Alcohol Addiction Hurts Your Baby

Most women know that drinking excessively isn’t good for an unborn child, and many have heard of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) - the worst consequence of alcohol addiction in pregnant mothers. But few women are aware of the fact that even one drink a week can harm their unborn child.
FAS affects thousands of children every year. Untreatable birth defects that lead to poor memory, attention problems, impulsive behavior, and other mental and emotional issues make these children difficult to educate and raise. Their lives often turn into a maelstrom of drug and alcohol addiction, substance-related crime, and violence. Statistically, kids with FAS are more likely to die violent deaths than others. Other than miscarriage or dying in the womb, FAS is the worst consequence of drinking while pregnant.

But even mothers who have one drink a week are risking problems for their child. A study called Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Predicts Continued Deficits in Offspring Size at 14 Years of Age found that 14-year-old children of mothers who had just one drink per week during pregnancy are smaller (including smaller head size – which can indicate smaller brains) than children of mothers who didn’t drink at all.
Another study, Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Childhood Behavior at Age 6 to 7, found that children of mothers who had one drink a week were more likely to act like little juvenile delinquents.
In fact, there are many similar studies and they all show the same thing: children of mothers who drink, even one drink a week, are much more likely than other children to have problems with attention and memory, hyperactivity, impulsive behavior, social skills, communication skills, mood swings, and so on – all the problems that have resulted in so many children being put on drugs just to be able to get through a day at school. These kids, like the FAS kids, are also more prone to drug and alcohol addiction and abuse.
Why does so little alcohol cause such disastrous effects? While alcohol is dangerous for adults, mature bodies process alcohol very quickly. Unless the person is drinking continuously, the alcohol is flushed out of their system quickly.
When you’re pregnant, the alcohol passes through your body to the placenta – the baby’s food supply – very quickly and the baby can’t get rid of it for quite a while. It stays in their little body for a long time, effecting their development every step of the way. So, the occasional drink for mom can be the equivalent of continuous drinking for baby. This can create the same effect as alcohol addiction and dependency does in an adult.
Recent research showed that one night of drinking can impair an adult’s thinking for a month. Multiply that by many times, along with the physical deterioration, and you’ll have an idea of what it does to an unborn baby.
If you’re planning on becoming pregnant, now is the time to quit drinking - even if you only have one drink a week. Since we don’t often know we’re pregnant until we’re two or three months along, waiting until you know is a mistake.
If you have a problem with alcohol addiction or have trouble stopping, get into an alcohol rehab program that will help you quit drinking and help make sure you don’t relapse while you’re pregnant.
However, if you have a problem with alcohol addiction, dependency or abuse and are already pregnant, make sure you consult with your doctor and a good drug and alcohol rehab specialist before you quit drinking. The withdrawal process can be very stressful physically, and may also damage the baby.
Let’s face it, life is hard enough. Whether you have a serious alcohol addiction problem that requires alcohol rehab or just have to quit having the occasional social drink, do it. Give your child every possible chance to have a good life.

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Stop Drinking Alcohol

Contrary to what you may have heard alcohol addiction is not an incurable brain disease. In fact, it is not a disease at all! But, for decades people have believed that alcohol addiction is a disease. Most psychologists, counselors, specialists and recovery groups today still believe that alcohol addiction is an incurable disease that must be managed for a lifetime, and that "there is no complete cure to stop drinking alcohol!” However, alcohol addiction is not a genetically predisposed disease that is handed down through faulty genes, and it is possible to stop drinking alcohol in 60 days! The following theories represent the current bio-psychosocial disease model of alcohol addiction as presented by the National Institute on Drug Abuse as well as the U.S. medical community:

1.The biological theory - Suggests that habitual users of alcohol have a biological abnormality that causes them to develop an addiction. The theory suggests that certain individuals are genetically predisposed to addiction by a faulty gene or perhaps a chemical imbalance in the brain, which renders alcohol addiction an incurable disease!
2. The psychological theory - Views alcohol addiction as problematic behavior. In other words the individual uses alcohol to enjoy the effects that it has on the mind and body.
3. The sociological theory - Suggests that societies which produce higher levels of inner tensions such as guilt, stress, suppressed aggression and conflict have higher rates of alcohol addiction. Furthermore, the model suggests that societies that are permissive of and encourage such behavior have higher rates of addiction.
Alcoholism is not a disease
Millions of people in the United States have parents who suffered from alcohol addiction, while they are not addicted to substances of any kind, and never have been. However, it’s no big secret that Alcoholics Anonymous believes that Alcoholism is a genetic disease since they attempt to enlist you for a lifetime of servitude in their organization!
It is also no big secret that people enjoy the effects of alcohol! But, why can some enjoy it occasionally while others need it daily? The stark difference here is that the occasional drinker is using it just for that; enjoying the experience while the habitual drinker is using alcohol to deaden the pain of their emotional trauma. In many ways, this is a solution for people addicted to alcohol! It diverts them from having to face the truth and deal with the emotional pain. But, I assure you there is a better way to deal with the emotional pain and rid ones self of addiction. One that doesn’t include Alcoholic’s Anonymous and can be utilized in the privacy of your home!
Alcohol addiction is not a disease because it is actually a symptom that arises due to the need to deaden the pain of underlying emotional trauma caused by family dysfunction. Once the emotional pain is removed and self-esteem is restored, the addiction disappears and alcohol becomes repulsive.
Most recovery groups including Alcoholics Anonymous place a great deal of emphasis on spirituality, powerlessness, and the emergence of a person's sense of soul. They claim many of the steps of the twelve-step program to be paradoxical. Concluding that you are powerless over addiction, but like magic, you some how become more powerful! The goal of the program is a spiritual awakening although they often admit that most people find it difficult to make this connection because they feel victimized by someone else's behavior. My experience teaches me to conclude that admitting you are powerless when it comes to overcoming alcoholism does not promote empowerment, and nor does it restore self-esteem! In my opinion, many of the twelve steps are not only unnecessary, but they are also counterproductive to making a spiritual connection, increasing self-esteem, and overcoming alcoholism.
Although the spiritual aspect of AA is by far the most positive factor in the program, most people fail to make that connection and adopt victimization instead. Which leads us to the Sixty-Four Thousand dollar question; how can you restore self-esteem when you have concluded that you are a victim? The answer is you can’t! The key to overcoming any addiction is first, liberating your self from the family dysfunction that has caused your emotional pain, and second, restoring your self-esteem. The likelihood that you will achieve those successes sitting in a church hall week after week, admitting that you are an alcoholic, counting the days of abstinence, and finding comfort in sharing your victimization with others is slim to none.

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