Alcohol Freedom Blog

There is a common misconception that alcoholics are easily identified based on their appearance, where they live, their job status, or because they look or act “impaired”. When you factor in slipping job performance, and/or increasingly showing up late or calling in sick, it may seem easy to point to someone as having a drinking problem.

But what of those who have become adept at hiding their drinking habits behind their life and/or career successes, or are what is commonly referred to as a high functioning alcoholic (HFA)?

At first, high functioning alcoholics in executive positions may believe they have their drinking under control because it isn’t obviously affecting what they do. They still make all the big decisions, conduct important meetings and keep the stock holders happy – today. In an instant all this can change.

As time goes on and excessive drinking continues, they may not notice that they’re not as sharp in their thinking, or notice memory lapses or that crucial tasks and planning may be forgotten or mishandled. Others will. At that point, it is not just your health or your family’s well-being on the line, but a company’s reputation and bottom line.

For an executive in this position, they may feel they’re in a “no win” situation.

On the one hand, they can admit they have a problem, seek help and take time off away from the company to participate in an in-patient alcohol treatment program. They know this can still affect the company or organization they represent in a negative way. Stock prices can fall, confidence in their abilities and past decisions can be questioned while away, and they’re not able to address them directly.

On the other hand, they’ve considered attending AA meetings, but whether they fear recognition or for any other reason, decide it just isn’t an option for them.

But they know if they don’t get help, chances are they will still continue to drink, leaving their company, family and health at risk.

Fortunately there are confidential, out-patient treatment programs available to help those who may feel there are no other options. Freedom From Alcohol® is an effective, discrete treatment program that not only helps curb the compulsion to drink and identify your drinking triggers, but just as importantly, works with you to create a roadmap to achieve the life you want to regain or to have in your personal and professional life.

When addicted to alcohol, it seems to rule your life. You are likely basing many of your life decisions around the use of alcohol. Where can I get my next drink? Does anyone know I am drunk? If I get caught, what will happen to my career and family? These types of thoughts can be racing through your mind at any given moment and make thinking about anything else very difficult.

When you decide to limit the influence of alcohol, you will be taking the first step toward getting your life back. You may have the self–realization that you don’t like where your life is going with alcohol at your side. Or it will take a definitive moment such as an unnatural behavior, accident or loss of a relationship due to excessive drinking.

Some will try to cut down on their drinking while others will try to completely eliminate it. Often times people find that these two methods are unsuccessful, leading them back to alcohol. When this occurs, drinkers will then seek professional help. Professional services such as in-house rehabilitation treatment centers or Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and other 12 step programs will help you to get your life back on track; however, sometimes these plans are not an option because of the sensitivity of your career, your position in the community or the fact that you simply do not have the time to be away from home for an extended time.

The Freedom From Alcohol® program helps you modify and control your drinking or opt for complete cessation if that’s what you wish. This program will help you to change your life by setting goals for yourself and giving you the tools necessary to achieve them. If you are ready to reduce the amount of alcohol you drink, eliminate it completely or just have questions about whether the Freedom From Alcohol® program is right for you, please contact me.

For many, consuming alcoholic beverages in moderation is not a problem. But for others, drinking can lead to problems in their life. Do you think you have a drinking problem, or are on the path to one? If so, there is a simple self evaluation test you can take that can help you to decide whether or not you have a problem. Take our Alcohol Screening test now to see if you might have a problem with alcohol.

When you take the alcohol screening test, rest assured you will:

• Be completely anonymous
• Receive immediate feedback and recommended action based on your score

If you are ready to seek help, there are many options available. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings can help, seeking treatment in the traditional sense with a 12 step program, or you can go to one of the many alcohol residential treatment centers available. Both have proven to be very effective in treating alcoholism.

But what if you are not comfortable with the prospect of attending AA meetings, or you’re unable to take extended time off to go to an in-house alcohol treatment center due to your need for utmost discretion, and/or because you have a demanding, high level position, or because of your position in the community?

These options may not work for you, but that doesn’t mean that you should sacrifice help. If you fall into one of these situations, our program is designed for you. The two treatment options we provide:

1. The In House Freedom program that includes an In-Person medical evaluation as part of your treatment and,
2. The Internet-Based Freedom program, that involves partnering with your own physician as part of your treatment.

Both Freedom From Alcohol® treatment programs utilize medical evaluations, alcohol cessation medication, coaching/counseling, and other proven techniques to help you break free from your alcohol dependency.

If you think you may have a problem with excessive drinking and have questions or would like more information about our programs, please contact me today for a complimentary and confidential consultation.

Awhile back, I wrote about Coping with the Holidays and gave you some tips to help curb your drinking during this stressful time.

How did you do with those tips?  Were you able to reduce or eliminate your drinking by getting more sleep and exercise?

If you noticed that you drank more than you anticipated, or were not able to handle the stress without a drink, you are not alone and you are not a failure.  Making life changes is hard work and doesn’t happen over night.

We’re winding up the first quarter of the year, and it is a great opportunity for change – a time to focus on you and getting healthy, so you can be at your best in the office and with your family.

An effective way to get started is to identify your drinking patterns and triggers by keeping a journal of your drinking activity.  Start with writing down when you drink and how much you drank.  Think about why you made a decision to drink and what activities made you want to drink more.  Documenting this information will help you begin to identify patterns in your life that lead to excessive drinking, and this is an important step in your recovery. When reviewing, study these activities to become aware of any patterns you’re seeing, and make a plan to avoid those situations, or do something in its place to reduce your chance of excessive drinking.

As a part of the Freedom From Alcohol® treatment program, I’ll help guide you through the process of healing.  Our practical guide and proprietary software program are designed to assist you in identifying your drinking habits, triggers, and other conflicts that lead to your drinking.  With these tools you can document your thoughts, feelings and other revelations about your drinking to aid in the ongoing dialogue you will have with me throughout your treatment program.

I’m available to answer any questions you might have about the program and whether it is right for you.  For more information, or to start your treatment program today, please contact me.

If you were searching for proof that your drinking before or during work is not hurting anyone but yourself; the new book Flying Drunk by Joe Balzer is an eye opener to the dangers involved in drinking. As the Flight Engineer on a commercial airline flight, Mr. Balzer, along with the Pilot and Co-Pilot, was arrested for flying drunk with 91 passengers and crew aboard the aircraft that he was responsible for getting safely from Fargo to Minneapolis.

As we’ve discussed in a previous post about alternative alcohol treatments, alcoholism is a progressive disease that forces most people to hit bottom before they get help. For professionals, it’s important to realize that you are in the grasp of alcohol before the loss of your health, family alienation and or the loss of your job. In Mr. Balzer’s case, getting arrested for being intoxicated at the controls of a passenger jet was his bottom and it resulted in a federal prison sentence.

While most people may not directly put other lives in danger by succumbing to their cravings for alcohol; the risk to your career and the consequences can be the same. You could hurt yourself or another innocent person while driving to work or make mistakes that would jeopardize your career path.

Many in the financial and insurance industries could also make compliance related mistakes that, while sober, would not have occurred. The important thing to do is become aware of the warning signs of an alcoholic and have the courage to reach out for help. There are many confidential alcohol treatments available that don’t require in-patient care. Please get help today.

At Freedom From Alcohol®, we encourage anyone that needs help eliminating or controlling their drinking to get the help they need. Whether that is with our proven alternative treatments for alcoholism or a more traditional twelve step approach, we want you to get the treatment that works for you.

While there are many twelve step programs that effectively help you eliminate alcohol from your life, these programs are not for everyone. Many successful managers and business people are caught between their drinking and the stigma of what they know of alcohol treatment. Unfortunately; Hollywood has made us think that there are only two alcohol treatment options:

• Publicly implicate yourself as an alcoholic (It seems that AA and similar meetings are popular fodder for movies and we are all familiar with the line, “My name is … and I am an alcoholic.” )
• Attend in patient alcohol treatment. This seems to be the fad with actors, especially after a DUI arrest.

Unfortunately for busy professionals, self identifying in a group or going away for a six week treatment program is not usually an option that is conducive to career growth. While we always recommend that you put your life and health first, there are treatment programs that will allow you to remain at work and help you win the battle with alcohol addiction. Please get the help you need and contact us to learn more about alternative treatments for alcoholism.

As we all have heard, alcoholics are quick to deny that they have a drinking problem and as we’ve discussed in previous posts, functioning alcoholics don’t realize they are in the grasp of alcohol until it is too late. It’s unfortunate because it can mean the destruction of their career, family life, social networks and their own health.

Many managers are able to easily observe a workplace problem or opportunity and take an objective look to come up with unique ways to solve an old problem. I challenge you today to apply this same business thinking to your drinking. Let’s analyze the impact that your own drinking may be having on you and your organization.

For example according to The National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information you:

• Are far less productive.
• Use three times as many sick days.
• Are more likely to injure yourself or someone else.
• Are five times more likely to file worker’s compensation claims.

According to the Department of Labor and a study conducted in Ohio, the following improvements in job-related performance were found in companies that addressed alcohol abuse prevention in the workplace:

• 91 percent decrease in absenteeism.
• 88 percent decrease in problems with supervisors.
• 93 percent decrease in mistakes in work.
• 97 percent decrease in on-the-job injuries.

So if you won’t listen to your colleagues, your family and friends; sit down and think of the positive impact that a new life which keeps alcohol in-check might bring to your business and yourself.

You may not even need to leave your home or work to get help. A number of new treatments like the Freedom From Alcohol Method® are available. Through the use of anti-craving medication and counseling, you can receive confidential treatment to help you abstain or lessen alcohol’s grip on your health and behavior – and take your life back from alcohol.

How do you know when you need help? As we covered in previous posts, Alcoholism is a progressive disease that seems to occur unbeknownst to the person with the affliction. The functioning alcoholic does not necessarily realize that their pattern of drinking has become more predictable and that they are slowly increasing their consumption.

So if you think you might be a high functioning alcoholic, or someone you care about or respect is questioning your decision to drink; how do you know if you have a problem?

Here are the three strategies to help you arrive at the answer to the question: Do I need help?

1. Set a limit for your drinking. If you can consume 2 or 3 alcoholic beverages over the course of your night out and can consistently stop without having “just one more” or “one for the road.” You may not need help. (In all cases we would recommend you consult with a qualified medical practitioner.) The key is to be honest with your self and to set a limit that is safe and much less than you may normally have.
2. Keep a journal of your drinking. Note not only the date and day but the times, types of drinks and amounts. If you see any patterns developing or drinking not within normal realms (The two martini lunch only happened on Bewitched), then please seek an impartial consultation from a medical professional.
3. Take a que from the Office of Professional Management and review their handbook on alcohol in the workplace. When you think of the warning signs, do you think of yourself?

The key to addressing High Functioning Alcoholism is honest self evaluation and to  get help today.

Magnificent Desolation is not only the title of Astronaut, Buzz Aldrin’s new book, but a feeling very familiar to those plagued by alcoholism. In his new tome, Buzz Aldrin, a hero to millions and the 2nd man to walk on the moon, reveals the ugly truth about his decline into alcoholism.

Mr. Aldrin’s tale is a familiar one: he struggled to adjust to new challenges in his life and a new-found lack of purpose. He, as many alcoholics do, felt he did not have a problem and then chose to ignore it. After his divorce in 1975, he rarely ventured out; except to buy food and alcohol.

In the struggle for your own life and control over alcohol, it’s important to realize that you are not alone, you are worthy of compassion and a new future. Even national heroes like Mr. Aldrin have walked the same path as you and have cleared the fog and found their way again. Although Mr. Aldrin was a celebrity, he was so consumed and his battle well known; he took the extraordinary step of 28 days of in-patient treatment.

While effective, in-patient treatment can be a barrier to those that do not want publicity or cannot “drop out” for a month or more. It’s important to note that new treatments like the Freedom From Alcohol® Method, are available. Through the use of anti-craving medication and counseling, you can still participate in your life while receiving confidential treatment to help you abstain or lessen alcohol’s grip on your health and behavior.

Freedom From Alcohol® happens to be more than the name of this site. It is a method and process that we employ to help people do exactly that – break free from alcohol.

If you think alcohol is playing a leading role in your life, the most important thing you can do is to listen to your body, how does it feel? Can you at least say you do not like how you feel?

Can you, will you – set your endlessly busy mind aside and get help before you have fallen completely into its progressive, tightening grip?

Alcohol addiction, alcoholism, or excessive drinking and its effects on health slowly gets worse over time; and often the person falling into its grasp is not aware of their path, or the pain and suffering inflicted on loved ones.

So if you are reading this post in a moment of strength and honest self-evaluation, please do one or more of these six things today to reclaim your life from alcohol:

1. Decide that you want to take control of your life again.
2. Take the alcohol screening test.
3. Think of the life you want and not the next drink
4. Believe in yourself!
5. Get inspired! Read Alcohol Success Stories.
6. Get help. Contact me or another healthcare practitioner today.