Self Improvement with Job

June 12, 2010

Upper Management Initiates Several Programs To Trim Down The Costs Related To Employee Alcohol Abuse And Alcoholism, Work Related Injuries, Increasing Absenteeism, Poor Employee Work Performance, And Excessive Sick Days, And Enhance Employee Self Esteem

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , — jobself @ 11:32 pm

Heather is a fifty-six-year-old woman who is the top administrator in the human resources department at a large plastics fabricating company. In order to lessen the costs related to work related injuries, excessive sick days, poor employee work performance, increasing absenteeism, and employee alcoholism and alcohol abuse, Heather and the other members of upper management launched several programs that made the work environment significantly more productive, healthy, and safe.

For instance, fourteen years ago Heather and the other company executives established an Employee’s Assistance Program so that all the employees had access to professional psychological counseling for their personal problems that could adversely affect their health, personal well-being, and their work performance.

The Company Leaders Erect a New Exercise and Workout Room Complete With Mirrors, Weights, a Personal Trainer During Business Hours, Scales, Exercise Equipment, and Exercise Charts

As another example, about six-and-a-half years ago Heather and the other members of top management constructed a modern workout and exercise room complete with mirrors, exercise charts, a personal trainer during business hours, weights, many different types of exercise equipment, and scales.

Moreover, nearly three-and-a-half years ago Heather and the other company executives invested in a purification system that filters all the drinking water that is available all through the building complex. Likewise, three years ago, Heather and the other members of top management started a “walking club” that is principally intended for employees who want to enhance their cardiovascular system.

The VIPs Put Into Operation a Weight-Watchers Class and Employ a Weight-Loss Professional to Supervise the Program

As another illustration, approximately a year-and-a-half ago, Heather and the other company administrators established a “Weight-Watchers” class that currently meets every Tuesday and Thursday at noon until 1:00 PM. Moreover, the company executives signed up a weight-loss healthcare professional to manage the program.

In a similar way, two years ago Heather and the other VIPs launched a “Stop Smoking Club” for employers who want to learn how to quit or cut back on their smoking.

In the last seven months, in conjunction with the Employee’s Assistance Program, Heather and the other members of top management established an “Anger Management” class for employees who want to learn how to better deal with their anger.

The VIPs Put Into Operation An Alcohol and Drug Testing Program

In the last four months, Heather and the other company administrators instituted a alcohol and drug testing program that is associated with their drug and alcohol abuse prevention program. In actual fact, Heather is the primary person in the company responsible for getting the message out to all the workers about the drug and alcohol abuse prevention program as well as the drug and alcohol testing program.

One of the fundamental components of the drug and alcohol abuse prevention program is a class entitled “Alcoholism and Depression” that meets every Friday after work. The main idea with this class is informing employees that excessive drinking and depression routinely take place in the same person. It is hoped that comprehending this information will be able to help an individual address both medical conditions and get the alcohol therapy and mental health therapy he or she needs.

Top Management Puts Into Operation an Alcohol Statistics and Facts Class

Another relatively recent enhancement to the drug and alcohol abuse prevention program is a class entitled “Alcohol Statistics and Facts.” The rationale behind this alcohol statistics facts class is the reality that numerous people fail to understand the total impact of the consequences of alcohol abuse and alcoholism without first hearing about some of the alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction facts and statistics that are available. Consequently, one of the objectives of this class is to provide a range of alcoholism and alcohol abuse facts and statistics in order to help employees gain a better comprehension of the host of issues that are linked to abusive and hazardous drinking and how they can avert these problems from occurring.

Most recently, Heather and the other members of top management, by way of feedback from employees, developed a class that focuses directly on acute drinking entitled “What is Alcoholism”? This class meets every Tuesday morning an hour-and-a-half before work and focuses mainly on the differences between alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency, on the stages of alcoholism, and on the types of rehabilitation that are available for people who have alcohol drinking problems such as people who drink in an excessive manner.

Even though each and every one of these preventative maintenance and health programs was anything but low-cost, the company executives think that they are several thousands of dollars ahead by providing all of their workers with a safe, more productive, and healthy working situation.

April 27, 2010

Adolescent Alcohol Abuse: A Precarious Problem, The Need For Strong Parenting And Leadership, And A Stronger Emphasis On Further Developing The Teen’s Sense Of Spirituality

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , — jobself @ 7:12 pm

Recent alcohol abuse statistics reveal that alcohol abuse among teens is increasing in the United States. What are some of the reasons for this? Many alcohol addiction experts articulate that wine, beer, and liquor ads brought into being by the media are a key reason for the rise in teen alcohol abuse.

Other alcoholism experts assert that the increase in teenage alcohol abuse is due to the acceptability and convenience of liquor, wine, and beer in our society.

Still other alcohol abuse professionals assert that more than a few of our teens get involved in alcohol abuse because of the increased tension that they are subjected to.

From a slightly different vantage point, due to the fact that both parents in a number of families work full or part-time, the lack of parental supervision evidently has to play an important part in the increase in adolescent alcohol abuse. And finally, a variety of alcohol dependency experts believe that the rise in youth alcohol abuse is due, in part, to our “anything goes” society.

Abusive Drinking and Coping Skills Education

One aspect of youth alcohol abuse that appears to be under reported in the alcohol addiction research findings, to the contrary, is the deficiency of educational programs that teach adolescents how to enhance their coping skills so that their injurious drinking behavior is substantially diminished or eradicated.

More precisely, science has shown that there is an indirect connection between poor coping skills and hazardous drinking. In point of fact, this means that the poorer the coping skills, the higher the rate of alcohol abuse. To the degree that this is a truthful assertion, why isn’t coping skills training an important part of the academic curriculum in all of our high schools, junior high schools, and elementary schools?

A Society That Highlights Teenage Coping Skills

Let us construct a scenario for illustrative purposes. Let us imagine a society in which all individuals are trained how to achieve first-class coping skills all the way from kindergarten up to and including the twelfth grade.

In such a society, when life gets demanding, people who are “coping skills masters” will be able to respond in a more healthy and more rewarding way, contrary to others who fail to put their coping skills into operation.

More precisely, students who demonstrate high-quality coping skills will be more able to think logically and show signs of top-shelf decision making as opposed to teens who, because they were unsuccessful in their attempts to learn top quality coping skills, resort to the “quick fix” of hazardous drinking, alcohol abuse, and teenage alcoholism.

What would happen in the above “ideal” society, furthermore, if teens not only received top shelf coping skills instruction but also received a first-rate education that highlighted the short term and long term damaging results associated with drug abuse and alcohol abuse? Emphasizing these drug and alcohol abuse facts, along with more highly developed coping skills training, it is advocated, would help adolescents keep away from the obvious fascination with teenage drinking and, accordingly, would radically diminish the excessive drinking behavior shown by teens in our country.

Teenage Risky Drinking: Room for Success, Hope, and Optimism and the Need For Productive Goal Setting

There are obviously several well thought-out reasons why so many of our teens drink in an abusive manner. Such a knotty subject matter, if optimism, success, and hope are to be attained, demands successful goal setting, a broad based and more pertinent educational and preventative response by our educators, parents, politicians, and students, and a stronger emphasis on further developing the adolescent’s sense of spirituality so that our teens can learn how to cope with life’s difficulties in a more fruitful and responsible manner rather than resorting to harmful drinking behavior to solve their problems.

September 19, 2009

An Unstable High School Student Exhibits A Number of Alcohol-Related Difficulties, Gets Suspended From School, and Has to See the School Psychologist

Dante was a fifteen year old high school sophomore who was manifesting a number of alcohol-related issues at school. For that reason, the principal informed him that he had to see Miss Johnson, the school therapist, before he would be allowed to return to school.

Later that afternoon when Dante went home after school, he had to go over his school situation with his Mother and Father. His parents were “relatively old-style” and told Dante that getting discharged from school was not a tolerable educational option. They told Dante that failing to graduate from high school would more likely than not be like a lead weight around his feet that could quite possibly mar his educational attainment for the rest of his life. In addition, Dante’s Mother and Father were very displeased that he was drinking in the first place and drinking with his classmates in the second.

His Mom and Dad explained to Dante that although he may be a teen, he needs to understand fairly swiftly that drinking is the path to ill health, financial problems, pain, and failure.

It was obvious that his Mom and Dad were out and out in full accord with Dante’s principal and explained to Dante that he had better make plans to see Miss Johnson, the school counselor. After his talk with his Mom and Dad, Dante finally agreed to see Miss Johnson the next day. So Dante called the school and made an appointment to see Miss Johnson the next day during his sixth period class.

The Therapist Asks Dante if He Understands Why His Recent Alcohol-Related Actions Made the School Administrators Uneasy

When Dante got to his scheduled appointment with Miss Johnson, she instantaneously examined all of the alcohol-related difficulties Dante had experienced and asked him if he understood why his recent alcohol-related actions caused quite a bit of concern by the school administrators.

Quite frankly, Dante was not sure why the principal suggested that he see a school therapist. As he stated to Miss Johnson, why should he see a professional therapist about his drinking activities? Because just about all of his pals drink the same amount that he does, essentially, drinking shouldn’t be such a big deal. Stated more explicitly, if almost everyone is drinking, why is this such a big thing?

Miss Johnson asked Dante when he started to drink alcoholic beverages. He said that some of his older friends introduced him to drinking wine when he was twelve or thirteen years old and getting ready to enter junior high school.

Miss Johnson explained to Dante that while his pals may indeed drink more than he does and that they may be a bad influence on him, the facts are that he is the one who is getting expelled from school due to alcohol-related fighting, delinquency, and absenteeism, not his classmates. What is more, Miss Johnson also underlined the fact that Dante, and not his friends, is the one who is failing and who is missing one day of class every week due to his alcohol related problems. Lastly, Miss Johnson underscored the fact that due to his drinking activities, Dante is getting into a damaging cycle of excessive drinking that can in the long run destroy his hopes, dreams and aspirations.

In short, Dante’s involvement with youth alcohol abuse was starting to thwart his ability to function as an accountable young man. As put into words by Miss Johnson, “Just because most of your buddies drink beer, hard liquor, wine, or wine coolers does not mean that it is right for you.”

Dante Learns That Eventually He Must Be Accountable For Himself In Order to Keep Away From Destructive, Dangerous, Damaging, and Unhealthy Outcomes In the Future

Miss Johnson explained to Dante that others can undeniably influence an individual in an unhealthy way, but that the individual himself or herself has to sooner or later be responsible for herself or himself in order to prevent dangerous, damaging, unhealthy, and destructive circumstances down the road.

Fortunately, Miss Johnson was extremely well prepared for her appointment with Dante. She showed him reports and research studies she had underlined that listed various drinking statistics and facts that targeted most people in general. Then she showed Dante quite a bit of information that applied particularly to teens.

As an illustration, Miss Johnson explained the difference between alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse and explained to Dante that people who continue to abuse alcohol regularly become alcoholic.

Miss Johnson also went over the concept of binge drinking that she defined as follows: ingesting five or more drinks in one sitting for males and consuming four or more drinks in one sitting for females.

The Counselor Verbalizes Several Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Facts and Statistics

Then Miss Johnson conveyed various alcohol facts and the following eight alcohol abuse statistics:

1. Alcohol abuse and Alcoholism cost the United States an estimated $220 billion in 2005. This dollar amount was more than the cost correlated with cancer ($196 billion) or with obesity ($133 billion.

2. More than one-half of American adults have a close family member or relative who has or has had alcoholism.

3. More than three fourths of female victims of nonfatal, domestic violence claimed that their assailant had been using drugs or drinking.

4. In the United States on an annual basis, more than 33% of pedestrians killed by automobiles were legally inebriated.

5. One national study uncovered the fact that students are less likely to drink alcohol if they are socially accepted by individuals at school and believe that teachers treat students in a fair manner.

6. Research reveals that young people who drink alcohol may remember 10 percent less of what they have learned than teens who don’t drink.

7. Around ten to twenty percent of the individuals who drink heavily in the long run develop cirrhosis of the liver (i.e., a scarring of the liver that can be fatal).

8. Up to 40 percent of the U.S. industrial deaths and 47% of industrial injuries are linked to alcohol dependency or alcohol abuse.

Dante Receives A Meaningful Jolt of Reality Regarding the Short Term and the Long Term Effects of Teen Alcohol Addiction and Alcohol Abuse

After Miss Johnson stated the aforementioned alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse facts and statistics, it was apparent that what Miss Johnson taught Dante was a realization for him. Why? Because for the first time in his young life, someone not only took the time to give an explanation of the short term and the long term consequences of alcohol abuse and alcoholism, but she also took the time to confirm what she was saying with alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency statistics and facts that related to everyone, and especially to young people.

Without a doubt, it was almost as if a light went on and Dante promptly grasped why he should not be engaging in hazardous and abusive drinking with or without his buddies anymore. Dante thanked Miss Johnson for her concern and for the information she went over.

Miss Johnson then asked Dante how he felt about getting a physical exam and an alcohol evaluation for the alcohol abuse or alcohol dependency rehabilitation he would probably need.

Dante thought about this for few minutes and then agreed to get a comprehensive physical examination and to go through a thorough appraisal of his drinking condition so that he could start an alcohol treatment program right away.

August 30, 2009

Youth Alcohol Abuse: A Hazardous Problem

Alcohol abuse statistics demonstrate the fact that alcohol abuse among adolescents is increasing in the United States. What are some of the reasons for this? Many chemical dependency specialists emphasize the point that liquor, wine, and beer advertisements generated by the media are a primary reason for the proliferation of teenage alcohol abuse.

Other substance abuse experts articulate that the increase in teen alcohol abuse is due to the toleration and ease of access of wine, beer, and liquor in our society.

Still other substance abuse consultants declare that more than a few of our teenagers get involved in injurious drinking because of the increased anxiety that they live through.

From a slightly different vantage point, due to the fact that both parents in more than a few families work full or part-time, the lack of parental guidance positively has to play a primary role in the expansion of teen alcohol abuse. And as a final point, a variety of alcoholism experts think that the escalation of adolescent alcohol abuse is due, in some degree, to our permissive society.

Hazardous Drinking and Coping Skills Training

One facet of youth alcohol abuse that looks like it is under reported in the alcohol dependency research findings, in contrast, is the scarcity of educational courses that teach teens how to upgrade their coping skills so that their destructive drinking behavior is notably decreased or gotten rid of.

Stated more explicitly, scientific research has demonstrated that there is an indirect correlation between poor coping skills and alcohol abuse. In essence, this means that the poorer the coping skills, the higher the prevalence of alcohol abuse. To the degree that this is a valid contention, why isn’t coping skills education an essential part of the educational core curriculum in all of our junior high schools, elementary schools, and high schools?

A Society That Emphasizes Youth Coping Skills

Let us construct a scenario for explanatory purposes. Let us imagine a society in which all individuals are taught how to achieve excellent coping skills all the way from kindergarten up to and including the twelfth grade.

In such a society, when life gets demanding, students who are “coping skills masters” will be able to respond in a more healthy and more productive manner, as opposed to others who fail to put their coping skills into action.

Stated more precisely, students who reveal excellent coping skills will be more able to think proactively and display first-class decision making as opposed to teens who, because they lack top-of-the-line coping skills, are attracted to the “quick fix” of excessive drinking.

What would happen in the above “ideal” society, what’s more, if adolescents not only obtained first-rate coping skills education but also got a first-rate education that emphasized the long term and short term damaging costs associated with drug abuse and alcohol abuse? Emphasizing these types of drug and alcohol abuse facts, along with more advanced coping skills education, it is proclaimed, would help adolescents stay away from the obvious appeal correlated with teenage drinking and, for that reason, would substantially lessen the excessive drinking behavior demonstrated by teens in our country.

Adolescent Hazardous Drinking: Conclusion

There are surely more than a few well thought-out reasons why so many of our teens drink in a hazardous manner. Such a complex issue demands a thorough and more applicable educational and preventative response by our students, politicians, parents, and educators so that our youth can learn how to cope with life’s difficulties in a more productive and accountable way instead of resorting to dangerous drinking behavior to solve their problems.

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