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.