Get Back With An Ex

Miss Benning was a health teacher at the most financially challenged co-educational high school in the district. Even though she had been teaching for only two or three years, she had already achieved a reputation as a person with teaching techniques that encouraged and stimulated the students in her class to learn and to think.

For example, one Monday morning at 9:00 she addressed her pupils and announced the following: “For the next two or three days we are going to learn about some basic alcoholism facts from a more broad-based point of view and we are also going to learn about several of the most highly researched signs of alcoholism from a more specific standpoint.”

“Not all of these alcoholism signs will positively confirm that an individual with a drinking problem is a person who is alcohol dependent, but the more signs that a person exhibits, the more likely it is that he or she is an individual who is alcohol dependent.”

Miss Benning then informed the class members that each student would be accountable for researching four alcoholism signs and then presenting his or her findings to the class via a eight minute oral presentation.

The Students are Enthused About Giving An In-Depth Presentation to Their Fellow Pupils About The Signs of Alcohol Dependency

After learning about the various signs of alcohol addiction for several days, the time had arrived for the student presentations. It was immediately noticeable that her students were thrilled about the topic because the material that they presented was superb. To say that Miss Benning was pleasantly surprised with the passion manifested by the pupils in her class regarding this subject could not be overstated.

The day after all of the students completed their presentations, Miss Benning passed out a piece of paper with a list of all the alcohol dependency signs that were presented and discussed in class and in the presentations. Miss Benning then asked the pupils in her class to go over the list and rank the top six alcohol dependency signs that were most indicative of alcohol dependency. After about five minutes, Miss Benning collected the pieces of paper and told the students in her class that after she assesses the results, she will reveal her findings the next school day.

There was some real anticipation by the pupils while they were exiting Miss Benning’s class. One could swear that her pupils couldn’t wait for the next day to arrive so that they could learn about the results of their in-class research.

The Pupils Contrast Their Answers With the Evaluations From A Team of Alcoholism Specialists

When the next school day arrived, Miss Benning handed out a sheet of paper that listed the top three alcohol addiction signs according to the pupils’ rankings. To the left of these results, she added another column that was labeled “correct answer.” She then explained to the students in her class that the numbers in the additional column she added represented the responses that were announced by a board of alcoholism authorities.

Miss Benning asked the students in her class to look over the data on the piece of paper she handed out and then to raise their hand if they had any concerns, issues, or questions. Within 20 or 30 seconds, just about every pupil in the class raised his or her hand. It was clear to see that the students had some issues, questions, or concerns about their results versus the answers given by the authorities. As an illustration, almost every person in the class had an issue with the highest ranked answer given by the specialists, to be exact, “Do you feel exceptionally nauseous when you quit drinking?”

The Major Difference Between Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Dependency is the Physical Dependency That is Experienced With Alcohol Dependency and Not With Alcohol Abuse

Miss Benning then informed the students in her classroom why this answer was the most clear-cut sign of alcoholism. She highlighted the fact that the major difference between alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency is the physical addiction that is experienced with alcohol addiction and not with alcohol abuse.

Essentially this means that when an individual who is addicted to alcohol suddenly stops drinking, he or she will go through alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

Miss Benning then explained to the pupils in her class that alcohol withdrawal symptoms are responses by the body and by the brain to the deficiency of alcohol to which they had become acclimated. Stated differently, alcohol withdrawal symptoms are messages from the body and from the brain telling an individual who is addicted to alcohol that something is exceedingly misaligned and needs to be fixed. These messages consist of a number of uncomfortable, painful, and dangerous withdrawal symptoms that can potentially lead to a fatality if the appropriate therapy is not promptly received.

Miss Benning then listed the many different alcohol withdrawal symptoms that can be gone through when a person who is addicted to alcohol suddenly quits drinking.

The point that Miss Benning tried to underline was this: a person who engages in alcohol abuse can experience almost any and every one of the alcoholism signs that the students had ranked, but the one symptom or sign that few, if any, alcohol abusers ever experience is alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

To explain this as clearly as possible, Miss Benning stressed the fact that alcohol abusers, unlike alcohol dependent individuals, are not alcohol dependent and accordingly, when they quit drinking, they almost never go through alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

The Students Think They Have Discovered A Dissimilarity With the Findings From The Board of Substance Abuse Professionals

The students also had a problem with the second ranked answer given by the alcohol dependency experts, that is to say, “Have you ever had a drink the first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover?”

Miss Benning informed her students that this sign does not automatically signify that the problem is alcohol addiction, but that it does underline the need that people who are addicted to alcohol have to drink in order to avert alcohol withdrawals.

After Miss Benning explained the importance of alcohol withdrawal symptoms in the life of the individual who is addicted to alcohol, the pupils started to grasp the basic difference between alcohol abuse and alcoholism.

To add a sense of closure to the topic, Miss Benning asked the students in her class to take out a piece of paper and answer the following question: “if every individual who is an alcoholic knew about every one of the alcohol withdrawal symptoms and alcoholism signs we have studied, what percentage of them do you think would get alcoholism rehab?”

After about four or five minutes, Miss Benning asked for the students’ predictions. While many students figured that about 80 to 90 percent of alcohol addicted people would get alcohol addiction rehabilitation if they knew about the facts related to alcohol addiction signs and alcohol withdrawal symptoms, most of the pupils reasoned that this number would not be less than 65 percent.

The Pupils Were Amazed to Discover That Only 25% of Alcohol Dependent People in the U.S. Get Alcohol Rehabilitation

To the astonishment of most of the pupils, Miss Benning declared that according to different scientific examinations, only 25% of the alcohol dependent people in the U.S. get alcohol dependency rehab. This amazed most of the pupils because they reasoned that first-hand knowledge of the overwhelming statistics and facts linked to alcoholism would motivate most of the alcoholics to seek alcohol rehab.

Miss Benning then explained that people who are alcohol dependent not only need alcohol on a daily basis in order to function but they also need alcohol on a daily basis so they can avoid possible alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Obviously, the alcohol addicted individual’s need to drink on a daily basis is more powerful than facts or logic. To be sure, due to the fact that the need for alcohol is “reality” to the alcoholic, this is a challenging issue that is hard to counteract.

The Combination of Mental Health Issues and Alcohol Dependency Regularly Results in Relationship, Friendship, Divorce, and Marital Problems

Finally, Miss Benning told the pupils in her class that it is relevant to comprehend that alcohol dependency and a range of mental health predicaments such as depression are highly interlinked. Additionally, the combination of alcoholism and mental health difficulties commonly result in relationship, divorce, friendship, and marital problems.

The Students are Excited to Learn About Alcohol Addiction Symptoms and Signs in Today’s Society

A few minutes later the bell rang, signifying the end of the class. Based on the buzz manifested by the students when they were leaving the room, Miss Benning realized that she had encouraged and motivated her pupils to stop and think about an essential health and social problem that exists in our country.

Sarah and Jerry have been married for eight years. They wanted to experience some excitement and fun before they made up their minds to have a family and so they deliberately created a super vibrant social life.

The main difficulty, it needs to be stressed, is that very nearly everything they do for excitement somehow includes drinking. For instance, all of the dinner engagements, parties with friends, sporting events, family get-togethers, and happy hours they go to are associated with drinking.

Jerry and Sarah Begin to See Some Clearly Identifiable Alcohol Related Difficulties That are Correlated With Their Abusive Drinking

If they were moderate or responsible drinkers, this wouldn’t be such a major problem. Since they drink in an irresponsible manner, however, they are beginning to see some instantly recognizable alcohol-related problems in their lives.

For instance, just six days ago Jerry was placed under arrest for a second DUI and has been calling off from work because of alcohol-related health issues. Not only this, but Jerry’s last two or three performance evaluations at work have been less than satisfactory and he has started to forget what he does or says while he drinks. Lastly, Jerry has been experiencing sleep-related problems and his family is starting to get nervous about his drinking situation.

Similar to Jerry’s situation, Sarah has been feeling unhappy with life in general and to cope with this, she has been drinking more repeatedly than any time in the past nine months. In addition, Sarah has been experiencing more than a few throbbing migraine headaches and having awful hangovers due to her drinking. Lastly, Sarah has been feeling substantially less energetic when she gets up in the morning, she has been getting to work late almost every Monday, and she has been getting some unsupportive criticism from her relatives, friends, family members, and coworkers about her heavy drinking.

Watching the TV and Stumbling Upon A Remarkable Documentary About the Signs of Alcohol Dependency

One Monday evening while watching TV, Jerry and Sarah happened upon an out-of-the-ordinary program about the signs of alcoholism.

This TV program was a real bombshell to Sarah and Jerry because quite a few of the alcoholism signs that were emphasized looked as if they were indubitably correlated with numerous alcohol-related drinking problems Jerry and Sarah had been suffering through.

A Candid Discussion About Drinking Behavior Uncovers Alcohol Related Financial, Legal, Employment, Relationship, and Health Problems

After watching the television special, Jerry and Sarah made up their minds to have an open talk about their drinking activities. They both were in agreement that most, if not all, of their social activities somehow involved drinking, that they were drinking in an irresponsible manner, and that as a married couple, they were starting to see alcohol related relationship, legal, financial, employment, and health problems for the first time since they were married.

With thoughts of the TV documentary still imprinted in her mind, Sarah asked Jerry if some of the alcohol dependency signs they have been displaying could be an indication that they are alcoholic or maybe becoming alcoholic. Jerry didn’t know the answer to Sarah’s question and so he recommended that they schedule an appointment with one of the healthcare professionals at the nearby substance abuse rehab facility to find out more about the seriousness of their drinking issues.

Addressing Your Drinking Difficulties Just May Reduce Your Nervousness and Give You Some Peace of Mind

Strangely enough, even though their drinking situation hadn’t yet changed, it was clear that Jerry and Sarah were at least facing their drinking issues, they were enthusiastic about finding out more about their drinking circumstances, and they were interested in learning how they could substantially cut down the severity or eliminate the alcohol-related problems that had begun to go from bad to worse.  Not only this, by facing their problem drinking, Jerry and Sarah learned how to steer clear from marital conflict by becoming better friends and marital partners.

When Sarah and Jerry went to bed that night, they decided that the next afternoon, Jerry would call and make an appointment for both of them at the alcohol abuse rehabilitation center located in the middle of town. After they made a promise to one another that they would do whatever it takes to defeat the alcohol-related problems that had emerged in their lives, they in point of fact had the most energizing night’s sleep they could remember in the last two months.

Just before he fell asleep, Jerry turned to Sarah and commented how simple it is to decrease one’s nervousness and truly experience some quietude by coming to grips with one’s problems straight on and deciding to do something productive about them.

Miss Benning was a health teacher at the most financially challenged co-educational high school in the district. Even though she had been teaching for only two or three years, she had already achieved a reputation as a person with teaching techniques that encouraged and stimulated the students in her class to learn and to think.

For example, one Monday morning at 9:00 she addressed her pupils and announced the following: “For the next two or three days we are going to learn about some basic alcoholism facts from a more broad-based point of view and we are also going to learn about several of the most highly researched signs of alcoholism from a more specific standpoint.”

“Not all of these alcoholism signs will positively confirm that an individual with a drinking problem is a person who is alcohol dependent, but the more signs that a person exhibits, the more likely it is that he or she is an individual who is alcohol dependent.”

Miss Benning then informed the class members that each student would be accountable for researching four alcoholism signs and then presenting his or her findings to the class via a eight minute oral presentation.

The Students are Enthused About Giving An In-Depth Presentation to Their Fellow Pupils About The Signs of Alcohol Dependency

After learning about the various signs of alcohol addiction for several days, the time had arrived for the student presentations. It was immediately noticeable that her students were thrilled about the topic because the material that they presented was superb. To say that Miss Benning was pleasantly surprised with the passion manifested by the pupils in her class regarding this subject could not be overstated.

The day after all of the students completed their presentations, Miss Benning passed out a piece of paper with a list of all the alcohol dependency signs that were presented and discussed in class and in the presentations. Miss Benning then asked the pupils in her class to go over the list and rank the top six alcohol dependency signs that were most indicative of alcohol dependency. After about five minutes, Miss Benning collected the pieces of paper and told the students in her class that after she assesses the results, she will reveal her findings the next school day.

There was some real anticipation by the pupils while they were exiting Miss Benning’s class. One could swear that her pupils couldn’t wait for the next day to arrive so that they could learn about the results of their in-class research.

The Pupils Contrast Their Answers With the Evaluations From A Team of Alcoholism Specialists

When the next school day arrived, Miss Benning handed out a sheet of paper that listed the top three alcohol addiction signs according to the pupils’ rankings. To the left of these results, she added another column that was labeled “correct answer.” She then explained to the students in her class that the numbers in the additional column she added represented the responses that were announced by a board of alcoholism authorities.

Miss Benning asked the students in her class to look over the data on the piece of paper she handed out and then to raise their hand if they had any concerns, issues, or questions. Within 20 or 30 seconds, just about every pupil in the class raised his or her hand. It was clear to see that the students had some issues, questions, or concerns about their results versus the answers given by the authorities. As an illustration, almost every person in the class had an issue with the highest ranked answer given by the specialists, to be exact, “Do you feel exceptionally nauseous when you quit drinking?”

The Major Difference Between Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Dependency is the Physical Dependency That is Experienced With Alcohol Dependency and Not With Alcohol Abuse

Miss Benning then informed the students in her classroom why this answer was the most clear-cut sign of alcoholism. She highlighted the fact that the major difference between alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency is the physical addiction that is experienced with alcohol addiction and not with alcohol abuse.

Essentially this means that when an individual who is addicted to alcohol suddenly stops drinking, he or she will go through alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

Miss Benning then explained to the pupils in her class that alcohol withdrawal symptoms are responses by the body and by the brain to the deficiency of alcohol to which they had become acclimated. Stated differently, alcohol withdrawal symptoms are messages from the body and from the brain telling an individual who is addicted to alcohol that something is exceedingly misaligned and needs to be fixed. These messages consist of a number of uncomfortable, painful, and dangerous withdrawal symptoms that can potentially lead to a fatality if the appropriate therapy is not promptly received.

Miss Benning then listed the many different alcohol withdrawal symptoms that can be gone through when a person who is addicted to alcohol suddenly quits drinking.

The point that Miss Benning tried to underline was this: a person who engages in alcohol abuse can experience almost any and every one of the alcoholism signs that the students had ranked, but the one symptom or sign that few, if any, alcohol abusers ever experience is alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

To explain this as clearly as possible, Miss Benning stressed the fact that alcohol abusers, unlike alcohol dependent individuals, are not alcohol dependent and accordingly, when they quit drinking, they almost never go through alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

The Students Think They Have Discovered A Dissimilarity With the Findings From The Board of Substance Abuse Professionals

The students also had a problem with the second ranked answer given by the alcohol dependency experts, that is to say, “Have you ever had a drink the first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover?”

Miss Benning informed her students that this sign does not automatically signify that the problem is alcohol addiction, but that it does underline the need that people who are addicted to alcohol have to drink in order to avert alcohol withdrawals.

After Miss Benning explained the importance of alcohol withdrawal symptoms in the life of the individual who is addicted to alcohol, the pupils started to grasp the basic difference between alcohol abuse and alcoholism.

To add a sense of closure to the topic, Miss Benning asked the students in her class to take out a piece of paper and answer the following question: “if every individual who is an alcoholic knew about every one of the alcohol withdrawal symptoms and alcoholism signs we have studied, what percentage of them do you think would get alcoholism rehab?”

After about four or five minutes, Miss Benning asked for the students’ predictions. While many students figured that about 80 to 90 percent of alcohol addicted people would get alcohol addiction rehabilitation if they knew about the facts related to alcohol addiction signs and alcohol withdrawal symptoms, most of the pupils reasoned that this number would not be less than 65 percent.

The Pupils Were Amazed to Discover That Only 25% of Alcohol Dependent People in the U.S. Get Alcohol Rehabilitation

To the astonishment of most of the pupils, Miss Benning declared that according to different scientific examinations, only 25% of the alcohol dependent people in the U.S. get alcohol dependency rehab. This amazed most of the pupils because they reasoned that first-hand knowledge of the overwhelming statistics and facts linked to alcoholism would motivate most of the alcoholics to seek alcohol rehab.

Miss Benning then explained that people who are alcohol dependent not only need alcohol on a daily basis in order to function but they also need alcohol on a daily basis so they can avoid possible alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Obviously, the alcohol addicted individual’s need to drink on a daily basis is more powerful than facts or logic. To be sure, due to the fact that the need for alcohol is “reality” to the alcoholic, this is a challenging issue that is hard to counteract.

The Combination of Mental Health Issues and Alcohol Dependency Regularly Results in Issues in Loving Friendships and Relationships

Finally, Miss Benning explained to the pupils in her class that it is important to understand that alcoholism and various mental health predicaments such as depression are highly correlated. Not only this but the occurrence of mental health problems and alcohol addiction often lead to difficulties in loving friendships and relationships

The Pupils are Enthused to Learn About Alcohol Addiction Symptoms and Signs in Today’s Society

A few minutes later the bell rang, meaning that the end of class had arrived. Based on the excitement manifested by the pupils when they were leaving the room, Miss Benning knew that she had inspired and encouraged the pupils in her classroom to stop and think about a vital health and social problem that exists in our culture.

Sarah and Jerry have been married for eight years. They wanted to experience some excitement and fun before they made up their minds to have a family and so they deliberately created a super vibrant social life.

The main difficulty, it needs to be stressed, is that very nearly everything they do for excitement somehow includes drinking. For instance, all of the dinner engagements, parties with friends, sporting events, family get-togethers, and happy hours they go to are associated with drinking.

Jerry and Sarah Begin to See Some Clearly Identifiable Alcohol Related Difficulties That are Correlated With Their Abusive Drinking

If they were moderate or responsible drinkers, this wouldn’t be such a major problem. Since they drink in an irresponsible manner, however, they are beginning to see some instantly recognizable alcohol-related problems in their lives.

For instance, just six days ago Jerry was placed under arrest for a second DUI and has been calling off from work because of alcohol-related health issues. Not only this, but Jerry’s last two or three performance evaluations at work have been less than satisfactory and he has started to forget what he does or says while he drinks. Lastly, Jerry has been experiencing sleep-related problems and his family is starting to get nervous about his drinking situation.

Similar to Jerry’s situation, Sarah has been feeling unhappy with life in general and to cope with this, she has been drinking more repeatedly than any time in the past nine months. In addition, Sarah has been experiencing more than a few throbbing migraine headaches and having awful hangovers due to her drinking. Lastly, Sarah has been feeling substantially less energetic when she gets up in the morning, she has been getting to work late almost every Monday, and she has been getting some unsupportive criticism from her relatives, friends, family members, and coworkers about her heavy drinking.

Watching the TV and Stumbling Upon A Remarkable Documentary About the Signs of Alcohol Dependency

One Monday evening while watching TV, Jerry and Sarah happened upon an out-of-the-ordinary program about the signs of alcoholism.

This TV program was a real bombshell to Sarah and Jerry because quite a few of the alcoholism signs that were emphasized looked as if they were indubitably correlated with numerous alcohol-related drinking problems Jerry and Sarah had been suffering through.

A Candid Discussion About Drinking Behavior Uncovers Alcohol Related Financial, Legal, Employment, Relationship, and Health Problems

After watching the television special, Jerry and Sarah made up their minds to have an open talk about their drinking activities. They both were in agreement that most, if not all, of their social activities somehow involved drinking, that they were drinking in an irresponsible manner, and that as a married couple, they were starting to see alcohol related relationship, legal, financial, employment, and health problems for the first time since they were married.

With thoughts of the TV documentary still imprinted in her mind, Sarah asked Jerry if some of the alcohol dependency signs they have been displaying could be an indication that they are alcoholic or maybe becoming alcoholic. Jerry didn’t know the answer to Sarah’s question and so he recommended that they schedule an appointment with one of the healthcare professionals at the nearby substance abuse rehab facility to find out more about the seriousness of their drinking issues.

Addressing Your Drinking Difficulties Just May Reduce Your Nervousness and Give You Some Peace of Mind

Strangely enough, even though their drinking situation hadn’t yet changed, it was clear that Jerry and Sarah were at least facing their drinking issues, they were enthusiastic about finding out more about their drinking circumstances, and they were interested in learning how they could substantially cut down the severity or eliminate the alcohol-related problems that had begun to go from bad to worse.

An Augmented Sense of Communication and Commitment

When Jerry and Sarah went to bed that evening, they made up their minds that the next morning, Jerry would call and make an appointment for both of them at the drug and alcohol treatment center located downtown. After they promised one another that they would do whatever it takes to deal with the drinking problems that had become apparent in their lives, they truly had the best night’s sleep they could think of in the last three months.

Just before she fell asleep, Sarah turned to Jerry and stated how simple it is to lower one’s sense of dread and actually experience a sense of calm by handling one’s problems head-on and deciding to do something affirmative about them.  Isn’t it amazing how one’s communication and commitment improve when issues are addressed rather than ignoring them?

Jesse had a particularly hard time maintaining a job. In truth, because of her lethargy and lack of motivation, she was jobless far more often than she was employed with a job. And when she did secure a job, she had an unusually difficult time getting to work when her shift began, she frequently received less than acceptable performance assessments, and she called off sick so frequently that she typically got fired three or four weeks after she began working. Not surprisingly, one of the results of Jesse’s less than passing employment record was the fact that she was virtually without a dime almost on an everyday basis.

In spite of Jesse’s less than optimal work track record and financial lack of attention, conversely, somehow she made it a point to drink abusively from day-to-day. Not surprisingly, her excessive and irresponsible drinking also led to a number of love, dating, and relationship problems through the years.

Based on her excessive drinking, it came as no big surprise when Jesse got a fourth DUI. When she went to court, the magistrate explained to Jesse that her alcohol-related conduct was deplorable and, consequently, he was going to sentence Jesse to serve eight months behind bars.

Time In The Municipal Jail To Think About The Harmful Results of Hazardous Drinking

During her time behind bars, Jesse was expected to learn more about alcohol facts, about the hurtful consequences of excessive drinking, and she was expected to get alcohol treatment. The magistrate emphasized the fact that unless Jesse gets professional alcohol counseling and discovers how to live a life of sobriety, she will probably be spending a lot more time in the municipal jail.

Jesse said that she comprehended what the magistrate was declaring but she still felt that placement in the municipal jail was not the correct response. The judge saw things in an entirely different way and declared that it was his job to keep alcohol addicted individuals off the streets who drive under the influence and who get arrested for a DWI. To substantiate this perspective, the judge quoted some revered, thoroughly researched alcohol statistics that underlined some of the demoralizing outcomes that are associated with hazardous drinking.

Even though Jesse knew that she drank in a hazardous and abusive manner, she never believed that she was a person who was addicted to alcohol. So it was a big surprise when Jesse started to have symptoms of alcohol withdrawal about six hours after getting placed behind bars.

To monitor her alcohol withdrawals in a safe and sound manner, Jesse was taken by ambulance to a rehabilitation facility for alcohol detox and then returned to the city jail. While locked up in the city jail Jesse undertook a mental health examination for her depression and was given alcohol rehab but since she got this rehab as something that was forced upon her, she was unsuccessful in taking ownership of her hazardous and excessive drinking.

When her time behind bars was completed, the judge without reservation told Jesse that she would be under close scrutiny and would be required to take random breathalyzer alcohol tests.

Jessie’s Irresponsible and Excessive Drinking Stops Her From Living in a Mature and Accountable Manner

After hearing how Jesse did not take ownership of her drinking situation and how she unwillingly followed the counseling procedures while in the city jail, the magistrate knew that it was basically a matter of time before he would be seeing Jesse once again in court about her abusive drinking behavior. As the judge thought about Jesse’s situation, he couldn’t help but think about how some individuals never figure things out and discover how to live in an effective and adult manner.

Dante was a fifteen year old high school sophomore who was manifesting numerous alcohol-related difficulties at school. As a result, the principal explained to him that he had to see Miss Johnson, the school counselor, before he would be permitted to come back to class.

Later that afternoon when Dante went home after school, he had to go over his school discharge with his Mother and Father. His parents were “relatively conventional” and told Dante that getting removed from school was not a practical educational option. They informed 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 achievement for the rest of his adult life. Furthermore, Dante’s Mom and Dad were very displeased that he was drinking in the first place and drinking with his friends in the second.

They explained to Dante that even though he may be an adolescent, he needs to comprehend rather quickly that drinking is the route to failure, pain, ill health, and financial problems.

It was clear that his Mother and Father were out and out in full accord with Dante’s principal and explained to Dante that he had better make plans to see Miss Johnson, the school psychologist. After his talk with his Mom and Dad, Dante in due course agreed to see Miss Johnson the next 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 Knows Why His Recent Alcohol-Related Actions Made the School Administrators Uneasy

When Dante went to see Miss Johnson, she instantaneously reviewed all of the alcohol-related problems Dante had experienced and asked him if he comprehended why his recent alcohol-related activities gave the school administrators room for alarm.

Quite honestly, Dante questioned why the principal explained to him that he had to see a school counselor. As he expressed to Miss Johnson, why should he see a professional psychologist about his drinking circumstances? In view of the fact that virtually all of his pals drink the same amount that he does, in essence, drinking shouldn’t be such a big deal. Stated more forcefully, if just about everybody is drinking, why is this such a major problem?

Miss Johnson asked Dante when he started to drink. He said that some of his older pals introduced him to drinking wine coolers when he was twelve or thirteen years old and getting ready to enter junior high school.

Miss Johnson told Dante that while his friends may indeed drink more than he does and that they may be a negative influence on him, the facts are that he is the one who is getting kicked out of school due to alcohol-related fighting, delinquency, and absenteeism, not his pals. In addition, Miss Johnson also underlined the fact that Dante, and not his peers, is the one who is failing and who is missing one day of school every week due to his alcohol related issues. Lastly, Miss Johnson stressed the fact that due to his drinking activities, Dante is getting into a harmful cycle of hazardous drinking that can in due course ruin his dreams, hopes, and aspirations.

In a word, Dante’s involvement with teenage alcohol abuse was starting to impede his ability to function as an accountable young man. As articulated by Miss Johnson, “Just because most of your classmates drink wine, hard liquor, wine coolers, or beer does not mean that it is the healthiest thing in the world for you.”

Dante Learns That Eventually He Must Claim Responsibility For Himself In Order to Avert Damaging, Destructive, Dangerous, and Unhealthy Effects In the Foreseeable Future

Miss Johnson told Dante that one’s classmates can definitely influence a person in a negative manner, but that the person herself or himself has to in time take responsibility for himself or herself in order to avoid damaging, dangerous, destructive, and unhealthy outcomes in the future.

Luckily, Miss Johnson was very well prepared for her conference with Dante. She showed him research studies and reports she had underlined that outlined different drinking facts and statistics that applied to most people in general. Then she showed Dante quite a lot of data that applied chiefly to teenagers.

For instance, Miss Johnson stressed the difference between alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction and informed Dante that drinkers who continue to drink excessively often become addicted to alcohol.

Miss Johnson also discussed the concept of binge drinking which she defined as follows: ingesting four or more drinks in one sitting for females and drinking four or more drinks in one sitting for females.

The Psychologist Verbalizes Several Alcohol Addiction and Alcohol Abuse Facts and Statistics

Then Miss Johnson stated various alcohol facts and the following eight alcohol abuse statistics:

1. According to one study, approximately 11% of 8th-graders, 22% of 10th-graders, and 27% of 12th-graders stated that they involved themselves in binge drinking.

2. Between 48% and 64% of the individuals who perish in fires have blood alcohol levels indicating inebriation.

3. Children who are drinking alcohol by 7th grade are more probable to manifest substance abuse, delinquent behavior, and academic problems in both high school and middle school.

4. In the United States, 33% of all suicides, and 25% of all emergency room admissions are related to alcohol.

5. In the U.S. among drivers between the ages of 15 and 20, deadly accidents involving a single vehicle at night are three times more probable to be alcohol-related than to other deadly accidents.

6. In the U.S., more than 40 percent of the individuals who start drinking before the age of 13 will develop alcohol abuse or alcoholism at some time in their lives.

7. In the United States, by the time they are seniors in high school, 80% of teens have tried alcohol and 62% have been intoxicated.

8. Treatment for alcoholism has been shown to decrease criminal activity up to 80% among long-term offenders, has increased their rate of employment, decreased their homelessness, and reduced their health care costs.

Dante Gets A Meaningful Primer on the Facts About the Short Term and the Long Term Outcomes of Teenage Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Addiction

After Miss Johnson listed the aforementioned alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency statistics and facts, it was evident 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 put in plain words the short term and the long term results of alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction, but she also made the effort to support what she was saying with alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse statistics and facts that related to everyone, and mainly to young people.

Undeniably, it was almost as if a light went on and Dante immediately comprehended why he should not be engaging in hazardous and excessive drinking with or without his classmates any longer. Dante thanked Miss Johnson for her concern and for the material she presented.

Miss Johnson then asked Dante how he felt about getting a physical examination and an alcohol appraisal 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 and to go through a complete evaluation of his drinking condition so that he could start an alcohol abuse or alcohol addiction treatment program promptly. After meeting with Miss Johnson, not only did he feel that he had established an enhanced relationship with her, but it was also evident that Dante’s self esteem and self image had been boosted as he began to face his careless and excessive drinking.

Nearly five months ago I had dinner with a forty-five-year-old man named Alexander who experiences intense depression, has marital difficulties, and who is dependent on drugs and alcohol. As stated by Alexander, it is his alcoholism and drug addiction and his extreme depression that had the most to do with his unceasing divorce difficulties.

I remember reading that a history of mental health issues, substance abuse, and excessive and hazardous drinking many times occur in the same family. Furthermore, I have read that in such situations, an individual needs to get treatment for both medical conditions and that chemical dependency and mental health difficulties tend to occur in the same person.

As stated by Alexander, he is so dejected by his divorce issues and by both of his medical issues that he, for all intents and purposes, has no motivation to achieve much of anything. What is especially unfortunate about this is that earlier in his life, Alexander completed five semesters of grad school in human services.

Alexander’s condition makes me wonder if he is an example of an individual who can look in the mirror and see his drug abuse and alcohol drinking problems and do something meaningful about these difficulties or if he is an individual who has to hit rock-bottom before he gets drug and alcohol dependency counseling that results in long lasting sobriety.

The Need For a Treatment Regimen He Can Believe In and a Therapist He Can Trust

If it would be beneficial I would suppose that I could suggest quite a lot of blogs and websites that could possibly help him learn more about drug abuse symptoms, the stages of alcoholism, substance abuse information, and relationship problems. From where I stand, nevertheless, Alexander needs to find a treatment protocol he can believe in and follow through over the long haul and find a therapist he can trust.

I could be mistaken but it seems logical to conclude that Alexander more likely than not needs to look honestly at his life regarding his drug addiction signs and alcoholic symptoms and understand the fact that he cannot use drugs or drink at all if he wants to get sober, remain sober, and start on the route to long-term recovery.

It may be asked how therapy would help his drug and alcohol addiction. For starters, there are quite a few recently developed doctor-prescribed medications that can help Alexander through his withdrawal symptoms, through the alcohol and alcohol detox process, and help him avoid a drug or an alcohol relapse.

Second, Alexander would learn to admit the fact that there is absolutely nothing positive about drug abuse and hazardous drinking and that messing around with one or both situations is the map to shattered relationships, poor work and school performance, financial difficulties, deteriorating health, legal problems, and a premature death.

Third, counseling for his depression and for his marital problems might help him cope with these conditions more successfully and help create less of a need for him to engage in addictive behavior.

The Importance of Support Groups Like Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous

There are probably a lot of other individuals, friends, and family members who would want to help Alexander with his substance abuse and his excessive and hazardous drinking. He more likely than not would experience greater sympathy from a support group such as Narcotics Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous, on the other hand, instead of listening to individuals who do not drink or who have never used drugs.

When Individuals Accomplish Things They Like and About Which They Are Passionate

There’s a philosophical viewpoint that claims that individuals who accomplish things they love and something about which they are ardent arrive at a wonderful place in life. That is, when people do what they enjoy, they hardly ever go through boredom or an uneventful life. If they involve themselves in something that is worthwhile, moreover, they become more fulfilled and experience more pleasure and delight in life, in their friendships, and in their relationships.

When this is thought about even for a few moments it becomes clear that this affirmative way of thinking is quite a bit different from a life that is grounded in alcohol and drug addiction because such a lifestyle removes the contentment and joy that life offers.

Since Alexander lacks the ambition to carry out much of anything in his life, it is clear that he desperately needs some hope for a better lifestyle. And the sad thing is that hope is all around Alexander if he could only get to the point in life to get the therapy he needs for his mental illness and addiction and continue with his treatment protocol.

More Meaningful Relationships, Beneficial Change, Self Respect, and a Meaningful Life Are Possibilities

Alexander is simply too young to be beaten in life. He doesn’t understand this at the moment but if he can learn how to stay away from alcohol and drugs through drug and alcohol rehab and get the counseling he needs for his extreme depression, he can reorient his life and start living with direction, passion, and with self-respect.

More solid relationships, a wonderful life, self respect, and constructive change are certainly a reality for Alexander if only he could get inspired to get the professional rehabilitation he requires, follow through with his therapy regimen, live his life in a drug and alcohol-free and healthy manner, and learn how to acquire a more positive attitude about his life.