A Stressed Out High School Student Displays Quite a Few Alcohol-Related Difficulties, Gets Removed From School, Has to See the School Counselor, and Then Realizes That He Can Take On a Positive Leadership Role With His Pals
Dante was a sixteen year old high school junior who was displaying quite a few alcohol-related difficulties at school. Therefore, the principal explained to him that he had to see Miss Johnson, the school therapist, before he would be permitted to return to class.
Later that afternoon when Dante went home after school, he had to explain his school suspension to his Mother and Father. His Mother and Father were “fairly conservative” and explained to Dante that getting removed from school was not a satisfactory educational game plan. They explained to Dante that failing to graduate from high school would more likely than not be like a lead weight around his feet that could quite possibly hinder his educational aspirations for the rest of his life. Moreover, Dante’s Mom and Dad were very displeased that he was drinking in the first place and drinking with his peers in the second.
They told Dante that although he may be an adolescent, he has to realize rather quickly that drinking is the pathway to ill health, failure, financial problems, and pain.
It was apparent that his parents were on the same page as Dante’s principal and explained to Dante that he had better make up his mind to see Miss Johnson, the school counselor. After his chat with his parents, Dante at last agreed to see Miss Johnson the next school day. So Dante phoned the school and scheduled an appointment to see Miss Johnson the next day during his third period class.
The Therapist Asks Dante if He Comprehends Why His Recent Alcohol-Related Activities Caused Quite a Bit of Anxiety By the School Administrators
When Dante got to his scheduled appointment with Miss Johnson, she immediately looked at all of the alcohol-related problems Dante had experienced and asked him if he understood why his recent alcohol-related actions were such a cause for concern.
Quite candidly, Dante was not sure why the principal explained to him that he had to see a school psychologist. As he stated to Miss Johnson, why should he see a professional psychologist about his drinking activities? In view of the fact that almost all of his friends drink as much if not more than he does, for all intents and purposes, drinking is no big issue. Stated another way, if nearly everybody is drinking, why is this such a major issue?
Miss Johnson asked Dante when he started to drink alcoholic beverages. He said that some of his older pals introduced him to drinking beer when he was twelve or thirteen years old and getting ready to enter the seventh grade.
Miss Johnson explained to Dante that while his pals 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 suspended from school due to alcohol-related absenteeism, fighting, and delinquency, not his classmates. Not only this but Miss Johnson also underlined the fact that Dante, and not his pals, is the one who is failing and who is missing at least two days of school per week due to his alcohol related difficulties. Lastly, Miss Johnson stressed the fact that due to his drinking activities, Dante is getting into a harmful cycle of alcohol abuse that can finally wreck his dreams, hopes, and aspirations.
In short, Dante’s involvement with teenage alcohol abuse was starting to impede his ability to behave like an accountable young man. As articulated by Miss Johnson, “Just because most of your buddies drink wine, beer, hard liquor, or wine coolers does not mean that it is the healthiest thing for you.”
Dante Learns That In the End He Must Be Responsible For Himself In Order to Avert Unhealthy, Damaging, Dangerous, and Destructive Situations In the Future
Miss Johnson told Dante that other individuals can definitely influence an individual in an unhealthy manner, but that the person himself or herself has to sooner or later be accountable for herself or himself in order to stay away from dangerous, damaging, unhealthy, and destructive effects down the road.
Fortunately, Miss Johnson was very well equipped for her meeting with Dante. She showed him research studies and reports she had underlined that summarized different drinking facts and statistics that targeted most people in general. Then she showed Dante quite a bit of figures and reports that applied chiefly to teens.
For example, Miss Johnson underscored the difference between alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse and explained to Dante that people who continue to drink in a hazardous manner more often than not become alcohol dependent.
Miss Johnson also discussed the concept of binge drinking which she defined as follows: drinking four or more drinks in one sitting for females and ingesting five or more drinks in one sitting for males.
The Psychologist Presents More Than a Few Alcohol Addiction and Alcohol Abuse Facts and Statistics
Then Miss Johnson conveyed various alcohol facts and the following eight alcohol abuse statistics:
1. As demonstrated by the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, there are 105,000 yearly alcohol-related deaths in the U.S. because of inebriated drivers and related diseases, injuries, or medical conditions.
2. Roughly twenty-five percent of all U.S. individuals who register in general hospitals have alcohol problems or are undiagnosed individuals who are alcohol dependent who are being treated for the effects of their heavy drinking.
3. Alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse are the third leading cause of preventable deaths in the United States.
4. More than 7 percent of the population that is 18 years old and older — around 13.8 million Americans — has drinking problems, including 8.1 million drinkers who suffer from alcohol dependency.
5. 500,000 Americans who are addicted to alcohol are between the ages of 9 and 12.
6. As revealed by one U.S. survey of 18 to 24 year-old current drinkers who failed to complete high school, just about sixty percent started to drink before they were sixteen years old.
7. Currently, around 14 million Americans, 1 in every 13 adults, abuse alcohol or are alcoholic.
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 display drinking problems.
Dante Receives A Meaningful Primer on the Facts About the Short Term and the Long Term Consequences of Teen Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
After Miss Johnson presented the aforementioned alcoholism and alcohol abuse statistics and facts, it was apparent that what Miss Johnson taught Dante was a real bombshell to him. Why? Because for the first time in his young life, someone not only made the effort to go over the long term and the short term results of alcoholism and alcohol abuse, but she also made the effort to support what she was saying with alcoholism and alcohol abuse statistics and facts that related to everyone in general, and chiefly to teens.
Without a doubt, it was almost as if a light went on and Dante at once comprehended why he should not be engaging in hazardous and abusive drinking with or without his peers any longer. Dante thanked Miss Johnson for her concern and for the information she presented.
Miss Johnson then asked Dante how he felt about getting a physical exam and an alcohol assessment for the alcohol abuse or alcohol dependency treatment he would probably need. Dante thought about this for a minute and then agreed to get an extensive physical exam and to go through a thorough appraisal of his drinking situation so that he could start an alcohol abuse or alcohol dependency rehab program in a realistic time frame. After meeting with Miss Johnson, not only was it evident that Dante’s self esteem and personal happiness had been bolstered as he began to face his abusive and unhealthy drinking, but it was also obvious that he could take on a positive leadership role with his drinking friends.
