Georgia Alcoholism Statistics
Here are the current statistics on Georgia alcohol abuse:
- 6.9% of Georgians are heavy drinkers. Heavy drinking for men is defined as drinking more than 2 alcoholic drinks a day on average over the past month and for women as drinking more than 1 drink of alcohol a day on average over the past month.
- Heavy drinking in Georgia has increased 18.8% since 2005.
- 16.8% of Georgians binge drink. Binge drinking is defined as consuming 4+ drinks in a single occasion for women and 5+ for men.
- A whopping 23.4% of all driving fatalities in Georgia are alcohol related.
- Athens in Clarke County, GA has the dubious distinction of being the drunkest metro area in Georgia.
- An average of 3,012 people die from acute and chronic alcohol use in Georgia each year. Of those deaths, 2,126 are men and 886 are women.
- Each year more than 19,000 people are arrested in Georgia for driving under the influence of alcohol.
Alcoholism Recovery Resources in Georgia
There are a wide range of resources available to
-
- Georgia AA – Official homepage for Alcoholics Anonymous in Georgia. Find information on workshops
- Atlanta AA – Includes a calendar of Atlanta AA events, meeting information and contact info.
- Georgia Al-Anon – Official homepage for Al-Anon in Georgia.
- Georgia Crisis Line – 1-800-715-4225
- Georgia Department of Public Health
Sources For Statistics
Detox
Here are some of the dangers that occur during the detox process:
- Sweating
- Nausea/Vomiting
- Shakiness/Tremors
- Internal Bleeding
- GI Bleeding
- Liver Damage
- Kidney Damage / Failure
- Seizures
- Heart Attacks
- Heart Failure
- Comas
- Death
In addition to being monitored for these serious health issues, doctors and nurses at the alcohol detox can help mitigate the painful symptoms of withdrawal. You may be prescribed medications to help you throughout the detox process. Some of these medications might be used on a longer-term basis to help with alcohol cravings as well.
After you’ve medically detoxed, the next step is to enter treatment. This is where the true healing takes place.
Inpatient Treatment
Inpatient programs are the best fit for those who meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Chronic relapsers.
- Anyone with a high risk of relapse.
- People less stable living situations.
- Those who are unsure about maintaining sobriety.
- Severe addicts / alcoholics, particularly those with high physical dependencies on a substance.
Mental health specialists are usually present to provide emotional support if you develop psychological symptoms such as mood changes, anxiety, or depression. While inpatient treatment is proven effective in cases of severe drug abuse, clients are faced with major challenges such as absence from work and being away from family or loved ones and do not develop the transitional tools they need to reenter their lives and maintain their sobriety without transitioning into outpatient treatment.
Outpatient Treatment
Your treatment plan will probably include the following.
- Medical detox – Withdrawing “cold turkey” from alcohol can be dangerous. You’ll begin your treatment with a safe, medically-supervised detox that helps you go through the withdrawal process while mitigating some of the painful and dangerous symptoms inherent in the detox process.
- Individualized plan – After a thorough assessment of your history and current status, you’ll receive a plan that’s personalized for you.
- Focused, intensive therapy – At an Atlanta rehab, you’ll get therapy that is based on proven therapeutic techniques that have been shown to work for alcoholics.
- Classes and meetings – You’ll take relapse prevention training, learn about your addiction and learn to live without alcohol.
- Family and social support – Get help for your whole family and learn about resources to help you find a job, housing or legal help.
Auxiliary services also form part of the program and may include these:
- Family therapy
- Holistic therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Skills development
- Referral to a 12-step program or other community-based sober groups
- 24-hour phone support
Typically, you’ll spend several hours each day at the facility. These hours will be spent in therapy, classes, meetings and other activities. Depending on the outcome of your initial assessment, you might have to attend for 30, 60 or 90 days. This flexible schedule allows you to maintain your regular life while you’re getting treatment for your alcoholism. If you’re here from another state, you’ll have the opportunity to start fresh in a new environment. Studies have found that outpatient rehab works just as well as inpatient rehab.
Sober Living
Organization Website – Any established sober living entity should have some semblance of a web page that is readily searchable via Google. Focus on objective information pertaining to the nature of the facility and the credentials of the employees. Make note of any professional designations/acronyms and job titles that are unclear so that you may research them as necessary. Keep in mind that any statements about success rates are impossible to verify and should be taken with a grain of salt; a former resident might have been sober “last we heard,” but how long ago was that, and how does anyone know that this person was being truthful?
Reputation – Check Yelp, Google, or other similar review mechanisms to see what others are saying about the organization. Read all commentary discerningly and place more weight on statements made by parents or other family members of residents. Statements made by residents themselves are more likely to be emotive in nature; let’s face it: sober living is not always an enjoyable experience (particularly in very early recovery), so it should not be hard to understand why an otherwise high overall rating may have been marred by a one-star review made by a former resident whose high level of obstinacy caused him or her to butt heads with the residence manager.
Names in the News – Perform general internet searches on the organization itself and its key personnel. Are there any stories giving praise and accolades? Has the organization ever been involved in any type of scandal? Were there ever any allegations or suspicions of illegal activities such as insurance fraud or patient brokering (soliciting or receiving any remunerations in return for referring a patient or patronage to a recovery home, clinical treatment facility, or laboratory) directed against this organization or any of its staff?
Word of Mouth – The most useful and detailed information about a sober living organization or arrangement will always come from trusted friends or acquaintances who are, or have been, residents of it. Recommendations from mental health professionals may prove to be quite valuable as well.