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 reality was a sub classification 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 people throughout the world. I also learned a lot about alcohol rehab and the diverse alcohol rehab clinics that are commonly available to problem drinkers.

Injurious End Results That are Linked to Alcohol Dependency and Alcohol Abuse

Some of the harmful end results linked to alcoholism and alcohol abuse that I learned about in this class without a doubt frightened me. The ruined lives and countless problems 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 wreckage and devastation that alcohol dependent individuals almost always go through.

Reflect on this for a moment. What fifteen-year-old person 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 young person 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 adolescent wants to deal with alcohol withdrawal symptoms when he or she tries to stop 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 hazardous drinking?

These issues were so important that I talked about some of them in class throughout the school year. What was downright astonishing to me was the number of students who essentially didn’t care about the dangerous consequences of hazardous drinking that I talked about. It was almost as if they couldn’t be troubled with the facts and how these effects can ruin their lives. For the first time in my life I started to appreciate something that my grandfather used to say to me all through my younger years: you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.

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

And even at my young age, I also began to realize how liberating, beneficial, and important it is in life to keep yourself from the unhealthy and destructive effects of drug and alcohol abuse. And realizing this gave me the motivation and inspiration to further increase my self esteem and self worth.