An Impulsive High School Student Manifests Quite a Few Alcohol-Related Difficulties, Gets Removed From School, and Has to See the School Psychologist
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Larry was a fifteen year old high school sophomore who was manifesting more than a few alcohol-related issues at school. For that reason, the principal informed him that he had to see Miss Johns, the school therapist, before he would be permitted to return to school.
Later that day when Larry went home after school, he had to clarify his school suspension to his parents. His Mother and Father were “relatively conservative” and told Larry that dropping out of school was not a possible educational game plan. They informed Larry that failing to graduate from high school would probably be like a lead weight around his ankles that may harm his educational aspirations for the rest of his life. What is more, Larry’s parents were extremely discontented that he was drinking in the first place and drinking with his peers in the second.
His Mom and Dad explained to Larry that although he may be young, he needs to comprehend fairly rapidly that drinking is the road to financial problems, failure, pain, and ill health.
It was obvious that his Mother and Father were in total agreement with Larry’s principal and told Larry that he had better make up his mind to see Miss Johns, the school counselor. After his dialogue with his Mother and Father, Larry at long last 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 before school.
The Psychologist Asks Larry if He Understands Why His Recent Alcohol-Related Behavior gave the School Administrators Room For Alarm
When Larry got to his scheduled appointment with Miss Johns, she instantaneously went over all of the alcohol-related problems Larry had gotten into and asked him if he comprehended why his recent alcohol-related actions signaled such alarm.
Quite frankly, Larry was unsure why the principal explained to him that he had to see a school therapist. As he expressed to Miss Johns, why should he see a professional therapist about his drinking situation? In view of the fact that just about all of his peers drink about as much as he does, fundamentally, drinking is no big issue. Stated more explicitly, if almost everyone is drinking, why is this such a major concern?
Miss Johns asked Larry when he started to drink alcoholic beverages. He said that some of his older pals introduced him to drinking hard liquor when he was twelve or thirteen years old and getting ready to enter the seventh grade.
Miss Johns told Larry that while his buddies may in fact drink as much as he does and that they may be a bad 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 buddies. In addition, Miss Johns also underlined the fact that Larry, and not his peers, is the one who is failing and who is missing at least two days of school per week because of his alcohol related difficulties. Lastly, Miss Johns underlined the fact that because of his drinking circumstances, Larry is getting into a destructive cycle of hazardous drinking that can finally ruin his dreams, hopes, and aspirations.
In a word, Larry’s involvement with teenage alcohol abuse was starting to foil his ability to act like an accountable young man. As stated by Miss Johns, “Just because most of your friends drink wine, hard liquor, wine coolers, or beer does not mean that it is the healthiest thing in the world for you.”
Larry Learns That In the Long Run He Must Be Accountable For Himself In Order to Avoid Destructive, Dangerous, Damaging, and Unhealthy Effects Down the Road
Miss Johns told Larry that one’s pals can undeniably influence an individual in an unhealthy manner, but that the individual himself or herself has to in time claim responsibility for herself or himself in order to avoid dangerous, unhealthy, destructive, and damaging consequences down the road.
Fortunately, Miss Johns was extremely well prepared for her scheduled time with Larry. She showed him research studies and reports she had underlined that summarized different drinking statistics and facts that applied to most people in general. Then she showed Larry quite a bit of information that applied particularly to underage drinkers.
For instance, Miss Johns underscored the difference between alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse and informed Larry that individuals who continue to drink in an abusive manner habitually become addicted to alcohol.
Miss Johns also discussed 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 Counselor States A Number Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse Statistics and Facts
Then Miss Johns stated the following eight alcoholism facts and alcohol abuse statistics:
1. The 25.9% of adolescent drinkers in the United States who are alcohol abusers and alcohol dependent drink 47.3% of the alcohol that is ingested by all teen drinkers.
2. Fifty percent of U.S. murders are related to alcohol.
3. In 2002, U.S. alcohol dependency facts and statistics demonstrated that 2.6 million binge drinkers were between the ages of 12 and 17.
4. It is projected that more than 3 million adolescents in the United States between the ages of 14 to 17 are alcohol abusers or dependent on alcohol.
5. In the U.S., more than forty percent of those who begin drinking at the age 14 or younger become alcoholic.
6. Very few of the more than 18 million U.S. alcohol abusers receive the alcohol rehab they require.
7. Teenage drinking costs Americans nearly $53 billion annually. If each congressional district shared this cost equally, the amount would total more than $120 million per district.
8. Alcohol-related problems are unevenly found among both adult and juvenile criminal offenders.
Larry Receives An Important Wake Up Call About the Long Term and the Short Term Outcomes of Underage Alcohol Dependency and Alcohol Abuse
After Miss Johns listed the aforementioned alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency facts and statistics, it was clear that what Miss Johns made known to Larry was a realization for him. Why? Because for the first time in his young life, someone not only took the time to put in plain words the short term and the long term results of alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency, but she also made the effort to back up what she was saying with alcoholism and alcohol abuse statistics and facts that related to everybody in general, and mainly to underage drinkers.
Undeniably, it was almost as if a light went on and Larry at once realized 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 assessment for the alcohol abuse or alcohol dependency rehab he would probably need.
Larry thought about this for few minutes and then agreed to get a comprehensive physical examination and to go through a complete evaluation of his drinking circumstances so that he could start an alcohol abuse or alcoholism rehabilitation program as reasonable as possible.
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