Eddy County DWI Program: Helpful Information
Cindy Sharif
Eddy County DWI Building 401 S. Main St. Carlsbad, NM 88220 Phone: 575-885-3328 Fax: 575-885-4190
Articles on this page:(click to go to that section)
Broken_Lives...Shattered_Dreams
Communicating With Your Child:
Meet Mr. Alcohol (What is alcohol and how does it affect the body?
Teen Corner
Broken Lives...Shattered Dreams:
Recently, the DWI Program unveiled a mural painted by Charles "Brother Boko" Freeman and can be seen at the top of our newsletter. Brother Boko is a muralist and portrait artist who works in oils and acrylics. He is well known in the Los Angeles area for his public art murals and various other commissioned works that appear in five books. Freeman has made his mark on public art in Carlsbad through this thought provoking cause and effect mural, "Broken Lives...Shattered Dreams" which can be seen on the façade of the Eddy County DWI Program Carlsbad office building. The mural reflects the high cost of DWI and leaves the viewer with lingering questions. It makes one wonder if the woman on the right with tears running down her face is a loved on of the victims or the offender. Either is a possibility. His mural tells a story from the different perspectives of the offender, the victim, law enforcement and others affected by this crime.
Communicating With Your Child
As parents we all want to be able to talk with our children effectively. Effective communication is more than just talking. Using effective communication requires both verbal and nonverbal clues. It includes the exchange of thoughts, ideas and information. your goal is that each person involved in the communication understands what is being said and is able to act on that communication.
As a parent, effective communication means that you are not only talking with your teen but actively listening. Your teen's thoughts, feelings and ideas are important to you.
How often do you as a parent take the time to stop what you are doing and just listen to your teen? Active listening tells the teen that he or she is important enough to have the parent's undivided attention. Many problems can be averted when a parent practices active listening. Active listening involves stopping what you are doing, looking at your child and letting him know that you are giving him your full attention. Listen to what your child has to say. Repeat back to your child what he just said to you. This helps prevent misunderstandings. Remember there may be a generation gap and words may not mean the same to both of you. If you child is complaining that all his friends have later curfews, you might say something like, "I think you are saying that your friends all have later curfews and you would like to have a curfew like your friends."
When talking with your teen make sure he or she knows you value their ideas, thoughts and feelings. This does not mean you have to agree with their thought patterns, but do acknowledge that your teen is an important person and has a right to his or her thoughts. This helps a teen even when you have to say no to a request.
When you answer a question or set a guideline, do so in a clear manner. Mixed messages cause misunderstandings. They also can lead your teen to behavior you do not want. Be clear in what you say and make sure your teen understands exactly what you mean. Have them paraphrase back to you what your point was.
By talking with your teen every day, you add a sense of security to their lives. It does not have to be a long discussion. Just saying good night and telling them you love them leaves an opening for more conversation.
When we talk about communicating, we are talking about more than just words. Body language often says more than your words because it may be more truthful. No one wants to talk to someone who is being grouchy and really thinking about work and not listening. your body language may be saying this to your child. Crossing your arms, putting your hands on your hips and finger pointing are all ways to shut down a conversation quickly. You are closing out the person to whom you are talking. Instead, lean forward towards your child, nod encouragement, and these things will keep the conversation going and say you care. Since smiling indicates mood, try and smile. It will put a more positive slant on what you are talking about. Eye contact is vital. It shows you are involved in the conversation and interested in what your child is saying. It also encourages more conversation. The tone, volume and pitch of your voice says a lot. It can totally change the meaning of your words so use an upbeat tone A pessimistic tone is a turn off.
When communicating with your teen, it is essential that you send clear messages. Sending mixed messages can cause mistrust and harm the relationship. Clear communications develop trust because you teen can understand and trust what you say. It also encourages positive behavior since the teen knows what is expected of him or her. Clear communications also lessens the stress in family relationships. Though at times, talking with your teenager is like communicating with someone from another planet, your child really does want to talk with you. Start by showing respect for your teen. The old adage about treating other people the way you would want to be treated applies to your teen. Treat them the way you want them to treat you. Tell them you love them. Ask how their day was and really mean that you are interested.
Lists are great ways to communicate certain things such as chores. This also works for rules. That way, there can be no argument about what was expected and this reduces stress, it also helps in discipline. When giving instructions to your teen it is a good idea to write the instructions down. This way, the teen will know what to do and not forget a step and it will also help you to make the instructions clearer.
Never yell, this just shuts the conversation down. If you are angry, tell your teen you need some time to get your emotions under control and then you will talk. Never shut your teen out to show him you disapprove of a behavior. That hurts a relationship and does not teach your teen what displeases you and what was inappropriate about his behavior. Sometimes you need to just tell a teen, "Because I said so". You are the parent, however, when possible, explain your reasoning. This not only helps your teen to accept your viewpoint but can help him learn better decision making skills.
Do not try and win a conversation. This is an exchange of ideas and when you and your teen both talk and both listen you may learn a lot about each other. Keep the tone of the conversation positive.
Use everyday situations to help start conversations. When you watch television or a movie with your child use this as a teaching moment. If the character did something that you as a parent feel was wrong, ask you child if he agreed with what the character did. Ask your child how he would handle the situation. You can use the same approach to emphasize when a character does something good. If you are shopping and see someone that did something good or bad, ask your child what he thought of the situation. There are moments all around you that can become teaching moments.
Above all, remember that what you do sets the example and makes a much greater impression than anything you can say. As a parent, watch what you do and say because your children are certainly watching.
Meet Mr. Alcohol (What is alcohol and how does it affect the body?):
Everyday alcohol affects the lives of many people. The effects are many and varied.
There are three alcohols: the beverage alcohol known as ethyl alcohol, methyl alcohol or wood alcohol and isopropyl alcohol or rubbing alcohol. the only alcohol that can be taken internally is ethyl alcohol. Methyl alcohol has been known to be consumed especially in home made distilled spirits or moonshine, but it can cause blindness and death. this alcohol is tasteless, odorless and colorless.
Ethyl alcohol is a psychoactive drug, an irritant and a depressant. Each molecule is composed of two carbon atoms, five hydrogen atoms and an oxygen-hydrogen radical, hence the chemical formula C2H5OH. Alcohol can be classified as a food because it contains calories. Ask any freshman who has consumed alcohol on weekends about the 20 pound freshman spread which refers to the 20 pounds of weight alcohol adds to the body that first year of college. A standard drink contains 100-150 calories. Add up several drinks and you are looking at some added weight. It takes about 3500 calories to make a pound of fat. If you gain 20 pounds in 9 months of school you are looking at an average of 466 to 700 drinks in the semester. The problem with the calories from alcohol is that though it can provide calories they are completely empty calories. There are no nutrients or proteins in alcohol, just calories. Not exactly what one would call a healthy diet.
Besides providing the body with empty calories, alcohol is an irritant. It irritates the linings within the body which it comes in contact with. Ouch, that can cause some significant pain over time. In the stomach, alcohol can cause ulcers, gastritis which is an inflammation in the lining of the stomach and also irritation in the esophagus known as esophagitis. Between the stomach and the esophagus is a sphincter muscle that keeps the stomach contents, including the digestive juices, from flowing backwards into the esophagus. Alcohol weakens this sphincter, increasing the chances for gastric reflux which can lead to heartburn, esophagitis and ulcers in the esophagus. considering the rate most Americans must suffer from gastric reflux and heartburn already, if you believe the advertisements for medications for these problems, most people already have way too many stomach problems to inflict more pain on themselves. Your entire gastrointestinal tract may suffer damage if you drink more than four drinks per day. Heavy drinkers increase their risk of cancer. Those that both drink alcohol and smoke, increase their risk of cancer even more than a person who only drinks. In general, people who are alcohol dependent, shortened their life spans by about 15 years due to medical problems and accidents. Of course, you are thinking about Uncle Charlie who drank all his life and lived to the ripe old age of 95. He was the exception. Do you want to take that chance? And did the family tell you how Uncle Charlie died in pain from cirrhosis of the liver? Probably not, because no one likes to think of suffering and pain; the family would rather remember Charlie for his wild exploits in life.
The pancreas doesn't like alcohol, either. Excessive use of alcohol can cause pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas, which is the organ that produces insulin and digestive enzymes. Pancreatitis is not a fun disease; it can be very painful. Please not not all pancreatitis is related to alcohol use, it has other causes; so if someone tells you he or she is suffering from pancreatitis, do not jump to the conclusion the person abuses alcohol.
The liver is often associated with heavy alcohol abuse. People who gather statistics on alcohol abuse actually use the rate of cirrhosis of the liver to estimate the number of alcoholics in a given population. Again, cirrhosis can come from other causes but is very often caused by alcohol abuse. Alcohol is metabolized mainly in the liver. When there is an abundance of alcohol in the system, the liver can not metabolize the other toxins that it should be removing from the body. Over time, heavy consumption of alcohol progressively affects the liver. At first, the alcohol causes what is known as fatty liver. Fatty liver is a buildup of fatty tissue around the liver impeding the liver's function. The good news is that if the person stops drinking at this point the liver can heal and return to its normal state. However, if the person continues to drink, alcoholic hepatitis can result. The liver becomes inflamed at this point. The liver's cells are damaged and the liver's function is compromised. Alcohol related hepatitis occurs in about 50% of heavy drinkers. If the person stops drinking, the hepatitis will often stop and the liver will recover. The drinker has now had two strikes and if he or she does not stop, the third strike is not reversible. This is cirrhosis of the liver. The liver has been scarred at this point. Cirrhosis is often fatal and remains one of the main causes of death in alcoholics. Alcoholics who also smoke, have a three times greater risk of contracting cirrhosis from drinking too much.
Next, we journey to the heart. We hear all the time about life style and the effect exercise, diet and especially certain fats have on the cardiovascular system, but alcohol also has an effect. Moderate drinking has been said to have some beneficial effects, however, before you decide to drink to improve your health, check with your doctor. Many people have diseases and take medications that are incompatible with alcohol. If you drink heavily, the effects on the cardiovascular system are harmful. First, the heart is a muscle. We know that a muscle can become weakened. Over time, alcohol can weaken the heart muscle. This weakening is called cardiomyopathy. This condition occurs more frequently in men than women because men tend to drink more heavily than women. However, women need to consume only about 60% of the amount of alcohol that a man consumes to develop this condition. Alcohol can also affect the heart's rhythm. For the heart to work well, the heart's muscles must work in a coordinated fashion. When the muscles do not work together, the result is an arrhythmia. Both acute alcohol intoxication and chronic alcohol abuse are associated with arrhythmias. You might have heard the term holiday heart syndrome. This is when someone who does not usually drink a lot of alcohol, consumes too much alcohol during the holiday season, causing an arrhythmia. Normally, the rhythm will return to normal once the person stops drinking. Arrhythmias are considered one of the major factors in sudden deaths of alcoholics.
Another way that alcohol can adversely affect the body is by causing a stroke. Drinking five or more drinks per day increases a person's risk 250% to 450% according to the United Stated Department of Health and Human Services. Alcohol is associated more with a hemorrhagic stroke in which a blood vessel ruptures, resulting in bleeding into the brain. Even with low levels of alcohol consumption, women are at increased risk for this type of stroke. We know that hypertension or high blood pressure is a risk factor for stroke and heart attack. Alcohol increases the risk of hypertension in men regardless of age or racial group. This is another way that alcohol poses a risk factor.
We do not usually associate the blood system with problems related to heavy drinking, but it does affect the red blood cells and the white blood cells. Heavy drinking can cause anemia which is a condition where there is an abnormally low number of functioning red blood cells. Anemia can cause fatigue, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, reduced mental capacity and abnormal heartbeat. As high as 25% of alcoholics show an increased amount of malformed red blood cells. If a person stops drinking, this condition will usually reverse itself. Certain types of white blood cells are also affected by heavy alcohol consumption. This makes it harder for the body to fight infection. Alcohol also affects platelets which are cells in the blood that help the blood to clot. Heavy drinkers have a reduced platelet function so their blood takes longer than normal to form clots. This is why alcoholics often suffer from bleeding disorders. Because of this reduced clotting factor, alcoholics must be careful if they take medications such as aspirin. The United States Department of Health and Human Services has done extensive research showing that alcohol misuse is associated with an increased frequency and severity of infections such as pneumonia and tuberculosis. Excessive alcohol use can also lead to an increased risk for hepatitis B and C.
The brain in another organ affected by alcohol. Excessive alcohol consumption actually causes critical changes within the brain. The brain starts to shrink in size and the ventricles, which are fluid filled cavities deep inside the brain, start to enlarge. No one is quite sure how these changes cause impairments in thinking but we do know that alcohol leads to deficiencies in areas of problem solving, forming visual association, visual memory, tactile learning and abstraction ability. Though abstinence can help in the recovery of these functions, the amount of recovery is variable, with most of it occurring within the first 2 to 3 weeks of abstinence. Some function does continue to recover within the following months and even into 4 to 5 years later. Older alcoholics do not tend to recover as much cognitive function and they take longer to recover what function is possible. Changes in emotions and personality are also related to chronic excessive alcohol intake.
Another are that alcohol interferes with is sleep. After drinking, a person may feel a sedating effect, but later the alcohol causes an agitating effect, waking the person up and causing a person to have difficulty falling back to sleep. Alcohol also reduces the amount of REM sleep that a person experiences. People who do not have sufficient REM sleep can show signs of stress. Even after abstaining from alcohol, it can take up to two years to regain a normal sleep pattern.
Anyone who decides to drink alcohol should do so in moderation. Moderation is defined as one drink per day for women and no more than two drinks for men. There are some people however that should have no alcohol. The first is children and adolescents. Children's brains are still developing and alcohol can have a detrimental effect on the physical and psychological development of those under 21. Also, any individual at any age, who can not restrict their drinking to a moderate level should avoid alcohol. This is a special concern for anyone that is a recovering alcoholic, a problem drinker or people with a family history of alcoholism. Women who may become pregnant or who are pregnant, should never drink any alcohol. There has been no safe level of alcohol intake established for women at any time during pregnancy, including those first few weeks when the woman may not even realize she is pregnant yet. Birth defects have been known to occur even at low levels of alcohol consumption. If an individual is planning to drive a car or operate any other type of machinery or take part in an activity that requires attention, skill or concentration, the person should not use any alcohol. Another dangerous combination of alcohol, is combining it with prescription or over-the-counter medications. Alcohol alters the effectiveness of some drugs and can increase the toxicity of many medications. If you are going to drink and take any type of medication, check with your health care provider or pharmacist before combining the medication and alcohol. Mixing alcohol and medications is even more dangerous for the older adult.
Alcohol affects all of the body, so if you chose to drink, please do so responsibly and NEVER drink and drive.
Teen Corner:
It happens to most teens; you are at a party and someone offers you a drink. What do you do? You don't want to be different from everyone else. How do you say, "No."?
First, you could just say, "No thank you. I don't like alcohol." If you are the driver for the evening, just say you are the designated driver and cannot drink. Say, "No." and try to change the subject. Walk away, if that seems to be the best course of action. This is one reason to always go to parties with a friend who can help you say, "No." Before going to the party, practice with your parent, brother or sister or friend, the different ways to say, "No.", so you are ready with an answer if someone asks you to have a drink. Remember, not everyone is deinking. Television and the movies may make it seem that way and some other students may tell you everyone drinks, but the truth is many teens never use alcohol.
Alcohol is a drug. It changes the way your mind works. Even one drink can slow your reaction time. It an also confuse your thinking. This can mean a crash if you try and drive after drinking. Confused thinking can also mean that you might do something while under the influence of alcohol that you would not do normally. you may make a fool of yourself, get into a fight or engage in risky behavior. Alcohol can change how you act and feel. What you do under the influence of alcohol could affect the rest of your life. Is a drink really worth the chance?
If you have questions or would like to schedule a presentation, you can call the DWI office at 575-234-9963 or email Ms. Sharif.