Touchstone Ranch Executive Letter

As CEO & Executive Director of Touchstone Ranch Recovery Center, my number one goal is to be of maximum service to God and the still suffering alcoholic and drug addict. Helping them build a solid spiritual foundation for life thus changing their acts, habits, thoughts and character.

I have been doing this for over twenty two years one day at a time. Remember that if nothing changes nothing changes.

Helping build a solid spiritual foundation for life. Insuring that the individual seeking substance abuse recovery is offered an efficient, effective and appropriate continuum of service. This will enable them to lead a normal life with their family and to become productive members of society by changing their acts, habits, thoughts and character one day at a time.

My objective is to serve and protect the safety and welfare of those receiving substance abuse recovery here at Touchstone Ranch Recovery Center.

May God give you and yours a big blessing today.

Sincerely,

Frank Reed

CEO & Executive Director

Touchstone Ranch Recovery Center

SEMPER FI,

Frank Reed, CEO/Executive Director of Touchstone Ranch Recovery Center writes, “Most people don’t understand about alcoholism, they think you can just quit, just say no. There is a lot more to it that you need to understand. Alcoholism is a fatal disease. A number one killer in America. It is not about how, why, when, or how much. What does it do to you when you drink it? Does it altar your thinking? Does your behavior change? Does it obstruct you from your objective? Alcoholics become thieves of the worst kind. They steal from those that are near and dear to them, the right to love and happiness. I will try and explain how alcoholics get to this point.”

People have been brewing and fermenting alcoholic drinks since the dawn of civilization. Consumed in moderate amounts, alcoholic beverages are relaxing and in some cases may even have beneficial effects on heart health. Consumed in excess, alcohol is poisonous to human systems and is considered a drug. It is estimated that between 12 and 14 million adults in the U.S. abuse alcohol or are chronic alcoholics. Nearly 100,000 Americans die each year as a result of alcohol abuse, and alcohol is a factor in more than half of the country's homicides, suicides, and traffic accidents. Alcohol abuse also plays a role in many social and domestic problems, from job absenteeism and crimes against property to spousal and child abuse.

The immediate physical effects of drinking alcohol range from mild mood changes to complete loss of coordination, vision, balance, and speech — any of which can be signals of acute alcohol intoxication, or drunkenness. These effects usually wear off in a matter of hours after a person stops drinking. Many law enforcement agencies regard a .08 percentage of alcohol in the bloodstream as evidence of intoxication. Larger amounts of blood alcohol can impair brain function, liver damage, and eventually cause unconsciousness. An extreme overdose, alcohol poisoning, can be fatal.

Chronic alcoholism is a progressive, potentially fatal disease, characterized by an incessant craving for, increased tolerance of, physical dependence upon, and loss of control over drinking alcohol. The physical dependence on alcohol may or may not be obvious to other people. While some chronic alcoholics get very drunk, others exercise enough control to give the appearance of coping with everyday affairs in a near-normal way. However, alcoholism can lead to a number of physical ailments, including hypoglycemia, high blood pressure, brain and heart damage, end-stage liver damage, enlarged blood vessels in the skin, chronic gastritis, and recurrent pancreatitis.

Alcoholism can also lead to impotence in men, damage to the fetus in pregnant women, and an elevated risk of cancer of the larynx, esophagus, liver, breast, stomach, pancreas, and upper gastrointestinal tract. Because alcoholics seldom have adequate diets, they are likely to have nutritional deficiencies. Heavy drinkers typically have impaired liver function, and at least one in five develops cirrhosis.

The alcoholic's continual craving for alcohol makes abstinence - an important goal of treatment - extremely difficult. The condition is also complicated by denial: Alcoholics employ a range of psychological maneuvers to blame their problems on something other than drink, creating significant barriers to recovery. Historically, alcoholic behavior was blamed on a character flaw or weakness of will; many authorities now consider chronic alcoholism a disease that can afflict anyone.

Virtually every culture has warned against overuse of alcohol, and some have prohibited it outright, rarely with lasting success. While laws and educational programs in the United States are designed to prevent alcohol abuse, commercial and social pressure continues to put people at risk. Alcoholism is particularly insidious among young people and the elderly, in part because the symptoms are not easily recognized until the affected person becomes truly alcohol dependent.

The cause of alcoholism seems to be a blend of genetic, physical, psychological, environmental, and social factors that vary among individuals. Genetic factors are considered crucial: A given person's risk of becoming an alcoholic is four to five times greater if a parent is alcoholic. Some children of alcohol abusers, however, overcome the hereditary pattern by not drinking any alcohol at all.

You might not realize that you have a drinking problem. You might not drink every day, or you might not drink large amounts when you drink. You might go for days or weeks between drinking episodes. You might say you're a "social drinker." But even if you don't drink very often, it's still possible to be abusing alcohol and to be at risk for becoming addicted to it.

Symptoms of alcohol abuse in children and teens sometimes are different from adult symptoms.

Signs of alcohol abuse

Watch for the following signs of alcohol abuse:

You have problems at work or school because of your drinking. These may include being late or absent, being injured at work, and not doing your job or schoolwork as well as you can.

You drink in dangerous situations, such as before or while driving a car.

You have blackouts. This means that after a drinking episode you cannot remember what happened while you were drinking.

You have legal problems because of your drinking, such as being arrested for harming someone or driving while drunk (intoxicated).

You get hurt or you hurt someone else when you are drinking.

You continue to drink despite health problems that are caused or made worse by alcohol use, such as liver disease (cirrhosis).

Your friends or family members are worried about your drinking.

Signs of alcohol dependence or addiction

Watch for the following signs of alcohol dependence or addiction:

You cannot quit drinking or control how much you drink. You drink more often than you want to, or you drink larger amounts than you want to.

You need to drink more to get the same effect.

You have withdrawal symptoms when you stop drinking. These include feeling sick to your stomach, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety.

You spend a lot of time drinking and recovering from drinking, or you have given up other activities so you can drink.

You have tried unsuccessfully to quit drinking or to cut back the amount you drink.

You continue to drink even though it harms your relationships and causes you to develop physical problems.

Other signs of possible trouble with alcohol include the following:

You drink in the morning, are drunk often for long periods of time, or drink alone.

You change what you drink, such as switching from beer to wine because you think that doing this will help you drink less or keep you from getting drunk.

You feel guilty after drinking. You fear you won't have enough alcohol for the evening or weekend.

You make excuses for your drinking or do things to hide your drinking, such as buying alcohol at different stores. You have weight loss or a sore, upset stomach (gastritis), or redness of the nose and cheeks.

I hope and pray that this will help you understand that people suffering from the disease of addiction and/or alcoholism need help. Please call and talk to one of our staff members about helping your significant other.

Sincerely,

Frank Reed