My Fitness Edge

Dante was a sixteen year old high school junior who was exhibiting a number of alcohol-related difficulties at school. For that reason, the principal informed him that he had to see Miss Johnson, the school psychologist, before he would be allowed to return to class.

Later that afternoon when Dante went home after school, he had to go over his school expulsion with his parents. His Mom and Dad were “fairly conservative” and explained to Dante that getting kicked out of school was not a feasible educational plan of action. They informed Dante that failing to graduate from high school would probably be like a lead weight around his legs that may inhibit his educational aspirations for the rest of his life. What is more, Dante’s Mom and Dad were very troubled that he was drinking in the first place and drinking with his pals in the second.

They told Dante that although he may be a teenager, he needs to realize fairly swiftly that drinking is the pathway to ill health, financial problems, failure, and pain.

It was apparent that his Mother and Father were 100% in agreement with Dante’s principal and informed Dante that he had better make up his mind to see Miss Johnson, the school counselor. After his conversation with his Mother and Father, Dante in due course agreed to see Miss Johnson the next day. So Dante called the school and scheduled an appointment to see Miss Johnson the next morning.

The Psychologist Asks Dante if He Understands 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 without pause looked at all of the alcohol-related issues Dante had experienced and asked him if he understood why his recent alcohol-related behavior caused quite a bit of concern by the school administrators.

Quite frankly, Dante was unsure why the principal explained to him that he had to see a school therapist. As he expressed to Miss Johnson, why should he see a professional therapist about his drinking behavior? Since almost all of his friends drink the same amount that he does, in essence, drinking shouldn’t be such a big thing. Stated more directly, if nearly everybody is drinking, why is this such a major problem?

Miss Johnson asked Dante when he started to drink. He said that some of his older friends introduced him to drinking hard liquor when he was twelve or thirteen years old and between the sixth and seventh grades.

Miss Johnson informed Dante that while his friends may indeed 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 suspended from school due to alcohol-related delinquency, absenteeism, and fighting, not his buddies. Not only this but Miss Johnson also underlined the fact that Dante, and not his pals, is the one who is failing and who is missing at least one day of class every week because of his alcohol related issues. Finally, Miss Johnson underscored the fact that due to his drinking activities, Dante is getting into a negative cycle of hazardous drinking that can ultimately ruin his life.

In short, Dante’s involvement with teenage alcohol abuse was beginning to short-circuit his ability to conduct himself like a responsible young man. As pronounced by Miss Johnson, “Just because most of your friends drink beer, hard liquor, wine, or wine coolers does not mean that it is the best option for you.”

Dante Learns That Ultimately He Must Be Accountable For Himself In Order to Avert Dangerous, Damaging, Destructive, and Unhealthy Circumstances In the Foreseeable Future

Miss Johnson explained to Dante that others can undeniably influence a person in an unhealthy manner, but that the person himself or herself has to ultimately claim responsibility for herself or himself in order to keep away from unhealthy, damaging, dangerous, and destructive effects in the future.

Luckily, Miss Johnson was extremely well prepared for her appointment with Dante. She showed him reports and research studies she had underlined that outlined diverse drinking facts and statistics that targeted most people in general. Then she showed Dante quite a lot of figures and reports that applied principally to underage drinkers.

For instance, Miss Johnson underscored the difference between alcohol abuse and alcoholism and informed Dante that drinkers who continue to drink excessively regularly become addicted to alcohol.

Miss Johnson also explained 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 Verbalizes Numerous Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Statistics and Facts

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

1. As demonstrated in one study, around 11% of 8th-graders, 22% of 10th-graders, and 27% of 12th-graders articulated that they engaged in binge drinking.

2. Between 48% and 64% of the individuals who die in fires have blood alcohol levels indicating inebriation.

3. Pre-teens who are drinking alcohol by 7th grade are more likely to report academic problems, substance use, and delinquent behavior in both middle school and high school.

4. In the United States, 33% of all suicides, and 25% of all emergency room admissions are related to alcohol.

5. In the U.S. among drivers between the ages of 15 and 20, deadly accidents involving a single vehicle at night are three times more likely to be alcohol-related than to other deadly crashes.

6. In the United States, more than 40 percent of the people who begin drinking before the age of 13 will develop alcohol abuse or alcohol addiction at some time in their lives.

7. In the U.S, by the time they are high school seniors, 80% of teens have drank alcohol and 62% have been inebriated.

8. Treatment for alcohol dependency has been demonstrated to decrease criminal activity up to 80% among chronic offenders, has reduced their health care costs, decreased their homelessness, and increased their rate of employment.

Dante Gets A Much Needed Jolt of Reality Concerning the Short Term and the Long Term Consequences of Teenage Alcohol Addiction and Alcohol Abuse

After Miss Johnson listed the aforementioned alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency facts and statistics, it was obvious that what Miss Johnson taught 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 articulate the short term and the long term consequences of alcoholism and alcohol abuse, but she also made the effort to back up what she was saying with alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency statistics and facts that related to everyone, and mainly to teenagers.

Certainly, it was almost as if a light went on and Dante at once grasped why he should not be engaging in abusive and excessive drinking with or without his classmates any longer. Dante thanked Miss Johnson for her concern and for the information she discussed.

Miss Johnson then asked Dante how he felt about getting a physical exam and an alcohol assessment for the alcohol abuse or alcoholism rehab he would probably need.

Dante thought about this for a minute and then agreed to get a complete physical and to go through a comprehensive appraisal of his drinking behavior so that he could start an alcohol abuse or alcoholism rehab program promptly.