What I Learned About Alcohol and Drug Abuse in High School

When I was a sophomore in high school, I registered for a drug abuse class. At that age, I did not realize that alcohol abuse in point of fact was a sub division 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 people throughout the world. I also learned quite a bit about alcohol treatment and the various alcohol rehab clinics that are regularly available to problem drinkers.

Dangerous Outcomes That are Correlated With Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse

Some of the damaging consequences associated with alcoholism and alcohol abuse that I learned about in this class definitely terrified me. The ruined lives and many serious issues experienced by most alcohol dependent people made me feel like I never wanted to drink alcohol when I became old enough. That is, I did not want to face the disaster and ruination that alcohol addicted individuals almost always experience.

Reflect on this for a moment. What fifteen-year-old teenager wants to face premature death due to his or her drinking behavior? What adolescent wants to become so out-of-control regarding his or her drinking that drinking 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 issues before he or she becomes twenty-one?

What teenager wants to go through alcohol withdrawal symptoms when he or she tries to quit drinking? Why would an individual engage in drinking to such an extent that it would cause serious issues in every area of his or her life? Drinking later in life after an individual has a career, a family, and develops personal responsibilities makes sense. But why would a young person want to sacrifice his or her education, employment, finances, and relationships for a life that centers on irresponsible drinking?

These issues were so noteworthy that I discussed some of them in class throughout the school year. What was downright astonishing to me was the number of students who simply didn’t care about the dangerous results of excessive drinking that I talked about. It was almost as if they couldn’t care less about the facts and how these effects can wreck their lives. For the first time in my life I started to figure out something that my grandfather used to tell me all through my teen and pre-teen years: you can lead a horse to water but you can’t force it to drink.

It’s Liberating, Beneficial, and Important to Keep Away From the Destructive and Unhealthy Consequences of Alcohol and Drug Abuse

And even at my young age, I also started to comprehend how beneficial, important, and energizing it is in life to stay away from the unhealthy and destructive effects of alcohol and drug abuse.