Dr. Karl Benzio of Lighthouse Network Discusses Warning Signs of Alcohol Abuse During April – Alcohol Awareness Month

Dr. Karl Benzio of Lighthouse Network Discusses Warning Signs of Alcohol Abuse During April – Alcohol Awareness Month
April 20, 2012 Lighthouse Network

Lighthouse Network Unveils New Web Site, with Online Tools to Help the Hurting

Philadelphia, PA—April is Alcohol Awareness Month, a time when those who may be struggling with alcohol abuse issues can take the first steps to help themselves or a loved one.

Nearly 17.6 million adults in the United States are alcoholics or have alcohol abuse problems, which are characterized by a strong need to drink, a loss of control when it comes to alcohol, physical dependence on alcohol, or a tolerance to alcohol so that more and more is “needed” to feel the effects.

Karl Benzio, M.D. is the founder, executive director and a psychiatrist at the Lighthouse Network, an addiction and mental health referral program that also provides the Lighthouse Addiction Helpline , a free 24-hour counseling helpline. The addiction expert says that alcohol abuse is one of the country’s greatest addiction problems and leads to countless devastating consequences in all areas of life.

“I can’t tell you the number of people I’ve spoken with in my career whose lives have been ruined by alcohol,” Benzio said. “That need to have just one more drink has disintegrated marriages, broken apart families, extinguished bright futures and even ended lives. And yes, it’s a cliché, but the first step is realizing when there is a problem. This goes for both the one dealing personally with the abuse as well as for the friends and family members of the person who is struggling.”
The warning signs of alcohol abuse can include:

·       Drinking alone when you feel angry or sad.

·       When drinking makes you late for work or suffer in your job performance.

·       If your family worries about your drinking.

·       When you drink even after you tell yourself you won’t.

·       If you forget what you did or said while you were drinking.

·       If you get headaches or hangovers after drinking.

Other alarming statistics about alcohol include:

·       Alcohol is the 3rd leading cause of death in the US .
·       70% of society will have a parent, child, sibling or spouse with an addiction in their lifetimes.
·       12% of American adults will have an alcohol addiction in their lifetimes.
·       Alcohol is a multimodal illness with biological, psychological and spiritual influences, but also adversely affects people biologically, psychologically, and spiritually.

Lighthouse Network is a Christian-based addiction and mental health social service agency, guiding struggling people through storms to find peace, including those who are struggling with alcohol abuse. Lighthouse finds answers for people who have a hard time defining their particular problem and who also have difficulty finding the right answers from other often-confusing sources.

Lighthouse Network recently unveiled their new web site at www.lighthousenetwork.org , where those struggling can find help for their addiction problems, or family members can find help for a loved one.  The new website has more online help for those struggling with alcohol, addictions, and other mental health or life management issues for those who want to improve and grow in their personal development.

The new site includes:

•        Lighthouse Network’s treatment beliefs, spiritual beliefs and core values.
•        Services available through Lighthouse Network , such as the addiction and counseling helpline, curriculum and workshops, and the Rewind Life decision-making program.
•        Stories of “Changed Lives”
•        Information about the partnership with Julie Woodley and Restoring The Heart Ministries.
•        Lighthouse Network news and events.
•        Free resources for topics ranging from addictions, eating disorders and mental health to decision-making skills and relationships, with additional helpful links.

Through its new web site, Lighthouse Network offers several resources for those struggling with addiction, as well as for their families, including Stepping Stones , a free daily devotional for managing life’s stressors and storms and equipping readers with healthy decision-making skills. Visit https://lighthousenetwork.org/stepping-stones/ to read the devotionals and sign up to receive them daily via email.

Many discover the Lighthouse Addiction Helpline after searching through other options that may not be a fit, and many are encouraged as Lighthouse Network finds life-changing treatment that altogether addresses spirit, mind and body, concerning addiction or psychiatric issues.

For more information on Lighthouse Network, visit www.lighthousenetwork.org or call toll-free (844) 543-3242.

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To schedule interviews with Dr. Karl Benzio at Lighthouse Network, contact Deborah Hamilton at dhamilton@hamiltonstrategies.com, 215-815-7716 or 610-584-1096.

Lighthouse Network is a Christian-based, non-profit organization that offers a mental health and addiction referral program and helpline that strives to equip people and organizations with the skills necessary to shine God’s glory to the world, stand strong on a solid foundation in the storms of their own lives, and provide guidance and safety to others experiencing stormy times, thus impacting their lives, their families and the world.

Dr. Karl Benzio, M.D. is the founder and executive director of Lighthouse Network. With a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering, Benzio went on to medical school and then specialized in psychiatry. His experiences include teaching pastors, ministry leaders and students counseling and conflict resolution skills in Uganda and Kenya; leading a behavioral health team into post-Hussein Iraq to equip health care specialists with treatment and assessment skills; and successfully testifying for Pennsylvania House of Representatives opposing legislation for Plan B contraception administration and for President George Bush’s Council on Bioethics regarding Right of Conscience. His specialties include Adolescents, Addictions, Decision-Making, Infusing Spirituality into Practical Treatment Modalities, and the Ramifications of Decision-Making on Social Policy.

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