When I was in the tenth grade in high school, I registered for a substance abuse class. At that time period, I did not realize that alcohol abuse in point of fact was a sub category of drug abuse. While taking this class and learning more about drug and alcohol abuse and especially about alcohol side effects, I read a lot about Alcoholic Anonymous, their meetings, how their programs have twelve steps, and how successful the Alcoholics Anonymous recovery program has been for individuals all over the world. I also learned a lot about alcohol rehabilitation and the diverse alcohol rehab facilities that are typically available to individuals who engage in hazardous drinking.

Damaging Results That are Associated With Alcohol Addiction and Alcohol Abuse

Some of the negative end results related to alcoholism and alcohol abuse that I learned about in this class absolutely worried me. The ruined lives and numerous problems experienced by most alcohol addicted individuals 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.

Think about this for a moment. What fifteen-year-old individual 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 drinking alcohol becomes the object of one’s life? What teenager wants to go to one of the local alcoholic rehabilitation centers to deal with alcohol-related difficulties before he or she becomes an adult?

What youth wants to experience alcohol withdrawals when he or she tries to stop drinking? Why would a person engage in drinking to such an extent that it would cause difficulties in every area of his or her life? Drinking later in life after an individual has a career, a family, and develops personal responsibilities makes sense. But why would an adolescent want to sacrifice his or her education, employment, finances, and relationships for a life that focuses on hazardous drinking?

These issues were so meaningful that I talked about some of them in class during the school year. What was entirely amazing to me was the number of students who openly didn’t care about the detrimental results of irresponsible drinking that I discussed. It was almost as if they couldn’t care less about the truth and how these results can destroy their lives. For the first time in my life I started to comprehend something that my grandfather used to articulate throughout my adolesence: 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 Destructive and Unhealthy Outcomes of Alcohol and Drug Abuse

And even at my young age, I also started to realize how beneficial, important, and energizing it is in life to keep yourself from the damaging and unhealthy end results of drug and alcohol abuse.