For the past sixteen years Jenny has been a licensed practical nurse at a small rural hospital. What is more, she has also been teaching Sunday school at the local Nazarene Church. Even though she lived in a small rural community where it appeared like every person knew everyone’s business, relatively little was known about Jenny. To be sure everyone knew that she had worked many years as a professional nurse and that she taught Sunday school for as long as she was a resident of their small community. Besides that, nevertheless, it almost appeared as if Jenny was merely a visitor in their town.
You can visualize the hoopla that was created when it was learned that one Sunday morning Jenny had passed out due to intoxication. Indeed, the article in the hometown daily paper mentioned that Jenny not only became unconscious, but that she also was arrested for driving under the influence due to the fact that her blood alcohol level was substantially more than the legal limit for drunk driving. This is clearly one of the alcohol effects on the body that no Sunday school teacher wants to have made public to the entire community. But this is specifically what occurred, much to the consternation of Jenny.
Jenny Gets Extremely Saddened About Her DWI
Clearly, Jenny was quite dissatisfied about her DUI. Not only should she have known better about driving while intoxicated because of her nursing status, but she also should have held herself accountable to a more lofty standard because of the simple fact that she taught Sunday school.
After her arrest for driving while inebriated, Jenny contemplated whether or not she should move out of town so that she would not have to feel troubled about her arrest and also so she wouldn’t have to go over her actions for the hundred thousandth time to the other members of her community. After discussing things with her preacher, nevertheless, she came to a decision that she would get alcohol therapy at a local drug and alcohol treatment hospital. She did this for two basic reasons. First, it was relatively convenient for her to drive to a local rehabilitation clinic. And second, she openly wanted the word to get circulated among all the people in town that she was in all honesty dealing with her drinking behavior.
Jenny Goes Through Detox and Gets a Complete Physical Examination
After Jenny went through alcohol detox, she got thoroughly checked by a healthcare professional at the drug and alcohol rehabilitation hospital. She then underwent a couple of lab procedures where it was verified that she was not dependent on alcohol but instead was involving herself in irresponsible and abusive drinking. In short Jenny was engaging in long term alcohol abuse.
Jenny was provided with the alternative of getting alcohol counseling as a residential patient or getting admitted as an outpatient. Jenny, then again, felt that she could still work as a nurse and keep her Sunday school teaching job if she were to be admitted as an out-patient and this is specifically what she did.
According to her rehabilitation game plan, Jenny went to four treatment sessions every two weeks, she learned more than she thought was possible about alcohol info, she worked on her out-of-class “tasks,” and she learned how to accomplish things in life that did not involve drinking.
After eight weeks, Jenny determined that her abusive and hazardous drinking was under control and so she got discharged from the drug and alcohol treatment hospital under the provision that she would return for follow up treatment once per month for the next eight months. Jenny agreed and followed through on her “word.”
Jenny Comes to a Decision to Abstain From Any and All Drinking Circumstances and Discovers That Her Self Confidence Becomes More Pronounced
After she went through her therapy Jenny reasoned that she would be able to drink more responsibly and in moderation. After reflecting on things more intently, then again, she concluded that she would totally stay away from all drinking situations.
When Jenny arrived at this decision, she discovered that her sense of worth became stronger the better she managed her life. And as her sense of worth grew, it seemed like she became more outgoing and began attending more town events such as carnivals, music festivals, local high school football and basketball games, strawberry festivals, rib roasts, Christmas tree lighting ceremonies, and flower festivals.
Jenny Faces Her Drinking Problem, Decides To Do Something Positive About It, and Rediscovers Her Faith
As time went by, the people in the town exhibited more care for Jenny because she was involving herself with them more frequently and also because she addressed her unhealthy drinking and decided to do something positive about it. It may have been her imagination, but it also seemed as if her Sunday school pupils displayed more respect and affection for her.
Jenny is a living illustration of a person who faced a severe problem and who did something productive about it. She is also an individual who discovered that her religious faith is not only something that is private, but that it is also something that affects the way in which a person works together with other people.