A Distressed High School Student Manifests More Than a Few Alcohol-Related Issues, Gets Thrown Out of School, and Has to See the School Psychologist
Dante was a sixteen year old high school junior who was exhibiting more than a few alcohol-related problems at school. Consequently, the principal explained to him that he had to see Miss Johnson, the school therapist, before he would be permitted to come back to class.
Later that day when Dante went home after school, he had to go over his school suspension with his Mom and Dad. His parents were “relatively traditional” and told Dante that getting suspended 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 probably impair his educational attainment for the remainder of his life. In addition, Dante’s parents were very let down 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 understand rather quickly that drinking is the pathway to ill health, failure, pain, and financial problems.
It was apparent that his Mom and Dad were on the same page as Dante’s principal and told Dante that he needs to see Miss Johnson, the school counselor. After his talk with his parents, Dante at long 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 third period class.
The Therapist Asks Dante if He Knows Why His Recent Alcohol-Related Behavior Signaled Such Alarm By the School Administrators
When Dante got to his scheduled appointment with Miss Johnson, she at once examined all of the alcohol-related issues Dante had experienced and asked him if he knew 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 psychologist. As he stated to Miss Johnson, why should he see a professional psychologist about his drinking situation? Because virtually all of his pals drink about as much as he does, basically, drinking shouldn’t be such a big issue. Stated more forcefully, if nearly everybody is drinking, why is this such a major problem?
Miss Johnson asked Dante when he started to drink alcoholic beverages. He said that some of his older buddies introduced him to drinking beer when he was twelve or thirteen years old and in the seventh grade.
Miss Johnson told Dante that while his buddies may indeed 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 kicked out of school due to alcohol-related fighting, delinquency, and absenteeism, not his classmates. What is more, Miss Johnson also underlined the fact that Dante, and not his friends, is the one who is failing and who is missing almost two days of class per week due to his alcohol related issues. Finally, Miss Johnson highlighted the fact that due to his drinking activities, Dante is getting into a destructive cycle of excessive drinking that can in time ruin his hopes, dreams and aspirations.
In short, Dante’s involvement with youth alcohol abuse was beginning to foil his ability to behave like a responsible young man. As pronounced by Miss Johnson, “Just because most of your buddies drink beer, wine, wine coolers, or hard liquor does not mean that it is the healthiest thing for you.”
Dante Learns That In Due Course He Must Claim Responsibility For Himself In Order to Avert Unhealthy, Dangerous, Destructive, and Damaging Situations In the Future
Miss Johnson informed Dante that one’s peers can definitely influence a person in a negative way, but that the individual himself or herself has to sooner or later be responsible for himself or herself in order to keep away from dangerous, damaging, destructive, and unhealthy circumstances down the road.
Fortunately, Miss Johnson was well equipped for her scheduled time with Dante. She showed him reports and research studies she had highlighted that summarized different drinking statistics and facts that applied to most people in general. Then she showed Dante quite a lot of figures and reports that applied particularly to underage drinkers.
For example, Miss Johnson highlighted the difference between alcoholism and alcohol abuse and informed Dante that individuals who continue to drink in an abusive manner commonly become addicted to alcohol.
Miss Johnson also articulated the concept of binge drinking which 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 Conveys Several 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 contributing factor in roughly fifty percent of America’s suicides, murders, and accidental deaths.
2. Alcohol-related accidents are the leading cause of fatalities among young people.
3. Each year in the U.S., approximately 5,000 youth under the age of 21 die because of underage drinking. This includes roughly 1,900 deaths from motor vehicle accidents.
4. Research has demonstrated that U.S. teens who drink alcohol are 50 times more likely to use cocaine than teenagers who never drink alcohol.
5. Roughly 1,700 college students in the U.S. lose their lives annually–approximately 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 stated that they involve themselves in drinking while driving.
7. The World Health Organization estimates that approximately 76 million people throughout the world have disorders that are related to alcohol abuse or alcohol dependency.
8. According to recent alcohol abuse studies, it has been discovered that nearly 53% of the adults in the U.S. have reported that one or more of their close family members is an alcoholic or an alcohol abuser.
Dante Receives A Meaningful Wake Up Call Concerning the Long Term and the Short Term Results of Teenage Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
After Miss Johnson went over the aforementioned alcohol abuse and alcoholism facts and statistics, it was plain to see 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 took the time to explain the short term and the long term consequences of alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency, but she also made the effort to validate what she was saying with alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse facts and statistics that related to everyone, and especially to teenagers.
To be sure, it was almost as if a light went on and Dante immediately comprehended why he should not be engaging in excessive and hazardous drinking with or without his pals any longer. Dante thanked Miss Johnson for her concern and for the material she reviewed.
Miss Johnson then asked Dante how he felt about getting a physical exam and an alcohol appraisal for the alcohol abuse or alcohol addiction treatment he would probably need.
Dante thought about this for few minutes and then agreed to get a complete physical and to go through a complete appraisal of his drinking situation so that he could start an alcohol rehabilitation program right away.