Dante was a seventeen year old high school senior who was exhibiting quite a few alcohol-related difficulties at school. As a result, the principal told him that he had to see Miss Johnson, the school counselor, before he would be allowed to return to school.
Later that day when Dante went home after school, he had to go over his school expulsion with his Mother and Father. His Mom and Dad were “fairly old-fashioned” and explained to Dante that getting suspended from school was not a satisfactory educational plan of action. They explained to Dante that failing to graduate from high school would more likely than not be like a lead weight around his ankles that could probably hamper his educational achievement for the remainder of his life. Furthermore, Dante’s Mother and Father were very distraught that he was drinking in the first place and drinking with his classmates in the second.
His Mom and Dad explained to Dante that although he may be young, he needs to comprehend fairly rapidly that drinking is the pathway to ill health, failure, financial problems, and pain.
It was obvious that his parents were in total concurrence with Dante’s principal and informed Dante that he had better come to the understanding that he needs to see Miss Johnson, the school psychologist. After his chat with his Mother and Father, Dante at long last agreed to see Miss Johnson the next school day. So Dante phoned the school and made an appointment to see Miss Johnson the next morning.
The Therapist Asks Dante if He Comprehends Why His Recent Alcohol-Related Behavior Signaled Such Alarm By the School Administrators
When Dante went to see Miss Johnson, she instantaneously looked at all of the alcohol-related problems Dante had gotten into and asked him if he knew why his recent alcohol-related behavior was such a cause for concern.
Quite candidly, Dante was unsure why the principal informed him that he had to see a school therapist. As he stated to Miss Johnson, why should he see a professional counselor about his drinking circumstances? Since nearly all of his friends drink the same amount that he does, drinking really is no big issue. Stated more explicitly, if almost everybody is drinking, why is this such a major problem?
Miss Johnson asked Dante when he started to drink alcoholic beverages. He said that some of his older pals introduced him to drinking wine coolers when he was twelve or thirteen years old and in the seventh grade.
Miss Johnson informed Dante that while his buddies may in fact drink more than he does and that they may be a bad influence on him, the facts are that he is the one who is getting removed from school due to alcohol-related absenteeism, fighting, and delinquency, not his friends. Moreover, Miss Johnson also highlighted the fact that Dante, and not his peers, is the one who is failing and who is missing almost two days of class every week because of his alcohol related difficulties. Finally, Miss Johnson emphasized the fact that because of his drinking circumstances, Dante is getting into a dangerous cycle of excessive drinking that can in the end wreck his hopes, dreams and aspirations.
In a word, Dante’s involvement with teenage alcohol abuse was starting to short-circuit his ability to act like a responsible young man. As verbalized by Miss Johnson, “Just because most of your pals drink wine coolers, beer, hard liquor, or wine does not mean that it is the healthiest thing in the world for you.”
Dante Learns That In the End He Must Be Responsible For Himself In Order to Avert Dangerous, Damaging, Destructive, and Unhealthy Situations Down the Road
Miss Johnson told Dante that one’s friends can definitely influence an individual in a negative way, but that the individual herself or himself has to in the end claim responsibility for himself or herself in order to avert dangerous, damaging, destructive, and unhealthy situations in the foreseeable future.
Fortunately, Miss Johnson was very organized for her scheduled appointment with Dante. She showed him research studies and reports she had highlighted that listed various drinking statistics and facts that targeted most people in general. Then she showed Dante quite a bit of information that applied chiefly to adolescents.
For instance, Miss Johnson emphasized the difference between alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse and informed Dante that people who continue to abuse alcohol commonly become addicted to alcohol.
Miss Johnson also went over the concept of binge drinking which she defined as follows: ingesting five or more drinks in one sitting for males and consuming four or more drinks in one sitting for females.
The Therapist Conveys A Number Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Statistics and Facts
Then Miss Johnson verbalized various alcohol facts and the following eight alcohol abuse statistics:
1. As revealed by the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, there are 105,000 yearly alcohol-related fatalities in the United States due to drunk drivers and related injuries, diseases, or medical conditions.
2. Approximately twenty-five percent of all U.S. people who register in general hospitals have alcohol problems or are undiagnosed alcoholics who are being treated for the effects of their abusive drinking.
3. Alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse are the third leading cause of preventable deaths in the U.S..
4. More than seven percent of the population that is 18 years old and older — just about 13.8 million Americans — has drinking problems, including 8.1 million drinkers who suffer from alcohol addiction.
5. 500,000 Americans who are dependent on alcohol are between the ages of 9 and 12.
6. As demonstrated by one U.S. study of 18 to 24 year-old current drinkers who did not graduate from high school, about 60% started to drink before they were sixteen years old.
7. Currently, roughly 14 million Americans, 1 in every 13 adults, are alcohol abusers or are addicted to alcohol.
8. According to the research literature, non-alcoholic members of alcoholic’s families use ten times as much sick time as families who do not exhibit alcohol abuse or alcoholism.
Dante Receives A Relevant Primer on the Facts About the Short Term and the Long Term Effects of Adolescent Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse
After Miss Johnson conveyed the aforementioned alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse statistics and facts, it was evident that what Miss Johnson disclosed to Dante was a real shock to him. Why? Because for the first time in his young life, someone not only made the effort to explain the short term and the long term outcomes of alcoholism and alcohol abuse, but she also made the effort to demonstrate what she was saying with alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction facts and statistics that related to everyone in general, and especially to today’s youth.
Without a doubt, it was almost as if a light went on and Dante instantaneously understood why he should not be engaging in hazardous and excessive drinking with or without his peers anymore. Dante thanked Miss Johnson for her concern and for the material she reviewed.
Miss Johnson then asked Dante how he felt about getting a physical examination and an alcohol evaluation for the alcohol abuse or alcoholism rehabilitation he would probably need.
Dante thought about this for few minutes and then agreed to get a complete physical exam and to go through an extensive assessment of his drinking circumstances so that he could start an alcohol abuse or alcoholism treatment program as reasonable as possible.
Technorati Tags: alcohol abuse, alcohol abuse statistics, alcohol statistics, alcohol treatment, alcoholism, alcoholism facts, alcoholism statistics, long term effects of alcohol, short term effects of alcohol, teen alcohol abuse, teen alcohol abuse statistics, teenage alcohol abuse