What I Learned About Alcohol and Drug Addiction in High School
When I was a sophomore in high school, I enrolled into a drug abuse class. At that time period, I did not understand that alcohol abuse in truth was a sub classification of drug abuse. While taking this class and learning more about drug and alcohol abuse and above all about alcohol side effects, I read a lot about Alcoholic Anonymous, their meetings, how their programs have twelve steps, and how successful the Alcoholics Anonymous recovery program has been for individuals all through the world. I also learned a lot about alcohol rehab and the diverse alcohol rehab facilities that are repeatedly available to people who engage in hazardous drinking.
Damaging Results That are Related to Alcohol Addiction and Alcohol Abuse
Some of the detrimental effects associated with alcoholism and alcohol abuse that I learned about in this class certainly worried me. The ruined lives and abundant problems experienced by most alcohol addicted people made me feel like I never wanted to drink alcohol when I became old enough. Stated briefly, I did not want to face the disaster and devastation that alcohol addicted individuals almost always go through.
Let this sink in for a moment. What fifteen-year-old teenager wants to face premature death due to his or her drinking behavior? What young person wants to become so out-of-control regarding his or her drinking that consuming alcohol becomes the object of one’s life? What adolescent wants to go to one of the local alcoholic rehabilitation centers to deal with alcohol-related problems before he or she becomes an adult?
What adolescent wants to go through alcohol withdrawal symptoms when he or she tries to stop drinking? Why would a person engage in drinking to such an extent that it would cause problems in every area of his or her life? Drinking later in life after a person has a career, a family, and develops personal responsibilities makes sense. But why would a young person want to sacrifice his or her education, employment, finances, and relationships for a life that revolves around hazardous drinking?
These issues were so important that I discussed some of them in class throughout the school year. What was completely astonishing to me was the number of students who openly didn’t care about the detrimental results of excessive drinking that I discussed. It was almost as if they couldn’t be troubled with the truth and how these consequences can shatter their lives. For the first time in my life I started to figure out a saying that my grandfather used to say to me throughout my teen and pre-teen years: you can lead a horse to water but you can’t force it to drink.
It’s Beneficial, Important, and Liberating to Keep Away From the Damaging and Unhealthy Effects of Drug and Alcohol Abuse
And even at my young age, I also began to comprehend how liberating, important, and beneficial it is in life to keep yourself from the unhealthy and damaging effects of drug and alcohol abuse.