Dante was a seventeen year old high school senior who was displaying several alcohol-related difficulties at school. For that reason, the principal told him that he had to see Miss Johnson, the school therapist, before he would be permitted to come back to class.

Later that afternoon when Dante went home after school, he had to explain his school suspension to his parents. His parents were “relatively old fashioned” and told Dante that dropping out of school was not a feasible educational game plan. They told Dante that failing to graduate from high school would more likely than not be like a lead weight around his legs that might mar his educational aspirations for the rest of his life. Moreover, Dante’s parents were quite dissatisfied that he was drinking in the first place and drinking with his peers in the second.

They informed Dante that although he may be a teen, he needs to realize fairly rapidly that drinking is the route to pain, financial problems, failure, and ill health.

It was obvious that his Mother and Father were on the same page as Dante’s principal and told Dante that he needs to see Miss Johnson, the school psychologist. After his chat with his parents, Dante in the end agreed to see Miss Johnson the next school day. So Dante called the school and scheduled an appointment to see Miss Johnson the next morning before school.

The Psychologist Asks Dante if He Comprehends Why His Recent Alcohol-Related Activities Were Such a Cause For Concern By the School Administrators

When Dante arrived at his scheduled appointment with Miss Johnson, she instantaneously went over all of the alcohol-related difficulties Dante had experienced and asked him if he comprehended why his recent alcohol-related activities caused quite a bit of concern by the school administrators.

Quite candidly, Dante was not sure why the principal informed him that he had to see a school psychologist. As he expressed to Miss Johnson, why should he see a professional counselor about his drinking circumstances? Since nearly all of his buddies drink as much if not more than he does, for all intents and purposes, drinking is no big thing. Stated more explicitly, if nearly everyone is drinking, why is this such a big deal?

Miss Johnson asked Dante when he started to drink alcoholic beverages. He said that some of his older friends introduced him to drinking wine coolers 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 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 suspended from school due to alcohol-related fighting, delinquency, and absenteeism, not his friends. In addition, Miss Johnson also stressed the fact that Dante, and not his pals, is the one who is failing and who is missing at least two days of school per week because of his alcohol related problems. Finally, Miss Johnson stressed the fact that due to his drinking activities, Dante is getting into a destructive cycle of excessive drinking that can in time destroy his aspirations, hopes, and dreams.

In a word, Dante’s involvement with youth alcohol abuse was starting to impede his ability to conduct himself like an accountable young man. As stated by Miss Johnson, “Just because most of your peers drink wine coolers, beer, wine, or hard liquor does not mean that it is the best thing to do for you.”

Dante Learns That Sooner or Later He Must Claim Responsibility For Himself In Order to Keep Away From Damaging, Dangerous, Unhealthy, and Destructive Consequences In the Foreseeable Future

Miss Johnson told Dante that one’s classmates can undoubtedly influence an individual in a negative manner, but that the person himself or herself has to in due course be responsible for herself or himself in order to avert damaging, destructive, dangerous, and unhealthy effects in the future.

Luckily, Miss Johnson was extremely well equipped for her appointment with Dante. She showed him reports and research studies she had underlined that summarized different drinking facts and statistics that targeted most people in general. Then she showed Dante quite a bit of information that applied mainly to adolescents.

For example, Miss Johnson emphasized the difference between alcoholism and alcohol abuse and told Dante that drinkers who continue to drink abusively regularly become alcoholic.

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

The Counselor States A Number Alcohol Addiction and Alcohol Abuse Facts and Statistics

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

1. According to the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, there are 105,000 annual alcohol-related fatalities in the U.S. due to intoxicated drivers and related diseases, medical conditions, or injuries.

2. Almost twenty-five percent of all U.S. people who are admitted to general hospitals have alcohol problems or are undiagnosed people who are alcohol dependent who are being treated for the results of their heavy drinking.

3. Alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse are the third leading cause of preventable deaths in the U.S..

4. More than 7% of the population that is 18 years old and older — roughly 13.8 million Americans — has problems with drinking, including 8.1 million people who suffer from alcoholism.

5. 500,000 Americans who are alcoholics are between the ages of 9 and 12.

6. According to one U.S. survey of 18 to 24 year-old current drinkers who did not graduate from high school, nearly 60% started to drink before they were 16 years old.

7. Currently, almost 14 million Americans, 1 in every 13 adults, abuse alcohol or are alcoholic.

8. As demonstrated by the research literature, non-alcoholic members of alcoholic’s families use ten times as much sick leave as families who do not manifest alcohol dependency or alcohol abuse.

Dante Gets A Meaningful Wake Up Call Regarding the Long Term and the Short Term Results of Youth Alcohol Dependency and Alcohol Abuse

After Miss Johnson listed the aforementioned alcoholism and alcohol abuse statistics and facts, it was evident that what Miss Johnson revealed to Dante was a real bombshell to him. Why? Because for the first time in his young life, someone not only made the effort to put in plain words the long term and the short term consequences of alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction, but she also made the effort to corroborate what she was saying with alcohol abuse and alcoholism facts and statistics that related to everyone, and principally to underage drinkers.

Undeniably, it was almost as if a light went on and Dante without pause understood why he should not be engaging in hazardous and excessive drinking with or without his peers anymore. Dante thanked Miss Johnson for her concern and for the material she presented.

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

Dante thought about this for a minute and then agreed to get a comprehensive physical examination and to go through a comprehensive evaluation of his drinking circumstances so that he could start an alcohol abuse or alcohol addiction rehab program in a practical time frame.

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