Mrs. Ashton had been an abusive drinker her entire adult life.  Now that she was sixty-three years old, she was starting to experience various alcohol effects on her body.  Frankly, given her hazardous and excessive drinking, it is astonishing that Mrs. Ashton didn’t experience alcohol related health problems much earlier in life.

At any rate, she now has several health issues that are becoming problematic on an every day basis.  When she explained this to her husband, he suggested that she call the family doctor and schedule an appointment to talk to him about her health concerns and her problem drinking.  After Mrs. Ashton followed through with her husband’s recommendation, she felt like she had done the precise thing she needed to do to quiet her apprehension about her drinking problems and her health issues.

Kathy has been an excessive drinker her entire adult life.  Now that she is almost forty-five years old, she is beginning to become more health conscious and actually wants to learn more about the negative effects of alcohol abuse and alcoholism.

For example, is it possible for a long-term abusive drinker to significantly reduce her drinking and start to drink in moderation?  Is her drinking negatively affecting her circulatory system? Is her drinking adversely affecting her sex life?  Are heart problems and strokes linked to heavy drinking?  Has she involved herself in binge drinking? Is her excessive drinking adversely affecting her organs and bodily systems?  Is she running the risk of becoming alcohol dependent if she continues her heavy drinking?

By asking these questions, Kathy has concluded that her irresponsible and abusive drinking has probably contributed more to her health problems than any thing else she has done.  And now, she wants to reverse or stop the damage so that she can live in a healthier, more productive manner.

Sharon has been an abusive drinker for more than fifteen years.  For the first time since she began drinking, however, she has starting to observe different things in her life that have been adversely affected by her drinking behavior.

For example, many times at work, her mind drifts away from what she is doing and she finds herself craving a drink.  What is more, she can tell that her work performance hasn’t been up to her usual high standards.  As another illustration, she frequently finds herself thinking about going to happy hour and to the local bar to drink with her buddies.  Not only this but she has started to observe that she isn’t as healthy as she once was.  Finally, she recently received her second DUI in the past two years.

In her heart of hearts she knows that she has a drinking problem but her basic concern these days is whether all of the alcohol-related problems she has been displaying are signs of alcoholism or merely symptoms of alcohol abuse.  To quiet her doubts, she scheduled an appointment with her healthcare provider to discuss her drinking behavior and her alcohol-related issues.