Dante was a seventeen year old high school junior who was exhibiting a number of alcohol-related problems at school. Consequently, the principal informed him that he had to see Miss Johnson, the school therapist, before he would be allowed to come back to school.
Later that afternoon when Dante went home after school, he had to clarify his school expulsion to his parents. His Mother and Father were “relatively conventional” and told Dante that getting kicked out of school was not a practical educational option. They told Dante that failing to graduate from high school would more likely than not be like a lead weight around his ankles that could probably harm his educational attainment for the remainder of his life. Not only this, but Dante’s Mother and Father were very discontented that he was drinking in the first place and drinking with his pals in the second.
His Mother and Father explained to Dante that even though he may be a teen, he needs to realize rather quickly that drinking is the pathway to pain, ill health, financial problems, and failure.
It was apparent that his parents were completely in concurrence with Dante’s principal and told Dante that he had better come to the realization that he needs to see Miss Johnson, the school therapist. After his dialogue with his Mom and Dad, Dante in due course agreed to see Miss Johnson the next day. So Dante called the school and scheduled an appointment to see Miss Johnson the next afternoon.
The Counselor Asks Dante if He Understands Why His Recent Alcohol-Related Behavior gave the School Administrators Room For Alarm
When Dante arrived at his scheduled appointment with Miss Johnson, she without pause examined all of the alcohol-related problems Dante had experienced and asked him if he comprehended why his recent alcohol-related actions were such a cause for concern.
Quite sincerely, Dante questioned why the principal explained to him that he had to see a school psychologist. As he expressed to Miss Johnson, why should he see a professional therapist about his drinking circumstances? Because nearly all of his pals drink about as much as he does, for all intents and purposes, drinking shouldn’t be such a big deal. Stated more directly, if almost everybody is drinking, why is this such a major concern?
Miss Johnson asked Dante when he started to drink. He said that some of his older classmates introduced him to drinking wine when he was twelve or thirteen years old and getting ready to enter the seventh grade.
Miss Johnson explained to Dante that while his classmates may in fact drink more than he does and that they may be an unhealthy influence on him, the facts are that he is the one who is getting removed from school due to alcohol-related delinquency, absenteeism, and fighting, not his buddies. Furthermore, Miss Johnson also emphasized the fact that Dante, and not his buddies, is the one who is failing and who is missing one day of school every week due to his alcohol related difficulties. Lastly, Miss Johnson underlined the fact that because of his drinking activities, Dante is getting into a damaging cycle of alcohol abuse that can ultimately ruin his life.
In a word, Dante’s involvement with teenage alcohol abuse was beginning to impede his ability to function as an accountable young man. As put into words by Miss Johnson, “Just because most of your friends drink wine, hard liquor, wine coolers, or beer does not mean that it is the right thing to do for you.”
Dante Learns That In the Long Run He Must Be Accountable For Himself In Order to Stay Away From Dangerous, Damaging, Destructive, and Unhealthy Consequences In the Foreseeable Future
Miss Johnson informed Dante that others can indeed influence an individual in an unhealthy manner, but that the individual himself or herself has to eventually be responsible for herself or himself in order to avert dangerous, damaging, destructive, and unhealthy outcomes in the foreseeable future.
Luckily, Miss Johnson was extremely well prepared for her scheduled appointment with Dante. She showed him reports and research studies 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 underage drinkers.
For instance, Miss Johnson underscored the difference between alcohol abuse and alcoholism and informed Dante that drinkers who continue to drink excessively commonly become dependent on alcohol.
Miss Johnson also explained the concept of binge drinking that 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 Psychologist Lists Numerous Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Addiction Statistics and Facts
Then Miss Johnson conveyed various alcohol facts and the following eight alcohol abuse statistics:
1. The 25.9% of adolescent drinkers in the United States who are alcohol abusers and alcoholic drink 47.3% of the alcohol that is consumed by all adolescent drinkers.
2. Fifty percent of U.S. murders are alcohol related.
3. In 2002, U.S. alcoholism statistics and facts demonstrated 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 dependent on alcohol.
5. In the U.S., more than 40 percent of those who begin drinking at the age 14 or younger become alcoholic.
6. Very few of the more than 18 million U.S. alcohol abusers receive the alcohol rehabilitation they require.
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 About the Short Term and the Long Term Consequences of Teenage Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse
After Miss Johnson listed the aforementioned alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse statistics and facts, it was obvious that what Miss Johnson taught Dante was a real source of revelation for him. Why? Because for the first time in his young life, someone not only took the time to articulate the long term and the short term outcomes of alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction, but she also took the time to confirm what she was saying with alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction statistics and facts that related to people in general, and especially to young people.
Indeed, it was almost as if a light went on and Dante without pause grasped why he should not be engaging in abusive and excessive drinking with or without his peers 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 exam and an alcohol evaluation for the alcohol abuse or alcoholism 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 comprehensive assessment of his drinking behavior so that he could start an alcohol abuse or alcohol dependency rehab program as soon as possible.