For the past thirty-two years Jenny has been an RN at a inner city hospital. What is more, she has also been teaching Sunday school at the local Calvinist Church. Although she lived in a medium size countryside community where it appeared like everybody knew everyone’s business, almost nothing was known about Jenny. Without a doubt almost everyone knew that she had worked many years as a licensed practical nurse and that she taught Sunday school for as long as she was a resident of their town. Other than that, nonetheless, it almost seemed as if Jenny was merely a visitor in their community.

You can imagine the hubbub that took place when it was found out that one Sunday morning Jenny had lost consciousness due to too much alcohol. If truth be told, the article in the hometown daily paper stated that Jenny not only became unconscious, but that she also was arrested for drunk driving due to the fact that her blood alcohol content was three times the legal limit for intoxication. This is evidently one of the alcohol effects on the body that no Sunday school teacher wants to have broadcasted to the entire community. But this is precisely what transpired, much to the embarrassment of Jenny.

Jenny Gets Very Dismayed About Her Drunk Driving Arrest

Needless to say, Jenny was very displeased about her DUI. Not only should she have known better about drinking and driving because of her nursing position, but she also should have held herself accountable to a more elevated standard because of the simple fact that she taught Sunday school.

After her DWI arrest, Jenny thought about moving out of town so that she would not have to feel dissatisfied about her arrest and also so she wouldn’t have to give details about her actions for the hundredth time to other town residents. After discussing things with her minister, then again, she made up her mind that she would get alcohol rehabilitation at a local drug and alcohol treatment center. She did this for two basic reasons. First, it was relatively convenient for her to drive to a local counseling clinic. And second, she openly wanted the word to get out among all the people in the community that she was honestly dealing with her abusive drinking.

Jenny Goes Through Alcohol Detoxification and Gets an Extensive Examination

After Jenny went through detoxification, she got thoroughly examined by a doctor at the rehab center. She then underwent a couple of laboratory procedures where it was verified that she was not alcohol dependent but instead was involving herself in abusive and irresponsible drinking. In short Jenny was engaging in long term alcohol abuse.

Jenny was given the option of getting admitted as an in-patient or getting alcohol rehabilitation as an outpatient. Jenny, then again, felt that she could still work as a nurse practitioner and retain her Sunday school teaching job if she were to be registered as an out-patient and this is exactly what she did.

According to her counseling action plan, Jenny went to four counseling sessions per week, she learned quite a bit about alcohol info, she worked on her homework “assignments,” she got counseling for her depression and other mental health issues, and she found out how to do things in life that did not involve drinking.

After fifteen weeks, Jenny felt like her unhealthy drinking was under control and so she got released from the drug and alcohol rehab hospital under the provision that she would return for follow up treatment once per month for the next six months. Jenny agreed and followed through on her “word of honor.”

Jenny Decides to Refrain From Any and All Drinking Situations and Learns That Her Self Respect Increases

After she went through her rehab Jenny concluded that she would be able to drink more responsibly and in moderation. After reflecting on things for a short while, however, she concluded that she would totally abstain from any and all drinking situations.

When Jenny arrived at this determination, she found out that her self image increased the more she took control over her life. And as her self-respect grew, it seemed like she became more gregarious and began going to more local functions such as Christmas tree lighting ceremonies, flower festivals, carnivals, music festivals, rib roasts, strawberry festivals, and local high school basketball and football games.

Jenny Faces Her Hazardous and Abusive Drinking, Decides To Do Something Positive About It, and Reaffirms Her Faith

As the months went by, the people in the town exhibited more consideration for Jenny because she was involving herself with them more routinely and also because she faced her excessive and abusive drinking and decided to do something affirmative about it. It may have been her imagination, but it also seemed as if her Sunday school pupils demonstrated more admiration and respect for her.

Jenny is a living example of someone who had a serious issue and who did something affirmative about it. She is also a person who found out that her religious faith is not only something that is private, but that it is also something that affects the way in which an individual relates to other individuals.

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