Modern approach to teen substance abuse help and management methodologies Essay

Teen drug and alcohol abuse management is aimed at arresting adverse indulgence that lead to clinical cases. Serological evidence on sub-clinical cases of depression and alcoholism show preventive counseling is effective in managing depression and alcoholism. About 51% of teens within a random cluster of 20 males and 10 females are actively involved in alcoholism. Clinical cases are on the rise within Hispanic and Black teens. Arresting the cases within their early stages is feasible with the institution level M. Rosenbaum (2003). Teachers should identify effective means for recreational and rehabilitative timetables. Alcoholism often takes place between 3pm and 7pm are on the rise among teen students (www. samhsa. gov). Students indulge outside the school compound or homestead, or in the most neglected and limitedly visited areas. The commonly abused alcohol is beer and spirits (www. samhsa. gov). Factors leading to alcoholism need to be identified so as to limit any sub-clinical measures. This will facilitate to find a consistent approach to arrest alcoholism in its early stages. Factors such as stress, abuse, stereotyping lead to depression. Aping friends, parents or some public figures. Also, interest in alcohol, searching identity in age mates and friends and proving maturity and sexuality lead to indulgence M. Rosenbaum (2003). Socio-economic backgrounds contribute to alcoholism. Teens from poor families are less aggressive in alcoholism while those from rich families are indulgent. A sample of six middle income families and six high level income families responded to a questionnaire about if their teenage children were involved in alcoholism. Only two of the middle level parents admitted to alcoholism in their teens while out of the six respondents from the higher income family five admitted their teens were into mild and profound alcoholism (www. nida. nih. gov). Teen alcoholics admit they drink due to peer pressure, to be identified and to fit in their peer groups and avoid isolation. Others admit they are aping the movie stars, their idols and role models, having fun, self redemption, thwarting stress and problems and seeking a unique position in the society. Social integration in this age level and addressing this plight in a concerted effort is necessary in school level and beyond. On a cross cultural-community approach, more black and Hispanic teens are engaging in alcoholism. Increased exposure to wages in the low level income families has upped the level of substance abuse and alcoholism in teenagers. Teenage girl alcoholics are on the rise within the low level income families. A certain portion of this group is involved in irresponsible sexual behavior and prostitution while some are working as young prostitutes. This constant rise in alcoholism and depression is seen in the context of declining literacy in the teens. Hispanic teens collectively have made less progress in graduating from high school compared to their Black counterparts. Up to 28% Hispanic teens are dropping out in comparison to 15% Blacks. Teen alcoholics have problems in the society. The creation of a positive social interaction environment in a friendly and unrestrictive atmosphere offers the proper environment for therapy and manageable counseling. It’s aimed at improving collective social behavior so as to inspire and correct the students. The school counselor should counsel based on teaching pedagogical approaches. This instills discipline and encourages the students to share their problems. Within the recreational context the teacher should initiate recreational activities like playing chess, bridge, and other in-house games (Ken & David 2007). Through a cognitive-control system the teacher manifests self analysis, self recognition, and self help so as to regulate behavior. The student reads materials wherein the teen reads her problem and follows a set of procedures like, playing with her pet, watching an inspiring video, etc. The procedure is used in the environment created by the school teacher (above). The objective is to create competing system within the brain and make adolescents lessen brain capacity to want physical engagement with substances. The counselor has a role to comparatively review the potential of the students and assess their capacity. Authoritatively, he should embark to make impact on their socio-academic well being. The perspectives borne within this context are purported to limit clinical interventions incase of adverse depression and alcoholism. Involvement of capacity building and establishment of more positive youth groups so as to build on youths’ strengths, (through advising on developing positive mental attitude towards their abilities in education and entrepreneurship). The school counselor should as often as possible make groups which consist of most disciplined students to act as the role models. These role model groups actively integrate incorporate the students who have depression or alcoholism problems M. Rosenbaum (2003). This makes these students sociable and gradually makes them feel acceptable in these groups and most important, desists from substance abuse. The teacher should invite the community to lead in playing a role of advisors while he is the active leader. These community members and the school counselors have the obligation to present appropriate role-models and opportunities for remediation for young people growing up in the school community. The message to young adults and their peers must be that they understand the dangers of substance abuse and make appropriate choices when confronted with opportunities of drug use. A school counselor should address the teen alcohol problem through an educative perspective; He gives complete clinical views on use and abuse of substances. He should comprehensively emphasize the importance of the context through giving cases study projections on serological outcomes and clinical intervention risks and impacts on human health. This perspective scope is on teenage cases who are supposed to actively attend and play roles in the education and during the classes. The concept is to keep these teens safe from alcohol and to stop substance abuse. The school counselor should give social and drug life education to enable teenagers to make responsible decisions by providing honest information. The novelty of the advice and counseling will discourage the teens from excessive or partial indulgence. The counselor is also supposed to advise the students to understand their place in the society and their future as citizens in the educative approach (Flannery, 2007). Students tend to have various social networks where they interact. The school counselor should integrate these networks as extracurricular activities by allocating time to be with the students. According to research, drug abuse takes place mostly after school and evening hours as stated above (Bachman, Johnston & O’Malley 1990). As a school counselor it is important to be involved in participating, and listening to what students express and how they relate with their peers. In a group setting, I would encourage the students to speak freely, express their views, thoughts, ideas, and perspectives. I will intervene only while asking them why they feel or think a certain way, then offer my support. Students can have a friend or family member participate in order to improve the advice being offered. The setting should be a homely, conducive, and well equipped with communication and research tools to help these students research their problem with guidance from the school counselor. This is a very effective method and creates a backbone for the gradual and even instant ceasing of alcohol habits. According to (Rosenbaum, 2003), the after school programs form the basis of a communal approach to the problem. The students are able to understand their problem through guidance. If a student’s drug use becomes a problem, the after-school drop-in program enables her to make informal contact with a professional, even if she is not ready for formal treatment. If problems escalate, a referral to the appropriate agency can be made (Rosenbaum 2003). Conclusion Safety and correction to reduce harm and to reconstitute behavior and perception in the teens is important. The school counselor can actively and consistently provide extra attention and consideration to the teens with the problem and follow up their recovery. Counselors should encourage discussion of trauma experience among the peers and the counseling group. Over weekends, they should refer these teens with the problems to active involvement in community recovery work, church and sporting activities. Counselors should urge participation in sports and athletics and encourage resumption of regular social-recreational activities like in-house games and sport. This way the traumatized and the recovering teens will become social figures who’ll be symbolic role models and successful and responsible people in the future. Sources (Ken & David 2007), Social-economic decline due to substance abuse by teens: An intelligence approach to teen physiology through counter brain measures. Goldman Intelligence, Nairobi p1-5 Barbra Flannery, (2007) International Research Institute, Baltimore Hser, Y-I. ; Grille, C. E. ; Hubbard, R. L. ; et al (2002). An evaluation of drug treatment for adolescents in four U. S. cities: Archives of General Psychiatry; Volume 17, pp 1 M. Rosenbaum, â€Å"‘Just Say No’ Wins Few Points with Ravers,† Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2001: A13. M. Rosenbaum (2003) Safety first: A reality based approach to teen’s drugs and drug education. Drug Policy Alliance www. safety1st. org (J. G. Bachman, L. D. Johnston and P. M. O’Malley 1990), â€Å"Explaining the Recent Decline in Cocaine use Among Young Adults: Further Evidence That Perceived Risks and Disapproval Lead to Reduced Drug use: Journal of Health and Human Social Behavior 31. 2 (1990): 173-184 Texas drug and rehabilitation center http://www. drugfree. org www. samhas. gov www. nida. nih. gov