A Distressed High School Pupil With Conflicting Friendships and Relationships Exhibits A Number of Alcohol-Related Difficulties, Gets Suspended From School, and Has to See the School Counselor
Dante was a sixteen year old high school junior who was exhibiting quite a few alcohol-related difficulties at school. Therefore, the principal explained to him that he had to see Miss Johnson, the school psychologist, before he would be permitted to come back to school.
Later that day when Dante went home after school, he had to explain his school discharge to his parents. His parents were “relatively conventional” and explained to Dante that getting suspended from school was not an acceptable educational plan of action. They told Dante that failing to graduate from high school would likely be like a lead weight around his ankles that could probably impair his educational attainment for the remainder of his adult life. What is more, Dante’s Mom and Dad were quite disappointed 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 a teenager, he has to realize without much delay that drinking is the route to pain, failure, ill health, and financial problems.
It was obvious that his parents were out and out in full concurrence with Dante’s principal and informed Dante that he had better make plans to see Miss Johnson, the school psychologist. After his discussion with his parents, Dante at 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 day during his second period class.
The Therapist Asks Dante if He Comprehends Why His Recent Alcohol-Related Activities Gave the School Administrators Room For Alarm
When Dante got to his scheduled appointment with Miss Johnson, she instantly went over all of the alcohol-related difficulties Dante had gotten into and asked him if he knew why his recent alcohol-related actions signaled such alarm.
Quite sincerely, Dante wondered why the principal suggested that he see a school psychologist. As he stated to Miss Johnson, why should he see a professional counselor about his drinking behavior? Because virtually all of his buddies drink the same amount that he does, in essence, drinking is no big thing. Stated another way, if almost everybody is drinking, why is this such a major concern?
Miss Johnson asked Dante when he started to drink alcoholic beverages. He said that some of his older friends introduced him to drinking wine coolers when he was twelve or thirteen years old and in the seventh grade.
Miss Johnson explained to Dante that while his buddies may indeed 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 thrown out of school due to alcohol-related absenteeism, fighting, and delinquency, not his peers. Furthermore, Miss Johnson also emphasized the fact that Dante, and not his pals, is the one who is failing and who is missing one day of class per week because of his alcohol related issues. Finally, Miss Johnson underscored the fact that because of his drinking activities, Dante is getting into a dangerous cycle of hazardous drinking that can sooner or later ruin his dreams, hopes, and aspirations.
In short, Dante’s involvement with youth alcohol abuse was beginning to short-circuit his ability to function as a responsible young man. As verbalized by Miss Johnson, “Just because most of your pals drink wine coolers, hard liquor, wine, or beer does not mean that it is the best option for you.”
Dante Learns That In Due Course He Must Take Responsibility For Himself In Order to Avert Destructive, Unhealthy, Damaging, and Dangerous Outcomes Down the Road
Miss Johnson explained to Dante that one’s peers can undeniably influence an individual in an unhealthy way, but that the person herself or himself has to finally be responsible for herself or himself in order to avoid unhealthy, dangerous, damaging, and destructive effects down the road.
Luckily, Miss Johnson was very well prepared for her appointment with Dante. She showed him reports and research studies she had underlined that summarized various drinking statistics and facts that applied to most people in general. Then she showed Dante quite a lot of information that applied mainly to teenagers.
For instance, Miss Johnson emphasized the difference between alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency and explained to Dante that individuals who continue to drink in an excessive manner regularly become dependent on alcohol.
Miss Johnson also articulated the concept of binge drinking that 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 Counselor Lists Numerous Alcohol Dependency and Alcohol Abuse Facts and Statistics
Then Miss Johnson listed various alcohol facts and the following eight alcohol abuse statistics:
1. As revealed in one study, roughly 11% of 8th-graders, 22% of 10th-graders, and 27% of 12th-graders reported that they engaged in excessive drinking.
2. Between 48% and 64% of the individuals who expire in fires have blood alcohol levels demonstrating intoxication.
3. Pre-teens who are drinking alcohol by 7th grade are more likely to exhibit substance abuse, delinquent behavior, and academic problems in both junior high school and high school.
4. In the U.S., 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, fatal crashes involving a single vehicle at night are three times more probable to be alcohol-related than to other deadly crashes.
6. In the United States, more than 40 percent of the individuals who begin drinking before the age of 13 will develop alcohol abuse or alcohol dependency at some time in their lives.
7. In the United States, by the time they are high school seniors, 80% of high school students have tried alcohol and 62% have been intoxicated.
8. Treatment for alcoholism has been demonstrated 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 Receives A Relevant Jolt of Reality About the Short Term and the Long Term Consequences of Underage Alcohol Dependency and Alcohol Abuse
After Miss Johnson listed the aforementioned alcohol abuse and alcoholism facts and statistics, it was apparent that what Miss Johnson revealed to Dante was a real surprise to him. Why? Because for the first time in his young life, someone not only made the effort to put in plain words the long term and the short term effects of alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency, but she also made the effort to substantiate what she was saying with alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction facts and statistics that related to everyone in general, and mainly to underage drinkers.
Without a doubt, it was almost as if a light went on and Dante instantly realized why he should not be engaging in excessive and hazardous drinking with or without his friends any longer. Dante thanked Miss Johnson for her concern and for the information she went over.
Miss Johnson then asked Dante how he felt about getting a physical examination and an alcohol evaluation for the alcohol treatment he would probably need. Dante thought about this for few minutes and then agreed to get a comprehensive physical exam and to go through a complete appraisal of his drinking behavior so that he could start an alcohol abuse or alcohol dependency treatment program in a practical time frame. After meeting with Miss Johnson, it was clear that Dante's self esteem and self image had been enhanced as he started to address his hazardous drinking.
