Home Remedies

Dante was a sixteen year old high school junior who was displaying numerous 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 afternoon when Dante went home after school, he had to go over his school situation with his parents. His parents were “relatively old fashioned” and explained to Dante that getting removed from school was not a satisfactory educational option. They informed Dante that failing to graduate from high school would probably be like a lead weight around his feet that might hinder his educational aspirations for the remainder of his adult life. What is more, Dante’s Mom and Dad were very saddened that he was drinking in the first place and drinking with his pals in the second.

They informed Dante that even though he may be a teen, he has to understand fairly promptly that drinking is the route to financial problems, failure, ill health, and pain.

It was apparent that his parents were absolutely in agreement with Dante’s principal and explained to Dante that he needs to see Miss Johnson, the school counselor. After his chat with his Mom and Dad, Dante at last agreed to see Miss Johnson the next school day. So Dante called the school and made an appointment to see Miss Johnson the next day during his first period class.

The Psychologist Asks Dante if He Knows Why His Recent Alcohol-Related Actions Caused Quite a Bit of Apprehension By the School Administrators

When Dante went to see Miss Johnson, she instantaneously reviewed all of the alcohol-related issues Dante had experienced and asked him if he comprehended why his recent alcohol-related behavior made the school administrators uneasy.

Quite frankly, Dante questioned why the principal told him he had to see a school psychologist. As he expressed to Miss Johnson, why should he see a professional psychologist about his drinking situation? Since just about all of his buddies drink as much if not more than he does, basically, drinking shouldn’t be such a big thing. Stated differently, if nearly everyone 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 hard liquor when he was twelve or thirteen years old and getting ready to enter the seventh grade.

Miss Johnson informed Dante that while his peers may in fact drink as much as he does and that they may be an unhealthy influence on him, the facts are that he is the one who is getting kicked out of school due to alcohol-related absenteeism, fighting, and delinquency, not his classmates. What is more, Miss Johnson also highlighted the fact that Dante, and not his peers, is the one who is failing and who is missing almost two days of school every week because of his alcohol related issues. Finally, Miss Johnson emphasized the fact that because of his drinking situation, Dante is getting into a harmful cycle of abusive drinking that can in the long run wreck 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 pronounced by Miss Johnson, “Just because most of your friends drink wine coolers, wine, beer, or hard liquor does not mean that it is the appropriate behavior for you.”

Dante Learns That In the End He Must Be Accountable For Himself In Order to Avert Damaging, Unhealthy, Dangerous, and Destructive Circumstances In the Foreseeable Future

Miss Johnson told Dante that one’s buddies can undoubtedly influence an individual in a negative manner, but that the person herself or himself has to at the end of the day claim responsibility for herself or himself in order to steer clear of dangerous, destructive, unhealthy, and damaging outcomes in the foreseeable future.

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

As an illustration, Miss Johnson stressed the difference between alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction and told Dante that people who continue to drink excessively more often than not become addicted to alcohol.

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

The Therapist Lists Several Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Addiction Facts and Statistics

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

1. As shown in one study, around 11% of 8th-graders, 22% of 10th-graders, and 27% of 12th-graders stated that they involved themselves 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 manifest delinquent behavior, substance abuse, and academic problems in both high school and middle school.

4. In the U.S., 33% of all suicides, 25% of all emergency room admissions, and more than 50% of all homicides and incidents of domestic violence are related to alcohol.

5. In the United States 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 addiction at some point in their lives.

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

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

Dante Gets A Relevant Wake Up Call Regarding the Short Term and the Long Term Results of Underage Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Addiction

After Miss Johnson stated the aforementioned alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse facts and statistics, it was clear that what Miss Johnson made known to Dante was a real jolt to him. Why? Because for the first time in his young life, someone not only made the effort to go over the long term and the short term results of alcoholism and alcohol abuse, but she also made the effort to back up what she was saying with alcoholism and alcohol abuse facts and statistics that related to everybody in general, and especially to today’s youth.

Certainly, it was almost as if a light went on and Dante promptly grasped why he should not be engaging in abusive and hazardous drinking with or without his buddies any longer. Dante thanked Miss Johnson for her concern and for the information she discussed.

Miss Johnson then asked Dante how he felt about getting a physical examination and an alcohol evaluation for the alcohol abuse or alcohol addiction rehabilitation he would probably need.

Dante thought about this for few minutes and then agreed to get a complete physical exam and to go through a complete assessment of his drinking behavior so that he could start an alcohol abuse or alcoholism treatment program in a reasonable time frame.