Denial is prevalent in almost all cases of alcoholism and drug addiction.  Sometimes the denial is fleeting, being overcome by encouragement of love ones to look at the situation thoroughly and honestly.  In the more serious cases, when the addict is riddled withdenial, encouragement and loving words are not enough to get the addict to see the truth.  Intervention is recommended, and often necessary for recovery to be possible. 

An intervention is a mostly uncomfortable experience for all parties.  A good thing to keep in mind while going through with one is that you are trying to save a life.  Just because you may be expressing the strength and willingness that is required in an intervention, does not mean that your loved one will hate you.  It is important to remember that their life may depend on this experience. 

Since opening, Origins has worked alongside many professional interventionists and people who have been intervened on.  We believe that without intervention, many people will end up dieing from the disease of addiction.  Having a process in which truth is shed onto the denial of an individual is, in some cases, absolutly needed to get them onto the road of recovery.  Origins cannot stress this point enough.

Do you have a loved one that is in denial about their addiction?  We can help you.  Call 1(888)U-GET-WELL.

Origins Texas Drug Treatment Center | Dual Diagnosis Treatment

Origins Recovery Center believes that correctly diagnosing and treating co-occurring disorders like bi-polar, general anxiety disorder and depressive disorders is essential to being able to effectively treat the substance abuse side of the equation.  Therefore, all clients undergo a complete psychiatric evaluation with Origins’ Chief Psychiatrist.  Of course, not everyone with addiction suffers from a co-occurring disorder and not everyone who does needs to be on medication. Our staff, however, is experienced at treating those who do.  Along with evidence-based pharmacological therapies, our clinicians work with Clients to help them contextualize their dual-diagnosis within their addiction and recovery.  We work closely with clients to help them learn to recognize and navigate their symptoms as well as take the proper action to manage them. 

About Dual Diagnosis

The term ‘dual diagnosis’ describes the comorbid condition of a person considered to be suffering from both a mental illness and a substance use disorder.  The concept can be used broadly, for example bi-polar and cocaine dependence, or it can be restricted to describe acute mental illness ( such as schizophrenia) and substance misuse disorder (cannabis abuse), or a person who has a milder mental illness and a drug dependency, such as generalized anxiety disorder and is opioids dependence.  Making a dual diagnosis in substance abusers is difficult because active drug use itself often causes symptoms that present like a mental illness.  This is why longer-term treatment at Origins is important in those who are suspected as suffering from a dual diagnosis because it creates ample time abstinent from the drugs to determine what might actually be co-occurring, if anything.  Dual-diagnoses fall under Axis-I psychiatric diagnosis like depressive disorders, anxiety disorders and other mood disorders.

Traditionally, families and others have found it very difficult to locate treatment opportunities for dual diagnosed patients that can adequately and simultaneously treat all Axis-I disorders.  Most treatment centers do not admit people with acute psychiatric conditions, and psychiatric hospitals do not traditionally have adequate expertise with substance abuse to set the patient on a course of sustainable sobriety.

At Origins, we follow established clinical principles for the effective treatment of individuals with coexisting mental and substance-abuse disorders.  Treatment of the two disorders should be devised in an integrated collaborative treatment-planning process between the treatment team and the patient. While many patients disavow medications as being adversative to recovery, they can be vital to successful treatment outcomes.  Our clinicians work with clients to help them contextualize the treatment of their co-occurring disorders within their overall perspective of recovery and life change.

To learn more about Origins’ treatment capabilities and philosophies regarding dual diagnosed patients, please contact an admissions counselor today.  We would like to visit more with you about your specific case and discuss treatment options that are available to you.

Many people are unsure of what to do once they leave a intense residential treatment program.  Going home, the individual is often overwhelmed and not yet acclimated to the riggers of everyday life.  Let alone how to stay sober and live a life of recovery on “the outside.”  When they leave, suddenly they are on their own with no support or guidance.  Feelings of loneliness and discomfort can persist, which can lead to relapse.  Origins has come up with a solution for this problem.  Origins Transitional Living.

The transitional living program is recommended to any departing client.  Located just down the street from the main campus, this house helps newly sober men get acclimated to day to day life.  In their first few weeks living at the house, residents are encouraged to attend lectures and process groups at the main campus three times a week.  As they start to re acclimate to daily living thier groups at campus will become less frequent.

Support is what the Transitional Living House is all about.The house managers, who both attain multiple years of sobriety, will help guide the clients in their new way of life.  Both being veterans of recovery, they are present to answer any questions one may have about living sober.  New residents can also find support through their housemates.  The house can hold as much as 12 men, all sharing a common struggle and looking to help one another.  The strong sense of community will be prelavent as soon as the door is opened. 

Here at Origins, we see higher rates of sustained sobriety by clients who attend Transitional Living.  We feel that the assets one can gain from a sober living envirnment cannot be overlooked and we encourage all residents to attend this community of compassion and understanding.

Ready to recover? Call 1(888)U-GET-WELL

As many things, addiction and the treatment of addiction have their own unique rumors and myths.  For most, these misconceptions will not harm or hurt them.  But for the suffering addict/alcoholic, these misconceptions about the disease and the treatment options available can be deadly.  What if every alcoholic thought they just lacked the will power to stop, or every addict thought the only way to get clean was to hire a body guard  for the rest of their life?  Origins would like to take this time to clear up a couple of the most common myths we come across.

1.   Addiction is Untreatable – False!

 Origins has come across many “hardcore” cases in our history.  When residents first show up, it is not uncommon for the really down and out ones to think they are hopeless.  Just the other day, after being picked up from his arrival flight, a resident proclaimed that he was in fact “hopeless”.  I’m here to tell you that today, the very man that was bent on self destruction and self pity, is a recovered addict brimming with life.  You would hardly recognize him if you had met him three months prior.  Once going through his treatment at Origins, this man IS a believer – a believer that addiction is treatable.  A believer that addiction CAN be arrested.  We knew these facts before we met this man, but it sure was a treat seeing him realize it.

2.  Addicts Should be Punished Instead of Going to Treatment - False!

This common misconception comes from the faulty school of thought that alcoholism and addiction reside in a person because they lack the will power to stop.  Often times it’s the exact opposite of that.  Many addicts have applied their will to the drug problem and still not managed to get clean.  Alcoholism and addiction, being diseases, are not contingent on the power of ones will.  At Origins, we teach our residents that they are sick people getting better.  Not morally deficient people trying to gain their will back.  With the use of modern therapy techniques and 12 step based recovery, Origins presents our clients with the chance to put this disease into remission.  To recover from alcoholism and addiction. 

Origins Treatment Centers are dedicated to spreading the knowledge and truth about alcoholism and addiction.  If you are looking to recover from your problems once and for all, call our admission department day or night.  Get help NOW.  1(888) U-GET-WELL

Origins Recovery Centers provides a comprehensive continuum of individualized alcohol and drug addiction treatment services for adults, including those with co-occurring disorders.  Origins treatment approach unites effective pharmacological therapies and evidence-based clinical interventions with a profound immersion in the timeless 12-Step experience.  Origins’ multi-disciplinary primary treatment team includes its Chief Psychiatrist, Medical Doctors, Nursing Staff, Licensed Therapists and Master’s level Clinicians, Twelve Step Experts, Adventure Therapists, Nutritional Advisor, Gourmet Food Services, Life Skills Mentors and Ministerial Support Volunteers.

Origins’ resort-grade campus is nestled beachside on tropical South Padre Island, Texas.  Origins’ clients travel from each state and internationally to receive the extraordinary care provided by a comprehensive treatment team.  Origins takes a highly-individualized, longer-term, gender-specific approach to treatment that holistically nurtures the mind, body and spirit in the transformative process of recovery.

Programmatic Highlights:  The Origins Experience™

• 30, 60 and 90 Day Residential Drug and Alcohol Treatment Programs – Most Insurance Accepted.
• Exceptional Medical Care provided on Campus by our Chief Psychiatrist, Physician(s) and Nursing Staff.
• Individual Therapy and Daily Group Sessions with Experienced Licensed Clinicians.
• Intensive Schedule of Activities and Therapeutic Groups in a High-Accountability Environment.
• Immersion in Essential Twelve-Step Disciplines. (Prayer & Meditation/Inventory/Sharing/Evening Review)
• Adventure and Experiential Therapies include a 150’ Bungee-jump Challenge, Rock-climbing Wall, Equine and Dolphin-assisted Therapeutic Experiences, Sea Turtle Rescue and Arts Therapy.
• Limited to Only Forty Male Clients with Superb Staff to Resident Ratios.
• Gourmet Menu designed by a Staff Nutritionist and prepared by a Professional Chef.
• State-of-the-Art Weight Training and Exercise Facilities on Campus.
• Robust Life Skills Curriculum includes Vocational Aptitude Assessment, Financial Wellness, Cooking, Twelve Step Meeting Etiquette, Public Speaking, Basic Homemaking Skills, Proper Self-Care and more.
• Intensive Family Program – A Weekend of Healing™ held at Campus Regularly.
• Transitions™ – Origins’ innovative Aftercare Program offers Supervised Sober Living for up to Twelve Months with continued access to Origins’ Primary Treatment Team, including Doctors and Therapists.
• Free Lifetime Access to Weekly Origins Alumni Meetings.

The Origins Treatment Philosophy

Origins’ treatment philosophy represents a rare fusion of contemporary addiction medicine and clinical sciences with a profound immersion in the timeless Twelve Step experience.  We leverage evidence-based clinical and pharmacological therapies within the classic Twelve Step framework to deliver a compelling system of individualized treatment that effectively anchors modern treatment sciences in the origins of the Twelve Step paradigm. 

Delivering a Comprehensive Continuum of Care

Origins’ system of treatment services is carefully designed to engage clients in at least a twelve-month long continuum of customized care that is supportive and clinically appropriate at each stage.  Beginning with intervention, detoxification (provided by our medical partners, as needed) and intensive residential treatment, we deliver a treatment experience that gradually “decompresses” our clients over time into a state of healthy, sustainable sobriety.  Origins directly provides a broad, customizable range of treatment services and partners with industry recognized third-parties (resources) for certain service such as intervention, monitoring, sober companions, sober companions/escorts and more. 

Intervention –> Detoxification –> 90-Day Intensive Residential Treatment –> Transitions –> Sober Living

A Highly-Individualized Approach to Treatment

Like snowflakes, no two people are exactly alike.  At Origins, we are dedicated to fully identifying the issues and problems our clients present with and developing individualized treatment plans tailored specifically to their unique needs.  Thorough assessment is vital to developing effective plans for treatment.  We take great care to fully identify our clients’ presenting problems (physical, emotional, psychiatric, and spiritual), correctly prioritize their severity and strategize the indicated course(s) of action to begin to address and resolve them.  This collaborative planning process involves input from a variety of disciplines including medical, clinical and spiritually-oriented staff.  Origins utilizes an inclusive treatment planning process that not only takes into account the self-reporting from our client, but where appropriate and consented to, feedback from primary therapists, interventionists, friends, employers and family members.  Further, we endeavor to maintain flexibility in our planning processes so that we can make adjustments in real-time based on what actual progress and feedback we are seeing day over day.  This real-time approach ensures efficiency and effectiveness when unexpected problems arise during the course of treatment.

Medical Care at Origins

Excellent medical care is a fundamental component of treatment at Origins Recovery Center. The devastating physiological damage that substance abuse causes requires proficient and experienced medical intervention.  Our medical staff consists of an Internist, Psychiatrist, Physician’s Assistant and Nursing staff.  Upon admission, our clients undergo a comprehensive history and physical evaluation.  During this exam, we screen for contagious diseases (STD’s, TB, HIV, etc.), conduct blood work (as needed), diagnose and begin treatment of symptoms common in early sobriety (anxiety, abnormal blood-pressure, sleeplessness, soreness, malnutrition, liver abnormalities), and develop individualized treatment plans to manage problems like diabetes.  Although we do not provide acute detoxification services or admit individuals who are in acute withdrawal, we do arrange detox (when necessary) as well as medically manage sub-acute and post-acute withdrawal symptomology once admitted.  Throughout treatment, clients normally see Origins’ physician(s) as often as three times per week for regular check-ups.  Clients are seen by our nursing staff on a daily basis for medication administration, vitals and other daily care appointments.  For specialty needs, we partner with Doctor’s Hospital at Renaissance in nearby McAllen, Texas where an array of outstanding physician specialists is available to treat any complex medical conditions our clients may have.  Learn more about Origins’ on-site medical staff here.

Treating Individuals with Co-occurring Disorders

Origins believes that correctly diagnosing and treating co-occurring disorders like bi-polar, general anxiety disorder and depressive disorders is essential to being able to effectively treat the substance abuse side of the equation.  Therefore, all clients undergo a complete psychiatric evaluation with Origins’ Chief Psychiatrist Dr. Jason Evans.  Of course, not everyone with addiction suffers from a co-occurring disorder and not everyone who does needs to be on medication.  Our staff, however, is experienced at treating those who do.  Along with evidence-based pharmacological therapies, our clinicians work with Clients to help them contextualize their dual-diagnosis within their addiction and recovery.  We work closely with clients to help them learn to recognize and navigate their symptoms as well as take the proper action to manage them.  Learn more about being dual-diagnosed in recovery here.        

Use of Medication(s) at Origins

Doctors, scientists and researchers work tirelessly in the development, testing and effective use of drug therapies in the battle against alcoholism and addiction.  The field of addictions treatment has experienced remarkable advancements in the area of psychopharmacological therapy, particularly in the last five years.  At Origins, we believe it is important to leverage effective medication strategies in the treatment of our clients, where appropriate.  Occasionally clients and/or their families express hesitancy when discussing the possibility of certain medication(s) being recommended by addiction Doctors during and after treatment – especially antidepressants.  Origins believes that each case must be treated individually and in a way that is responsive to patient needs and wishes.  Origins’ Doctors look forward to consulting at length with clients and their families about any drug therapies we may recommend for a client after our thorough assessments.     

Ninety-Day Residential Treatment:  The “Gold Standard”

The longer an individual is in treatment, the better chance they have of developing a foundation for long-term sobriety.  Put another way, it is unthinking to expect a person to “unlearn” ten or twenty years of behavior and then learn an entirely new way of being in the world in a matter of four weeks.  Our Intensive and Supportive Residential Treatment Programs are designed to provide for a ninety-day inpatient stay followed by robust and continued supportive aftercare services.

Reliable national studies show that participation in a ninety-day (or more) length of stay within a continuum of appropriately intense treatment directly correlates with better outcomes.¹  Unfortunately, the belief that residential treatment is supposed to be 28-days in length is flawed and tends to flourish behind a misunderstanding of addiction and treatment.  Addiction is a progressive, chronic illness and must be viewed and treated as such.  Take diabetes as an example.  An injection of insulin (like 28-day treatment) is certainly effective, but only for a limited time.  Regular daily maintenance of diabetes is required in order to live a reasonably normal, symptom-free life.  Similarly, addiction must not only be arrested, but the sufferer must develop the skills to keep the symptoms (drinking/drugging/dishonesty/selfishness) in remission by practicing recovery-based disciplines on a daily basis.  Learning and practicing the disciplines and skills of recovery so that they become comfortable daily habit simply takes time.

Individual Therapy

Individual therapy takes place when a client meets alone with his therapist to discuss and confront the variety of emotional challenges that may arise during treatment.  Origins’ therapists, also called Case Managers, are highly experienced, licensed clinicians who are proficient in treating clients who are struggling with not only addiction, but dual-diagnoses like bi-polar, anxiety disorder or depression.  We utilize a variety of evidence-based psychotherapeutic techniques in the course of working with our clients in order to address issues such as grief and loss, trauma – including physical, emotional and sexual abuse, death, unhealthy relationships and a range of other sensitive subject matter.  When pairing a new client with their Case Manager, we discuss at length the client’s case history and take other factors into consideration before selecting their primary therapist. 

Process and Group Therapy

At Origins, clients participate in a wide variety of group therapy formats.  Group therapy is a form of psychotherapy (we use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Psychodrama and Interpersonal Therapy) in which one or more therapists treat a small group of clients together as a group where the group process is explicitly utilized as a mechanism of change by developing, exploring and examining interpersonal relationships within the group.  Each day, in addition to seeing clients individually, our Case Managers facilitate a daily group named Small Process Group.  This group is designed to be a safe, confidential place for clients to discuss their recovery as well as help each other through the tough days that are a normal part of early sobriety.   

Origins ROPES Element  <– Click for VIDEO!

Origins ROPES Element Adventure therapy is the creation of opportunities to explore the unknown in a safe environment through adventurous activities.  It is a cognitive-behavioral-affective therapeutic approach which utilizes experience and action within cooperative games, trust activities, problem solving initiatives, animal-assisted experiences, high-adventure and outdoors pursuits to strategically enact change through personal and group challenges.  All activity therapies are optional and no one is asked to challenge themselves beyond their own personal physical abilities.

Origins’ Adventure, Experiential and Arts Therapies include:

• ROPES Challenge Course – For the High Element of our course, Origins partners with the Recoil, Inc., operators of the “Gravity Park” on South Padre Island, where clients experience a 150’ bungee jump we call the “Leap of Faith”, fly through the air on a giant Superman Sky Coaster Swing and a test their skills on a traditional rock climbing wall.  In our low element, Activity Therapists “Amazing Walter” and “Sandy Feet” both use expert sand-castle construction experiences to help our clients develop team-building skills and practice collaboration with others in an artistic sand-based project at the beach.
• Equine and Dolphin-Assisted Therapy – Building a relationship with an animal is very rewarding in many aspects; for a person with an emotional, social or psychological disability, the trust and loyalty of an animal demonstrates to the person how important they are and that they may extend these attributes to personal relationships. Animals also help people feel in control of their situation because there is a direct correlation between action and reaction.  Origins’ equine-assisted experience allows clients to work closely with horses and an equine professional – learning about and tending to the needs of the horse as well as having an opportunity to “saddle up” and go for a beach ride.  Our dolphin-assisted experience is a one-of-a-kind ocean outing where clients and therapists boat out and spend time with a local pod of wild dolphins.  
•  Sea Turtle Rescue Experience – In partnership with Sea Turtle, Inc. our clients help advance their mission to rescue, rehabilitate, and release injured sea turtles and assist with conservation efforts for all marine turtle species.  Clients have an opportunity to spend time cleaning, weighing and feeding these rare endangered animals unique to South Padre Island.  Certain times of year Clients help protect the nests and release babies into the sea as well.   
• Arts Therapy – Before discharging, each client spends time designing and hand-painting a ceramic tile that joins a mosaic of other tiles painted by Origins Alumni located in our dining hall.  The tiles tell a meaningful story about each individual’s addiction and recovery experiences.

Ready to RECOVER??  Contact Origins Admissions TODAY at 1 (888) U-GET-WELL.  Tomorrow MEANS Never – Call NOW!

All material in this Blogpost is Copyright by Origins Recovery Centers.  2010.  All RIghts Reserved.

Robitussin, NyQuil and other cough suppressants are finally in the crosshairs of the Federal Drug Administration after data shows that tens of thousands are sent to emergency rooms in the US each year.

The Food and Drug Administration made public its review of dextromethorphan, the active ingredient found in most over-the-counter cough and cold medications that is sometimes abused for its euphoric effects. The practice, called “robotripping,” by teens involves drinking more than 25 times the recommended dose.

When taken in high doses, dextromethorphan causes increased blood pressure, heart rate and fever.   Abusers can also suffer side effects from other ingredients mixed in cough medicines, such as acetaminophen, which can cause liver damage.  Inappropriate use of the ingredient was linked to nearly 8,000 emergency room visits in 2008.   An FDA analysis concluded that dextromethorphan is abused less often than the popular painkiller codeine but more often than pseudophedrine, a cold medicine ingredient that can be processed into methamphetamine.

The FDA is basically considering whether to mandate a prescription for the drug.  The problem is it would deal a major blow to over-the-counter drug makers, who use the drug in dozens of combination cold medicines.  Most industry observers don’t expect the FDA to mandate a prescription on those products due to the enormous workload it would create for doctors and pharmacists, but more likely is a relocation of the medicataions within the pharmacy to behind-the-counter.
“It’s really about trying to take this multifaceted approach to inform parents that while these medicines are safe and effective, they are also vulnerable to abuse,” said spokeswoman Elizabeth Funderbunk. The group represents Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and most other over-the-counter drug companies.

Origins Recovery Center in Texas treats individuals who have drug abuse problems.  Our licensed 30-90 day intensive residential treatment programs are designed to truly help the chronically relapsing man regain his life.  Origins treatment approach unites recognized pharmacological therapies and evidence-based clinical interventions with a profound immersion in the timeless 12-Step experience.  Origins’ multi-disciplinary primary treatment team includes its Chief Psychiatrist, Medical Doctors, Nursing Staff, Licensed Therapists and Master’s level Clinicians, Twelve Step Experts, Adventure Therapists, Nutritional Advisor, Gourmet Food Services, Life Skills Mentors and Ministerial Support Volunteers.

Ready to RECOVER??  Contact Origins Admissions TODAY at 1 (888) U-GET-WELL.  Tomorrow MEANS Never – Call NOW!

Paris Hilton was arrested for possession of cocaine yesterday while out and about the streets of Las Vegas, NV.  She was riding  in a black Cadillac Escalade in front of the famous Wynn Hotel and Casino when the vehicle was stopped by police for suspicion of DUI.  The unidentified driver was arrested and Ms. Hilton was thereafter searched.  She spent the night in the Clark County Jail and was released early Saturday after being deemed a non-flight risk.

Last month, Hilton was briefly detained in South Africa for allegedly smoking marijuana at the Word Cup games.  Her publicist called that incident a “complete misunderstanding,” and the case was dropped.

What is it with all of these celebrities getting caught with illegal drugs?  And why do they almost always seem to get off with little or no consequence?  The sad reality is that the marketing “machines” built up around these brand-name individuals are charged with protecting the reputation of the celebrity at nearly any cost.  Constantly lying on their behalf and cleaning up their messes is great for business, but horrible for the addiciton.

Are you suffering consequences from either your using or your loved ones?  Do you want to stop, but can’t?  Origins can help you…

Origins’ treatment philosophy represents a rare fusion of contemporary addiction medicine and clinical sciences with a profound immersion in the timeless Twelve Step experience.  We leverage evidence-based clinical and pharmacological therapies within the classic Twelve Step framework to deliver a compelling system of individualized treatment that effectively anchors modern treatment sciences in the origins of the Twelve Step paradigm.

Origins Recovery Centers® provides a comprehensive continuum of individualized alcohol and drug addiction treatment services for adults, including those with co-occurring disorders.  Origins treatment approach unites recognized pharmacological therapies and evidence-based clinical interventions with a profound immersion in the timeless 12-Step experience.  Origins’ multi-disciplinary primary treatment team includes its Chief Psychiatrist, Medical Doctors, Nursing Staff, Licensed Therapists and Master’s level Clinicians, Twelve Step Experts, Adventure Therapists, Nutritional Advisor, Gourmet Food Services, Life Skills Mentors and Ministerial Support Volunteers.

Nestled beachside on tropical South Padre Island, Texas, Origins’ clients travel from each state and internationally to receive the extraordinary care provided at our resort-grade campus.  Origins takes a highly-individualized, longer-term, gender-specific approach to treatment that holistically nurtures the mind, body and spirit in the transformative process of recovery.

In a recent study concerning “sudden deaths” in south-west Spain, a research team has concluded that 3.1 per cent of all “sudden deaths” can be attributed to death by cocaine.  Of the 668 deaths studied, 76 per cent of the bodies also held traces of alcohol present in their bodies. 

Here at Origins, this new study affirms the fact for us that alcoholism and addiction kills more people than originally thought.  The harder we, as a society, look into the dangers and realities of addiction and alcoholism, it becomes clear that this disease kills more people then we can imagine.  It saddens us to think that these people who died, some of which might not have known that they were suffering from an illness, could have been saved if they sought treatment of some kind.  Origins Recovery Centers is here to say that recovery is possible and we are here to help anyone in need.

When one realizes that no matter how much they may know about theoretical drug and alcohol problems, it is still possible to be staring in the face of a full on alcoholic and not know it until after the fact. Alcoholism and drug problems are not things one can identify just by looking at someone’s face. However, if one pays attention there are probably warning signs that are indicative of a substance abuse problem. However subtle the signs may be, they are usually consistent. A story, with not so subtle signs, may be in order to properly illustrate the point:

George is a 30 year old junior marketing executive. He shares an apartment with his brother and is not in a relationship. George has a very active social life. Almost every night of the week, George can be found at some sort of festivity that is at a bar, club or restaurant. At all of these occasions, liquor is present. George often jokes about how he must look like an alcoholic because in most pictures he is holding a drink. In addition, the woman he has begun a flirtation with finds that every time she calls him he is drinking. She thinks nothing of it, since this man must just enjoy one or two social drinks. The fact that he drinks every night does not flag him as an alcoholic in her eyes. They have spoken on the phone scores of times, spent time together and been in constant communication for a two month period. In addition, he really is such a nice guy. He casually mentions that his mother has asked him to promise not to drink. They laugh about how parents often refuse to view their children as adults.

 One night before George goes out with his new lady friend, he tells her a few stories. One included waking up one morning after a night of drinking with blood on his shirt. The caveat being he had no idea where the blood came from. On another occasion, upon being shoved by a young woman in a club after drinking for a while, George pushed her back and the woman went flying across the room. George admits that at this point, he realized he did not know what his alcohol limit was. He stated this in past tense; these events had happened about a year prior and since then, George had allegedly altered his drinking habits. This statement was made as George pulled out two small bottles of vodka. One was for himself one for his lady friend. When she declined the offer of drink he downed both bottles himself.

 Two hours later at the club the couple had gone to George has drunk two beers and was ready for a shot of tequila. He at this point is holding his liquor well. However; once the shot of tequila comes into play George succeeds in alienating his new friend. He spills salt all over the bar then begins dancing sloppily and says more than a few insulting things to his date. By the end of the evening the young lady wants nothing more to do with him. George can’t understand why. George is in a state of denial about his drinking problem. The main issues here include the following: An inability to stop drinking Inability to see conflicts arising subsequent to drinking Spending excessive money on drinking to the point of putting oneself in a financially precarious position Jeopardizing existing relationships Damaging potential future relationships Does not correlate his poor decisions with the outcomes they procure Not understanding the concern those around have for him and his poor behavior George continues to drink excessively, regardless of the concern expressed by his family and friends. He holds that he does not have a problem and does not seek help. In the long term, George is never able to find a more secure job position or maintain a serious romantic relationship with any woman he meets. The issues here are many. George’s inability to stop drinking will also eventually erode his body functioning. This will result in a financial strain both on George, his family and society. The most common health risks for alcoholics include strain on the liver and kidneys. Should George ever decide he wants to stop drinking, what he may not realize is detoxification from alcohol unsupervised can be life threatening. The purpose of writing down George’s story is his experience may be able to help someone you know. If you read this anecdote and see a bit of yourself in it, or someone you know please contact someone who can help you.

 Rachel Hayon, MPH, RN

Origins deals with Men of this type on a daily basis.  If you or anyone you know have similarities to this story, Origins can help.