Larry was a sixteen year old high school sophomore who was manifesting more than a few alcohol-related problems at school. Consequently, the principal told him that he had to see Miss Johns, the school psychologist, before he would be allowed to return to school.
Later that day when Larry went home after school, he had to go over his school situation with his parents. His Mother and Father were “relatively conservative” and explained to Larry that getting kicked out of school was not a satisfactory educational game plan. They informed Larry that failing to graduate from high school would probably be like a lead weight around his legs that may encumber his educational aspirations for the remainder of his life. What is more, Larry’s Mom and Dad were very dismayed that he was drinking in the first place and drinking with his pals in the second.
His parents told Larry that even though he may be a teenager, he has to comprehend without much delay that drinking is the road to financial problems, failure, ill health, and pain.
It was clear that his Mom and Dad were absolutely in concurrence with Larry’s principal and informed Larry that he had to see Miss Johns, the school counselor. After his discussion with his Mother and Father, Larry eventually agreed to see Miss Johns the next school day. So Larry called the school and made an appointment to see Miss Johns the next morning.
The Psychologist Asks Larry if He Understands Why His Recent Alcohol-Related Behavior Caused Quite a Bit of Anxiety By the School Administrators
When Larry arrived at his scheduled appointment with Miss Johns, she at once examined all of the alcohol-related difficulties Larry had experienced and asked him if he knew why his recent alcohol-related activities made the school administrators uneasy.
Quite honestly, Larry questioned why the principal explained to him that he had to see a school psychologist. As he expressed to Miss Johns, why should he see a professional psychologist about his drinking circumstances? Since virtually all of his classmates drink about as much as he does, primarily, drinking is no big thing. Stated more explicitly, if almost everybody is drinking, why is this such a major problem?
Miss Johns asked Larry when he started to drink alcoholic beverages. He said that some of his older friends introduced him to drinking beer when he was twelve or thirteen years old and in the seventh grade.
Miss Johns told Larry that while his classmates may indeed drink more than he does and that they may be a bad influence on him, the facts are that he is the one who is getting removed from school due to alcohol-related absenteeism, fighting, and delinquency, not his peers. In addition, Miss Johns also highlighted the fact that Larry, and not his classmates, is the one who is failing and who is missing at least one day of school per week because of his alcohol related issues. Lastly, Miss Johns highlighted the fact that due to his drinking activities, Larry is getting into a negative cycle of excessive drinking that can ultimately destroy his dreams, hopes, and aspirations.
In short, Larry’s involvement with teenage alcohol abuse was starting to thwart his ability to behave like an accountable young man. As pronounced by Miss Johns, “Just because most of your friends drink beer, wine coolers, wine, or hard liquor does not mean that it is the healthiest thing for you.”
Larry Learns That Ultimately He Must Be Responsible For Himself In Order to Avoid Damaging, Unhealthy, Dangerous, and Destructive Outcomes Down the Road
Miss Johns informed Larry that other individuals can undeniably influence an individual in a negative manner, but that the individual herself or himself has to sooner or later be responsible for herself or himself in order to stay away from unhealthy, dangerous, damaging, and destructive consequences in the future.
Fortunately, Miss Johns was very well equipped for her scheduled time with Larry. She showed him research studies and reports she had highlighted that listed various drinking facts and statistics that targeted most people in general. Then she showed Larry quite a bit of data that applied particularly to adolescents.
For example, Miss Johns emphasized the difference between alcoholism and alcohol abuse and explained to Larry that drinkers who continue to drink in an abusive manner regularly become alcohol dependent.
Miss Johns also articulated the concept of binge drinking that 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 More Than a Few Alcohol Addiction and Alcohol Abuse Statistics and Facts
Then Miss Johns stated the following eight alcoholism facts and alcohol abuse statistics:
1. According to one study, just about 11% of 8th-graders, 22% of 10th-graders, and 27% of 12th-graders reported that they involved themselves in excessive drinking.
2. Between 48% and 64% of the individuals who pass away in fires have blood alcohol levels demonstrating drunkenness.
3. Children who are drinking alcohol by 7th grade are more probable to manifest academic problems, substance use, and delinquent behavior in both high school and middle school.
4. In the U.S., 33% of all suicides, and 25% of all emergency room admissions are alcohol-related.
5. In the United States among drivers between the ages of 15 and 20, fatal accidents involving a single vehicle at night are three times more likely to be related to alcohol than to other fatal accidents.
6. In the U.S., more than 40 percent of the individuals who start drinking before the age of 13 will develop alcohol addiction or alcohol abuse at some point in their lives.
7. In the U.S, by the time they are high school seniors, 80% of high school students have tried alcohol and 62% have been intoxicated.
8. Treatment for alcoholism has been shown to reduce criminal activity up to 80% among long-term offenders, has increased their rate of employment, decreased their homelessness, and reduced their health care costs.
Larry Receives An Important Primer on the Facts About the Short Term and the Long Term Consequences of Youth Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Addiction
After Miss Johns went over the aforementioned alcohol abuse and alcoholism facts and statistics, it was plain to see that what Miss Johns made known to Larry was a real eye opener for 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 effects of alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency, but she also made the effort to demonstrate what she was saying with alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse statistics and facts that related to everybody in general, and principally to underage drinkers.
Undeniably, it was almost as if a light went on and Larry instantly comprehended why he should not be engaging in hazardous and excessive drinking with or without his peers anymore. Larry thanked Miss Johns for her concern and for the material she reviewed.
Miss Johns then asked Larry how he felt about getting a physical examination and an alcohol evaluation for the alcohol rehabilitation he would probably need.
Larry thought about this for few minutes and then agreed to get a complete physical exam and to go through a thorough assessment of his drinking situation so that he could start an alcohol rehab program in a realistic time frame.
