Dante was a seventeen year old high school junior who was displaying quite a few alcohol-related difficulties at school. Consequently, the principal informed him that he had to see Miss Johnson, the school counselor, before he would be permitted to return to school.
Later that day when Dante went home after school, he had to clarify his school discharge to his parents. His Mother and Father were “fairly old-fashioned” and explained to Dante that getting thrown out of school was not a workable educational option. They explained to Dante that failing to graduate from high school would most probably be like a lead weight around his ankles that could conceivably hinder his educational attainment for the remainder of his life. In addition, Dante’s Mom and Dad were extremely unhappy that he was drinking in the first place and drinking with his friends in the second.
His parents informed Dante that even though he may be a teenager, he has to comprehend fairly promptly that drinking is the map to financial problems, ill health, failure, and pain.
It was evident that his Mother and Father were in total accord with Dante’s principal and told Dante that he needs to see Miss Johnson, the school therapist. After his conversation with his parents, Dante in the end agreed to see Miss Johnson the next school day. So Dante phoned the school and made an appointment to see Miss Johnson the next afternoon.
The Counselor Asks Dante if He Comprehends Why His Recent Alcohol-Related Activities Caused Quite a Bit of Apprehension By the School Administrators
When Dante arrived at his scheduled appointment with Miss Johnson, she at once surveyed all of the alcohol-related issues Dante had experienced and asked him if he knew why his recent alcohol-related activities were such a cause for concern.
Quite candidly, Dante wondered why the principal informed him that he had to see a school counselor. As he stated to Miss Johnson, why should he see a professional counselor about his drinking situation? Due to the fact that just about all of his peers drink the same amount that he does, fundamentally, drinking is no big thing. Stated differently, if nearly everyone is drinking, why is this such a big thing?
Miss Johnson asked Dante when he started to drink. He said that some of his older buddies introduced him to drinking hard liquor when he was twelve or thirteen years old and between the sixth and seventh grades.
Miss Johnson explained to Dante that while his friends may in fact drink as much as 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 pals. Moreover, Miss Johnson also emphasized the fact that Dante, and not his peers, is the one who is failing and who is missing at least two days of school every week because of his alcohol related difficulties. Lastly, Miss Johnson underlined the fact that because of his drinking situation, Dante is getting into a dangerous cycle of excessive drinking that can sooner or later ruin his hopes, dreams and aspirations.
In a word, Dante’s involvement with teenage alcohol abuse was beginning to foil his ability to behave like a responsible young man. As conveyed by Miss Johnson, “Just because most of your friends drink wine, hard liquor, wine coolers, or beer does not mean that it is right for you.”
Dante Learns That Sooner or Later He Must Be Responsible For Himself In Order to Steer Clear of Damaging, Dangerous, Destructive, and Unhealthy Situations In the Foreseeable Future
Miss Johnson explained to Dante that one’s buddies can definitely influence an individual in an unhealthy manner, but that the person herself or himself has to in the long run claim responsibility for herself or himself in order to avoid unhealthy, dangerous, destructive, and damaging situations in the foreseeable future.
Luckily, Miss Johnson was well prepared for her appointment with Dante. She showed him reports and research studies 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 information that applied especially to teens.
For instance, Miss Johnson stressed the difference between alcoholism and alcohol abuse and explained to Dante that drinkers who continue to drink excessively commonly become dependent on alcohol.
Miss Johnson also articulated the concept of binge drinking which she defined as follows: consuming five or more drinks in one sitting for males and drinking four or more drinks in one sitting for females.
The Therapist Presents A Number Alcohol Dependency and Alcohol Abuse Statistics and Facts
Then Miss Johnson stated various alcohol facts and the following eight alcohol abuse statistics:
1. The 25.9% of adolescent drinkers in the U.S. who are alcohol dependent and alcohol abusers drink 47.3% of the alcohol that is ingested by all teen drinkers.
2. Fifty percent of U.S. murders are alcohol related.
3. In 2002, U.S. alcohol addiction facts and statistics reported that 2.6 million binge drinkers were between the ages of 12 and 17.
4. It is estimated that more than 3 million teenagers in the U.S. between the ages of 14 to 17 are alcohol abusers or alcoholic.
5. In the United States, more than 40% of those who begin drinking at the age 14 or younger become alcohol dependent.
6. Very few of the more than 18 million U.S. alcohol abusers receive the alcohol treatment they need.
7. Adolescent drinking costs Americans nearly billion annually. If this cost were shared equally by each congressional district, the amount would total more than 0 million per district.
8. Alcohol-related problems are disproportionately found among both adult and juvenile criminal offenders.
Dante Receives A Relevant Wake Up Call Regarding the Long Term and the Short Term Results of Adolescent Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Addiction
After Miss Johnson articulated the aforementioned alcohol abuse and alcoholism facts and statistics, it was plain to see that what Miss Johnson revealed 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 articulate the short term and the long term outcomes of alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency, but she also took the time to validate what she was saying with alcohol abuse and alcoholism statistics and facts that related to everyone in general, and particularly to adolescents.
Without a doubt, it was almost as if a light went on and Dante instantaneously comprehended why he should not be engaging in excessive and hazardous drinking with or without his pals any longer. 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 appraisal for the alcohol rehab he would probably need.
Dante thought about this for a minute and then agreed to get a complete physical and to go through a comprehensive appraisal of his drinking condition so that he could start an alcohol abuse or alcohol addiction rehabilitation program without pause.