A Disturbed High School Student Exhibits More Than a Few Alcohol-Related Difficulties, Gets Expelled From School, and Has to See the School Therapist
Thursday, October 22nd, 2009Dante was a sixteen year old high school sophomore who was exhibiting numerous alcohol-related problems at school. Consequently, the principal explained to him that he had to see Miss Johnson, the school counselor, before he would be permitted to return to class.
Later that afternoon when Dante went home after school, he had to go over his school discharge with his parents. His Mom and Dad were “fairly old-style” and explained to Dante that getting discharged from school was not a feasible educational game plan. They explained to Dante that failing to graduate from high school would most probably be like a lead weight around his ankles that could probably harm his educational aspirations for the rest of his adult life. Moreover, Dante’s Mom and Dad were extremely dissatisfied that he was drinking in the first place and drinking with his friends in the second.
They informed Dante that although he may be a teen, he has to realize fairly rapidly that drinking is the map to ill health, pain, financial problems, and failure.
It was obvious that his Mother and Father were completely in accord with Dante’s principal and informed Dante that he had better come to the realization that he needs to see Miss Johnson, the school psychologist. After his conversation with his Mom and Dad, Dante at long last agreed to see Miss Johnson the next day. So Dante called the school and scheduled an appointment to see Miss Johnson the next day during his sixth period class.
The Psychologist Asks Dante if He Understands Why His Recent Alcohol-Related Behavior Made the School Administrators Uneasy
When Dante got to his scheduled appointment with Miss Johnson, she instantly went over all of the alcohol-related difficulties Dante had experienced and asked him if he understood why his recent alcohol-related behavior was such a cause for concern.
Quite frankly, Dante was not sure why the principal told him he had to see a school counselor. As he expressed to Miss Johnson, why should he see a professional psychologist about his drinking behavior? Because virtually all of his buddies drink the same amount that he does, in essence, drinking is no big issue. Stated more directly, if almost everybody is drinking, why is this such a major problem?
Miss Johnson asked Dante when he started to drink. He said that some of his older friends introduced him to drinking beer when he was twelve or thirteen years old and getting ready to enter junior high school.
Miss Johnson informed Dante that while his classmates may indeed 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 delinquency, absenteeism, and fighting, not his classmates. What is more, Miss Johnson also emphasized the fact that Dante, and not his pals, is the one who is failing and who is missing at least one day of class every week because of his alcohol related problems. Finally, Miss Johnson underlined the fact that because of his drinking activities, Dante is getting into a damaging cycle of hazardous drinking that can in the end destroy his aspirations, hopes, and dreams.
In a word, Dante’s involvement with youth alcohol abuse was starting to foil his ability to conduct himself like a responsible young man. As articulated by Miss Johnson, “Just because most of your buddies drink beer, hard liquor, wine coolers, or wine does not mean that it is right for you.”
Dante Learns That Eventually He Must Be Responsible For Himself In Order to Steer Clear of Unhealthy, Dangerous, Destructive, and Damaging Effects Down the Road
Miss Johnson told Dante that one’s buddies can certainly influence an individual in a negative manner, but that the person herself or himself has to at the end of the day take responsibility for himself or herself in order to steer clear of destructive, unhealthy, damaging, and dangerous circumstances in the future.
Fortunately, Miss Johnson was well prepared for her conference with Dante. She showed him reports and research studies she had underlined that outlined diverse drinking statistics and facts that applied to most people in general. Then she showed Dante quite a bit of information that applied principally to teenagers.
As an illustration, Miss Johnson emphasized the difference between alcohol abuse and alcoholism and explained to Dante that people who continue to drink abusively commonly become alcohol dependent.
Miss Johnson also explained the concept of binge drinking which she defined as follows: consuming four or more drinks in one sitting for females and drinking five or more drinks in one sitting for males.
The Therapist Lists Numerous Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Facts and Statistics
Then Miss Johnson listed various alcohol facts and the following eight alcohol abuse statistics:
1. The 25.9% of adolescent drinkers in the U.S. who are alcoholic and alcohol abusers drink 47.3% of the alcohol that is consumed by all adolescent drinkers.
2. Fifty percent of U.S. murders are related to alcohol.
3. In 2002, U.S. alcoholism statistics and facts showed that 2.6 million binge drinkers were between the ages of 12 and 17.
4. It is projected that more than 3 million teens in the U.S. between the ages of 14 to 17 are problem drinkers.
5. In the U.S., more than 40% of those who begin drinking at the age 14 or younger become dependent on alcohol.
6. Very few of the more than 18 million U.S. alcohol abusers receive the alcohol rehabilitation they need.
7. Teenage drinking costs Americans nearly billion per year. If each congressional district shared this cost equally, the amount would total more than 0 million per district.
8. Alcohol-related issues are disproportionately found among both juvenile and adult criminal offenders.
Dante Gets A Meaningful Wake Up Call Regarding the Long Term and the Short Term Results of Underage Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Dependency
After Miss Johnson verbalized the aforementioned alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction statistics and facts, it was obvious that what Miss Johnson revealed to 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 put in plain words the long term and the short term outcomes of alcoholism and alcohol abuse, but she also took the time to authenticate what she was saying with alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse facts and statistics that related to people in general, and especially to young people.
Indeed, it was almost as if a light went on and Dante at once understood why he should not be engaging in abusive and hazardous drinking with or without his classmates anymore. 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 exam and an alcohol appraisal for the alcohol abuse or alcoholism rehab he would probably need.
Dante thought about this for a minute and then agreed to get an extensive physical exam and to go through an extensive appraisal of his drinking situation so that he could start an alcohol abuse or alcohol dependency rehab program promptly.


