Is Alcohol A Problem?
How to Know and How to Get Help
By Dr. Nzinga Harrison, Director of Addictive Disease Services
for the DeKalb CSB’s DeKalb Addiction Clinic
When asked to describe an alcoholic, many people think of someone who is unable to care for themselves, keep a job or make a meaningful contribution to society. In reality, alcoholism is extremely widespread in the United States. In 2007, more than one-fifth (23.3%) of persons aged 12 or older participated in binge drinking at least once in the 30 days prior to taking SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use and Health. This translates to about 57.8 million people and reveals that alcoholism has likely affected all of us either personally, through a loved one, friend or co-worker.
Anyone—whether young, old, male, female, employed, unemployed, single, married or any other characteristic you can think of—may struggle with an addiction to alcohol. A person may be at risk for alcoholism if the answer is “yes” to any one of the following questions:
· Do you drink alone when you feel angry or sad?
· Does your drinking ever make you late for work?
· Does your drinking worry your family?
· Do you ever drink after telling yourself you won't?
· Do you ever forget what you did while drinking?
· Do you get headaches or have a hangover after drinking?
If you believe that you or someone you know has a drinking problem, the DeKalb Community Service Board (CSB) is here to help. We provide a wide range of substance abuse services from inpatient detox to outpatient treatment. Because the entire family is affected by addiction, often family members need education and support as their loved ones recover from addiction.
The DeKalb CSB’s DeKalb Addiction Clinic offers a weekly Family Education Series to explore the disease of addiction, roles in the family and the recovery process. The series is open to family members of any active DeKalb CSB consumer who is addicted to drugs and/or alcohol, and the cost is based on financial need. For more information, visit www.dekcsb.org or call our Central Access line at 404.892.4646 for crisis calls, assessments, appointment scheduling and referrals.
