A Troubled High School Student Manifests More Than a Few Alcohol-Related Problems, Gets Kicked Out of School, and Has to See the School Therapist

Dante was a fifteen year old high school sophomore who was manifesting numerous alcohol-related issues at school. As a result, the principal explained to him that he had to see Miss Johnson, the school therapist, before he would be allowed to return to class.

Later that afternoon when Dante went home after school, he had to explain his school expulsion to his parents. His Mother and Father were “relatively conventional” and informed Dante that getting thrown out of school was not a tolerable educational plan of action. They told Dante that failing to graduate from high school would most probably be like a lead weight around his legs that might encumber his educational aspirations for the rest of his life. Not only this, but Dante’s parents were quite letdown that he was drinking in the first place and drinking with his pals in the second.

His Mother and Father told Dante that although he may be young, he has to realize fairly swiftly that drinking is the map to failure, financial problems, ill health, and pain.

It was apparent that his Mother and Father were absolutely 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 chat with his Mom and Dad, 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 lunch.

The Counselor Asks Dante if He Knows Why His Recent Alcohol-Related Behavior Caused Quite a Bit of Anxiety By the School Administrators

When Dante went to see Miss Johnson, she at once looked at all of the alcohol-related issues Dante had gotten into and asked him if he knew why his recent alcohol-related activities were such a cause for concern.

Quite honestly, Dante wondered why the principal suggested that he see a school counselor. As he expressed to Miss Johnson, why should he see a professional counselor about his drinking circumstances? Due to the fact that just about all of his classmates drink the same amount that he does, essentially, drinking shouldn’t be such a big thing. Stated more directly, if just about 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 beer when he was twelve or thirteen years old and getting ready to enter junior high school.

Miss Johnson explained to Dante that while his buddies may in fact 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 thrown out of school due to alcohol-related delinquency, absenteeism, and fighting, not his pals. Furthermore, 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 every week due to his alcohol related difficulties. Lastly, Miss Johnson stressed the fact that because of his drinking situation, Dante is getting into a damaging cycle of hazardous drinking that can at the end of the day destroy his hopes, dreams and aspirations.

In a word, Dante’s involvement with youth alcohol abuse was starting to foil his ability to act like a responsible young man. As stated by Miss Johnson, “Just because most of your classmates drink wine, beer, hard liquor, or wine coolers does not mean that it is the healthiest thing in the world for you.”

Dante Learns That Ultimately He Must Take Responsibility For Himself In Order to Avoid Unhealthy, Destructive, Dangerous, and Damaging Circumstances In the Foreseeable Future

Miss Johnson told Dante that others can certainly influence a person in a negative way, but that the individual himself or herself has to finally take responsibility for herself or himself in order to avoid unhealthy, dangerous, destructive, and damaging consequences in the future.

Luckily, Miss Johnson was very well equipped for her scheduled appointment with Dante. She showed him research studies and reports she had underlined that listed diverse drinking facts and statistics that applied to most people in general. Then she showed Dante quite a bit of information that applied especially to underage drinkers.

As an illustration, Miss Johnson underscored the difference between alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency and told Dante that individuals who continue to drink excessively regularly become dependent on alcohol.

Miss Johnson also discussed 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 Therapist States A Number Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse Facts and Statistics

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

1. Alcohol is an issue in roughly fifty percent of America’s accidental deaths, murders, and suicides.

2. Alcohol-related accidents are the leading cause of deaths among teenagers.

3. Each year in the United States, nearly 5,000 youth under the age of 21 lose their lives because of underage drinking. This includes approximately 1,900 deaths from motor vehicle crashes.

4. Research has demonstrated that U.S. adolescents who drink alcohol are 50 times more likely to use cocaine than teens who never ingest alcohol.

5. Approximately 1,700 college students in the United States are killed annually–around 4.65 a day–as a result of alcohol-related injuries.

6. In 2005, 2.1 million American college students between the ages of 18 and 24 claimed that they involve themselves in driving under the influence of alcohol.

7. The World Health Organization projects that almost 76 million people throughout the world have alcohol-related disorders.

8. As revealed by recent alcoholism studies, it has been discovered that nearly 53% of the adults in the United States have stated that one or more of their close relatives is an alcohol abuser or is dependent on alcohol.

Dante Gets A Relevant Wake Up Call About the Short Term and the Long Term Consequences of Teen Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse

After Miss Johnson stated the aforementioned alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction facts and statistics, it was apparent that what Miss Johnson disclosed to Dante was a real source of discovery for him. Why? Because for the first time in his young life, someone not only made the effort to give an explanation of the short term and the long term outcomes of alcoholism and alcohol abuse, but she also made the effort to corroborate 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 Dante instantaneously grasped why he should not be engaging in excessive and abusive drinking with or without his friends anymore. 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 examination and an alcohol appraisal for the alcohol treatment he would probably need.

Dante thought about this for a minute and then agreed to get a thorough physical examination and to go through a thorough appraisal of his drinking circumstances so that he could start an alcohol rehab program promptly.