Bar Scene Toxicity

Many people living around are with various addictions than they can see for themselves. Most people find it difficult to avoid their addictions, and some others can not even identify that they have an addiction. This is true for various behavioral and substance abuse, especially alcohol abuse.

Most people with alcohol use disorder see the situation as normal instead of devising ways to overcome their uncontrolled craving for the substance. The aftermath of alcohol abuse is always not worth the temporal enjoyment they derive. Therefore, people are encouraged to avoid abusing alcohol and seek ways to abstain from its triggers.

Alcohol abuse triggers may include places, events, people, and the environment. They are the various things, behaviors, or circumstances that are capable of giving rise to the use of alcohol. Alcohol abuse triggers are difficult to resist and are a very notable cause of addiction relapse for addicts.

To stay sane and maintain the proper alcohol-to-blood balance, addicts should watch out for their addiction triggers and stay out of things that will lead to them. The following are a list of popular triggers and tips to avoid them:

Family and friends

Having a friend or family member who drinks regularly is not a smart move to avoid taking alcohol. Friends that party all night and come over to spend the night will most definitely come along with a bottle to cool off, so inviting you for a brother-to-brother toast would be inevitable.

This is a common trigger to look out for. Avoid such friends and family members and pass on such an invitation.

Work pressure and stress

When one is having a pretty stressful day consistently, it is almost normal for such a person to find solace in drinking. To avoid this, see a therapist when your job chokes you and you seem to be under so much stress and pressure than you can bear.

Psychological issues

Psychological issues like depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, PTSD, and are common to drugs abusers. It is often a way out of their distress and complex situation. People having such issues should visit a counselor, therapist, or anyone they are comfortable discussing with.

Social celebrations and enjoying get-togethers are common ways to relax or be with friends in the modern society. For some people, these occasions may also include drinking alcohol.

Although people can safely consume alcohol without experiencing immediate adverse health effects, long term alcohol consumption can jeopardize overall health.

When a person drinks alcohol, the chemical in the drink which is ethanol gets absorbed through the digestive system and goes into the bloodstream. Then the liver metabolizes and removes alcohol gradually. However, this metabolic process can only filter out so much at once.

The rate at which this happens varies from one person to another. The different response could be due to age, gender, tolerance or sensitivity to alcohol, medications, speed of drinking, and amount of food eaten.

Teenagers and young adults are said to be particularly at risk for alcohol overdose. Research demonstrates that people in this demographic often engage in binge drinking. Drinking large quantities of alcohol can overwhelm the body’s regular response to clear alcohol from the bloodstream.

When a person consumes more alcohol in a short period of time than their liver can process, the ethanol molecules in the drink start accumulating in the body. This can damage cells, tissues and organs.

Acute alcohol intoxication, also known as alcohol poisoning, is a situation associated with drinking too much alcohol in a short period of time.

Alcohol intoxication can be experienced by both young people and adults. Though this condition is generally due to consumption of excessive quantities of alcoholic beverages, in some cases, people with addiction problems could accidentally or intentionally drink products around the house that contain alcohol. Examples are mouthwash or vanilla extract.

What ever is the reason, alcohol intoxication should be taken seriously because it is a medical emergency. If someone is experiencing alcohol poisoning, they need immediate medical attention.

Signs of alcohol intoxication

Early signs include:

• flushed skin
• staggering gait
• slurred speech
• reduced inhibition
• impaired judgment
• If the drinking continues further, it could lead to other effects, such as:
• impaired attention
• slowed reflexes
• double or blurred vision
• reduced muscle control

The outlook for alcohol intoxication

Once a person experiences alcohol intoxication, it takes time to fully recover. They will have to be in the hospital till their vital functions come back to normal. This process is slow and could several days, even weeks.

During the recovery period, the patient may experience both physical and emotional effects. These could include a depressed mood, loss of appetite, body pain or discomfort, and memory problems. Even after they are discharged from the hospital, they are likely to require about a month to feel fully normal once again.

The good news is that it’s possible to survive alcohol intoxication if appropriate medical treatment is given promptly.

The chemical substances in alcohol can have an influence on a person’s behavior, thinking, heart rate, and even breathing. It is important for everyone, especially young people, to be aware of the consequences and problems associated with the consumption of alcoholic beverages.

How does alcohol affect a person?

It’s interesting that one drink of alcohol seem to release tension and reduces inhibition in some while others could become depressed or hostile.

There are several factors and individual differences in how consuming alcohol impacts people including:

• Age, gender, body weight
• Quantity and frequency of drinking
• Duration of drinking
• Sensitivity to the chemicals in the drink
• Type and amount of food in the stomach when consumed

At the extreme level, a severely intoxicated person could “black out,” and forget what was said or done at the time of the incident. Immediate impacts can be inability to stand, vomiting, loss of consciousness, coma and death.

When a person is sensitive to the substances in the drink, it takes less alcohol to cause intoxication and more time for the body to eliminate the alcohol consumed.

In general, women are said to be more sensitive to the metabolic effects of alcohol. It is also established that both men and women become increasingly sensitive to the effects of alcohol as they grow older.

Lack of control over alcohol use can cause serious and long-lasting consequences. Rarely it has one victim, and the consequences are rarely short-lived. Many crimes have alcohol abuse at their root.

It is also indisputable that there are consequences related to family, society, and career when drinking is severe and when it affects the normal functioning of the mind or body.

Crimes generally associated with alcohol include domestic abuse and violence, underage drinking, robbery, assault and rape.

Crimes associated with alcohol usually impact family, friends, or even complete strangers. The problem may be centered on one person, but the consequences have ripple effects.

Alcohol is considered more likely to be a reason in violence where the attacker and the victim know each other.

Since alcoholic beverages are socially accepted drinks, it is important that young people are educated There is an obvious pattern or logical flow of links between drinking, poor decision making, criminal behavior, and legal consequences. The proof of this thinking is shown by the fact that so many people currently serving time in prisons or living with the stigma of a criminal record have a history of problem drinking.

The best way to prevent such heartache in society is for everyone to take personal responsibility when they choose to drink and seek immediate help if any signs of excessive consumption or uncontrolled drinking behavior are noticed. 

Local Pubs are one of the places where you can relax, drink and have a nice time. However, some people who come to the local pubs around to drink are addicted, and they cannot help themselves.

Even for those who do not plan to drink, but they go to local pubs to relax, they start abusing drinks in no time.

Also, some of these local pubs have hard drugs for sale alongside with alcohol. A local pub is basically a business which has been legalized to sell alcoholic products such as beer, vodka and cider.

In a good number of countries, a pub is a place for relaxation, where they visit after they have had a stressful day.

There are a good number of factors which are responsible for choosing a pub, and they are nearness to home or work; accessibility of drinks, quality food, nice atmosphere and the likes.

In some countries, smoking is not allowed in clubs and pubs, and the resultant effect of this is, there is a drop in profit, than prior to the banning of smoking.

Local pubs are meant to provide fun to people, as there would be various traditional games there. So, alongside drinking and the likes, you can also play games with other people there, and have fun to the fullest.

These days, with the innovation in technology, modern games are assimilated into a pub system. You would see games like slot machines, video games and the likes.

Also, pubs have evolved in the sense that, there are various tournaments which are organized on a daily basis, which would make people to come back for more.

Due to these features in a local pub, this is one of the reasons why people would start coming back for me, and in this case, they become addicted in the process. Pubs also serve food alongside with drinks, and people also get addicted to food in the process.

Asides the addiction process, there are other advantages of visiting a pub, as it serves as an effective point for someone to relax after they have had a very stressful day.

A pub is referred to as an enterprise that are legalized to put up for sale alcoholic drinks such as cider and beer. In most countries, a pub is a relaxed place where people come to relax after a stressful workout. Back then, a pub had to be present in every village or town, it was quintessential feature which needed to be present, to serve the inhabitants of such village or town.

The establishments of pubs can be taken back to the time of Roman taverns, the Anglo-Saxon to the enlargement of the tied house model in the 19th century. King Richard II of England, in 1393, presented a rule which would avail pubs to put up a notice which would ensure that people know the nature of products they sell, and also in a bid for people to have the chance to taste the ale being sold, and assess its quality.

Someone who owns a pub is called a publican. The basis for choosing a pub depends on a good number of factors.

1. Nearness to work or home
2. The accessibility of drinks
3. Quality food
4. Nice and friendly atmosphere
5. Availability of friends
6. Presence of recreational events

In some countries, smoking has been banned in pubs and clubs. However, what followed this, was a decline in sales, and an eventual drop in profit as compared to previous period when smoking was still allowed.

A conventional pub would definitely have all sorts of traditional games in place which would thrill people. Games such as cards, darts, bar billards and a host of others, are what you would find in a regular pub. Now, with the advent of technology, modern games are being integrated into a pub system. These days, you would find games such as video games, slot machines. Also, pubs these days, are evolving, as all sorts of tournaments are held on a regular basis, which would ensure that people keep coming back in a bid to enjoy themselves.

Pubs are also known for serving food, although this has not been able to usurp the function of serving drinks. Food such as sandwich, pickled eggs, salted crisps, shellfish, cockles and the likes are sold to customers who visit a pub.

Visiting a pub definitely has lots of benefits, as it is an ideal point for someone to relax his nerves after a stressful day.

Looking at one of the topmost priorities when it comes down to the health of the citizens of a country, it is reducing the use of alcohol due to the numerous effects which it causes in the long run. A significant percentage of deaths which has occurred over the years, can be attributed to the use of alcohol, through means such as road crashes, accidental injuries and a host of others.

People who are usually victims of this, are those who frequent pubs, club houses, public drinking environments amongst others.

To prevent hazards such as this from happening, it is essential that some measures are put in place. First and foremost, taking parties into consideration, alcohol can be taken at parties, but it should be done under safer conditions. Alcohol is known for making people dauntless and hence affecting your sense of judgement and decision making alongside.

So at parties, you can start off by taking a non-alcoholic drink before you start drinking proper. You should take water between alcoholic drinks, and ensure you avoid big glasses.

Also, try to avoid competitions which involves drinking, it has a way of impairing your health adversely. As a matter of fact, complications could occur in the heat of the competition which would not be good enough for you.
Also, it is essential to note that you take food both before and after drinking. This is done because alcohol takes time before being absorbed by the body. Also, ensure that you take standard drinks which are sold by reputable club houses and pubs.

At parties and official functions, it is required of you that you are of your best behaviour. Hence, it is advisable that you take alcohol if need be, in smaller quantities, so that you would not end up constituting a nuisance.

In addition to this, make sure no one adds to your drink without your knowledge, you have to be aware before you take your drink. The same applies to accepting drinks from strangers, it is not safe enough, as you could be taking a laced drink which could have unknown adverse effects. At times, it could be in form of a joke to spite you, or it could be intentionally done to cause you harm.

On a concluding note, it is essential that if you need to take alcohol, it is done under the safest of conditions.

When it comes down to the treatment of addiction, one of the conscious steps which must be taken, is to deliberately avoid that particular addiction trigger which is responsible for making you hooked on it. It may not be instant, but with time, you would discover that you are gradually having a natural dislike for it.

For alcohol, the same principle applies. Moderation is essential in cases like this, as it is what makes our mental health stable. As humans, we have to ensure that our lives is balanced in all ramifications, this involves what we eat and drink. Addiction is however the opposite of living a moderate lifestyle.

Alcohol triggers exist almost everywhere, this implies that you would hardly go a day without seeing what could cause you to take alcohol, so it is up to you to ensure that you do not relapse after making efforts to avoid alcohol.

You can easily get alcohol in bars, and if you are someone who frequents such places, how do you go about stopping its visitation? One step which you must take, is to reduce the rate at which you visit a bar. For instance, if you visit a bar five times a week, you should step it down to three, then two and with time, it should reduce definitely.

The same applies to the number of bottles or cups you take each time you visit a bar, try to ensure that you reduce the quantity.

You would also need to look at the reason why you are hooked on alcohol, and see if it is worth it. If you are someone who takes alcohol because of regular depression, there are other effective ways to combat it rather than visiting a bar to supposedly drown those feelings. In this case, you could seek the services of a counsellor who would definitely be willing to discuss with you and proffer ways which would be instrumental in ensuring that you are no longer depressed, and you would find no reason to visit the bar.

Also, ensure that the time you spend at the bar, is expended doing beneficial things. Going to the bar for alcohol indicates that you have free time on your hands. If you are the busy type, you would notice that the rate at which you take alcohol would be on the decline.

Quitting or putting an end to alcohol addiction is an arduous responsibility particularly because it is available and can be easily accessible in places like bars, shops etc. A bar provides alcoholics an opportunity to obtain alcohol effortlessly and in doing this they encourage alcohol addicts to wallow in their state of addiction. Although, while bars have existed for long and serves as a form of entertainment center and provide a form of meeting and social platform for adults, they also have some disadvantages especially in encouraging a high rate of alcoholic addiction.

Alcohol is found to be the most widely abused substance in the world. It offers an extensive and prevalent means of addiction because of it is a common substance all over the world. The intake of alcohol is a tradition that has existed for over a long period of time. Drinking is a habit and it is carried out for different purposes which includes finding a way out of life’s stress or trying to find solitude and personal independence. Alcoholism is an act that puts one into bondage and when it becomes a pattern to take alcohol, it becomes difficult to leave it.

Although, bars generally have their advantages because they have served has a place of celebration for many accomplishments. Nonetheless they have their negative sides. Bars triggers alcoholic desires and they have served as harbors for alcoholics and drunkards for a very long time. It gets to a point where people surround their entire lives around the bar scene and they have nothing to live for but to stumble in the misery of alcoholism. They are unable to have a grip on their lives and decide to waste their lives spending time in bars and drinking places taking alcohol and probably other harmful substances.

The roots of alcohol addiction may stem from a long-life effect of psychological problems and may require a continuous reformation and reconfiguration of negative behavioral tendencies which triggers the act of alcoholism. Bars are generally not to blame for alcoholism but they play a major role in activating alcoholism tendencies and attitudes.

Unfortunately, bars cannot be eliminated and abolished but it definitely can be avoided. In avoiding the bar scene, an alcohol addict can take a step into solving the problem of dependence and addiction on alcohol. There are also other places of getting fun and entertainment or celebrating on a feat been achieved asides the bar which includes cinemas, amusement parks etc.

Deep cravings for alcohol can be caused by closeness or proximity to the substance which means depending on how obtainable and affordable one can get alcohol. Cravings for alcohol are intense and deep urges to drink which are products of a troubled state of mind or other external factors. They arise from a series of deep thinking about a particular challenge been faced. They cause insomnia, anxiety and depression.

Alcohol addiction is a unique and personal problem which is relative to the individual. It could result from many factors which includes physical and mental health, duration of alcohol intake, stress, presence and proximity of alcohol to a person which includes bars and liquor stores.

Availability of alcohol in a way is tantamount to people getting addicted to it especially when it could be purchased at a lower price at bars or liquor stores. Instances where there are many alcohol outlets positioned near an addict’s location, it increases the tendency to continue in the act of alcohol addiction and cravings would be easily satisfied.

These stores become joints for those addicted and form a rendezvous point for drunkards. Liquor stores become retail outlets thus narrowing the purchase of alcohol to a domestic level and consequently initiating alcoholism. Bars and liquor stores also serve as channeling points for sales of illegal drugs, narcotics, stimulants, depressants and alcoholic supplements. A process which on the long run contributes to inhibition of alcoholism.

The unending desire to suppress stress and ease anxiety anchored by a need to cool the nerves make the local liquor store a top choice for many troubled individuals. The proximity to these stores also play a lead role. Having its location within the neighborhood leaves their activities unchecked by the appropriate body because of the close seller- buyer relationship maintained. This makes it a difficulty to stop their activities.

Being a profit oriented establishment, liquor stores could not help but care less about the influence of their products on the buyers. They are concerned with the lucrativeness of the business rather than issues arising such as alcoholic intoxication. This of course makes them a lead player, but an indifferent shareholder in the cause of alcoholism.

To eliminate alcoholism, it is important for the alcoholic to put a stop to visiting liquor shops and bars. This will control the ease of access to these drinks and check alcoholism and its related activities.

Moderation makes the world go round. The more we learn about mental health, the more we come to realize that it depends on a delicate balance between many life elements. Addiction is the opposite of maintaining a healthy balance of anything. Addiction means all your eggs are in one particularly useless basket. Even if the object of your addiction is healthy in moderation, an addiction to it makes it toxic to your health, relationships, sense of purpose and general well-being.

When you apply this life fact to alcoholism, you end up with every reason to recover from alcoholism and no good reason to continue it. Alcoholism forces you into a life of slavery and servitude. Many people start drinking as a way of rebelling against rules and declaring their own personal independence. Ironic, that so many end up prisoners to an alcohol addiction. At first, they believe it is a harmless good time, but it is not long before their drinking becomes a pattern and a way of escaping life stress. At this point, alcohol begins to steal a person’s quality of life.

Quitting an alcohol addiction is not easy for a number of reasons, not the least of which is because there are triggers everywhere. Canadian society has a love affair with alcohol. It is marketed, sold and pressured onto us exponentially, and is so widely available that the average person in Canada does not have to venture outside of one kilometer in order to find it. Alcohol that is sold in bars comes with another sale as well; a more subtle one. Bar owners want their customers to feel normal and accepted, even if some of them are perhaps around slightly more often than is healthy. They facilitate the idea that the bartender is every customer’s friend, and that every night a person spends in their bar is a hip, fashionable one. They do not want alcoholics to realize the truth about themselves because they keep bars open in slow times.

The truth is simple. You have the power to refrain from being a “bar fly“. The good feelings a bar supplies you are an illusion. The only real sustainable good feelings are the ones you achieve when you cope with stress in a healthy fashion instead of trying to escape from it. If you are a Canadian who is struggling with alcoholism and feel you are ready to reach out for help, consider the services of a Vancouver rehab center, a Toronto alcoholism treatment program or a Calgary detox facility.