An Erratic High School Student Displays A Number of Alcohol-Related Difficulties, Gets Kicked Out of School, and Has to See the School Psychologist
Larry was a sixteen year old high school sophomore who was displaying numerous alcohol-related problems at school. Therefore, the principal explained to him that he had to see Miss Johns, the school psychologist, before he would be allowed to return to class.
Later that day when Larry went home after school, he had to explain his school situation to his Mother and Father. His Mother and Father were “fairly traditional” and explained to Larry that dropping out of school was not an acceptable educational game plan. They informed Larry that failing to graduate from high school would most probably be like a lead weight around his legs that may impede his educational attainment for the rest of his adult life. In addition, Larry’s Mom and Dad were extremely upset that he was drinking in the first place and drinking with his pals in the second.
His Mother and Father told Larry that even though he may be an adolescent, he has to comprehend fairly swiftly that drinking is the road to pain, financial problems, ill health, and failure.
It was apparent that his parents were in total concurrence with Larry’s principal and informed Larry that he had better make up his mind to see Miss Johns, the school counselor. After his discussion with his parents, Larry finally agreed to see Miss Johns the next day. So Larry phoned the school and made an appointment to see Miss Johns the next morning before school.
The Psychologist Asks Larry if He Knows Why His Recent Alcohol-Related Actions Caused Quite a Bit of Anxiety By the School Administrators
When Larry went to see Miss Johns, she without pause analyzed all of the alcohol-related difficulties Larry had experienced and asked him if he knew why his recent alcohol-related behavior caused quite a bit of concern by the school administrators.
Quite honestly, Larry wondered why the principal informed him that he had to see a school therapist. As he stated to Miss Johns, why should he see a professional psychologist about his drinking behavior? Due to the fact that nearly all of his peers drink the same amount that he does, in essence, drinking is no big thing. Stated another way, if nearly everyone is drinking, why is this such a major issue?
Miss Johns asked Larry when he started to drink. He said that some of his older buddies introduced him to drinking wine coolers when he was twelve or thirteen years old and getting ready to enter junior high school.
Miss Johns informed Larry that while his friends 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 expelled from school due to alcohol-related delinquency, absenteeism, and fighting, not his friends. What is more, Miss Johns also highlighted the fact that Larry, and not his peers, is the one who is failing and who is missing at least two days of class every week due to his alcohol related issues. Lastly, Miss Johns highlighted the fact that because of his drinking situation, Larry is getting into a damaging cycle of excessive drinking that can eventually destroy his hopes, dreams and aspirations.
In short, Larry’s involvement with adolescent alcohol abuse was beginning to thwart his ability to behave like an accountable young man. As pronounced by Miss Johns, “Just because most of your classmates drink beer, wine coolers, hard liquor, or wine does not mean that it is the right thing to do for you.”
Larry Learns That In the Long Run He Must Be Accountable For Himself In Order to Steer Clear of Destructive, Unhealthy, Dangerous, and Damaging Consequences In the Future
Miss Johns informed Larry that one’s classmates can indeed influence an individual in an unhealthy manner, but that the person herself or himself has to in time be accountable for herself or himself in order to avoid damaging, unhealthy, dangerous, and destructive effects down the road.
Fortunately, Miss Johns was extremely well equipped for her appointment with Larry. She showed him research studies and reports she had highlighted that listed different drinking facts and statistics that applied to most people in general. Then she showed Larry quite a lot of figures and reports that applied particularly to adolescents.
As an illustration, Miss Johns emphasized the difference between alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse and informed Larry that drinkers who continue to drink abusively often become addicted to alcohol.
Miss Johns also explained the concept of binge drinking that she defined as follows: ingesting five or more drinks in one sitting for males and consuming four or more drinks in one sitting for females.
The Therapist Articulates Quite a Few Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Facts and Statistics
Then Miss Johns stated the following eight alcoholism facts and alcohol abuse statistics:
1. Alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence cost the U.S. an estimated $220 billion in 2005. This dollar amount was more than the cost associated with obesity ($133 billion) or with cancer ($196 billion).
2. More than one-half of U.S. adults have a close relative or family member who has or has had alcohol addiction.
3. More than seventy-five percent of female victims of nonfatal, domestic violence claimed that their assailant had been using drugs or drinking.
4. In the United States on a yearly basis, more than one third of pedestrians killed by autos were legally intoxicated.
5. One national study uncovered the fact that students are less likely to use alcohol if they are socially accepted by people at school and feel that teachers treat students in a fair manner.
6. Research indicates that youth who drink alcohol may remember 10 percent less of what they have learned than youth who don’t drink.
7. Around 10% to 20% of the people who drink in an excessive manner in time develop cirrhosis of the liver (i.e., a scarring of the liver that can be fatal).
8. Up to 40% of the U.S. industrial fatalities and forty-seven percent of industrial injuries are linked to alcohol dependency or alcohol abuse.
Larry Gets A Relevant Wake Up Call Concerning the Long Term and the Short Term Effects of Adolescent Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Dependency
After Miss Johns listed the aforementioned alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse statistics and facts, it was clear that what Miss Johns taught Larry 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 go over the short term and the long term results of alcoholism and alcohol abuse, but she also took the time to substantiate what she was saying with alcoholism and alcohol abuse facts and statistics that related to everybody in general, and mainly to teenagers.
To be sure, it was almost as if a light went on and Larry immediately comprehended why he should not be engaging in hazardous and abusive drinking with or without his classmates anymore. Larry thanked Miss Johns for her concern and for the information she discussed.
Miss Johns then asked Larry how he felt about getting a physical examination and an alcohol evaluation for the alcohol abuse or alcoholism rehabilitation he would probably need.
Larry thought about this for a minute and then agreed to get a complete physical and to go through a complete appraisal of his drinking condition so that he could start an alcohol abuse or alcohol dependency rehabilitation program right away.