Emily was a thirty-one-year-old insurance agent who was fed up with feeling depressed everyday of her life and tired of her abusive and excessive drinking behavior. Stated simply, she was mad at herself for spending her hard-earned money on a valueless habit, she hated the hangovers she experienced on a regular basis, she missed her old motivation for doing various things she liked, she was tired of going through failed relationship after failed relationship due to her hazardous drinking, and she was sick of feeling lackluster every morning.
Above and beyond the noticeable alcohol-related health problems she was experiencing, almost certainly the most troublesome part of her drinking behavior was the unreliable and scheming individual she had turned into. In her heart of hearts she knew that she had been less than honest about her drinking behavior to her friends, family, and relatives and she also knew she had been deceitful with herself about the "beneficial" consequences of drinking. Not only this but she justified guzzling three or four alcoholic beverages before going to social activities and she also rationalized needing several drinks as soon as she got up so that she could deal with the "stress" at work. In brief, Emily got to a critical time in her life during which she saw that she hit rock bottom and was now prepared to commence the slow path that leads to health.
One of the key ways that Emily operationalized her "plan" was by asking for a transfer at her workplace. When her request was approved, she moved 550 miles away to a different city. If nothing else, this without a doubt made making new friends and pals and distancing herself from her old friends and buddies much simpler. Then she went to see a healthcare practitioner in her new residence and made an appointment for a thorough physical and psychological examination.
After meeting with the healthcare practitioner and taking a number of lab tests, it was determined that Emily had made the regrettable transition from alcohol abuse to alcohol addiction and as a consequence, needed alcohol detoxification and alcohol treatment. At this time, the healthcare professional made it a point to articulate the different alcoholic symptoms and the usual symptoms of alcoholism. In addition to spending a lot of time focusing on Emily's alcoholism symptoms, the healthcare practitioner also told Emily that her mental health evaluation revealed that she was clinically depressed and in need of counseling for this medical problem.
Due to her enthusiasm for following through with the treatment program, after six weeks of inpatient treatment, Emily was ready to begin therapy on an outpatient basis. At this time in her life, she started working at her new job and over a period of a few weeks began fortifying her body by taking vitamins, living an alcohol-free way of life, drinking filtered water, working out, and eating healthy foods.
After around eight weeks of outpatient rehab during which time she never suffered through an alcohol relapse, Emily stopped going to alcohol rehab and instead started going three times every week to local Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Attending these meetings helped Emily continue her alcohol-free lifestyle, they provided her with the support she required, and they served as a faithful reminder of the destructive consequences that are associated with abusive and excessive drinking. Compared with her life less than a year ago, life was now joyful and loaded with possibilities that she could have never wished for or achieved while while she was engaged in abusive drinking behavior.