Larry was a seventeen year old high school senior who was displaying several alcohol-related issues at school. Consequently, the principal explained to him that he had to see Miss Johns, the school psychologist, before he would be allowed to come back to class.

Later that afternoon when Larry went home after school, he had to go over his school situation with his Mom and Dad. His Mother and Father were “relatively old fashioned” and explained to Larry that getting kicked out of school was not a satisfactory educational option. They explained to Larry that failing to graduate from high school would most probably be like a lead weight around his ankles that could quite possibly encumber his educational aspirations for the remainder of his life. What is more, Larry’s Mom and Dad were extremely saddened that he was drinking in the first place and drinking with his friends in the second.

His parents told Larry that even though he may be young, he needs to realize fairly promptly that drinking is the map to financial problems, pain, ill health, and failure.

It was evident that his Mom and Dad were out-and-out in full agreement with Larry’s principal and told Larry that he had to see Miss Johns, the school therapist. After his conversation with his Mom and Dad, Larry in due course agreed to see Miss Johns the next day. So Larry called the school and made an appointment to see Miss Johns the next day during his sixth period class.

The Therapist Asks Larry if He Understands Why His Recent Alcohol-Related Activities Signaled Such Alarm By the School Administrators

When Larry arrived at his scheduled appointment with Miss Johns, she instantaneously looked at all of the alcohol-related difficulties Larry had gotten into and asked him if he knew why his recent alcohol-related activities caused quite a bit of anxiety by the school administrators.

Quite truthfully, Larry wondered why the principal told him he had to see a school therapist. As he expressed to Miss Johns, why should he see a professional counselor about his drinking activities? Due to the fact that just about all of his pals drink as much if not more than he does, primarily, drinking shouldn’t be such a big issue. Stated more precisely, if almost everybody is drinking, why is this such a big deal?

Miss Johns asked Larry when he started to drink alcoholic beverages. He said that some of his older pals introduced him to drinking wine coolers when he was twelve or thirteen years old and in the seventh grade.

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 fighting, delinquency, and absenteeism, not his buddies. Not only this but Miss Johns also underscored the fact that Larry, and not his classmates, is the one who is failing and who is missing at least two days of class per week due to his alcohol related problems. Lastly, Miss Johns underscored the fact that because of his drinking behavior, Larry is getting into a destructive cycle of alcohol abuse that can ultimately wreck his hopes, dreams and aspirations.

In short, Larry’s involvement with adolescent alcohol abuse was starting to impede his ability to conduct himself like an accountable young man. As put into words by Miss Johns, “Just because most of your buddies drink beer, wine coolers, wine, or hard liquor does not mean that it is the healthiest thing in the world for you.”

Larry Learns That Sooner or Later He Must Be Accountable For Himself In Order to Avoid Damaging, Dangerous, Destructive, and Unhealthy Situations Down the Road

Miss Johns told Larry that one’s buddies can without a doubt influence an individual in an unhealthy manner, but that the person himself or herself has to in time be responsible for herself or himself in order to prevent destructive, unhealthy, damaging, and dangerous effects in the foreseeable future.

Fortunately, Miss Johns was quite organized for her meeting with Larry. She showed him research studies and reports she had underlined that summarized various drinking statistics and facts that targeted most people in general. Then she showed Larry quite a bit of figures and reports that applied especially to teens.

For instance, Miss Johns emphasized the difference between alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency and explained to Larry that individuals who continue to drink excessively frequently become alcohol dependent.

Miss Johns also articulated the concept of binge drinking that she defined as follows: drinking five or more drinks in one sitting for males and consuming four or more drinks in one sitting for females.

The Psychologist States More Than a Few Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Addiction Facts and Statistics

Then Miss Johns conveyed the following eight alcoholism facts and alcohol abuse statistics:

1. Alcoholism and alcohol abuse cost the United States an estimated $220 billion in 2005. This dollar amount was more than the cost associated with cancer ($196 billion) or with obesity ($133 billion.

2. More than one-half of American adults have a close relative or family member who has or has had alcohol dependency.

3. More than 75% of female victims of nonfatal, domestic violence reported that their assailant had been drinking or using drugs.

4. In the U.S. on a yearly basis, more than thirty-three percent of pedestrians killed by automobiles were legally drunk.

5. One national study discovered that students are less likely to drink alcohol if they are socially accepted by others at school and believe that teachers treat students fairly.

6. Research reveals that teens who use alcohol may remember ten percent less of what they have learned than young people who don’t drink.

7. Around ten to twenty percent of the people who drink heavily in the end develop cirrhosis of the liver (i.e., a scarring of the liver that can be fatal).

8. Up to forty percent of the U.S. industrial fatalities and 47 percent of industrial injuries are correlated with alcohol abuse or alcohol dependency.

Larry Gets A Meaningful Jolt of Reality About the Short Term and the Long Term Outcomes of Underage Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Addiction

After Miss Johns presented the aforementioned alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse statistics and facts, it was clear that what Miss Johns disclosed to 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 articulate the short term and the long term results of alcohol abuse and alcoholism, but she also made the effort to validate what she was saying with alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency statistics and facts that related to everybody in general, and principally to young people.

Indeed, it was almost as if a light went on and Larry at once understood why he should not be engaging in excessive and hazardous drinking with or without his buddies any longer. Larry thanked Miss Johns for her concern and for the material she presented.

Miss Johns then asked Larry how he felt about getting a physical examination and an alcohol appraisal for the alcohol abuse or alcohol addiction rehabilitation 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 comprehensive assessment of his drinking condition so that he could start an alcohol abuse or alcoholism rehab program promptly.