A teen treatment center at Chicago which specializes in alcohol addiction treatment among other rehabilitative procedures has a poignant story to tell about teen addiction towards alcohol. Keith Whittaker; 15 years old, was a bright student, always doing brilliantly in his studies and baseball.  He nursed a crush on a girl who was in the 10 grade (Keith was in the 9th grade), called Nancy.

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.

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As a parent you may surprised to see your teen being pulled for drinking. But that is not much to be surprised considering that a reputed teen treatment center at Oklahoma has pointed out that teenage drinking cases are on a definite rise.  So how do you know if your teenage child is abusing alcohol?

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. 

Alcoholism among teenagers is one of the most serious problems of modern society. Teenage alcoholism is the product of immoderate and accelerating use of alcohol in adolescents and young adults.  A great number of our teenagers are facing problems of enormous drinking.

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.

Teenage alcoholism and teenage drug addiction is a serious problem world- wide. The teen years are a time of experimenting and risk taking. Many teens experiment with drugs and alcohol. Many are influenced by peer pressure.

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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