Alcohol Awareness Month observed in April

by: Tonia Fishback, Reporter

What is Alcoholism?

The first step to solving any problem is identifying it. There are four symptoms associated with alcoholism, or alcohol dependency. One of these symptoms is craving. This is when someone has the strong need, or urge, to drink.

Losing control is another serious symptom of alcoholism. This occurs when it is hard or impossible for someone to stop drinking once it has begun.

Withdrawal symptoms, such as upset stomach, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety after stopping drinking is a sign of physical dependence. Most people may not realize there is a problem until they try to stop.
The fourth symptom associated with alcoholism is tolerance, which is the need to drink greater amounts of alcohol to get “high”.
Are problems with alcohol a part of your future?

The issue of alcoholism being inherited has been a debate for years and concern for many. The U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services states that scientific studies have shown that children of alcoholics are about four times more likely than the general population to develop alcohol problems. There is also a higher risk for other behavioral and emotional problems for children of alcoholics.

The genes inherited from parents are not the only factors that determine alcoholism. Other factors, such as family life, play into the risk for alcoholism. A person that has an alcoholic parent that is depressed or has other psychological problems; both parents abuse alcohol and other drugs; the parents’ alcohol abuse is severe; and conflicts that lead to aggression and violence in the family have a higher risk of continuing the cycle of alcoholism.

There is good news, just because alcoholism tends to run in families it does not mean a child will automatically become an alcoholic. There is a higher risk but it does not have to happen.

Here is some helpful advice for someone concerned that a family’s history of alcohol problems or troubled family life puts them at risk for becoming an alcoholic. The first step is to avoid underage drinking. It is illegal and research shows that people who drink at an earlier age are at a higher risk of alcoholism. As an adult even if there is not a family history of alcoholism, drink in moderation. According to The U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, it is suggested that no more than one drink a day for most females, and no more than two drinks a day for most males.

There are situations when drinking should not be done at all. For instance, women who are pregnant or who are trying to become pregnant should refrain from drinking alcohol.

Recovering alcoholics; people who will be driving or will be participating in activities that require attention or skill; people taking certain medications or who have certain medical conditions should drink moderately or refrain from drinking at all.

The innocence of childhood can be jeopardized when a woman drinks alcohol during pregnancy. The baby is ultimately the one who will pay the price for the rest of his or her life. In the United States, alcohol is the leading known preventable cause of mental and physical birth defects.

According to kidshealth.org it is estimated that each year in the United States, one in every 750 infants is born with a pattern of physical, developmental, and functional problems referred to as fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), while another 40,000 are born with fetal alcohol effects (FAE). Yet many pregnant women continue to drink alcohol.

Children with FAE display the same symptoms as children with FAS, but to a lesser degree. As children phase into adulthood problems associated with FAS tend to intensify. These problems can include mental health problems, troubles with the law, and the inability to live independently.

Low birth weight, small head circumference, failure to thrive, developmental delay, organ dysfunction, and facial abnormalities, such as smaller eye openings, flattened cheekbones, and indistinct philtrum (an underdeveloped groove between the nose and the upper lip) can be characteristics of the syndrome FAS. Other symptoms can be epilepsy; poor coordination/fine motor skills; poor socialization skills such as difficulty building and maintaining friendships and relating to groups; lack of imagination or curiosity; learning difficulties including poor memory; inability to understand concepts such as time and money; poor language comprehension; poor problem-solving skills; and behavioral problems, including hyperactivity, inability to concentrate, social withdrawal, stubbornness, impulsiveness, and anxiety
It cannot be determined exactly how much alcohol ingestion will produce birth defects. Alcohol is processed differently by each woman. Factors that do play a part in varying the results are the age of the mother, the timing and regularity of the alcohol ingestion, and whether the mother has eaten any food while drinking.

Although full-blown FAS is the result of chronic alcohol use during pregnancy, FAE and ARND may occur with only occasional or binge drinking. The fetus is not as well equipped as its mother to eliminate alcohol. A fetus usually receives a higher concentration of alcohol because it easily passes the placental barrier and lingers longer than it does in the mother’s system.

Kids with the most severe problems are the ones whose mothers drink during the first trimester, when the brain is developing. Since most women do not know they are pregnant in the early months, it is important for women who are thinking about becoming pregnant to use healthy behaviors before getting pregnant.

For the second and third trimesters of pregnancy moderate alcohol intake or periodic binge drinking can seriously damage the developing nervous system. Some of the most complex developmental stages in the brain occur during these last months of pregnancy.
The only real way to prevent FAS is by not drinking alcohol during pregnancy.

Alcohol can effect adults in many different ways. One devastating result of long-term alcoholism is cirrhosis of the liver, a complication of liver disease which involves loss of liver cells and irreversible scarring of the liver.

The amount and regularity of alcohol intake determines the development of cirrhosis. Liver cells are injured by chronic, high levels of alcohol consumption. Thirty percent of individuals who drink daily at least eight to sixteen ounces of hard liquor or the equivalent for 15 or more years will develop cirrhosis. Alcohol causes a range of liver diseases; from simple and uncomplicated fatty liver (steatosis), to the more serious fatty liver with inflammation (steatohepatitis or alcoholic hepatitis), to cirrhosis.

There could be few to no symptoms or signs of liver disease in patients with cirrhosis. Some of the symptoms may be nonspecific, that is, they don’t suggest that the liver is their cause. Cirrhosis can cause weakness, loss of appetite, easy bruising, yellowing of the skin (jaundice), itching, and fatigue.
Diagnosis of cirrhosis can be suggested by the history, physical examination and blood tests, and can be confirmed by liver biopsy.
Treatment of cirrhosis includes 1) preventing further damage to the liver, 2) treating the complications of cirrhosis, 3) preventing liver cancer or detecting it early, and 4) liver transplantation. Transplantation of the liver is becoming an important option for treating patients with advanced cirrhosis. These treatments are designed to prevent further damage to the liver, treat complications of cirrhosis, and preventing or detecting liver cancer early.

The effects of drinking excessive amounts of alcohol does not discriminate. They can be seen in fetus’, children, adolescents and adults. Smart choices need to be made and consequences should be considered when deciding to consume alcohol.

Alcohol, Youth: A dangerous mixture

Between the ages of 10 - 21 there is a rapid change in the brain of children. Permanent brain damage can be a result of drinking alcohol before the age of 21, according to the American Medical Association and National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol Damage to the adolescent brain.
Alcohol is the number one drug used by teens and early use is a major cause of death and injury among young people. In 2008, it was reported by Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free that 5,000 young people under the age of 21 die each year from alcohol related causes. The effects of early alcohol use can last a lifetime as it can cause death or injury.

Large parties with peers seem to be the highest risk for underage drinking throughout the country. These teen parties frequently lack adult supervision and can lead to alcohol poisoning, drinking and driving, sexual assaults and vandalism and property damage.

An exclusive interview with high school students yielded insight into the underage drinking issues facing Sabine Parish. At the request of the school’s principal, the students and school will remain anonymous. The questions were not directed to the student personally but by their perspective of area teenagers in general. The students were candid in their replies and shared openly that the parish does have an underage drinking problem. When asked how easy it is to get alcohol as a minor in Sabine Parish the reply was unanimously, “Very easy”.
Older siblings or friends seem to be the major players in getting the alcohol but other sources such as parents, fake ID’s and strangers standing outside the store are being utilized as well.

“Teenagers that drink have one source that they always use,” one student replied.

The norm in the area seems to be drinking on the weekends at gatherings, whether at a friends house or in the woods. It was agreed that beer was the alcoholic beverage of choice among teen boys but vodka and Smirnoff seem to be the favorite among local teenage girls. A stunning reality is that the majority of the students spoken to know of a peer that drinks during the week and knows of parents who provide alcohol to minors.

In a 2008 survey by Louisiana Caring Communities in the Sabine Parish School District, a staggering 33.2 percent of 12th graders had ridden with a drunk driver within, 30 days of the survey. Seventeen percent of 12th graders had driven while drinking in those 30 days. The survey was given to 266 students in grades sixth; 221 students in eight; 168 students in tenth and 204 students in 12th. Other results from the survey were:

- Riding with a drinking driver, sixth grade, 26.3 percent; eight grade, 35.6 percent; tenth grade, 36.4 percent.
- Drinking and driving, sixth grade, 5.8 percent; eighth grade, 8.7 percent; 10th grade, 9.7 percent; 12th grade, 17.4 percent.
- Drunk or high at school, sixth grade, .8 percent; eighth grade, 9.29 percent; 10th grade, 10.9 percent; 12th grade, 14.4 percent.
- Needs alcohol treatment, sixth grade, .5 percent; eighth grade, 5.7 percent; 10th grade, 11.8 percent; 12th grade, 8.4 percent.
- Needs drug treatment, sixth grade, zero percent; eighth grade, 2.1 percent; 10th grade, 2.8 percent; 12th grade, 1.7 percent.
- Need both treatment, sixth grade, .6 percent; eighth grade, 7.2 percent; 10th grade, 13.9 percent; 12th grade, 10.2 percent.

Adolescents are not solely to blame for underage drinking. Adults who provide alcohol to youth play a tremendous part in the problem. Information obtained from the Marin Institute states that one in four parents think that teens should be allowed to drink at home with parents present. The common source of alcohol for 13 - 18-year-olds is adults. Nineteen percent of adults and 16 percent of parents with children aged 12 - 20 agree that underage drinking is a rite of passage. Other statistics state that 65 percent of teens say it is easy to obtain alcohol from adult relatives or siblings. Forty percent have been served alcohol by a friend’s parent and one-in-three teens report obtaining alcohol from their own parents.

There are ways that parents, churches and the community can help diminish these numbers and help save younger generations from alcoholism. Parents need to talk to talk to children early and often about the dangers of alcohol and other drugs. Let children know the disapproval of underage drinking and set clear rules and be consistent with discipline. Other ways of helping are to show children love and help them find meaning in life, monitor activities and provide adult supervision. Be a role model for children. Socialize and have fun without alcohol. Children do what their parents do.

Area churches can play an important part in adolescent lives by encouraging youth and getting them involved in church activities. It can be a place to educate about the problems of alcohol and the impact it has on families. Praying for those experiencing problems with alcohol and for their families as well as sending the word that abstinence from alcohol is an acceptable lifelong decision is a way churches can help.

Making it more difficult for young people to obtain alcohol is one way communities can help reduce underage drinking. Limiting the availability of alcohol and enforcing strict underage drinking laws will help in the fight. Offering alcohol-free community events and limiting alcohol advertisements and promotions within the community can send a strong message to teenagers that there is more ways to have fun then drinking.

Living with a DWI

Walking into the doors of the Sabine Parish Detention Center brings an eerie reality of the consequences one must face for decisions they have made. As a 46-year-old male inmate housed in the SPDC walks into the room his quite demeanor quickly opens into determination and regret. Incarcerated for his sixth DWI, he was once a successful licensed master electrician. He never thought his life would take him down the path it has.

“When I grew up, drinking was the norm, as it was for most families,” stated the inmate. “Everyone done it.”

The loss of freedom, the inability to work and the financial burden that comes with getting a DWI and being jailed for it is nothing compared to the hardship it has on families, he stated. He emphasized that being in jail has put a burden on his mother, three sisters and daughter to take care of family matters that he considers his responsibility. His father passed away during his first stint in jail, leaving them to take care of those family issues that came afterwards and leaving him with the regret of not being there.

He goes on to talk about the five years he spent in prison for a past DWI and the tremendous affect it had on his relationship with his then 13-year-old daughter. She was hurt and confused, he stated. Their father-daughter relationship suffered because of it. Now grown, she is still finds it difficult to understand “why?”.

“She once asked me how someone so smart can be so stupid” he recalled.

This statement made him realize how people take things for granted and how they do not think about long term consequences.

“You never think it’s going to happen to you,” he stated.

“People do not think about the consequence of having just one or a couple of beers.” he explained. That one beer at a barbecue mixed with a minor traffic accident resultrd in a life-altering situation.

He wants people to realize that it doesn’t have to be a major accident or even be your fault, drinking and driving changes lives forever and is against the law. He stressed how once you’ve been to prison or jail it is easy to return.

Buckley travels long road to recovery; mentors others

The tranquil environment at the Weathy Lane home is a far cry from the life once lived by Dennis Buckley. Sitting on the porch swing with wife, Cheryl, and friend John Simpson, Buckley shared his story of a life that once included alcohol and drug abuse.

Now aged 56, he began drinking at the age of 13. As is still common among teenagers today. He along with friends sneaked alcohol into ball games and other youth activities. By age 16, Buckley’s drinking had become regular and led to drug use. During those teenage years, Buckley ran away, only to be found by his father and returned home.
“My dad told me I was going to graduate,” Buckley recalls. “He told me that if I quit at school I would never hold down a job.”
The way he was living and the disrespect he showed his mother got him kicked out of the house two weeks after graduation.

When asked if alcohol and drugs played a part in his career choices and options, he answered, “Yes, I guess it did.” Buckley lacked 12 hours of training from getting on the railroad, which his father worked on for years. Getting high and derailing a train put and end to that opportunity. He began doing construction jobs after graduation because, back then, there was no drug testing for construction workers. Though he did not have to worry about being tested for drugs, alcohol still played a huge part in the loss of some of his construction jobs because he would get drunk and not show up for work. Today, Buckley is still in the construction business and owns his own construction company, but he now lives his life totally differently.

He feels lucky that he never hurt or killed anyone and shakes his head at the thought of the things he put his wife and family through prior to changning his life.

On December 17, 1987 Dennis Buckley found a reason to stop drinking. A failed suicide attempt left him with a prosthetic leg. He “hit rock bottom.”

“I had always wondered why God let me live,” Buckley says. Pointing to his two granddaughters playing in the yard, “God kept me alive to teach these grand babies,” he said.

Buckley was once mentored by Mike Simpson and is now returning the favor by mentoring Simpson’s son, John.

“It is important to have someone to support you through it all,” the younger Simpson said.
Buckley credits Jesus for being his sponsor and mentor today. After almost 23, years he still goes to A.A. meetings and constantly gives back to the community. On Thursdays, Buckley can be found at the Sabine Parish Detention Center speaking to inmates and he is an active member in the Old Pisgah Baptist Church outreach program.

A future dream Buckley and the congregation at Old Pisgah have is to build a Half-Way House for former prisoners near the church. This would give recently released inmates a safe and healthy place to continue rehabilitation and transition into society. To help this dream become a reality, Buckley offered his 2002 Redneck Chopper for a raffle. Tickets are being sold for $50 each, and 30% of the proceeds will go to the Old Pisgah Baptist Church Building Fund.

Buckley wants teenagers to think through consequences of their actions and not just live in the moment. He believes young kids give in to peer pressure and have a hard time saying “no”.

“If they are in church and have something to do then they are more likely to walk away,” he stated.

John Simpson, who started abusing alcohol at the tender age of 12 adds, “The one thing that helps us stay clean and sober is the thought of saving one kid from the horrors we went through.”

Buckley is available for public speaking and believes his story and the stories of others can help educate young people on the life changing effects of alcohol and drug abuse. He can be reached at (318) 645-4798.

Sabine Parish offers helping hand

Anyone facing alcohol or drug addiction does not have to look far for help. Sabine Parish is home to several organization that offer a helping hand to people in need of guidance or assistance for addiction problems.

The local Alcoholics Anonymous, (A.A.), meetings are held at 440 Byles Street, Many on Monday, Friday and Sunday at 6 p.m. and Wednesday at 8 p.m. For more information call (318) 256-0367.

A 12-steps to recovery program is offered at Old Pisgah Baptist Church at 15192 Hwy. 120 in Marthaville. The Christian Recovery Ministry is held every Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Anyone needing more information can contact Shelly Vines at (318) 315-1390 or Dennis Buckley at (318) 645-4798.

Project Celebration, located at 580 West Main Street in Many, offers an additive disorder outreach program. It provides intensive and non-intensive outpatient therapy services, assessments, evaluations and recommendations for drug and alcohol treatment along with several other programs and services. For more information on services of provided at Project Celebration call (318) 256-6242 or toll free at (877) 256-6242.

Another asset to the parish is the Many Clinic for Addition Disorders. It was established as an outreach program for the Natchitoches Center of Addictive Disorders and is housed in the Project Celebration building. The clinic is staffed by a licensed addiction counselor and a counselor-in-training. Adolescent programs, crisis intervention, personal assessments, alternatives to residential programs and tobacco recovery are just a few of the services offered. Clinic hours of operation are Tuesdays from 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. For more information call (318) 256-4136.