HOME Analyze This References Class Home Page	Even though alcohol is a depressant, it can also give stimulating effects. With that in mind, it may be important and beneficial to help recovering alcohol addicts identify and understand their feelings. That is, when the alcohol addicts attempt to achieve sobriety, mental health workers can help them identify their feelings and more healthy ways to achieve those good feelings and to have fun without alcohol" (Zakrzewski, Robert F., Hector, Mark A.2004.p.12) A phenomenological study was done by Zakrzewski and Hector with the "purpose to identify commonalities in the experience of alcohol addiction among seven male members of Alcoholics Anonymous"(Zakrzewski, Robert F.,Hector, Mark A.2004.p.1). "All of the participants in some way addressed a feeling of low self-worth, low self-esteem,shame, guilt, embarrassment, inadequacy, or insecurity and that alcohol helped them to escape or hide from those feelings. These findings are similar to those of previous researchers who found that drinking helped men escape from inner conflict and reduce their self-rejecting attitudes (Kaplan, 1980; McClelland et al., 1972). Therefore, helping alcohol addicts cope with such feelings in ways other than with alcohol or other destructive ways is important" (Zakrzewski, Robert F.,Hector, Mark A.2004.p.13) It is vital to help alcohol addicts learn how to cope with the stressors of everyday life (Monti, Kadden, Rohsenow, Cooney,&Abrams, 2002). "All of the participants talked about the turning point in their lives when they made the move from practicing alcoholics to recovering alcoholics. Somereferred to this as their 'rock bottom' and all recalled the exact time in their life when they made the decision to stop drinking. Consistent with Orford et al. (2002) and Finfgeld (1998), the current study shows the need to help alcohol addicts think about the benefits and drawbacks of their drinking. Those mental health professionals who work with alcohol addicts may find it beneficial to help the addicts conduct a cost-benefit analysis of their drinking. Since alcohol addiction tends to affect all aspects of a person's life, helping alcohol addicts identify these effects may help them decide to attempt or continue sobriety. It would be especially important to identify how alcohol affects the important aspects of the alcohol addict's life"(Zakrzewski, Robert F., Hector, Mark A.2004.p.13)