency in the Family

Stages: 1: Denial

Family denies there is a problem Stems from feeling of embarrassment, and

perceived ruined reputation Family tries to create “perfect family” illusion

2: Home Treatment Try to solve problem without outside help Eliminate supply of drugs/alcohol Nagging/threatening addict

Chemical Dependency in the Family

Stages 3: Chaos and Disorganization

Crisis causes the disease to be no longer denied or hidden

Characterized by $ difficulties, violence, strained relationships

Seek outside help looking for “Magic Solution”

4: Reorganization Family attempts to reorganize by easing addict out

of his/her role in family Addict is either ignored or treated like a child.

Chemically Dependent Family Roles

Within this framework, family members-particularly children - develop certain roles to help them survive.

They roles are no assigned, they are developed unconsciously

1. Chief enabler Assumes primary responsibility for protecting the addict

and other family members from the negative consequences of the addiction

2. Family Hero Assumes responsibility for providing family with self worth

A Student Extracurricular activities Independent

Chemically Dependent Family Roles

3. Family Scapegoat Cannot compete with family heroes, so the try

to get attention by becoming troublemakers Family often directs their frustration towards

scapegoat, thus diverting attention away from the real problem of addiction. Usually become estranged from family Strong peer group attachments Often become chemically dependent themselves

Chemically Dependent Family Roles

4. Lost Child Try to escape the family crisis by withdrawing

Withdrawal is often characterized by a retreat into a fantasy world of books or television.

Attachment to material possessions they can trust will always be there for them.

Family appreciated the low maintenance of lost child and reinforce this behavior.

5. Family Mascot Uses humor and clowning around to atrract attention

and to distract the family from their problems. Hyperactive and accustomed to being the center of

attention

Treatment of Alcoholism With appropriate treatment, the progress

of alcoholism can be stopped.

1. Acknowledgement – Recognize you have a problem and ask for help.

Treatment2. Detoxification – Removing all alcohol from one’s

body. During detox the person experiences withdrawal

symptoms that can last 3-7 days. Several withdrawals can be dangerous, and

requires medical supervision and care. Headache Insomnia Sweating Paleness Nausea Palpitations Vomiting Unequal Pupils Loss of appetite Convulsions

Treatment

3. Rehabilitation – Rehab is the process of learning to cope with the stress of everyday living without alcohol.

During rehab alcoholics receive counseling to help them understand their disease and behavior

Also receive care for malnutrition and other health problems that drinking caused.

Treatment cont.4. Support Groups: A group of individuals’ that

share experiences associated with similar problems.

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) - Composed of recovering alcoholics who give encouragement and support to help other alcoholics stop drinking. Founded in 1935 by 2 alcoholics who decided to help each

other quit drinking. Has over a million members Members meet weekly and share their struggles with one

another.

Support Groups cont.

Al-Anon – Based on the same self-help principle as AA.

Designed to help friends and family members of alcoholics learn how they can contribute to the recovery process.

Encourages codependents to seek help for themselves and not wait until the alcoholic decides to get well.

Support Groups Cont.

Alateen – Provides help for teenagers who live with alcoholics.

Teenagers meet to discuss how their addiction has affected their lives.

Learn skills to develop self-esteem so that they can overcome guilt feeling and regain emotional and social health.

Support Groups cont.

All 3 groups encourage friends and family members to help alcoholics confront their disease through intervention. An intervention is a planned confrontation

with the alcoholic, family and friends, member of support group, and an alcohol counselor.

The group presents the alcoholic with a treatment plan and tells the alcoholic what steps they will take if the alcoholic refuses help.