Alcohol

by Biddulph, Stephen G.

• ISBN13: 9781592850402
• ISBN10: 1592850405
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-06-01
• Publisher: Hazelden

Summary

For more products found within this products catagory click here. As a parent, if you're not sure what you believe about alcohol use, how will you handle the subject with your child? Maybe you experimented with drinking as a teen, or you use alcohol regularly as an adult. Maybe you never tried alcohol, or you have strong feelings against its use. Maybe you're wondering whether teen drinking is a rite of passage, or you're simply confused over conflicting information about alcohol use, abuse, and addiction. The best way for you to help your teen make healthy choices is to be informed. This much-needed book about America's most accessible and socially sanctioned psychoactive drug helps parents sort through the latest facts, the known risks, and the divergent perspectives on alcohol use. The basic message? For teens, drinking alcohol equals risk. Your basic message? That's up to you.

Author Biography

Stephen G. Biddulph is a popular lecturer, writer, and family therapist who specializes in adolescent addictions treatment. He resides in Provo, Utah

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	vii
Introduction	1	(4)
Perspectives on Alcohol: From Parents, Teens, and Society	5	(16)
Alcohol and the Body: What Happens When We Take a Drink?	21	(22)
Adolescence and Alcohol: What's the Attraction?	43	(34)
Alcohol Addiction: Is There Such a Thing as Responsible Teenage Drinking?	77	(22)
A Model of Adolescent Addiction: What Happens When Kids Cross the Line?	99	(28)
Reasons to Save: Can We Really Make a Difference?	127	(8)
Prevention and Diversion: Can Alcoholism Be Prevented?	135	(20)
Intervention: How Parents Can Help Teens	155	(12)
Treatment: The Next Step	167	(28)
Recovery: Regaining a Healthy Lifestyle	195	(28)
Notes	223	(6)
Index	229	(6)
About the Author	235

Excerpts

from Chapter 3 Adolescence and Alcohol: What's the Attraction? Any discussion of alcohol abuse and alcoholism is incomplete and almost meaningless without discussing the potential victims: the teens. This section looks at the nature of teens as developing adults and the reasons why some teens are at higher risk for alcohol abuse and addiction. New Beginnings Adolescence is a period of powerful transition and change. It is a time of awakening, of new beginnings, of transition, and of unparalleled growth. In fact, no period of time in human development, save the first two years of life, can compare to adolescence when it comes to development and change. Out of the generally benign and protected world of childhood emerges the teenager, faced with the daunting task of becoming an adult in an increasingly demanding world. Our teen is learning who he is, what he values, and what he can become. His body is evolving into a full adult, with all the powers and appetites and feelings that accompany adulthood. He is discovering similarities in and differences between what he is taught in his family and in larger society. A teenager is learning how others in this big world will accept and respond to her. She is deciding if she can compete in this world and what makes her unique or special. She is in the process of making the transition from a self-absorbed state of me to becoming part of something bigger, but it is still very much about her. She feels that everybody is watching her and judging what she does. Healthy growth is a process of transition from self-absorption and self-justification to becoming more other-focused. Newly equipped with physical and sexual powers and presented with new and exciting opportunities and interests, teens lack the maturity of years, the wisdom of experience, and the fully developed capacity to reason with logic. It is an exciting yet challenging time for a teen. He may be fearful or uncertain about himself. He may be running as fast as he can toward adulthood with unbridled gusto and excitement. He may be running away from the pains and discomforts of childhood. He may be caught in difficult transitions by psychological, physical, and mental challenges that make competing in the adult world difficult and discouraging. Our child's perception of his potential in the world of adulthood is determined by what he has learned from his role models and what he has experienced thus far in his life. We who were once perfect and superhuman in our child's eyes have become flawed and out of touch with reality. Our teen may begin to question rules, policies, and family traditions as unrealistic, unfair, or undesirable. He begins to look beyond us and other family members for role models and support. It is not that he necessarily wants to reject and abandon his home support system, but he wants to free himself from home base and explore the intriguing and exciting world beyond. Adolescence is characterized by moo

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Excerpted from Alcohol: What's a Parent to Believe? by Stephen G. Biddulph, Stephen Biddulph
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.