For Alcohol Awareness Month, Renz offers free assessments
April is Alcohol Awareness Month, and this year's theme, "Help for Today, Hope for Tomorrow," is a national grass-roots effort to draw attention to the many opportunities people, families, and communities have to educate young people on the dangers of alcohol use.
No other substance is more widely used by American's youth than alcohol, making alcoholism and alcohol-related problems the number one public health problem in the United States.
To help kick off Alcohol Awareness Month, Renz Addiction Counseling Center is encouraging residents to participate in a communitywide three-day Alcohol-Free Weekend April 5-7.
The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence created the Alcohol-Free Weekend to help raise public awareness about the use of alcohol and how it may be affecting families, individuals, schools, businesses and the community.
"If omitting alcohol over 72-hours is difficult or uncomfortable," said Renz Center's Executive Director Jerry Skogmo, "then I would encourage you to complete a comprehensive alcohol assessment. They are available by appointment, and take about an hour to complete."
According to the national council, "Alcohol is the most commonly used addictive substance in the United States. 17.6 million people, or one in every 12 adults, suffer from an alcohol use disorder along with several million more who engage in risky, binge drinking patterns that could lead to alcohol problems. More than half of all adults have a family history of alcoholism or problem drinking, and more than 7 million children live in a household where at least one parent is dependent on or has abused alcohol."
Warning signs of alcohol abuse include: drinking to calm nerves, forget worries or boost a sad mood; guilt about drinking; unsuccessful attempts to cut down or stop drinking; lying about or hiding drinking habits; causing harm to oneself or someone else as a result of drinking; needing to drink increasingly greater amounts in order to achieve desired effects; feeling irritable, resentful or unreasonable when not drinking; and, medical, social, family or financial problems caused by drinking.
The Renz Center provides a continuum of care dedicated to the prevention, intervention and treatment of addictive behaviors related to alcohol, drugs, and gambling. Services range from prevention programs for youth in the schools to outpatient treatment programs for adolescents and adults. Priority is given to pregnant women and women with dependent children. Offices are located in Elgin, St. Charles and Streamwood.
Renz Addiction Counseling Center is licensed by the state of Illinois for its adult and adolescent outpatient treatment programs. Renz Center is a nonprofit organization funded in part by the federal government, Elgin Township, the Illinois Department of Human Services, Hanover Township, Geneva, and St. Charles 708 Mental Health Boards and other local community organizations. To find out more about Renz Center's programs, call (847) 742-3545 or visit RenzCenter.org.