Dante was a sixteen year old high school junior who was manifesting quite a few alcohol-related problems at school. As a result, the principal explained to him that he had to see Miss Johnson, the school therapist, before he would be permitted to return to school.
Later that afternoon when Dante went home after school, he had to clarify his school expulsion to his Mother and Father. His Mother and Father were “relatively old fashioned” and explained to Dante that getting discharged from school was not a practical educational game plan. They told Dante that failing to graduate from high school would most probably be like a lead weight around his legs that could quite possibly harm his educational attainment for the rest of his life. Furthermore, Dante’s parents were very disturbed that he was drinking in the first place and drinking with his peers in the second.
His Mom and Dad informed Dante that although he may be a teenager, he needs to understand rather quickly that drinking is the route to financial problems, failure, pain, and ill health.
It was evident that his parents were completely in concurrence with Dante’s principal and informed Dante that he had better come to the understanding that he needs to see Miss Johnson, the school counselor. After his dialogue with his Mother and Father, Dante eventually agreed to see Miss Johnson the next day. So Dante phoned the school and scheduled an appointment to see Miss Johnson the next morning.
The Therapist Asks Dante if He Comprehends Why His Recent Alcohol-Related Activities Caused Quite a Bit of Concern By the School Administrators
When Dante arrived at his scheduled appointment with Miss Johnson, she promptly examined all of the alcohol-related issues Dante had experienced and asked him if he understood why his recent alcohol-related activities gave the school administrators room for alarm.
Quite honestly, Dante was unsure why the principal told him he had to see a school counselor. As he stated to Miss Johnson, why should he see a professional counselor about his drinking circumstances? Since virtually all of his buddies drink as much if not more than he does, drinking really is no big issue. Stated more precisely, if just about everyone 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 between the sixth and seventh grades.
Miss Johnson informed Dante that while his pals may in fact 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 discharged from school due to alcohol-related fighting, delinquency, and absenteeism, not his pals. What is more, Miss Johnson also underscored the fact that Dante, and not his friends, is the one who is failing and who is missing one day of school every week because of his alcohol related problems. Finally, Miss Johnson highlighted the fact that because of his drinking behavior, Dante is getting into a damaging cycle of alcohol abuse that can in due course ruin his life.
In a word, Dante’s involvement with teenage alcohol abuse was beginning to foil his ability to act like a responsible young man. As verbalized by Miss Johnson, “Just because most of your classmates drink hard liquor, beer, wine, or wine coolers does not mean that it is the healthiest thing in the world for you.”
Dante Learns That Sooner or Later He Must Be Responsible For Himself In Order to Stay Away From Unhealthy, Destructive, Damaging, and Dangerous Outcomes In the Foreseeable Future
Miss Johnson told Dante that one’s peers can undeniably influence an individual in an unhealthy way, but that the person herself or himself has to at the end of the day claim responsibility for himself or herself in order to keep away from destructive, unhealthy, dangerous, and damaging consequences in the future.
Luckily, Miss Johnson was extremely well prepared for her scheduled meeting with Dante. She showed him reports and research studies she had underlined that listed diverse drinking statistics and facts that applied to most people in general. Then she showed Dante quite a bit of figures and reports that applied mainly to teens.
For example, Miss Johnson underscored the difference between alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse and told Dante that individuals who continue to abuse alcohol frequently become addicted to alcohol.
Miss Johnson also explained the concept of binge drinking which 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 Therapist Articulates A Number Alcohol Dependency and Alcohol Abuse Facts and Statistics
Then Miss Johnson articulated various alcohol facts and the following eight alcohol abuse statistics:
1. Alcohol is a factor in around half of America’s accidental deaths, murders, and suicides.
2. Alcohol-related accidents are the leading cause of deaths among teens.
3. Each year in the United States, nearly 5,000 youth under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking. This includes around 1,900 fatalities from motor vehicle accidents.
4. Research has demonstrated that U.S. teens who drink alcohol are 50 times more likely to use cocaine than adolescents who never ingest alcoholic beverages.
5. Almost 1,700 college students in the U.S. lose their lives annually–about 4.65 a day–as a consequence of injuries that are alcohol related.
6. In 2005, 2.1 million American college students between the ages of 18 and 24 asserted that they engage in drinking while driving.
7. The World Health Organization projects that about 76 million people throughout the world experience disorders that are related to alcohol abuse or alcoholism.
8. As revealed by recent drug and alcohol abuse studies, it has been learned that nearly 53% of the adults in the United States have articulated that one or more of their close family members has a problem with alcohol.
Dante Gets A Meaningful Wake Up Call About the Short Term and the Long Term Results of Adolescent Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse
After Miss Johnson went over the aforementioned alcoholism and alcohol abuse facts and statistics, it was clear that what Miss Johnson disclosed to Dante was a real source of discovery for him. Why? Because for the first time in his young life, someone not only took the time to give an explanation of the long term and the short term outcomes of alcohol abuse and alcoholism, but she also took the time to validate what she was saying with alcoholism and alcohol abuse facts and statistics that related to everyone, and especially to teens.
In actual fact, it was almost as if a light went on and Dante instantaneously realized why he should not be engaging in excessive and hazardous drinking with or without his peers any longer. Dante thanked Miss Johnson for her concern and for the materials she discussed.
Miss Johnson then asked Dante how he felt about getting a physical examination and an alcohol assessment for the alcohol treatment he would probably need.
Dante thought about this for a minute and then agreed to get a complete physical examination and to go through a comprehensive assessment of his drinking condition so that he could start an alcohol abuse or alcoholism treatment program immediately.