Most people don’t think about such things. In fact a stunning 48% of the adult American population drinks zero, zip, nada, or at most has a glass of champagne at a wedding or a spiked eggnog at the annual office Christmas party just to be polite. Of those who do drink, the majority drink moderately or occasionally. The dirty little secret of the American liquor industry is that 10% of the drinkers account for 70% of alcohol sales, and those are the folks who drink early and often and never in moderation.

Now, we Americans are a pretty puritanical lot, but the point is that most people do not abuse alcohol and therefore never give any thought to whether or not they are drinking too much. They simply know they are not.It’s just a small percentage that has anything to worry about and an even smaller percentage that ends up dead or in rehab.

The High School and College Crowd

The statistics are a bit different for the high school and college crowd. Young people between the ages of 16 and 24 drink more than anybody else and are big binge drinkers( a binge being defined as downing more than five drinks in one sitting) This is the time of life for beer bongs and Saturday night keggers, but most people calm down once they are out in the real workaday world and jobs, marriage and children tend to sober them up. Only a few keep on partying into their thirties and beyond– and at some point, these few start to worry that maybe their drinking is getting out of hand and maybe, just maybe, it is.

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A Test for Alcoholism

So what is the difference between a heavy drinker and an alcoholic? The answer seems to lie in the dynamics of addiction. It’s a long way from getting soused every Saturday night to skid row, but it is a clear path and a downward spiral and as we all know, alcoholism is a progressive illness. Once you are addicted, there is no place to go but down. Addiction, both physical and psychological, is about loss of control. If, in your secret heart of hearts you have ever feared that your drinking might be getting ahead of you , here are a couple of things you might want to ask yourself.

Have you ever sworn you would not drink and then ended up with a drink in your hand?
Have you ever sat down to have just one beer and ended up drunk?
Has anyone–either at work or a family member, ever commented negatively on your drinking?
Do you assume that everybody drinks and that most people get drunk and that people who don’t are no fun to be around?
Do you ever try to hide how much you drink( as in do you ever take those trash cans full of empty’s to the dump rather than leave them for the regular collection or do you ever buy your booze at more than one liquor store so that the owners won’t think you drink too much?)
Do you drink: every day, alone, or in the morning?
Does the idea of having to live without alcohol seem scary?
Do you physically crave a drink at a certain time of day and get irritable if you can’t have one?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you could well be in trouble. Just for the record, moderate drinking is officially defined as: 2 drinks a night for a man, one for a woman and binge drinking is defined as more than five drinks at one sitting. If you spill more than that on Saturday night, or have a family member who does, have a look at the video above and the links at the bottom of this article for a quick overview of the basics on alcoholism.

Think you can quit anytime you want but just like to drink to unwind ? You can prove it to yourself and to the world by taking a little test. I urge you to try the following experiment if you are concerned about your drinking. It is a surefire way to separate the folks who just like to party, from those who are truly abusing alcohol and are on their way to serious abuse and physical addiction. If you have the guts to take on this experiment honestly and with an open mind, you might find out something very interesting about yourself. Wouldn’t it be nice to know one way or the other so you could stop worrying?

The Alcoholism Experiment

For the next week have no alcohol except for one five ounce glass of wine with dinner. If you don’t like wine with your dinner, you can have one 12 oz bottle of beer instead. If you prefer spirits to wine or beer, you can substitute a one and one half ounce shot of whiskey before dinner for the wine or beer but…. you can choose only one of these three options, and once you’ve chosen you must stick with your choice. You can’t change around and have beer one night, wine the next etc. Also, you cannot skip a night or have nothing one night and two beers the next etc. Just FYI a five oz. glass of wine, a 12 oz glass of beer and a 1 and 1/2 shot of whiskey all have the same amount of alcohol so whatever you choose, you will be getting the same amount of alcohol, it’s just a question of what appeals to you. Follow these directions exactly– only one drink of whatever you choose for one entire week.

And that folks, is the way you can tell a heavy drinker from an alcoholic. It’s a useful test that separates the sheep from the goats very handily. Those who are in even the early stages of addiction will not be able to pass the test. Those who really can take it or leave it will have no problem. What do you think. Want to give it a try, or does the very idea put a meat hook in your tum tum?

Cheers and here’s mud in your eye.:-)

Links to Alcoholism Resources
Alcoholism Recovery – LoveToKnow Recovery
How recovery from alcoholism begins and what it is like from the alcoholic’s perspective
Alcohol Research and Statistics
Reference materials and data tables on the effects alcohol, alcoholism, drunk driving, health issues and more.
Teenage Alcohol Statistics
Statistics on alcohol use by teenagers and youth. Data from studies show that alcohol is, by far, the most abused drug by teenagers which leads to death, impaired brain development and myriad social problems.

Question by crushabitrollituptakeahit: Teenage Alcoholism? Is it possible?
Hi im 15 and i find i drink more than i should maybe. i at least have 1 – 1/2 cups of strong alcohol (37-40%) a day. I don’t drink cause i technically need it. i drink to feel more comfortable. i don’t know if this is a problem or not. i think i could stop but its more convenient to continue in my opinion. (btw, i get the alcohol from my parents liquor cabnit). Thanks!
1. yes i have had blackouts
2. no not really. but when its available yes
3. idk

Best answer:

Answer by Betty
Possible? Yes it is. Being an “alcoholic” does not mean you need it. It simply means you are addicted to it. And yes, alcoholics will say the same thing you just said: they drink to feel more comfortable. Are you addicted? Only you can answer that question.

1) Have you ever had a blackout?
2) Do you ever think about or talk about drinking when you are sober?
3) Could you stop drinking, right now, for the rest of your life and be 100% OK with that?

If you answered yes to the first two questions and no to the last question, there is a good probability that you are addicted.

What do you think? Answer below!

Post from: Teen Drugs

What Is The Difference Between An Alcoholic and a Heavy Drinker

Known as alcoholism, this dependency or abuse is a form of addiction. Unlike drug addiction wherein a person becomes dependent on drugs, alcoholism is the person’s dependency on alcohol.

For quite sometime now, a drinking abuse is considered a disease, not only from a medical view, but also from a social view. However, unlike other diseases, this disease is self-inflicted and can still be cured by following an alcohol treatment program.

A chemical abusive person is typically called alcoholic rather than an addict. Since this abuse doesn’t have any age limit, it only means that even teenagers or adolescents can over use this liquid.

Nowadays, despite the law that forbids vendors to sell drinks to minors, the statistics in teenage chemical abuse is rapidly growing. Sadly, this is problem doesn’t just concern boys, but, girls too are involved in this addiction.

A chemical dependency causes a person to be less productive. This side effect loses a person his job but not his alcohol needs. Because of his strong need to drink, a person could end up extorting, robbing or bullying others or causing trouble to others even with his family, just to satisfy his need.

In case of teenage drinking, teenagers are being robbed of a promising future. It could result into failing grades or missing their classes. Moreover, their relationship with others would suffer too. The psychological effect of this disease could make turn a sweet teenage into a problem child. He can be violent, irate or isolated. An adolescent female could end up getting pregnant or worst, raped or beaten up. Alcoholic teenagers could also end up taking drugs.

All of these side effects and possible threats in the life of teenagers call for an adolescent alcohol treatment.

Treatment for substance abuse is offered in rehabilitation centers. Different programs are provided to the patient and their family depending on the degree of addiction. Clinics provide treatment counseling to determine which kind of medication and program an alcoholic should take and must follow.

Addiction recovery for girls and boys are not completely the same. This is the reason why certain drug and alcohol treatment centers exist for girls. Their recovery program includes a treatment facilities that would aid young women to combat and resist their addiction.

A residential treatment center for teenage girls is also a much preferred form of treatment offered by private treatment centers. Their aim is to train young girls to be independent and focus their energy in doing productive activities. As part of adolescent treatment, useful skill and adventure based treatments are given to the teenagers.

Alcoholics are not hopeless. They can still have a future, especially teenagers. Through the combined support coming from the patient’s family, friends and treatment centers, they can still make it. There is no better time to enroll your kid in adolescent alcohol treatment program. Who knows tomorrow may be too late.

Bridge over troubled water
It’s the fifth anniversary of the Caledonia land dispute. It’s also the fifth year Six Nations school teacher Suzie Miller has brought native and non-native children together. More than a thousand of them are exchanging letters.
Read more on Hamilton Spectator

Post from: Teen Drugs

Adolescent Alcohol Treatment For Teenage Girls

The consumption of alcohol among teens is becoming so regular that most of them think that there is no party worth going to, if there is no booze. Teen treatment centers who treat alcohol related cases have stated that in the year 2009, there were as much as 16 percent of teenagers who were heavily intoxicated by this drink. There are also reports which say that there are some teens who drink more than 5 rounds of drink a day; this percentage is somewhere around 7-9 percent.

Though alcohol addiction can cause a large number of health problems; it is during teenage that alcohol can cause a lot of harm. This is because the body is still is being developed into an adult form and there are too many physical and mental changes happening in the body. Drinking alcohol can stop and even derail this development, causing a lot of problems in the process. The liver is affected; the kidneys can be damaged and there can be premature ageing due to drinking so early in life. Also drinking can lead to impotence in boys and loss of libido in girls over a long-term basis. Teens tend to suffer from loss of energy both mentally and physically due to this habit and most of them give up easily on their work at such a young age because they do not fit, as the alcohol has progressive weakened their system and their immunity. Alcohol Health Effects On Teenagers

Alcohol is a global demon, and teens are usually affected by this problem. In countries like the US, UK, South Africa, India, Australia, teens have often being caught by the law for crushing someone to death by drinking and driving. Most of the road accidents are caused by people in their teens driving under the influence of alcohol according to teen treatment centers.

Crimes of passion among the youth are also a manifestation of alcohol drinking. Under the influence of alcohol, a person can lose his inhibitions, leak out something that is meant to be kept under cover, do sexual crimes and even kill someone due to a fit of rage. Cases of rape and sexual molestation are high among teens because boys tend to use alcohol as a bait to lure girls and bed them. Alcohol can mix easily into the blood-stream of girls since they have high body fat percentage. Cases of unwanted pregnancies, abortions, rape and even sexually transmitted disease and HIV/AIDS are high among teens practicing sexual activity after alcohol consumption.

Alcohol addiction is to be blamed for declining grades among the ones who are taken to drinking. This form of addiction can hamper the concentration and interest for studying and work. Teen rehab centers have also said that teens move towards drugs as a natural extension of alcohol addiction. Deadly habits like mixing drugs with alcohol that can lead to fatal repercussions are also practiced. There have been cases of teens committing suicides and even choking on their vomit and dying. So do not take any chance, in case you feel that you are addicted to alcohol and are still in your teens, there is help at a nearby teen treatment center. Alcohol Health Effects On Teenagers

Question by Believer: Teenage alcoholism. How can you convince a teenager who just started drinking to give up this dangerous habit?

Best answer:

Answer by michael68701
Take him to an autopsy

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

Post from: Teen Drugs

Alcohol Health Effects On Teenagers – How Are Teenagers Affected by Alcohol Abuse?

Disruptive Behaviour: Teenage binge drinking is often associated with disruptive behaviour. Binge drinking often happens outside the home at night clubs and often after having drunk several glasses or bottles of alcohol your teenager might lose control and enter into street fights, many vomit in public and others hurt themselves or others unknowingly. Police complaints or visits to accident and emergency section of hospitals could become a regular feature for you with teenage drinking problems. Teenage alcohol abuse can also lead to serious accidents if your teenager gets involved in fights with friends or other people at the night club.

Risk Taking: Teenage alcohol abuse is also associated with increased risk taking and teenagers are more prone to drinking and driving, stealing from home and taking loans from friends to fuel their addiction.

Increased Alcohol Tolerance: Teenage binge drinking also results in increased tolerance of alcohol. You will notice that in social gatherings and parties your teenager displays exceptional capacity to drink and remain sober. Teenage drinking problems are also associated more frequent outings and visits to nightclubs and bars.

Lack of Control: Another symptom of teenage binge drinking is your teenager’s inability to stop drinking once they have started. Teenage alcohol abuse is usually associated with regular vomiting after drinking and complete loss of control of body, thoughts, speech and actions. When this is pointed out, they may accept that they have a problem, but are unable to do anything to overcome it. 

Withdrawal Symptoms: Teenage binge drinking also results in several withdrawal symptoms like anxiety, sweating, nausea, vomiting, insomnia, depression and loss of appetite or fatigue. , Under advanced cases of teenage alcohol abuse your teenager may also get withdrawal symptoms such as hallucinations, confusion, seizures or fever. These are advanced cases and if you do notice these symptoms, you should talk to a doctor immediately.

In the book “Solving Teenage Problems” several tips to deal with alcohol abuse have been provided. Teenage binge drinking needs to be curbed else we will end up building a society of socially disruptive individuals with little sense of responsibility and accountability. Early education and open relationship are crucial to avoid teenage drinking problems.

A girl wakes up with an unpleasant surprise after a long night of drinking This video was made for a Scholarship. Watch part 2 www.youtube.com
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Post from: Teen Drugs

Key signs of teenage binge drinking problems

Keith’s problem was that he was unusually shy and would always make his performances at sports and academics speak for him.  He however became friends with Nancy and both of them would go out on dates. But soon Keith came to know that this girl had a big group of guys and girls who would meet on the weekends and go clubbing or at parties.

Keith who actually came from a conservative background decided to join his girl for fun and parties.  On the day he went with Nancy for the party, she introduced him to a group of her friends, most of whom were guys. He found to his surprise that Nancy was a footloose girl who enjoyed her drinks and even smoked some cigarettes. Keith who was initially averse to these things decided to follow suit and indulge himself.  Soon he started loving himself and being with this group made him feel good about life.

Keith would now stop going to his baseball session and instead would cook up excuses to join his girlfriend and her group of friends for a round of drinks, partying and even drugs. Of course, they would do it in the sly, at a friend’s house or at clubs.  Soon the effect of drinks began to show on Keith and his grades also feel.  Soon it dawned to him that Nancy was not interested in him but in a guy who was far more macho and stylish than him.

It was clear that Nancy had decided to dump him and his fears came true when she said that they should part their ways but they could still be friends. Keith obviously did not like this and   since he saw his girls openly kissing and cozying up to the other guy, decided to drink more and more so that he felt better.  Keith’s parents noted that his health was declining and so were his grades but they couldn’t decipher that their child was drinking as he was always careful to pop a mouth-freshener before reaching home.

However, as he became addicted he forgot to cover-up his misdemeanors and soon it became evident to Keith’s mother that he was drinking. She confronted him to stay off alcohol and he agreed that he would. But the next weekend, he decided to do drink again. He joined the group and began drinking again and saw Nancy kissing her new boyfriend in his presence. This enraged him no-end and both of them engaged in a physical fight and both boys ended up with bruises all over

 The neighboring police station was alerted as both the boys had severely injured each other. The cops registered a case against them, the parents of the boys were called and the boys were insulted and reprimanded for drinking at such a young age. The alcohol content in the blood of the boys was very high and the doctor who looked into Keith’s case said that he was an alcoholic and should be put in a teen treatment center. The parents decided that it would be better to do so because Keith showed no remorse for his actions.

 At the teen treatment center, due care, counseling, therapy and medication was given. With time, Keith came to know what he was losing on and how he had let his parents down by being downright irresponsible. He regretted his actions and now he is fully treated, concentrating on his studies and baseball with full passion and vigor.

Underage alcohol abusers often re-offend, avoid treatment
When a 17-year-old is arrested for DWI, he may be just a baby to mom and dad. But in the eyes of Texas, he’s an adult.
Read more on Dallas Morning News

Post from: Teen Drugs

A Teenage Experience of Drinking and Teenage Alcohol Treatment

Symptoms and signs of alcohol abuse:

 Smell of alcohol on the body and breath:  One of the evident signs is the smell of alcohol on the breath and body of your child. However, it goes without saying that teens today are more proficient in covering this up.
 Bunking school: If your teen is bunking school and is not at home, you can be sure that he or she is up to something. One of them could be joining a group of friends and drinking at his or her place. It has been seen that boys tend to drink at nights or at a time between 3 pm and 6pm well before the parents could reach home from work.
 Change in the behavior:  Teenagers tends to behave in a brash manner, they tend to rebel and become verbally and physically abuse. Complaints of your son getting into fights with local kids and other boys from the school become frequent.
Lying: When the teen lies and makes excuses, there are apprehensions that some of them are related to alcohol abuse on the sly.
Alcohol paraphernalia:  Presence of alcohol paraphernalia like bottle tops, bottles, bills from a beer or liquor shop etc can definitely rouse suspicions.
Stealing: This happens when the teenager is so addicted that he would do anything to get his finances in place to buy a bottle or two. He may even steal things from home or a friend’s place to get money.
Change in friends: The alcohol addict will move to another set of friends who entertain him and encourage his drinking habits.

The risk factors for a teenager to drink at such an early age are due to the following factors according to information given by various teenage rehab programs:

Low parental supervision:   The parents are way too lenient and do not monitor or supervise on the kid’s activity, due to which he or she takes undue advantage.
Broken family: If the teenager comes from a broken family where people are always bickering and fighting or when there are physical and emotional tirades between his parents, the teenager may resort to drinking as an escape from the troubles at home.
 Strict parental discipline: As much as leniency on the part of parent is to be faulted, so is the tendency of parents to be very strict with the children. If you are too strict, the teenager begins to feel subdued. When he gets his advantage, he exploits it to the maximum, drinks a lot and then finds ways and means to feed his interest.
 Peer pressure: Teenagers succumb to peer pressure easily. Though this is a general statement and does not apply to all, there are quite a few who give into drinks, smoking drugs with little coaxing and egging.
 Thrill seeking attitude: Teenagers take to drinking because they want to feel like adults as they have seen their fathers and other adults drinking and making merry.
Family history of alcohol abuse: If a teen comes from the family of alcohol abuse, it is possible that he or she may also drink easily as a way to ‘get back’ at the people who drank heavily.
 Girls watch their mothers who drink and follow suit: Girls tend to be influenced by their mother’s attitude toward drinking. If they see their moms drinking, the teenage daughter also finds it ‘cool’ to drink and soon the addiction develops.

As parents, you have to closely supervise your teenage son and daughter’s behavior. If found drinking, instead of being very angry and livid, be cool and explain to them firmly but lovingly about how alcohol can harm their health and reputation. If things are out of control, it is better to take these children to adolescent treatment centers where due counseling and treatment can be given to make them sober and healthier soon. 

Post from: Teen Drugs

How to Tell if Your Teenager Needs a Teenage Alcohol Rehab

One of the trademarks of today’s teenagers is their sense of adventurism which may backfire once it goes unchecked. Most teenagers are very interested in experimentations or merely trying something new. Out of curiosity they want to experience how it feels to be under the spell of alcohol. Drinking among teens sometimes is done for excitement or as a form of celebration. Excessive drinking may also be induced by peer pressure, rejection by family members, lack of parental guidance, or the parents’ drinking habit. Teens’ inability to manage mental and emotional state is also a driving force to engage in excessive drinking. Attractive media advertisements that depict a sense of “machismo” among alcohol drinkers also entice teens to engage in drinking.

According to researchers, teenagers who begin to drink alcohol before the age of 15 are four times more likely to develop alcoholism than those who drink after the age of 21. It has been estimated that about three million teenagers in the United States suffer from alcoholism. Elsewhere across the globe, teenage alcoholism is increasingly becoming a social dilemma.

There are a lot of dangers associated with teenage alcoholism, these include health problems, behavior disorders, legal implications and even death. Accidents such as car crashes, homicides, drowning, burns, and often inadvertent injuries due to violent behavior have been linked to intoxicated teens. Since the brain of a teenager is still under a developing process, excessive consumption of alcohol can affect not only its development but also mental faculties, memory, and rational thinking. A number of behavior disorders such as impulsiveness and violent behavior are generally seen in teenagers with heavy drinking problems. Since it is illegal to drink under the age of 21, teenagers found with increased alcohol content in the blood can be penalized or arrested.

Post from: Teen Drugs

Teenage Alcoholism ? A Social Dilemma

Frequent, repeated use of any substance changes brain chemistry over time and can lead to substance dependence. Dependence means it takes larger amounts over time to get the same effect from that substance (example: alcohol). Another sign of substance dependence is experiencing withdrawal symptoms when a substance is abruptly stopped.

Teen drug addiction and teenage alcoholism develop over a period of time. Dependence is a gradual and insidious process.

Here are 7 addiction myths parents should be aware of when dealing with teen substance abuse:

1. My teen’s addiction will get better on it’s own.

2. It’s just a “phase” my teen is going through.

3. Teen substance abuse is the parent’s fault.

4. Teen addiction is a choice.

5. Helping my teen by relieving his stress such as “covering” for him when he doesn’t  do his homework, skip classes, or skip school will lower his need to self-medicate with drugs and alcohol.

6.  My addicted teen can use willpower alone to quit his substance abuse.

7.  My teen should never use medication to treat his addiction or he is just trying to fix his problems with another pill.

As a psychiatrist that specializes in drug addiction and alcoholism, I see parents struggling with these myths. Here are some examples of parents from my practice holding on to these myths:

HR told her parents she had an alcohol problem and wanted to go to rehab. Her father responded, “You don’t need a vacation”. Her father just wanted her to quit drinking. Several months later, after HR had a seizure, he realized her alcohol problem was very serious and she needed professional help to overcome her addiction.

TJ smoked pot every day while living at home. When I confronted his parents about why they tolerated this, the dad said, “I smoked pot at his age, too.” He changed his attitude after his son’s second DUI and got him some help. When I treated his underlying anxiety with a non-addicting mediation, he quit smoking pot.

AJ dropped out of college for alcohol and drug use and went to rehab. She called her mom from rehab and said she hated the program and was coming home. Her mom sent her a plane ticket and AJ relapsed with a friend on the way back from the airport. When I confronted her mom about enabling AJ, she said, “She was just having trouble adjusting to college. Her father and I have had some trouble which has her stressed.”

Parents; throw these 7 myths out the window! You will then be in a position to help your child. Your family must be able to face teen substance abuse head on. Addiction is not any one’s fault.

Addiction is a medical disease that progresses over time. It can be life threatening and should not be ignored.

Addiction is not a matter of will power. The brain produces cravings for the substances that have been abused because those substances have altered brain chemistry. Significant cravings can overpower rational thinking and lead to relapse.

Medications that combat cravings or treat underlying depression or anxiety may be key in helping your teen quit drugs and alcohol. Be open to having your teen evaluated by a psychiatrist.

Communicate with your teen in a calm manner. Listen to their point of view. Face the addiction problem as a family. As you know, every family member is affected. Go to Al-anon or Families Anonymous for support. These meetings are a place to learn how to set boundaries with your teen. Therapy can help too. Then family healing can begin.

Question by lobiie: what would be a g0od thesis statement for a topic like teenage alcoholism?
i have already my inf0s but im having a bad time dealing with the thesis statement. im just stating facts about the cause and effects of teenage alcoholism. watcha think?

Best answer:

Answer by Paul
Writing a good thesis statement should actually be one of the last things you do when writing a paper. When you go about writing, you already have a basic idea in mind. Use what information you present to mold and form what will eventually become your final thesis, then enter it into your paper and you’re set to go.

What do you think? Answer below!

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Teenage Alcoholism: 7 Myths of Addiction

Lower Personal Effectiveness: The first signs of teenage alcohol abuse can be seen in decline in effectiveness at school and home. You will start seeing your teenager dropping grades or you might get complaints of absenteeism from school. Teenage alcoholism also results in them breaking all the house rules. When you see these changes more often than you expect (at least one to two times a month) you need to understand that your teenager is suffering from alcohol abuse problem.

Health Issues: Teenage alcoholism when it takes serious proportions can lead to your child having headaches, memory lapses, blackouts, dizziness, nausea, paranoia or other physical problems. These problems come at a very late stage of alcohol abuse problem. However, most parents miss these signs as most teenagers try and hide these symptoms and avoid too much communication with parents. They also try and avoid family get together as they don’t want to be caught. Teenage alcohol abuse can have serious health problems if not spotted at the right time.

Risk Taking: Teenage alcoholism can also lead teenagers to taking more risks to fuel their addiction. Alcohol abuse problem can cause teenagers to risk drinking and driving or get involved in disruptive behaviour like street fights, eves teasing etc. Teenage alcohol abuse might also result in you getting police complaints or having to visit the police station. If you notice any of the above signs you need to be take external help to ensure that your teenager gets rid of their addiction.

Increased Alcohol Tolerance: Early signs of teenage alcoholism could be displayed through an increased tolerance of alcohol. During social events and family get-togethers, if you find your kid having exceptional capacity to drink and remain sober, it is first warning of expected teenage alcohol abuse. If your teenager suddenly disappears from the social get-together and is found in the corner or bar table drinking alone, then it implies alcohol abuse problem.

In the book “Solving Teenage Problems” several other symptoms of alcohol abuse problem have been discussed along with certain effective tips that can help you support your teenager to get over the problem. However under extreme cases it is always important to get professional help rather than trying to fight it out alone. Various specific instances when you should get external help have also been described in the book. Teenage alcohol abuse is one of the burning issues of today’s society and parents have to take every step to curb teenage alcoholism.

Post from: Teen Drugs

Symptoms of teenage alcohol abuse

Therefore, it is not surprising the number of teenagers being entered by their parents in adolescent alcohol treatment programs are increasing every year. If you have already determined that your teenage daughter or son has a drinking problem that needs to be treated, you can take him or her to a professional expert that will give you some advice for the best form of treatment program.

The adolescent alcohol treatment programs are usually in two forms – the inpatient and outpatient programs. The outpatient adolescent alcohol addiction program usually consists of multidimensional approaches, which include cognitive behavioral therapy, family therapy, positive reinforcement, and the 12-step program.

In an inpatient adolescent alcohol treatment program, the patient attends counseling and detoxification sessions during the day, but can go home at night after the sessions. The inpatient program is when the patient is committed in an adolescent alcohol treatment facility due to the seriousness of his alcoholic addiction or dependency. This program’s duration can lasts from six months to one year and consists of approaches for teaching complete abstinence from drinking, behavioral modification, and developing coping abilities.

If an adolescent alcohol treatment center is needed for the teenager, be sure to find one that is dedicated to abstinence and long term change in regards to integrity, education and personal goals. There are several things that you should consider in selecting a rehab facility – admission process, location of the facility, the costs of the rehabilitation, accreditation license, duration and philosophy of the treatment used, and staff qualifications.

Post from: Teen Drugs

Choose From The Different Adolescent Alcohol Treatment Programs

A study conducted on teens to the age of seventeen was conducted and it was found that over one million individuals in this age group have some type of dependence on substances, and another million are said to have an inclination towards addiction involving alcohol. These statistics are staggering! In this guide, you will learn how to properly prevent teenage substance abuse.

1. If you are an adult that is dedicated to the pursuit of learning how to properly prevent teenage substance abuse, it is important to know that the first step to assisting our youth is to learn the symptoms that may indicate that an issue is occurring. There are numerous signs of potential drug and alcohol abuse.

These signs may include social isolation, personality changes, a loss of interest in activities and people that once drew the attention of the teenager, weight loss, a drop in grades, and several other symptoms. You may research these symptoms online, check out books at your local library, purchase books from your local bookstore, and even consult a medical professional that works with youth that suffer from a dependency to various types of substances.

2. The next way to properly prevent teenage substance abuse is to learn as much as you possibly can about the various types of substances that teens find attractive. You should research alcohol, amphetamines, cocaine, crack, crystal meth, and various other types of drugs. You should learn the “street names�, the symptoms associated with each and other vitally important information. By learning about the drugs available today, you can potentially stop an issue that your teen may experience before it becomes an addiction.

3. It is important to take steps in your home that will deter substance abuse. Many teens find over-the-counter cough and cold medications, as well as prescription medications very appealing. They believe since the medications are “legal� that they do not pose a threat to their health. You can prevent the abuse of medications by keeping any and all that you have in the home locked up.

4. The next step to successfully preventing teenage substance abuse is to ensure that you educate the teenager in your life. They should be taught about the drugs on the street and in the home, and be informed of the mental and physiological dangers that may occur as a result of taking the substances in a recreational manner.

You should set clear guidelines and expectations with the teenager so that they know and completely understand that indulging in recreational drug activity is restricted, and that if it is indulged in, corrective action will be put into place. You could mention limiting their freedom, restricting their dating, or even integrating the use of a drug rehabilitation facility.

5. If you feel as if a teenager is already indulging in recreational drug use, you should seek medical assistance immediately. This is a successful strategy to decrease the possibility that teenage substance abuse will continue. This may be a difficult step, but it is a productive step.

There are many steps to properly preventing teenage substance abuse. If you follow the steps listed here, you will likely deter the teenager in your life from beginning the dangerous cycle of substance abuse.

Post from: Teen Drugs

How to Properly Prevent Teenage Substance Abuse

For a long term partner, wife or husband, there is a certain obligation felt to help the addict and support them in seeking professional help.  For young children and teenagers there are often deeper issues to address, some of which are not aired for months or years as the family struggles to help control the effects of addiction.

When an alcoholic is living within a large family structure, it is reasonable to assume they take up a great deal of attention that might usually be required to help younger members of the family through difficulties caused by adolescence; exams; teenage physical development.  Teenagers already have a battle with hormones: add Grandpa’s elderly problems and Dad’s alcohol addiction to the mix and you have a recipe for explosive family confrontations on a daily basis.

Extreme addiction to alcohol produces some unpleasant problems, not the least of which is financial.  Alcoholism is an expensive addiction and one that requires a constant cash injection to sustain an adequate supply of liquor.  Cash spent on a bottle is no longer available for the things teenagers tend to think are essential to life, such as clothes, cell phones and money for entertainment.  The lack of funds can make a youngster resent the cause of ‘not being able to do stuff’.

The younger members of the family, although sympathetic with elderly problems, tend to view addiction as an indulgence.  Grandparents with elderly problems are usually very welcome to be absent minded or even slightly senile, but not to be addicted to drinking.  Resentment causes teenagers to rebel and object and so the vicious circle goes on and on…

An even greater problem occurs when the addict is a mother.  Mothers who have an alcohol addiction have multiple problems to overcome for a number of reasons.  Women often provide the daily routine in the house, beginning with getting the children out of bed in the mornings to eat their breakfast and ending with putting them to bed at night after a nutritious supper and a warm bath.  All of this breaks down when the lady of the house is sleeping off a bottle induced stupor somewhere by the end of the morning.

The result is that other members of the family, some of whom might be trying to cope with elderly problems, must take over the household responsibilities while Mom sobers up in the corner – or not, as the case may be.  Many American homes are being run by elderly grandparents because parents are either absent or drunk.  The social difficulties faced by these reluctant carers are immense and in some cases, insurmountable.

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Alcoholism and The Family Affair: How Alcoholism Affects the Family

Take for instance the bad habits of smoking, people who engage in this activity feel quite persecuted. At the moment the practice is not illegal but society as a whole have decided to shun those who partake.

Not that long ago teenagers could smoke just about everywhere, including hospitals! There were instances even fathers would light up in the waiting room while their wives were in labor. This began to change and they could only smoke is specific rooms. It did not take long before smoking was only allowed in specific areas outside of the building.

Today you will find bars, restaurants, motels and even cities that are completely smoke free. This has forced teenagers who are addicted to give up the bad habit, and truthfully, they no longer remember how bad the addiction was.

To protect others from the health risks of second hand smoke, many smokers have started using smokeless tobacco products. Even though there is no smoke involved the nicotine in these products is still highly addictive.

Would you believe that sleeping pills are another example of bad habits? Over time, teenagers become so addicted in that they need more and more of the drug to fall asleep. After awhile the pills will not help and many may even overdose trying to get to sleep. This type of teenage addiction usually requires the help of a doctor or sleep clinic to fix.

Drinking alcohol to excess is another teenage addiction. If they’re medically or physically impaired, it can be extremely risky for them to consume alcohol. Certain medications do not mix well with alcohol. Of course, if they’re addicted to alcohol these warnings will fall on deaf ears.

A very dangerous variety of teenage addiction is drugs. The number of illegal drugs available at any given moment are too numerous to even count. Each drug will have differing effects. They always quickly and devastate their health. Some of the drugs are not as bad in the short term. Overall, they are still bad habits.

You can find the recreational type drugs such as heroin, cocaine, LCD, Ecstasy and other hallucinogens. The effects and addictive qualities of these so-called club drugs are nasty. On the other hand, some teenagers find themselves addicted to prescription remedies for common ailments. Drugs such as muscle relaxants and painkillers are addictive bad habits.

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Teenage Addiction to Alcohol and Drugs Equal to Bad Habit

Figures vary depending on where you look, but it is estimated that up to 80 per cent of early sexual experiences occur under the influence of alcohol and the vast majority of these are subsequently regretted.

So what can you do to protect your children? The first thing is to understand if your child is drinking at all and to do this you need to be aware of where your child is at all times. If they are out with friends, always make sure that you see them on their return, and engage them in conversation. If they smell of alcohol, or strongly of mints, or of a different perfume, then you are right to be suspicious.

Changes in behaviour

Keep them talking and you’ll be able to see if there is a difference in their behaviour – are they more sparkling, or more volatile than usual? If you are worried that you don’t know if what your child is drinking is too much or not, then remember this: the safest approach to take is that any unsupervised alcohol is too much.

You’re right not to be naïve about parties, even those supervised at home by other parents. Children – teenagers especially, and even the most law-abiding and delightful ones – need to try to break the rules, and are extraordinarily ingenious when it comes to doing so. Drink can easily be smuggled in to houses in bags, and innocent-looking water bottles can easily contain vodka. Parties with sleepovers usually mean that parents go to bed before their charges, and it is then that the hidden stash of wine or spirits can appear.

Share your concerns

Share your concerns with the people supervising the party, talk to your sons to set out your expectations, and follow this up afterwards. If you are in any doubt about a party, put your foot down – hard though this will be – and weather the storm (but replace it with something else amazing with you and your family).

Talking to your children about alcohol is really important, and – like talking about sex – is best introduced from an early age as a part of an ongoing conversation about what is right and what is wrong in life. Expressing disapproval or concern over drunken behaviour is a good way to start to get the message across to young children that alcohol can lead people to do things that make them look silly.

Learning experience

As children grow older, the key to effective discussion is an open relationship where you allow your child or teenager to talk comfortably to you – easier said than done, admittedly, but the secret to this is to listen, listen, listen, and help your child reach conclusions by talking through their thoughts. They are going to make mistakes – statistics show that they are likely to try alcohol and over-indulge before the age of 18 on at least one occasion, and if this can be turned into a learning experience, then this is all to the good.

Of course, you are an extremely important role model for your children. They need to see sensible behaviour from you in this respect if you are to have any chance of guiding their actions – they will do as you do, not just as you say …

Don’t be afraid to seek help if you suspect that your child is drinking too much, and if you want to know more, a useful starting point is www.drinkaware.co.uk, which has an excellent section on the facts of alcohol, as well as a really useful page on how to introduce the topic with your children, and follow it through.

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How to curb teenage drinking

Before adopting any kind of drug addiction treatment, parents must know the following aspects of an addict to find the best possible solution that gives desired results for all addicts:

Health Risks:
Alcohol can create so many health risks which may further pose so many kinds of unhealthy side effects on the growing bodies and brains. Some studies have proven the fact that if taken in early age, alcohol may create so many long-term implications such as memory loss, weak hand-eye coordination and others.

Dangerous Behavior:
Despite its negative results, most teenagers choose destructive than illicit drugs. Being a number one substance, most teenagers choose to abuse mainly because it is readily available. It is also very risky for teenagers since they are still developing both physically and mentally. They lack judgment ability and decision making skills to analyze typical side effects of alcohol abuse and thus, become an easy prey soon.

Teenagers who got involved in alcohol abuse are likely to get involved in a car accident, and contracting a sexually transmitted disease as well. So alcohol is very dangerous for teenagers.

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Alcohol Abuse And Teenagers

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), a person’s risk of developing alcoholism is 60% determined by his or her genetics and 40% caused by his or her environment. Assuming that these statistics are accurate, what can be done to reduce the chances of becoming addicted to alcohol?

Genetic Causes of Alcoholism

Regarding the genetic determinants of alcoholism, those who say, “nothing can be done” are not totally correct. True, a person cannot change his genetics. Knowing, however, that there is a history of alcoholism in a person’s family, for example, can help a person “prevent” this potential problem from ever starting if he practices total abstinence. This kind of preventative thinking is an example of a “proactive” approach to problem solving.

More Proactive Problem Solving

The following illustration, however, is an even more extreme example of “proactive” problem solving that can affect the genetic basis of alcoholism. Maria, a young lady who drinks very infrequently, starts to date a young man named Kirk. As their relationship develops, Maria starts to notice that Kirk gets drunk on a regular basis. In fact, Kirk gets intoxicated at least two or three nights every week. What is especially problematic about Kirk’s drinking is that he gets angry and combative when he drinks excessively. On numerous occasions, Maria has tried to encourage Kirk to seek professional help, but each time she starts to discuss his drinking, Kirk gets extremely defensive, starts yelling at her, and then goes to a bar to drink with his buddies. After a year of riding an emotional roller coaster, experiencing numerous hurtful arguments, and going through many difficult alcohol-related situations, Maria finally decides to break up with Kirk. What were the major factors for the breakup? Maria wants to have children and can’t see having them with a violent and angry man who is so dependent on drinking alcohol. Moreover, Maria figured that since Kirk is exhibiting such irresponsible behavior in a dating relationship, he could possibly get even worse if they were to get married.

In this illustration, by breaking up with Kirk, Maria has stopped a negative cycle from going any further. Stated differently, by deciding to end her relationship with Kirk, Maria “prevented” the genetics part of the equation from ever becoming an issue.

Concerning Alcoholism, Age Matters

Another important alcohol-related statistic articulated by the NIAAA is that the earlier a person starts drinking alcohol, the more likely she will continue to drink her entire life. This being the case, it therefore makes sense to look for ways that will significantly reduce alcohol abuse by teens, preteens, and by young adults.

An Environmental Framework

Employing an “environmental” approach (as opposed to a genetics-based methodology), higher education seems to be a logical starting point for ways to reduce alcohol problems manifested by our youth. Indeed, since many teenagers go to college and because teen alcohol abuse IS a serious health risk, it is relevant to ask what college administrators can do to significantly reduce student alcohol abuse, especially when teenagers are some of the main “offenders.” It is suggested that the following reactive and proactive measures help address this issue.

Reactive and Proactive Measures to Help Reduce Student Alcohol Abuse

· Establish immediate consequences for excessive drinking.

· Discipline repeat alcohol abuse offenders.

· Monitor the drinking activities in the sororities and fraternities.

· Notify parents about their children’s drinking activities.

· Talk to the owners of local drinking establishments so that minors and/or intoxicated students are not served alcohol.

· Eliminate mixed messages about alcohol (for instance, removing alcohol advertisements from stadiums and from sports brochures).

· Inform and educate students about the long-term negative consequences of alcohol abuse.

· Increase the number of alcohol-free social and recreational activities that are attractive to students.

Generalizing the Results

With additional effort and some more thought, it seems reasonable to think that alcoholism experts and college administrators will be able to generate even more ways to effectively reduce alcohol abuse at institutions of higher education. Once this is accomplished, moreover, perhaps their findings can be adapted so that they will “work” in other institutions such as junior and senior high schools, boy scouts, girl scouts, churches, camps, and so on.

Conclusion

If a person’s risk of developing alcoholism is 60% determined by his or her genetics and 40% caused by his or her environment, it is asserted that the problem of alcohol addiction can be addressed from both genetic and environmental frameworks. Indeed, by using a “proactive” problem solving approach, the genetics part of the problem frequently can be eliminated. Furthermore, by focusing on various situational and behavioral factors, the environmental dynamics that help establish and reinforce alcohol abuse and alcoholism can be significantly reduced.

Copyright 2007 – Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.

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Is Alcoholism Caused by Genetics or by the Environment?

Binge drinking is now a problem in many western countries, even though individual countries have different tolerance levels of binge drinkers. In the United States, binge drinking is the consuming of four or more drinks by a woman, or five or more drinks by a man on any particular occasion.

In the United Kingdom, binge drinking is commonly defined as consuming 11 or more drinks on any particular occasion. This is more than double what is considered binge drinking in the USA – yet teenage binge drinking in the United Kingdom is now so serious, the British Government is about to bring in measures to tackle the problem.

What’s the problem?

Teenage binge drinking is irresponsible; heavy drinking that often comes under the disguise of fun and games. Binge drinking is terribly dangerous to the drinker and to the people around them.

Risks to the binge drinker include:

– Getting into trouble with the police
– Driving a car after drinking
– Alcohol poisoning; a severe and potentially fatal physical reaction to an alcohol overdose.
– Getting hurt or injured
– Damaging property
– Missing work
– Not using protection when having sex
– Engaging in unplanned sexual activity

Risks to people around binge drinkers:

– Being pushed, hit or assaulted
– Experiencing an unwanted sexual advances or assault
– Having property damaged
– Having leisure time or sleep interrupted
– Having a serious argument
– Being insulted or humiliated

Why do teenagers do it?

– To get drunk
– For status associated with drinking
– Culture of alcohol consumption
– Peer pressure
– Stress

Are you a teenager and do you have a binge-drinking problem? Do you recognise any of these harmful and destructive behaviours in your own life:

– Are you drinking more heavily and more often?
– Are you drinking to “get drunk”
– Is your drinking affecting your work or upsetting your partner or family?

What can you do?

Luckily, there’s an effective solution to binge drinking – Hypnotherapy and NLP. We all tend to be miss-programmed by negative input in some way and neuro-linguistic programming reprograms the mind for a positive outcome. Hypnotherapy puts the mind in a state that will accept the NLP re-programming more readily, so NLP and hypnotherapy combined are a very effective combination.

By using a combination of hypnotherapy and NLP, you can re-program your teenage binge drinking behaviour in a few hours. You can stop binge drinking by re-programming your brain – you can get a trained hypnotherapist to do this, or you can do-it-yourself by using a self-help download. Either way the result is the same – to change your usual self-destructive “drink to get drunk” activities to a pleasant “have a few drinks and have a good time”.

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Teenage Binge Drinking Problems

The Alcohol Rehab Program offers you solution to alcoholism. You will be supervised medically in the comfort of your house and there will also be private detoxification service with a constant intensive treatment. More beneficially, the counseling programs are scheduled as per the needs of addicted individual. Nowadays, the Alcohol Rehab Programs have introduced new standard of care treatment for alcoholism. It is not like a never-ending treatment program that will continue for a lifetime.

Three types of Alcohol Rehab Program:

In-Patient Alcohol Rehab Program is for those, who are suffering from alcoholism for many years and who have tried and failed other such alcohol treatments. Out-Patient Alcohol Rehab Program is appropriate for a person, whose addiction is less severe or who are on their second stage of the Alcohol Rehab Program or have inadequate time to go through an In Patient Alcohol Rehab Program.

Teenagers are nowadays getting addicted to Alcoholism. Adolescent Alcohol Rehab Program is for the teenagers, who are addicted to alcoholism. This program offers the teenagers with an appropriate treatment to get rid of this addiction.

Adopt one:

All you will need is two to three weeks of intensive treatment program, but hospital stay is not required. You will be treated with a day and evening counseling program. Alcohol Rehab program will provide you medicines that are safe and will help to eliminate craving and urges. Expert counseling will be provided to you that will show the path to a successful life.

Your health will be reinstated to optimal levels with wellness management. These programs not only limited to detox, but it also teaches you to learn more on addiction effects, alcoholism prevention and the techniques to break this habit. The support group will include your family, friends and along with the counselors.

Alcohol Rehab Program gives you regimented schedule that will keep your mind diverted from alcohol. This gives an opportunity to interact with other people who are also addicted to alcoholism, thus you get to learn from them and express yourself in a safe and sound environment. This helps you break through the emotional bonding with alcohol.

Overview:

The friends you make in this Alcohol Rehab Program will help and offer you support to get rid of this addiction. This program helps you to know your self-worth and gain confidence to handle emotional problems that lead to alcoholism. It is time to adopt an Alcohol Rehab Program that focuses only on addiction of alcoholism rather than multiple addictions and maladaptive behavior to make your world a better place to live in.

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Alcohol Rehab Program-all You Need to Know

The sleepover at Mary’s house seems perfectly innocent. Your daughter and her friend get good grades in school. They haven’t given you any real reason not to trust them. They are good kids. You’ve had the “choices equal consequences” talk with your daughter. And you have to trust your teen sometime, right? You have to let go.

You are trying to be reasonable.

For many parents, this is where the conflict begins. It’s difficult to decide when to hold back and when to let go. But you can’t let your guard down, because teenagers are vulnerable to temptation and peer pressure every day. What happens when…?

Mary’s parents are busy fulfilling their social and community obligations and aren’t paying attention to what your daughter and Mary are doing. They aren’t home, or they have friends visiting, or they are just weary from work, and their guard is down. Or perhaps they wear rose-colored glasses when it comes to Mary and believe that close supervision of the girls isn’t necessary because she would never betray their trust.

The teens head out to a party at John’s house. Maybe they said they were going to the movies, bowling, or just to hang out with John. John’s dad is a “cool” parent. He understands teenagers, likes to have people around and wants to know what goes on with his kids. John’s dad is an involved parent. He is teaching his son to be responsible. He wants John to drink in moderation and to be a responsible drinker. He reasons that John is going to drink alcohol anyway, so why not teach him how to do it responsibly?

So John’s dad buys beer for the party. Not too much, and he sets limits, cautioning John that each teen should have no more than two beers. He stays home to monitor the situation. Everything seems to be going just fine.

But John’s father didn’t consider the following:

Early alcohol use, independent of other risk factors, strongly predicts the development of alcohol dependence.
Of all people who ever meet the diagnostic criteria for alcohol dependence in their lifetime, nearly half do so by age 21 and two-thirds by age 25.
People who reported starting to drink before the age of 15 were four times more likely to also report meeting the criteria for alcohol dependence at some point in their lives (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2009).
Compared to youth who wait until they are 21, youth who drink before age 15 are 12 times more likely to be unintentionally injured while under the influence of alcohol, seven times more likely to be in a motor vehicle crash after drinking, and 10 times more likely to get in a physical fight after drinking (National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, 2004).
Due to differences between the adult brain and the brain of the maturing adolescent, many young drinkers:

Are able to consume much larger amounts of alcohol than adults before experiencing the negative consequences of drinking, such as drowsiness, lack of coordination, and withdrawal/hangover effects.
Are particularly sensitive to the positive effects of drinking, such as feeling more at ease in social situations; young people may drink more than adults because of these positive social experiences (NIAAA, 2009).
Recent evidence suggests adolescent drinking can inflict permanent damage on the developing brain (National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, 2004).

These statistics do not take into account the risk that John’s dad is taking; in many states, he can be held criminally liable for providing alcohol to minors on property he owns, leases, or otherwise controls. Civil liability is always an issue; no state makes it legal for an adult to serve alcohol to someone else’s children. But if you aren’t vigilant, a tragedy could occur before you are even aware of the danger your child faces.

Strengthen your resolve. Be your teen’s parent, not a friend. Make sure your teen understands that other adults can’t give them permission to drink alcohol. You’ve already said no, and no one else’s parent can overrule you.

Talk to, and listen to, your teen. Maintain an ongoing, open dialogue about underage drinking and the risks involved. Create a code word so that if your teen needs to be picked up early, you’ll do so with no questions asked until the following day, when you are both calm enough to discuss the situation sensibly. Let your teen know that you will not approve any outing without sufficient notice so you can speak to the hosting parent first.

When your teen spends the night at a friend’s house or goes to a party, call the hosting parent to find out the details. Volunteer to chaperone and provide transportation. Make sure the hosting parent shares your concerns about the availability of alcohol and that none will be permitted. Ask how much supervision will be provided.

Limit the amount of time your teen is away from home. Make sure you are awake and alert when the teen returns. Greet your teen with a kiss and a hug so you can observe your child’s physical, mental, and emotional condition.

It’s tempting for parents to relax their vigilance once their children become teenagers. After all, the teens will soon be on their own and beyond their parents’ control. But the teen years are a critical part of your children’s development, and the decisions they make could affect the rest of their lives. This is not the time to let down your guard.

Read more tips for parents and teens at Safe Teen Driving Blog.

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Alcohol Access and Your Teen – Trust but Verify

According to a recent report by the National Institute of Health (NIH), anxiety is a psychological risk factor associated with heavy or problem drinking among teenagers.

Along with anxiety and other psychological factors, the NIH report suggests that an impulsive personality and a family history of alcohol abuse may be additional risk factors for problem drinking.

People with social anxiety, both teenagers and adults alike, can benefit from these findings by taking action to eliminate risk factors for alcohol abuse and address their anxiety. Social anxiety is the most common type of anxiety disorder, affecting 15% of all Americans. Social anxiety, also known as social phobia, is diagnosed as overwhelming anxiety, fear, and self-consciousness in everyday social situations.

It triggers a host of physical symptoms, anxious thoughts, and avoidance behaviors. Often involved is a strong feeling of anxiety that others are looking at or judging them. The stress from this anxiety is often most pronounced during teen years and is often negated by alcohol abuse.

What You Can Do As A Parent?

Ask your teen why he or she drinks. Is it to help alleviate social fears and anxieties? To fit in, and not be judged? If so, explain to them the reality of the situation. They may be using alcohol in a vain attempt to cope with the root cause: social anxiety.

Drinking large amounts of alcohol may mask the problem for a few brief hours. However, once the mask comes off, the anxiety returns as strong as ever. Teen alcohol abuse does not cure social anxiety.

In fact, instead of curing one problem, teen alcohol abuse creates another. Instead of one problem to overcome, there are now two problems, social anxiety AND alcohol abuse.

Here are several ways you can empower your teenager to address the root causes of social anxiety, instead of masking the problem with heavy drinking.

1. Change their expectations about what alcohol can do for their stress level. National Institute of Health research indicates that when a teen EXPECTS that alcohol will relieve stress and lead to higher levels of social acceptance, it leads to increased drinking.

Problem drinkers tend to believe these two thoughts. In fact, there is much debate as to whether this assumption is actually true.

While some studies suggest that low levels of alcohol temporarily reduce the stress response (also known as the fight or flight response), other studies now indicate that alcohol actually INDUCES the stress response by stimulating the release of stress hormones such as corticosterone and adrenaline.

2. Encourage them to build a social support system. Many teens rely on drinking for social support. Instead of using drinking to connect with others, seek social support outside of the drinking environment. This is easier said than done, since it is a catch-22: the social anxiety is what hinders these types of connections in the first place.

Remember, the longest journey is accomplished one step at a time. Start with safe people like a trusted family member, a best friend, counselor, or pastor, and build from there.

Some colleges offer group therapy for people with social anxiety, which gives your teen an opportunity to learn how to overcome her fears in a safe environment with people who understand what she is going through.

3. Encourage your teen to increase his sense of control over social anxiety by learning anxiety reduction techniques. Nutritional strategies for reducing anxiety, deep breathing, guided imagery, and cognitive-behavioral strategies are just a few examples of anxiety reduction techniques that can bring about positive results.

Anxiety reduction techniques can be highly effective tools in helping conquer anxiety. For example, NIH findings indicate that cognitive-behavioral therapy can be as effective as medication in treating anxiety, and even more effective than medication at preventing long-term recurrence of anxiety.

Teen alcohol abuse will likely never be totally eradicated as long as there are both teens and alcohol. By far, the largest factor in preventing teen alcohol abuse is active, positive involvement by the parents in the lives of the teenager.

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Preventing Teen Alcohol Abuse

Some parents do provide teens with alcohol, or simply look the other way when their teens drink, espousing a “kids will be kids” attitude. They think there is nothing they can do to stop the teen from drinking. They fear their teen’s reaction to a strict prohibition against drinking. They want to be their teen’s friend because they want to keep the lines of communication open.

Some parents think that if the teen only drinks alcohol in their own home, the parents will be in control of the amount consumed. They think they can keep watch over their teen to make sure that nothing bad happens while the teen is intoxicated. They reason that at least this way, their teen isn’t driving drunk or riding with another drunk teen. They rationalize that if they let the teen’s friends sleep over, everyone will be safe.

But these parents aren’t taking many facts into account that refute the notion that parents should allow underage children to drink:

Teenagers are not physically, mentally or emotionally ready to be under the influence. Even one alcoholic drink is too much for their developing bodies and brains.

For every year under the age of 21 a teenager begins drinking alcohol, they are five times more likely to battle a lifetime of alcohol abuse and dependence (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2005)
Adolescent use of alcohol increases the risk of dependence because teens’ brains are not fully developed. The prefrontal cortex, which we use to assess situations, help us use good judgment, and keep our emotions and desires under control, does not develop completely until we are in our early 20s (NIDA, 2007)
Teenagers may look mature, but their bodies are still developing. They require a lower level of consumption of alcohol to obtain a rapid “high,” which means their judgment is affected almost immediately, but they also have increased levels of alcohol tolerance, making it easy for them to overindulge.
Teenagers are emotionally immature. They are still learning about themselves, relationships, and what direction they should take in life. Because even a small amount of alcohol reduces inhibitions and impairs judgment, they may react emotionally while under the influence without considering the consequences of their behavior.

The use of alcohol by teens increases the risk of activities that may result in serious long-term consequences, including:

Use of other drugs (alcohol is a gateway drug because its use compromises judgment and reduces inhibitions)
Driving under the influence
Alcohol poisoning from binge drinking (teens often binge drink to relax and may participate in drinking games that result in ingestion of large quantities of alcohol in a short period of time) Increased sexual activity and multiple sexual partners due to lowered inhibitions, which increases the risk of pregnancy and/or sexually transmitted diseases
Exacerbation of underlying, perhaps undiagnosed, mental illness
Violence and rape (whether the victim is under the influence or not)
Suicide

Parental accountability for social hosting is on the rise. Twenty-four states have enacted social hosting laws to hold adults criminally responsible for providing alcohol to minors. No state makes it legal for an adult to provide alcohol to other people’s children. Civil suits can result in the loss of many or all of a person’s assets — whether they knew alcohol was being served in the home or not. Turning a blind eye is not an excuse.

When you host a gathering for your teen, you must tighten your resolve. Avoid being a friend and focus on your role as the parent. The following tips will help you through the process:

Set expectations with your teen ahead of time. Make sure your teen knows that you will not allow alcohol (or other drugs) at the party and that this is communicated to all guests. Ask your teen to tell you about any concerns she or he has about any of the guests or any situations that could occur. Make your neighbors aware of the party and enlist their help in monitoring the area.
Make a guest list with your teen. Limit the number of teens so you can be sure of adequate chaperonage. Be sure you have contact information on each teen’s parent. Make sure guests and their parents understand that if a teen leaves the party, she or he won’t be allowed to return and parents will be called. Make sure parents who won’t be chaperoning know the start and end times of the party and will prearrange transportation.
Limit guest access to certain areas of the house and property. Lock up all valuables, breakables, alcohol and weapons. Plan activities to occupy the guests. Provide plenty of snacks, soda and water. Set an example by not providing alcohol for any adults who are present. Regularly move through the party unannounced and as inconspicuously as possible, checking any off-limit areas. Collect all keys so you can keep track of who is arriving and leaving. Keep coats and purses in an area that can be monitored. Speak to each person before they leave; check for warning signs of impairment.
If a guest arrives at the party already under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, keep them there while you call a parent to pick them up. If the guest leaves and someone is hurt or injured, you could be held responsible.

Visit our Teen Safe Driving Blog to read more about these issues and more to help improve your teenagers learning experience.  

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Alcohol Access And Your Teen: Is Your Teen Mature Enough To Drink?

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, over 17,000 people were killed in alcohol-related traffic accidents in the United States last year, a rate of one person every 30 minutes. Even more alarmingly, almost 1/3 of the 15- to 20-year-old drivers killed in motor vehicle crashes in the U.S. had been drinking.

Statistics show that approximately 70% of all teenagers drink alcohol, including 1 out of 10 children between the ages of 12 and 13.

Safeguards against Underage Drunk Driving:

Parents and older siblings must be aware that they are role models to younger family members, and should be cognizant of what kind of examples they set in regard to both their driving and drinking habits.

Restricting access to liquor and automobiles at home may be an effective preventative measure in the short term, but it is even more advisable to confront your son(s) and/or daughter(s) about the serious risks involved with underage drinking.

Whether driving or riding as a passenger in a vehicle, always wear a seatbelt!

If you see vehicles that are speeding excessively or swerving, try to get a license plate number and call your Sheriff’s Office, the local or state police.

If a person has too much to drink and insists on getting behind the wheel, do not get into the vehicle.

If you are going to an event where alcohol will be served, take public transportation like buses or taxis, if possible.

Regardless of your age, if you believe you may have a drinking problem, consult a school counselor, health professional, or an alcohol support group (for example, Alcoholics Anonymous).

In reaction to teenage drunk driving statistics, states have enacted harsher penalties to punish teens that drink and drive. Most states have adopted zero tolerance laws which make it a crime for a teenager to operate a motor vehicle under the influence of any amount of alcohol. In addition to harsh penalties for teenage drunk driving, it is also a crime in most states for a minor to drink, possess, transport, buy or even try to buy alcohol. Parents can be penalized for furnishing alcohol to minors, especially in cases where teenage drunk driving was involved.

Teenage drunk drivers also face some serious legal consequences that will harm them into their adult lives. They face revocation of their driving privileges, stiff fines, probation, alcohol education and treatment, and community service not to mention potential jail/prison time for a severe offense.

If you have been involved in a teenage drunk driving incident, you may wish to speak to a qualified attorney who can advise you of your legal rights and options in a case. Because the laws vary by state and circumstance, a knowledgeable attorney can best help protect your interests in a teenage drunk driving case.

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A Staggering Statistics of Teenage Drunk Driving

Heavy drug abuse is said to be the main concern of many parents, when it comes to addictive substances. Although research suggests that the largest percentage of drug related occurrences are the direct result of alcohol use, not hard drugs. Parents need to be aware that alcohol use among young teens is harmful, unacceptable, and is a dangerous substance among teenagers that needs our attention, rather than our tolerance.

Facts About Alcohol, And Your Teenager

• In Australia, it is estimated that at least 73% of teenagers try alcohol more than once.

• In 2001, over 3,000 teenagers died due to alcohol use, and a further 64,782 needed medical attention after an alcohol related episode.

• Teenagers who are exposed to alcohol at an early age are five times more likely to become addicted later in life.

• Teenagers who binge-drink are likely to have poor judgment, and engage in dangerous activities such as increased risk taking, unwanted sex, blackouts, vomiting, and being a victim to violent activities.

Teenage Drinking, What You Can Do As A Parent

The relationships that we have with our teenage children have a bearing on their future development as they grow into well-adjusted adults who take their place in the community. In order to give your teenager the best start in life, they need to be given love, security, a warm and friendly family environment, as well as a firm set of values, and standards to live their lives by.

From an early age, children need boundaries. This helps them define, in later life, what acceptable behaviour is, and what isn’t tolerable. As children reach their teenage years, they need to be taught responsibility within their defined boundaries as a teenager. It is a parent’s duty, not prerogative to take an active role in your teenager’s life.

As a parent, if you don’t agree with teenage drinking, voice your opinion with other parents, and take a stand for what you feel is the right thing. You just may find that there are many other parents out there who agree with you. By creating a network of parents within your community that includes the parents of your teenager’s friends where possible, you can work together towards creating a strong, safe structure for your teenager to socialise in.

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What Every Parent Should Know About Alcohol and the Teenage Brain

Alcoholism is understood as addiction to alcohol, wherein a person has become dependent on alcohol in order to feel ok. This sort of dependency takes varied aounts of time to establish, which is why we might expect to encounter it only amongst mature grown ups. Regrettably though heavy alcohol intake is often part of teenage culture, and excessive amounts of alcohol, even in the short term, do cause a chemical imbalance in the brain which can lead to alcohol dependency.

Even moderate amounts of alcohol affects chemicals in the body such as the gamma-aminobutyric acids, responsible for inhibiting impulsiveness, and glutamate, which stimulates the nervous system. Excessive drinking reduces the body of these chemicals, in the absence of which the body starts to want alcohol. Young bodies may be utterly unprepared for the sort of significance that early-age-onset drinking can .

If a teenager unexpectedly finds himself or herself in a peer group where alcohol consumption is the norm, they may suddenly bombard their system with excessive amounts of alcohol, even if they have never touched the slightest amount of liquor up to that point, in order to gain respect or acceptance in the group. This can unmistakably be very damaging to their health.

Studies suggest that nearly 60% of young people who take up drinking, do so in order to feel more mature! Some will have seen their folks drinking, and will take up the addiction to become like them. More often though nowadays young drinkers will either just be trailing the group or aspiring to emulate some other role model – a sporting hero, rock star or gang leader – for whom hard drinking is a fundamental part of their .

Obviously image and advertising have a lot to do with early-age-onset drinking. Films tend to view tough guys as hard drinkers. The media portrays fun girls as party girls. And obviously the advertising companies behind alcoholic beverages work hard at associating alcohol consumption with popularity and success. For this reason education can be a key factor in helping to restrain the level of alcohol abuse and alcoholism amongst young people.

Input from the home and the school can help create a more balanced understanding of both the advantages and dangers of alcohol consumption. Of course, for teenagers who are driven to resist the authority of home and school, educational programs of this kind can have the opposite affect of that intended, where teenagers will consider their drinking to be a sign of their independence from authority. Ironically of course, such rebellion really only shows a subservience to an alternative authority – namely, that of the advertising magnates who promote alcohol consumption.

As in the case of most disagreeable teenage habits, the peer group is often the key. If your teenage son is part of a peer group that drinks, he will drink too. If he’s part of strict religious group that never let a drop of alcohol pass their lips, you don’t have to worry (about alcohol consumption, at any rate).

Of course there are numerous factors that can lead a young person to drink excessively, and not every teenager who drinks excessively is going to develop an alcohol dependency. Genetics will partially determine this, along with other various physical and psychological factors. But if there is one straightforward thing that a parent can do to divert a teenager who is on the course to alcoholism it is this: change his or her . Send them to a different school. Have them move interstate to stay with your relatives. Send them on a long overseas trip.

Of course, changing the immediate peer group will not always solve the problem, and depending on the age of the teenager, the parents may be powerless to make these sorts of decisions anyway. Remember though that regardless of what happens, while there is life there is always hope. Even long-term alcoholics find healing. And countless teenagers with drinking problems don’t turn into alcoholics.

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Problem Drinking and Teenagers

Teen alcohol abuse in Louisiana is quite as worse as in any other state in America. In Louisiana the teenagers are not only addicted to alcohol but they are also into various other addictions, making the alcohol abuse problem more complicated. Because of these associated problems, the treatment centers for teen alcohol abuse in Louisiana are finding it tougher to deal with the issue.

There are many teen alcohol abuse centers in Louisiana but the number of teenagers taking treatment for them is considerably low. The various problems associated with teen alcohol abuse are listed below along with the proper solutions that the addiction centers are applying to overcome the problem.

1. The most troublesome problem is that of binary addiction. The meaning of binary addiction is, the teenagers are having some other addictive substance along with having alcohol. This way they are not only an alcohol addict but have other addictions too. This scenario is common in teen alcohol abuse in Louisiana.

Once the teenagers start consuming alcohol, in order to get more pleasure they start consuming it in greater quantities. To get more pleasure while having alcohol, they might also start having some other drug. Thus, their condition goes from bad to worse with this dual addiction.

To overcome this problem, the teen alcohol abuse center in Louisiana gives detox treatment as the first part of their treatment. The teenager will need to undergo detox treatment. In detox treatment the patient will have to stay away from any kind of addiction and their body will get cleaned and even the single drop of the addictive substance will be removed from their body. The detox treatment can take care of the binary conditions of the patient too.

2. Teenager start consuming alcohol due to many reasons. Some take it to relieve their stress and get away from the tensions of their life while others take it under peer pressure. In the early phase, the teenagers consume less alcohol but as the time passes they get addicted to it and cannot manage without consuming alcohol. Many teenagers have fallen into the pit of alcohol addiction unknowingly about what harm they can get by alcohol addiction.

The treatment centers in Louisiana, knows the way to tackle this problem goes through education. That’s why these centers try to educate the youth about the various aspects of alcohol abuse. The youth will be given proper guidance about what alcohol addiction is all about and what bad effects it causes in the body and mind of the alcohol addict.

The youth will also be given guidance on how they are playing with their future and their family’s future by giving into the demands of their peer group. The teenagers who are into alcohol addiction will be given counseling and after that they will need to undergo detox treatment to remove the alcohol that is already accumulated in their bodies.

3. Many teenagers think that their parents are too busy and they feel neglected. This is one more cause of teenagers getting into addiction. Parents are also unaware about the things that they can do in order to keep their children away from any kind of addiction. Many parents are themselves setting a wrong example before their children and their children’s are just following what they see their parent do.

That is why, the treatment center in Louisiana arranges parental counseling. Parents too need to know what they can do to keep their children away from addiction. The parents will be given guidance on how they can set a good example before their children. All the doubts that the parents may have can be solved in these counseling sessions. Most of the teen alcohol abuse center in Louisiana has three-day parental counseling session. In these sessions, the parents of these young patients get a chance to interact with each other and share their experiences.

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Various Problems Related With Teen Alcohol Abuse In Louisiana

Tackling this issue is also not that easy. This matter should be handled with great care. Teen alcohol abuse treatment centers are doing a great job, of bringing teens back to life by making them quit alcohol. Adolescence is a very sensitive age and that is why these treatment centers deal with their patients with love and care and provide them the comforts of their home.

Teen alcohol treatment centers have to face so many troubles in order to make their patient quit alcohol. As the patients handle by these centers are young and carrying out the treatments on them becomes quite a traumatic job. Treating adults for alcohol abuse is rather simple. With teenagers, it is necessary to first make them understand the hazards of alcohol on their body and mind. This is a big task in itself. The centers also have to become more tolerant as the treatment for teenagers can take a long time as compared to that of adults.

What are the problems faced by teen alcohol abuse treatment centers and what are the various methods implemented by them to tackle these problems?

1. Ignorance among the teenagers: Teenagers are not at all aware about what addiction is and what the ways in which they might get affected with it are. Teenagers are completely ignorant about the bad effects of alcohol on their overall health. Most teenagers start consuming alcohol due to group pressure. Many also get hooked to alcohol thinking it as an escape route from their troubles and worries. Those who are taking alcohol to forget about their worries are the most difficult cases when it comes to convincing them for getting proper treatment. These youngsters do not think that they are doing anything wrong and hence refuse to join addiction treatment centers. The denial phase in youngsters is very strong as compared to the adults. With care and many counseling sessions this scenario can be changed.

The solution for this problem is only one and that is the continue efforts of family and friends in order to make them ready for joining the treatment centers. The intervention program with the guidance of the interventionist will also be helpful here. The interventionist will give the proper advice to the family in order to make their beloved child ready for the treatment. This will help the family to motivate their teenage member who is addicted to alcohol to think seriously about their own life. The process of making the teenager to come out of the denial phase will be a long process but if handled with care results are guaranteed. If the teenager gets ready for the treatment, they also respond well to the methods used.

2. Strong addiction to alcohol: Due to their tender age, it becomes difficult to treat teenagers despite not being with the alcohol habit for long. As the body and mind of teenagers are in a developing state, the addictive substance has more severe effects on their body and mind compared to that of an adult. Due to this reason, teenagers can get strongly dependant on the addictive substance and find it quite tough to give it up. Teenagers also get easily hooked to such substances. According to statistics those who get hooked to the substance before 18 years of age, have four times more chances of getting an addiction. For those who have started taking any substance after the age of 25 years, the addiction does not go to strong limits. That is why treating an alcoholic adult becomes easier than treating addicted teens. The withdrawal process is teens will be difficult too. Many teenagers who join treatment centers leave the treatment midway as they find it immensely difficult to stay away from their addiction.

The solution used by treatment centers over this problem is quite effective. These centers have no strict rules for teenagers in the initial stage of the treatment. But as the treatment goes ahead, they try to keep better watch on the addicts and have strict rules about the addictive substance. This way, the teenagers do not have to face harsh withdrawal symptoms and can give up the addictive substance slowly. Hence the rate of the teenagers running away from the treatment centers can be bought in control.

3. Chances of Secondary Addictions: Many youngsters are addicted to other substances too, as after getting addicted to alcohol they want to try out something new and better. Many teenagers fall prey to other addictions while taking alcohol. The most popular substance consumed by youth along with alcohol is methamphetamine. This substance is also highly addictive and has various severe effects on the health of the addict, even more severe than that of alcohol.

The teen alcohol treatment centers have to deal with this secondary addiction in teenagers with treatment process that is even harsher than the normal treatment for alcohol addiction. The treatment gets tougher if any other addiction is found along with alcohol addiction in teenagers.

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Why Teenagers Find Alcohol Abuse Treatment More Difficult Than Adults

When you see alcoholism in teenager and begin to wonder what could have led the young chap to take to alcohol, think of all the stress these youngsters are under these days. Stress could be in the form of academic pressure, social pressure or it could just be depression due to loneliness. Study shows that a large number of teenagers in America are suffering from depression; this could be true for most parts of the world. This depression in turn leads to substance abuse and alcohol is one of those substances commonly abused.

Alcoholism in teenagers begins at social functions, when a new student tries a drink just to get high. This is considered very much in fashion and if anyone refuses he or she is bullied or nagged till they get embarrassed. This is the reason that education about abusive substances is very important at the high school or school level. Once the teenager knows the destruction that can happen because of this substance called alcohol they may be able to say no to it.

Most teen age crimes happen under the influence of alcohol; this makes alcoholism in teenagers a very serious issue. Driving under the influence of alcohol or DUI is one of the most common teenage offenses in the world. This can put a teenager behind bars, cost him or his parents a lot of money and he could loose his driving license. DUI may be serious but its not half as serious as some of the other gruesome and hideous crimes committed under the influence of alcohol. This could be anything from rape to murder, when done by a teenager it destroys many lives including his.

Alcoholism in teenager has been the subject of grave speculation since every one wants to put an end to it. Counseling by teachers and parents together can help these teenagers find the right direction. If their mistakes are met with humiliation and rejection then they take to substance abuse. Parents must therefore be supportive in anything that the child does guiding the teenage kids with a firm but loving hand.

Fashion must never showcase addiction as the in thing; this is misleading for those youngsters who live by the example of their celebs. At the same time teenagers must be made to understand the difference between fashion, style and harmful addictives by their teachers and parents. Alcoholism in teenagers has to be tackled at grass root level and everyone must contribute to this by education, laws and good parenting. Teenagers must remember that they are harming not only their bodies but also their intellect by abusing any substance.

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Why We Should All be Scared Alcoholism in Teenagers

Put along a list of everyone the reasons you really experience for why you should stop drinking. To make the list complete you actually can also need to think about asking family members or a close friend for assist.From time to time you should employ this list to renew your commitment to stop drinking.Once you actually have a list of reasons it is very vital to put your plan into action by background a date for when you really need to stop drinking.

To stop drinking alcohol you actually must perfect a plan. Post this date on your refrigerator or bathroom mirror, anywhere you can see it regularly. If it is going to help you really may consider placing it in way more than one place. A fair idea is to put it during your purse or wallet on a card.A plan is not successful without assist, so you really have to slice your plan with others. Tell your family members and close friends. Permit them know how they can assist you actually turn your plan into a success. Mark specific dates during your plan and imposed them aside because days to evaluate your progress.

Many women alcoholics do manage to stop drinking while pregnant as fortunately fair sense does have over during sure circumstances, nonetheless the e issue always arises when the baby is born and the mother is left during the same predicament because before, nonetheless now with responsibility and fret. The bottle soon calls, but this time there is way more then one victim and alcohol may surely exhibit it’s true face, which is to ruin peoples lives.

Having a wish to stop drinking alcohol is really the first and right step to quitting. During other words, there is not any one during the whole world that is in a position to stop you from doing what you really like doing. So, winning the battle against booze starts from within you. However, I need to let you know that your wish has to be exceedingly strong and you needs to suffer a strong will as well. This is as a mere need to quit drinking won’t assist you really. You will necessarily find yourself going back to your mature way of life. And there is nothing anyone out there is in a position to do getting ready that. Once you really suffer a burning wish to stop drinking alcoholic drinks, the following pointers may help quit.

These  tips insurance policy best the beginning of what someone will be able to do to assist a person with alcoholism. Alcoholism is a difficult disease to fight, nevertheless with help alcoholics suffer a simpler probability of winning that fight.

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Tips on How to Go About the Drug and Alcohol Rehab Process

 Larry stayed alone with his grand-mother, his parents used to live in a different country. Since Larry had all the freedom do to what he wanted, he misused it by taking it to drugs. He had gone partying once and some of the people there asked him to try out a few drugs.  He loved it and soon became addicted to heroin. Larry had a drug peddler who promised him drugs if he would help him in selling them. So the boy neglected his medicine and started subtly selling drugs to some people around the night club. If he felt that he was short on cash, he would ask people on streets to give money by concocting some story.

 Larry was taken to a teen rehab center where he was treated with the best detox procedure; he was counseled well against drug addiction and soon it dawned on to him that he was actually destroying his education and his health in the process. Larry’s parents, who had flown all the way to make sure that the entire treatment process goes well, cooperated with the doctor. Soon in a matter of two months, Larry was fine, having benefited a lot from individual and group therapy.  He said that he would cooperate with the law and give all the information about places he knew where drugs proliferated. He also gave the name and address of the person who sold him drugs and asked him to supply it to other people at night clubs. Both the police, the authorities and even the rehab were deeply perturbed by this, the extent to which teen drug addiction was being spreading in the country was condemnable. 

 Nevertheless, Larry found a huge difference in his health after being treated in a teen rehabilitation center.  He is now an active college campaigner against teen drug abuse. He gives his example to teens and tells them to avoid taking drugs and alcohol at any cost.  He said that if it were not for his uncle and the teen rehab program that changed his life, he wouldn’t have been able to survive.  Just one person can make so much difference; it is high time teens gave up on drugs and start being high on positive things in life; after all, today’s teens are the future of this nation.

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A Teenager’s Personal Experience at a Teen Treatment Center

 Teen alcohol addiction is something that cannot be neglected because there are way too many problems associated with this menace. Not only is the personal equation of the teen with adults and the society changed, but he or she also stands a chance to be caught by the law for creating problems in the society.  Crimes of passion including homicides, stealing and killing people under wheels due to drunken driving are some of the cases that have been registered increasingly against irresponsible teens. All of these are just an addition to complicated set of health problems that a teen can suffer from.

 Here are some ways in which a teen can become an alcohol addict:

 Going to places where alcohol flourishes: Teens generally love to party and have a good time. Today most of the eating places, joints, clubs and pubs have a free flow of alcohol for people.  Many believe that there is no party worth enjoying if there is no alcohol. There are also private parties at houses, where alcohol assumes center-stage among various events. So all of these can be breeding ground for interest in alcohol to foster.
Alcohol experimentation: Teens begin to experiment with various types of alcohol like rum, gin, vodka etc and even advice each other on how they can get a better ‘high’. All of these play on the minds of the teen and he/she begins to associate pleasurable sensations with drinking alcohol.
 Increased intake of alcohol: This is the phase where according to most adolescent rehabilitation centers, a person becomes addicted.  There is a change in the person’s group of friends. H shuns his old group and goes to another group which encourages alcohol drinking.  There are chances that the person may just mix drugs and nicotine with alcohol.
High degree of addiction: This is the phase when the individual is sold to alcohol. He or she develops a lot of health problems; there are marked signs and symptoms that are identifiable with alcohol addiction.  The teen may even face ridicule and suspension from school because he tends to creates problems in school with his grades falling steadily.  Other parents do not allow their kids to mix with such a problem child. The teen who is too caught up with urge to drink more and more may even steal money and sell off things in order to arrange for alcohol. In some cases, the parents and the family of the teen may slap him and reprimand him, and he would revolt by running away from home and drinking excessively.
 The fifth phase can be described as life-threatening when the teen begins to lose his sanity due to drinking. There are feelings of restlessness, breathlessness, depression and even suicidal tendencies that are possible due to alcohol addiction.

Make sure that you do not take teen alcohol addiction problems lightly and take your child to a teen rehab facility at the earliest.

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Why Teen Alcoholism is Progressive and Will Continue to Worsen if not Treated