Teen Drinking
When I was a sophomore in high school, I registered for a substance abuse class. At that time, I did not understand that alcohol abuse actually was a sub classification of drug abuse. While taking this class and learning more about drug and alcohol abuse, I read a lot about Alcoholic Anonymous, their meetings, how their programs have twelve steps, and how successful the Alcoholics Anonymous recovery program has been for individuals all over the world. I also learned quite a bit about alcohol treatment and the different alcohol rehabilitation centers that are typically available to alcohol abusers.
Some of the harmful results associated with alcoholism and alcohol abuse that I learned about in this class undeniably frightened me. The ruined lives and numerous difficulties experienced by most alcohol addicted individuals made me feel like I never wanted to drink alcohol when I became old enough. In a word, I did not want to face the disaster and devastation that alcohol dependent people almost always encounter.
Think about this for a moment. What fifteen-year-old teenager wants to face premature death due to his or her drinking behavior? What adolescent wants to become so out-of-control regarding his or her drinking that ingesting alcohol becomes the object of one s life? What young person wants to go to one of the local alcoholic rehabilitation centers to deal with alcohol-related difficulties before he or she becomes an adult?
What adolescent wants to go through alcohol withdrawal symptoms when he or she tries to stop drinking? Why would an individual engage in drinking to such an extent that it would cause difficulties in every area of his or her life? Drinking later in life after a person has a career, a family, and develops personal responsibilities makes sense. But why would a teenager want to sacrifice his or her education, employment, finances, and relationships for a life that centers on excessive drinking?
Teens Seem Oblivious To Problem
These issues were so significant that I discussed some of them in class throughout the school year. What was downright inconceivable to me was the number of students who simply didn t care about the detrimental results of abusive drinking that I discussed. It was almost as if they couldn t be troubled with reality and how these results can destroy their lives. For the first time in my life I started to understand something that my grandfather used to say to me all through my younger years: you can lead a horse to water but you can t make it drink.
The problem really lies in the fact that the teenagers are young and not experienced in life. They don’t fear the "evils of alcohol" because they really haven’t seen it firsthand at that point in their lives. The exception to this is if they come from homes where alcoholism is already a problem. As older adults who have seen this problem, we just wish we could impart our experience to their young minds. Unfortunately, alcoholism is one of those things you have to learn the hard way–hopefully as an an observer, not a participant.
Alcohol Is A Killer
I know I sound like a do-gooder, but the older I get, the more I see, and the more convinced I am that alcohol is a killer. I can’t tell you how many people I know, friends and family, who have had serious problems with the bottle. Lost jobs, broken marriages, wasted talents,early deaths–it’s the sad truth.
Published by Rehab Help Online
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Tags: alcohol ab, Alcohol Abuse, alcohol rehabilitation centers, alcohol-related problems, Alcoholics Anonymous, drug abuse, prevent teen drinking, teen drinking, teenage drinking, teenage drug use, underage drinking
May 2nd, 2009 at 11:13 pm
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