What I learned About Alcoholism and Drug Abuse in High School
Saturday, October 10th, 2009When I was a sophomore in high school, I took a drug abuse class. At that time period, I did not understand that alcohol abuse actually was a sub category of drug abuse. While taking this class and learning more about drug and alcohol abuse and especially about alcohol side effects, 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 throughout the world. I also learned a lot about alcohol rehabilitation and the various alcohol rehab clinics that are usually available to people who engage in heavy drinking.
Negative Results That are Associated With Alcohol Dependency and Alcohol Abuse
Some of the negative consequences related to alcoholism and alcohol abuse that I learned about in this class definitely frightened me. The ruined lives and frequent serious issues experienced by most alcohol dependent individuals made me feel like I never wanted to drink alcohol when I became old enough. Stated briefly, I did not want to face the disaster and destruction that alcohol addicted people almost always encounter.
Reflect on 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 consuming alcohol becomes the object of one’s life? What teen 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 deal with alcohol withdrawal symptoms when he or she tries to quit drinking? Why would a person 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 an individual has a career, a family, and develops personal responsibilities makes sense. But why would an adolescent want to sacrifice his or her education, employment, finances, and relationships for a life that centers on abusive drinking?
These issues were so important that I discussed some of them in class throughout the school year. What was entirely amazing to me was the number of students who basically didn’t care about the injurious effects of hazardous drinking that I discussed. It was almost as if they couldn’t be troubled with reality and how these effects can destroy their lives. For the first time in my life I started to understand a saying that my grandfather used to articulate throughout my youth: you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.
It’s Beneficial, Enlivening, and Important to Stay Away From the Debilitating and Unhealthy End Results of Alcohol and Drug Abuse
And even at my young age, I also started to realize how beneficial, important, and energizing it is in life to keep yourself from the unhealthy and damaging end results of drug and alcohol abuse.