Alcoholism in Pittsburgh PA: Statistics, and Treatment Options

Part of the problem with identifying alcoholism and when your loved one needs to go to an alcohol rehab clinic like ours in Pittsburgh, PA or your surrounding area is not easy. Alcohol is deeply embedded in not only national but our local culture. Everyone drinks a little too much sometimes, but when does it slide from enjoyment to addiction?

A Word on Alcoholism from our Clinic in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The warning signs of alcoholism are sometimes easily ignored by the victim of the addiction but can be more easily spotted by their loved ones over time. At the DreamLife Recovery facility, in Pittsburgh, PA we can help you tell the difference in whether a loved one just needs to reign in their enjoyment of alcohol or if they are the victim of addiction. Our team of experts provides a path to recovery in our alcohol addiction treatment program.  Some common signs of addiction are:

• Drinking in potentially dangerous or risky situations. Are you drinking and then driving or drinking while driving?

• Abandoning responsibilities to go drink Were you supposed to go pick up the kids but drank instead?

• The uncontrollable urge to drink Are you able to rationalize or try to rationalize drinking frequently or when drinking interferes with other obligations like school or work?

• Lack of control over your drinking Can you just not stop yourself from drinking?

• Consistent negative outlook or thoughts when not drinking Is sober life harder to handle than being intoxicated to the point where you need to drink to feel good?

Statistics on Drinking and Drinking Deaths

In 2016 alcohol-related car crashes increased to 2017’s figure of 10,346. Alcohol-related deaths were over 280 in 2017. Car crashes might not seem like a big deal on their own. But car crashes put not only put the driver of the vehicle at risk but also the passenger(s) and pedestrian they might hit or the driver and passenger(s) of another car and/or motorcycle they might collide with. The alcohol-related car crash numbers are far higher than the fatality numbers. The fatality numbers include only deaths. They do not include people who were traumatized, injured, in a coma, and sometimes no longer able to walk because they were hit by a drunk driver’s car.

Each day alcohol-related car crashes occur at the rate of 28 crashes a day. Every day alcohol-related car crashes hurt or maim 18 people. Here at Dreamlife Recovery, an alcohol rehab clinic in Pittsburg, PA, we are horrified by these numbers. This is why our state-of-the-art clinic, nestled in beautiful Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, is right for you.

What Amount of Alcohol Consumption is Risky?

Women who drink more than three drinks a day, with the pattern continuing three days a week or the pattern of drinking seven drinks a week are deemed excessive drinkers. Men who drink four drinks a day or fourteen drinks in a week are also considered at risk or might also be addicted. A drink of wine is five ounces, which is a half-full bowl of wine in a wine glass. A drink of beer is twelve ounces, which is four ounces less than a pint of beer. A drink containing liquor big enough to be considered a shot is one point five ounces. These beverages are all each considered one alcohol drink.  For example, if you have one shot and two beers you have had three drinks.

While these numbers can be easy to brush off as a one-time thing, as maybe you went to a friend’s party that week or a pre-wedding party. The problem is in the pattern. Can you think of a time you did not have seven, fourteen, or more drinks in a week? Was it yesterday? Last month? Last year? The time to get your life back is now.

Mixing Alcohol with Other Substances: Understanding Risk Factors

Most medications do not mix well with alcohol. These include not only prescriptions, but herbal supplements, vitamins, and over the counter medications. A few examples of groups of drugs that react poorly to alcohol are:

•           Arthritis medications

•           Attention Deficit Disorder medications

•           Blood clotting medications

•           Sleep medications

•           Depression medications

•           Diabetes medication

•           Anti-infection medications

•           Pain medications including Tylenol and Advil

•           Anti-Seizure medications

•           Motion sickness

There are many more types of medications and specific medications that interact poorly with alcohol. It is important to be aware of some of the dangers and stay safe. As always, ask your doctor about the risks associated with alcohol for any substances that they may prescribe you.

Additional Risks that are Associated with Consuming Large Quantities of Alcohol

The first risk that comes to mind when discussing inappropriate drinking is fetal alcohol syndrome. Some fetal alcohol syndrome problems in babies include:

•           Small brain size

•           Heart defects

•           Intellectual disability

•           Problems with impulse control and behavior

•           Rapidly changing moods

Fetal alcohol syndrome cannot be corrected or reversed. Children do not grow out of it. If you are thinking about having a child but you suffer from alcohol addiction, or you think you might be pregnant and you are addicted to alcohol please see here for a far more extensive list of complications caused by fetal alcohol syndrome. There is no amount of alcohol that is known to be safe for expectant mothers. If you suspect that you are addicted to alcohol, or in any way find yourself feeling the need to drink during pregnancy, careful diagnosis and recovery can be vital. You are not only risking your life. You are risking the life of your child.

Alcohol Poisoning: Recognize the Signs

Like drug overdose, it is possible to die from alcohol poisoning. Drinking to the point of poisoning yourself depends on different factors including gender and weight. Women’s bodies contain less water than men’s and the alcohol mixes with the water. No matter what your size or gender if you see any of these symptoms in anyone please call 911.

•           Vomiting

•           Slow breathing of fewer than 8 breaths per second

•           Irregular breathing of 10 seconds between breaths

•           Confusion

•           Blue-tinged skin or pale skin

•           Hypothermia (low body temperature)

•           Passing out/unconsciousness

•           Seizures

If someone has a seizure follow these steps

1. Keep other people out of the way
2. Clear any hard or sharp objects out of their way
3. Place them on their side to keep their airway clear
4. Time the seizure. If you have a smartphone you can find the stopwatch feature

Do not put anything in the seizure victim’s mouth. The idea that they can swallow their tongue is a myth. They might hurt their teeth or bite you if you insert anything into their mouth during a seizure.

This is only emergency information.

If you suspect that someone is going through alcohol poisoning, follow these steps

•           Call 911 immediately. Do not assume that the person will sleep off the effects of the alcohol. Not getting the help of medical professionals can be dangerous or even deadly

•           Tell the medical personnel when the person was drinking, how much they drank, and what type of alcohol they drank.

•           Do not leave the person alone. If you suffer from alcohol poisoning you can choke on your own vomit.

•           Do not try to make the person throw up the alcohol. This is dangerous as they can choke on their own vomit

•           If the person is vomiting, try to help them sit up so they don’t choke on their vomit. If they cannot sit upturn their head to the side to help prevent choking on vomit.

If you are worried about trouble with your parents, the law, or others, remember that alcohol poisoning can easily be deadly. Even if you follow all of the above steps it is an emergency medical crisis and should be treated as one. Don’t let temporary problems stop you from saving someone’s life.

If you meet the criteria for over drinking and/or have gone through alcohol poisoning it is probably time to seek help. You can only keep drinking for so long before it destroys your life and your health. Contrary to what some people believe alcohol is a drug. Not being able to control your drinking does not make you weak. You are the victim of addiction. Addiction is a disease like any other and it doesn’t strike people for weakness. It strikes because it can.

Every day six people die of alcohol poisoning in the United States. This makes for an average of 2,200 deaths a year. Three of four alcohol overdose deaths occur in adults ages 35 to 64. The majority of alcohol poisoning deaths are men at 76% of the alcohol overdose population. 68% of alcohol poisonings are white non-Hispanic people, 15% are Hispanic, 9% are Black non-Hispanic, 7% are Native American/Alaska Native, and 2% Asian/Pacific Islander.

Finding a Solution for Alcohol Addiction Recovery in Pittsburgh, PA

At DreamLife Recovery (a rehabilitation clinic in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania), we offer state of the art care. We also invite your loved ones to be near you and support you every step of the way. You can choose between our residential programs or our outpatient treatment programs.

Our outpatient program is intended for victims of alcohol addiction who have only been suffering for a short period of time so far and who have never stopped or relapsed before. You can find more about our intensive outpatient program here.

Our inpatient program at DreamLife Recovery is also available to people who either have suffered from alcohol addiction for a long period of time or have tried to quit and relapsed at least once. It is also available to those who need to go through partial hospitalization. You can find a full description of our residential treatment here.

•           Admissions

When you enter the program, we take into account your individual needs and personal uniqueness to set up a personalized plan for you

•           Detoxification

Ridding your body of the dangerous levels of alcohol can be made far less unpleasant and far safer with the help of our well-trained medical staff who are with you every step of the way. Trying to detox without medical help can be dangerous.

•           Counseling in both individual and group sessions

We provide you with a community so that recovery does not have to be a lonely battle. We are here to support you and foster your growth.

•           Family counseling

Your family has also suffered from your addiction. Our counseling programs help put both you and your loved ones back on the path of normalcy and stability.

•           Transition preparation

We start preparing you to transition back to your community early so that it isn’t a struggle later on. This helps make your recovery a success

•           Aftercare

When you leave our program, we offer aftercare services. Aftercare is paramount to your continued success and we prepare you to fully and healthily transition back into your community.

There are many benefits of our aftercare program, such as:

•           Group meetings

•           Family sessions

•           Organized social and recreational activities

Plus, more. We may also assist you in communicating with family, employers, and even the legal system.

There is Hope and DreamLife Recovery Help

If you or anyone you know is suffering from alcohol addiction, please contact us. Alcoholism is a serious condition like any other drug addiction or disease. Help is available. There is hope. At DreamLife Recovery rehabilitation clinic in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania we care and we take your problems seriously. We take you seriously.

Please do not become just one more statistic of thousands. Whether it is death or maybe immobilization in a car crash, alcohol poisoning, or causing fetal alcohol syndrome we don’t want you to be a statistic. We want you to just be… you. We at DreamLife Recovery care and it is our goal to reach zero alcohol complications and addictions starting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and extending outward to the country. Our goal is zero alcohol-related deaths, injuries, and addictions nationwide starting in our clinic in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Freedom from alcohol addiction can be found with DreamLife Recovery. Please contact us at (844) 402-3592. Or, contact us online here.

Resources:

1. “Alcohol-Related Disorders” – MentalHelp.net
2. “Mixing Alcohol With Medicines” – National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism; Harmful Interactions
3. “Alcohol Use in the United States” – National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism; Alcohol Facts and Statistics
4. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs): Facts about FASDs. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed 13 March, 2017.
5. “Alcohol Poisoning” – Mayo Clinic