Later that day when Dante went home after school, he had to go over his school suspension with his Mom and Dad. His parents were “fairly old-fashioned” and explained to Dante that getting kicked out of school was not a practical educational game plan. They informed Dante that failing to graduate from high school would likely be like a lead weight around his feet that could conceivably impede his educational attainment for the remainder of his adult life. Moreover, Dante’s Mom and Dad were extremely dissatisfied that he was drinking in the first place and drinking with his peers in the second.

His Mom and Dad explained to Dante that although he may be an adolescent, he needs to comprehend without much delay that drinking is the road to pain, failure, ill health, and financial problems.

It was obvious that his Mom and Dad were absolutely in agreement with Dante’s principal and told Dante that he had better make plans to see Miss Johnson, the school psychologist. After his discussion with his Mother and Father, Dante eventually agreed to see Miss Johnson the next school day. So Dante phoned the school and scheduled an appointment to see Miss Johnson the next morning.

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

When Dante arrived at his scheduled appointment with Miss Johnson, she instantaneously looked at 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 sincerely, 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? Due to the fact that virtually all of his peers drink the same amount that he does, in essence, drinking is no big thing. Stated more directly, if nearly everyone 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 wine coolers when he was twelve or thirteen years old and getting ready to enter the seventh grade.

Miss Johnson explained to Dante that while his peers may indeed 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 absenteeism, fighting, and delinquency, not his buddies. What is more, Miss Johnson also emphasized the fact that Dante, and not his classmates, is the one who is failing and who is missing one day of class per week because of his alcohol related issues. Finally, Miss Johnson underscored the fact that due to his drinking situation, Dante is getting into a dangerous cycle of abusive drinking that can sooner or later destroy his life.

In short, Dante’s involvement with teenage alcohol abuse was beginning to thwart his ability to conduct himself like an accountable young man. As stated by Miss Johnson, “Just because most of your friends drink wine coolers, hard liquor, beer, or wine does not mean that it is the healthiest thing in the world for you.”

Dante Learns That At the End of the Day He Must Claim Responsibility For Himself In Order to Avert Damaging, Unhealthy, Dangerous, and Destructive Effects In the Future

Miss Johnson informed Dante that one’s classmates can undeniably influence a person in a negative manner, but that the person herself or himself has to sooner or later be responsible for herself or himself in order to avert damaging, destructive, dangerous, and unhealthy effects down the road.

Luckily, Miss Johnson was extremely well equipped for her scheduled time with Dante. She showed him reports and research studies she had highlighted that summarized diverse drinking statistics and facts that applied to most people in general. Then she showed Dante quite a bit of data that applied mainly to underage drinkers.

For example, Miss Johnson underscored the difference between alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency and told Dante that people who continue to drink in a hazardous manner often become dependent on alcohol.

Miss Johnson also explained the concept of binge drinking that she defined as follows: ingesting four or more drinks in one sitting for females and drinking four or more drinks in one sitting for females.

The Therapist Articulates Several Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Dependency Statistics and Facts

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

1. As shown in one study, almost 11% of 8th-graders, 22% of 10th-graders, and 27% of 12th-graders articulated that they involved themselves in hazardous drinking.

2. Between 48% and 64% of the individuals who pass away in fires have blood alcohol levels showing inebriation.

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

4. In the U.S., 33% of all suicides, and 25% of all emergency room admissions are alcohol-related.

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

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 alcoholism at some time in their lives.

7. In the U.S, by the time they are high school seniors, 80% of high school students have used alcohol and 62% have been drunk.

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

Dante Receives A Much Needed Primer on the Facts Regarding the Short Term and the Long Term Consequences of Teenage Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

After Miss Johnson listed the aforementioned alcohol abuse and alcoholism statistics and facts, it was clear that what Miss Johnson revealed to Dante was a real source of revelation for him. Why? Because for the first time in his young life, someone not only made the effort to go over the long term and the short term results of alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction, but she also made the effort to demonstrate what she was saying with alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction facts and statistics that related to everyone, and particularly to teens.

Without a doubt, it was almost as if a light went on and Dante instantly realized why he should not be engaging in hazardous and excessive drinking with or without his classmates 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 evaluation for the alcohol abuse or alcohol dependency rehab he would probably need.

Dante thought about this for few minutes and then agreed to get a complete physical exam and to go through a comprehensive appraisal of his drinking circumstances so that he could start an alcohol abuse or alcohol dependency rehabilitation program in a reasonable time frame.

The Requirement for a Recognized Track Record of Intervention Success

Scientific research displays that a productive alcohol abuse intervention needs to be overseen by an intervention professional who has a proven reputation of intervention attainment.

In actual fact this means that rather than selecting a “typical” alcohol addiction therapist or psychotherapist for an alcohol dependency intervention, the person who is decided upon to supervise the intervention needs to be trained in chemical dependency intervention techniques and needs to have a track record of effective alcohol dependency interventions.

A Few Primary Examples of The Most Productive Time For an Alcohol Dependency Intervention

Scientific inquiry and alcoholism facts about interventions has also displayed that the most fruitful time for an alcoholism intervention is following a remarkable event in the life of the alcohol dependent individual or hazardous drinker. The following represents a few illustrations of these kinds of significant happenings:

• The alcohol-dependent person or alcohol abuser has been caught stealing something of worth.
• The alcohol abuser or alcohol-dependent person has been caught lying about something of import.
• The alcohol addicted individual or alcohol abuser has been confined for a DUI or DWI.

In situations such as these, the alcohol addicted individual or alcohol abuser is more apt to feel sorry or to be embarrassed, thereby making him or her more willing to get the professional alcohol therapy that is needed.

At this time, moreover, it is also necessary to emphasize that the alcohol abuser or alcoholic needs to be alcohol-free during the alcohol addiction intervention. In short, if the abusive drinker or alcohol dependent individual is intoxicated during an alcohol dependency intervention, failure is effectively assured.

Additionally, scientific analysis has also displayed the fact that the abusive drinker or alcoholic has to at least try to listen to what is articulated in an alcoholism intervention. Stated more accurately, during an alcohol addiction intervention, the alcohol abuser or alcohol addicted person needs to listen to what his or her drinking difficulties have done to those who care for him or her the most.

The Impact of Alcohol Counseling For the Heavy Drinker

And finally, scientific study displays that the essential reason for an alcoholism intervention in the first place is to persuade the hazardous drinker or alcohol addicted individual to get the quality alcohol treatment that is required. In other words, even if the person who oversees the intervention has a tremendous profile of successful interventions and even if the alcohol abuser or alcohol-dependent person frankly listens to every single word that is said for the duration of an intervention, if the abusive drinker or alcohol addicted person is not stimulated to get quality alcohol dependency rehab after the alcoholism intervention, then the intervention will be a debacle.

Clearly all of these factors are needed for an effective alcohol addiction intervention. If, nevertheless, the abusive drinker or alcohol-dependent person is not stimulated to seek alcohol addiction treatment after listening to his or her family members communicate the hurt, irritation, and discontent they feel about the abusive drinker’s or alcohol addicted individual’s careless drinking behavior and the care they feel for the problem drinker, then every other aspect of the alcoholism intervention will to a large extent be worthless.

Even Productive Alcohol Addiction Interventions Can Boomerang In the Long Term

It also needs to be underlined that despite the fact that the alcohol addiction intervention can be identified as productive in that it helped put the abusive drinker or alcohol addicted person in a more receptive mentality and sincerely helped the alcohol dependent individual or hazardous drinker come to a decision that he or she needed alcohol rehab or quality help for alcoholism or alcohol abuse, the mere reality that the intervention occurred may lead to bitterness, irritation, and mistrust in the future.

To sum up, even when alcohol interventions are seen as effective in the short term, in the long term, on the other hand, they may fail and, for that reason, might make the family and/or the alcohol abuser’s situation even poorer than it was before the alcohol intervention occurred.

No matter how unwarranted or incongruous this seems, try to keep in mind that it is merely one of the central alcohol facts that has to be addressed when performing an alcohol intervention.

Later that day when Dante went home after school, he had to clarify his school expulsion to his Mom and Dad. His Mother and Father were “relatively conservative” and told Dante that getting kicked out of school was not a feasible educational option. They told Dante that failing to graduate from high school would probably be like a lead weight around his legs that might impede his educational achievement for the rest of his adult life. Not only this, but Dante’s Mom and Dad were very displeased that he was drinking in the first place and drinking with his pals in the second.

His parents told Dante that although he may be young, he has to understand fairly rapidly that drinking is the path to ill health, financial problems, pain, and failure.

It was plain to see that his Mom and Dad were absolutely in concurrence with Dante’s principal and informed Dante that he had better make plans to see Miss Johnson, the school therapist. After his chat with his parents, Dante finally agreed to see Miss Johnson the next school day. So Dante phoned the school and made an appointment to see Miss Johnson the next day during his first period class.

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

When Dante arrived at his scheduled appointment with Miss Johnson, she without pause examined all of the alcohol-related problems Dante had experienced and asked him if he comprehended why his recent alcohol-related activities gave the school administrators room for alarm.

Quite honestly, Dante questioned why the principal suggested that he see a school therapist. As he expressed to Miss Johnson, why should he see a professional psychologist about his drinking activities? Because almost all of his peers drink about as much as he does, primarily, drinking shouldn’t be such a big thing. Stated more explicitly, if nearly everybody is drinking, why is this such a big thing?

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

Miss Johnson informed Dante that while his friends 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 kicked out of school due to alcohol-related fighting, delinquency, and absenteeism, not his peers. Not only this but Miss Johnson also stressed the fact that Dante, and not his buddies, is the one who is failing and who is missing at least two days of school every week because of his alcohol related problems. Lastly, Miss Johnson highlighted the fact that due to his drinking circumstances, Dante is getting into a harmful cycle of hazardous drinking that can at the end of the day destroy his aspirations, hopes, and dreams.

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

Dante Learns That In the Long Run He Must Claim Responsibility For Himself In Order to Steer Clear of Unhealthy, Damaging, Dangerous, and Destructive Outcomes Down the Road

Miss Johnson explained to Dante that other individuals can definitely influence a person in an unhealthy manner, but that the person herself or himself has to finally be responsible for herself or himself in order to prevent unhealthy, damaging, dangerous, and destructive effects down the road.

Fortunately, Miss Johnson was extremely well prepared for her scheduled meeting with Dante. She showed him reports and research studies she had highlighted that listed diverse drinking statistics and facts that applied to most people in general. Then she showed Dante quite a lot of information that applied especially to teens.

As an illustration, Miss Johnson explained the difference between alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction and informed Dante that individuals who continue to drink abusively often become addicted to alcohol.

Miss Johnson 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 Conveys More Than a Few Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Addiction Statistics and Facts

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

1. According to one study, around 11% of 8th-graders, 22% of 10th-graders, and 27% of 12th-graders stated that they involved themselves in binge drinking.

2. Between 48% and 64% of the people who perish in fires have blood alcohol levels showing intoxication.

3. Children who are drinking alcohol by 7th grade are more likely to display substance abuse, delinquent behavior, and academic problems in both high school and junior high school.

4. In the U.S., 25% of all emergency room admissions, 33% of all suicides, and more than 50% of all homicides and incidents of domestic violence are alcohol-related.

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

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

7. In the U.S, by the time they are seniors in high school, 80% of high school students have used alcohol and 62% have been drunk.

8. Treatment for alcoholism 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 Receives An Important Wake Up Call Concerning the Short Term and the Long Term Effects of Teenage Alcohol Dependency and Alcohol Abuse

After Miss Johnson stated the aforementioned alcohol abuse and alcoholism statistics and facts, it was plain to see that what Miss Johnson disclosed to Dante was a real jolt to him. Why? Because for the first time in his young life, someone not only made the effort to explain the long term and the short term effects of alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction, but she also took the time to validate what she was saying with alcohol abuse and alcoholism statistics and facts that related to everybody in general, and principally to today’s youth.

Undeniably, it was almost as if a light went on and Dante without pause grasped why he should not be engaging in hazardous and excessive drinking with or without his buddies 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 examination and an alcohol evaluation for the alcohol abuse or alcohol addiction rehab he would probably need.

Dante thought about this for few minutes and then agreed to get a comprehensive physical and to go through a complete assessment of his drinking condition so that he could start an alcohol abuse or alcohol dependency rehab program right away.

For example, in 2005, medical research and alcohol abuse and alcoholism statistics showed that alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency cost the United States an estimated $220 billion per year. Interestingly, this huge alcohol-related cash disbursement was substantially more than the cost associated with cancer ($196 billion) or with obesity ($133 billion). While it is pertinent to stress these facts, it is also important to highlight the fact that an interrelationship exists between all three of these health conditions.

To be more precise, chronic alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction are also highly associated with obesity and with cancer.

Without a doubt, substance abuse examination has revealed that alcoholism can boost the risk for various forms of cancer, particularly cancer of the liver, voice box (larynx), kidneys, colon, esophagus, rectum, and the throat. Excessive and repetitive drinking can also lead to immune system difficulties and harm to the fetus during pregnancy.

Excessive and Irresponsible Drinking Deteriorates the Person’s Systems and Organs

Furthermore, if alcoholism continues over a period of years, the person’s body organs will likely be affected in an unhealthy manner. For example, chronic, hazardous drinking is particularly dangerous to the liver due to the fact that the liver does most of the work of processing the alcohol that has been ingested. Excessive amounts of alcohol kills liver cells and eradicates the ability of liver cells to reproduce. This condition leads to a progressive inflammatory injury to the liver that can ultimately lead to cirrhosis of the liver, a grave and potentially fatal disease.Excessive, long-term drinking not only can lead to dangerous liver damage, but it can also lead to damage to the heart and to the brain. Physical damage this severe may be irreparable and may, in turn, lead to serious ill health or an early death.

The Critical Nature of Alcohol Therapy

It is important, as a result, to know how to identify the various alcoholism symptoms and the “alcohol signs” so that the alcohol dependent person can be given the opportunity to seek the quality alcohol rehabilitation he or she needs.

Alcoholism and Technologically Advanced Brain Research

Fortuitously, medical investigation is constantly discovering novel and significant information. Recent alcoholism exploration supplies a high-quality example. More to the point, for approximately the last ten years, technologically advanced brain-imaging scanning instruments have shown that continuous and long lasting excessive drinking transforms the structure of the brain to a significant extent, thusly resulting in brain disease that can last months, years, or possibly as long as the person lives.

More accurately, medical examination has revealed that people who have been drinking in an irresponsible manner for a considerable length of time increase their risk for developing long lasting and serious modifications in the brain.

This type of damage may be indirectly associated with the drinker’s poor overall health or directly related to the alcohol’s effects on the brain or to severe liver disease.

Excessive Drinking, Malnutrition, and Mental Disorders

As a final illustration of diverse medical conditions that are largely associated with alcohol dependency, consider that in accordance with medical examination, the excessive and repeated abuse of alcohol can result in erosive gastritis, a condition that lessens the absorption of minerals, nutrients, and vitamins.

This form of organ breakdown is linked to malnutrition and to an array of serious neurological and mental syndromes including memory loss, sleep disturbances, and psychosis such as Wernicke’s Encephalopathy and Korsakoff’s syndrome. This latter health problem is an enduring debilitating health problem that is characterized by recurring memory and learning complications.

Summary

It is plain to see that repetitive, abusive drinking is directly or indirectly associated with numerous severe medical conditions that can and do result in serious illness and premature death. Such information needs to be emphasized and presented to everyone in our society so that a massive amount of individuals will be able to abstain from abusive drinking while other individuals who have a drinking problem will get the professional rehab they need.

If you have hopelessly struggled to stop drinking or if you promised yourself that your drinking days are behind you and then you were made aware that you were drinking in a hazardous way just a few days later, chances are exceedingly good that you have drinking problems. The key point is that if you have attempted to stop drinking and cannot complete the task, then your drinking is controlling you, instead of the other way around.

Similarly, if it takes greater amounts of alcohol to get the same “high,” you probably need to become aware that you have a drinking problem.

You may be telling yourself that the rationale for your drinking is so that you can lessen your nervous tension or get rid of the hurt that you feel. In a similar manner, you may be trying to avoid a hurtful circumstance and may be looking for something better, more positive, or less sorrowful.

As you continue your drinking, then again, you will grasp the fact that drinking does not produce the same high and you will also comprehend that drinking doesn’t help do away with whatever led to your problem in the first place.

Along the way, sadly, you may become addicted to alcohol and, as a consequence, you may add another critical issue to deal with rather than learning about more efficient and beneficial ways of dealing with your alcohol-related issues.

The Requirement for an Alcohol Appraisal

If you have concluded that you have a problem with your drinking, maybe the most expedient thing you can do for yourself is to call your physician or healthcare practitioner and arrange for an appointment for a physical and for an appraisal of your drinking activities.

If you honestly believe that you have a critical drinking problem, it might be a good idea to get prepared to find out that you need to get alcohol therapy.

At this point in time, what are your alternatives? You can positively decide against seeing your family doctor and carry on with your pattern of hazardous drinking.

It actually doesn’t take a nuclear physicist, however, to have a handle on the fact that repeated, excessive drinking, if left untreated, will degenerate over time and most likely bring about an early death. As a result, your healthiest alternative is to address your drinking situation and obtain the alcohol rehabilitation you require.

The Pretense of the Functioning Alcohol Dependent Person

It is somewhat paradoxical to note the fact that several alcoholics lead busy and active lives and have families, jobs, houses, vehicles, pets, and any number of material possessions just like people who are not addicted to alcohol.

Many of these “functional” alcohol addicted individuals may have never been cited for a DUI and may have been fortunate enough to avoid all alcohol induced legal difficulties. In spite of this fortunate circumstance, to the contrary, these alcoholics need to drink in order to deal with life on a day to day basis while maintaining their facade as they interact with the outside world.

Ask anyone who has seen them when they are bingeing or in a drunken stupor or ask a family member about the problem drinker’s alcohol dependency, to the contrary, and they will be quick to maintain the legitimacy of the drinker’s situation and the facts about the alcohol addicted person’s drinking circumstances and about his or her alcohol generated problems.

Why Do Alcohol Addicted People Fail to See Their Drinking Difficulties?

As alcohol dependency research and statistics on alcohol abuse have highlighted, no matter how clear the alcohol-related predicaments seem to those who interact with the alcoholic, alcohol addicted individuals often deny that drinking is the root of their alcohol produced predicaments. Not only this, but alcohol dependent people often blame their alcohol induced difficulties on other people or upon other situations that surround them rather than seeing their part in the difficulty.

The root of the problem is that alcohol dependency is a disease of the brain. Once the alcohol abuser has become an alcoholic, he or she typically resorts to denial, manipulation, and lying as a way of coping with the fact that his or her drinking is out of control. And to make matters more problematic, the experience of alcohol withdrawal symptoms characteristically thwarts the alcohol addicted person’s rare attempts to abruptly refrain from drinking. As depressing as the alcohol dependent person’s way of life is, to the contrary, the encouraging news is that professional help is widely available – if the alcohol addicted individual reaches out and gets alcohol rehab.

Conclusion

Coming to grips with the fact that drinking is bringing about issues in your daily functioning is conceivably the simplest way to determine if you have a problem with your drinking. Stated more precisely, if your drinking is bringing about difficulties with your health, with your employment, in your relationships, with your finances, at school, or with the legal system, then you have a drinking problem that needs to be tackled.

If you have a drinking problem, moreover, this means that you are getting involved with hazardous drinking.

While some drinkers may be able to identify their “alcohol signs,” pinpoint their difficulties, and substantially diminish the amount and incidence of their drinking, others, on the other hand, need to tackle their drinking problems by getting quality alcoholism rehabilitation. Additionally, due to their inclination to deny the facts and warp the truth, alcoholics definitely require quality alcoholism therapy for their abusive drinking.