Alcoholism and Your Loved Ones: Three Questions Every Family Should Ask

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America (Free-Press-Release.com) January 24, 2012 -- St. Louis, MO – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released a new study showing an alarming trend in the increase of binge drinking, which can lead directly to alcoholism. This trend was shown to be most common among young adults ages 18-34. Excessive alcohol use results in more than 80,000 deaths in the United States each year, and estimates show that every person living in the U.S. will be affected directly or indirectly by substance abuse.

Harris House, a 50-year old St. Louis treatment facility focused on saving lives through proven programs for those struggling with addiction, encourages families to be conscious of the three questions which determine critical criteria for alcoholism diagnosis:

1. Does your loved one drink more to get high than most people? This establishes tolerance, which increases as alcoholism sets in.

2. Does your loved one sometimes forget everything he or she did when drinking? Memory loss due to alcohol use is a critical criterion for establishing alcoholism.

3. Does your loved one sometimes drink so much that he or she lays down and passes out? These blackout episodes are a primary symptom of alcoholism.

“Because young people are so at risk, it is critical for parents, friends, and all family members to be ask these questions which are true indicators of alcoholism,” said Wes Tobin, Harris House Clinical Director. “Most people are quite surprised to find that a clinical diagnosis of alcoholism begins with these three simple questions. The more people we can educate, the more lives we can save.”

About Wes Tobin
Wes Tobin has been counseling alcoholics and addicts at Harris House since 2007, and before that was a psychiatric social worker and clinical director at the Illinois Department of Corrections, Gateway Foundation. He also was formerly an EAP director. He holds a degree in social work from Southern Illinois University—Edwardsville, has done graduate work at Washington University, and is a certified substance abuse counselor in both Missouri and Illinois.

About Harris House

Since 1961, Harris House has been saving lives through the treatment of substance abuse, leveraging a unique and balanced combination of the 12-Step Program, cognitive behavioral therapy, daily living and employment skills, and medication if needed. Harris House treatment programs are customized for each individual, and include a range of options from the 28-day residency program and long term residential program to transitional housing. Harris House's high quality treatment programs result in one of the highest success rates in the country, at prices that make treatment accessible for families.

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Alcohol education     alcohol treatment     alcoholism     Alcoholism and Drug Addiction     substance abuse