Childhood alcoholism: how to prevent trouble and save your child

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Nowadays there is a lot of talk about teenage alcoholism and people are actively looking for a solution to this problem. Prevention of teenage alcoholism, developed back in the last century, does not work, it’s time to admit this and abandon the stereotyped methods of influencing schoolchildren with the help of lectures and films. First of all, you need to understand why this problem occurs, and then start looking for a solution.

Childhood alcoholism needs active prevention

Origins of the problem

Drinking children evoke disgust or tears of pity from passers-by, but few have thought about why this child is drunk. There is no need to blame advertising and sellers for selling a bottle of alcohol to a teenager. The state does not force alcohol into children, the Internet is not full of headlines “Drink and you will be happier.”

The little man has started to have problems growing up; he doesn’t know how to solve them on his own, so he looks to adults, trying to find the answer. Parents are the main object of a teenager's attention. Most adults pour out all their problems with alcohol, and children do the same.

From generation to generation, the habit of drinking was abandoned at the first minor difficulties. Some mothers still believe that if you add a couple of drops of cognac to your baby's bottle, he will sleep more soundly. A more barbaric attitude towards infants cannot be imagined.

Propaganda of healthy lifestyle

Knowing about the harmful consequences, the student is in no hurry to get rid of tobacco addiction. In order to wean him from smoking, parents and teachers should use comprehensive techniques that will help guide the child on the right path to a healthy lifestyle:

• An individualized approach to communication should be developed. It is known that each age group perceives information differently. In this regard, the advice of elders should correspond to the maturity of perception of adolescents.

• Methodology for developing alternative behavior. This method involves studying smoking from the perspective of its harmful, destructive influence. Psychologists recommend using the “by contradiction” method: in front of an audience of young listeners, it is necessary to pose the question differently. Instead of “Why is smoking harmful?” it is necessary to analyze the paradoxical “What can you gain by giving up smoking?”

• Use of non-standard methods of influence. As part of propaganda, schoolchildren should be shown educational films and educational slides.

• Formation of other interests. In order for a teenager to have no time left for cigarettes, he should be captivated by an interesting hobby and activity.

Important! No preventive technique will be successful if those close to you (parents, teachers) set a bad example!

Causes

Childhood alcoholism is a scourge all over the world, and there are many people suffering from addiction in Russia. These children do not always come from disadvantaged families. Often these are well-off teenagers, but abandoned to the mercy of fate, who take the wrong path.

Many currently incurable alcoholics began drinking at the age of 10-13. Every second person aged 14 has tried alcohol. Every third person uses it at least once a week!

Reasons why children start drinking and become dependent on alcohol:

• parents themselves allow children under 10 years of age to drink in 60% of cases;
• children who perform poorly in the school curriculum and sincerely believe in their insignificance, this is 70% of cases;
• low employment and poor motivation among young people caused 40% of cases;
• 91% of alcohol-dependent children are from dysfunctional families, sometimes with one or two drinking parents;
• 53% of alcohol-dependent children do not receive enough attention from their parents.

At the moment, the prevention of alcoholism among teenagers is beginning to bear fruit. Many teenagers have joined the healthy lifestyle and prefer to spend their time usefully: reading, going to the movies, etc.

The fashion for sports and proper nutrition is growing every day not only among adults, but also among children. Already today, thousands of people are trying to recover from alcohol addiction, thereby setting a good example for the younger generation.

Drinking and smoking are no longer cool, but old habits still firmly drag teenagers to the social bottom.

Causes of alcoholism among children

Techniques used

Not only parents whose children find themselves in an unfavorable environment are concerned about the problem of alcoholism, but also school teachers. Recently, the practice of preventive and educational methods aimed at combating alcoholism in the younger generation has spread in educational institutions. These include:

1. Lecture classes.
2. Psychological trainings for parents.
3. Promotion of sobriety and healthy lifestyle through the media.
4. Use of visual material - propaganda posters.
5. Distribution of printed material (brochures, leaflets, etc.) that describe the consequences of alcoholism.

It's sad, but in most cases these measures have no visible effect. This is due to the fact that the child’s brain is not able to absorb large amounts of information. For this reason, psychologists offer measures and techniques that will help protect the child from the adverse effects of the external environment:

• Information work.

Today, many educational events are prohibited. Due to his rebellious nature and unwillingness to follow advice, the child effectively begins to reject the instructions of parents and teachers. In this case, a trick is appropriate: it is known that a teenager will be more willing to listen to his peer and follow the advice distributed on social networks. Taking these features into account, adults should formulate tactics to combat alcoholism in young society.

• Personality orientation.

The purpose of this technique is:

• assistance in independent decision making,
• clarification of permissible and impermissible patterns of behavior in society,
• formation of correct attitudes regarding motivation for sports, social work and a healthy lifestyle.

Promoting sobriety includes not only promotional activities, but also the encouragement of healthy habits. Interesting sections and clubs can be an excellent alternative to spending time in bad company.

Prevention at school

Teachers make a significant contribution to the prevention of alcoholism among adolescents. At school, the child experiences the first problems with social adaptation and puberty. There, the teenager tries alcohol in groups for the first time. A very big responsibility falls on the shoulders of the teacher, given that there are usually more than 20 children in a class, each of whom needs to be individually stimulated to strive to be better.

The main task of the school is to correctly formulate the purpose of life in students. First of all, the younger generation needs to instill an aversion to alcohol, a desire for a healthy and strong body, and a desire to achieve great results.

Principles of preventing alcoholism in adolescents at school:

1. organization of an anti-alcohol education system: it is necessary to hold events and competitions against alcohol addiction throughout the entire training;
2. anti-alcohol education should provide for gradual education about the disadvantages of intoxication and the effects of alcohol on the body, it is necessary to take into account the age category and psychological characteristics of students;
3. if possible, invite a doctor, a police officer, or a person who has overcome the problem to an open lesson. You can ask them to tell children about the characteristics of alcohol addiction and its consequences;
4. It is necessary to involve parents in the education of aversion to alcohol.

In elementary school, prevention of childhood alcoholism is carried out in several stages. Children in primary school are given anti-alcohol lessons when studying the topic “Health Protection”. From the 5th grade, conversations are held with invited people talking about the dangers of alcohol and how it affects a person’s life.

In grades 8-11, separate lectures are held on the topic of infertility due to alcohol addiction and what intoxication leads to.

School can also influence the fate of alcoholic parents. Prevention of alcoholism at school also touches on such topics as deprivation of parental rights and fines. Here you can use preventive conversations with a psychologist. Often, the fear of losing what is most precious forces unlucky parents to give up alcohol and begin to change their lives for the better.

Causes of child and adolescent alcoholism

For every child, the environment is of great importance: his family, friends, classmates. To one degree or another, both the child and the teenager will be influenced by this environment. And most often, children begin to drink alcohol precisely because people significant to them also do so. First of all, these are, of course, parents. The family may try with all its might to protect the child from bad company, but if dad or mom are used to “relaxing” in the evenings with a bottle of beer or drinking a glass of wine every Friday, the child will accept this pattern of behavior as the norm. And if not a single family holiday is complete without a bottle, it is logical that it will become a symbol of fun and communication for the child. Therefore, the roots of childhood and teenage alcoholism should be sought precisely in the family and inner circle.

Other common reasons why children and teenagers drink alcohol include:

• curiosity: the desire to understand what everyone around finds in alcohol;
• the desire to feel like an adult;
• the desire to assert oneself, to become oneself in the company of peers;
• boredom, too much free time;
• the desire to relax, relieve stress or gain courage before an important event (for example, meeting a girl);
• constant conflicts with others, difficulties with social adaptation;
• feeling of loneliness, misunderstanding by loved ones;
• family problems, dysfunctional environment;
• teenage protest, rebellion against parental attitudes;
• inferiority complex;
• genetic predisposition to addiction.
• imitation of idols or authoritative personalities (bloggers, singers, TV presenters, etc.).

Prevention in the family

If from birth your baby observes the behavior of a drunken father or mother who repeatedly raises a glass or glass, he will suffer the same fate of an alcoholic. Some mothers use intoxicating drinks while pregnant and breastfeeding; in this case, the addiction becomes innate and cannot be eliminated.

To avoid trouble, you need to create a favorable environment for your child in the family:

• improve relationships with all relatives;
• teach a teenager the right attitude towards his health;
• motivate him to take action and show interest in his hobbies and achievements;
• conduct conversations about the dangers of alcohol as often as possible, but do it unobtrusively;
• Set an example of sober living as your children strive to be just like you.

Just because he got back on his feet and went to school doesn't mean he no longer needs your protection and support. An educational organization cannot educate a worthy person alone. Show interest in your child, ask how his day was, listen. This is your child, and only you are responsible for what happens to him in the future.

Prevention of teenage alcoholism

Prevention of alcoholism among teenagers

Over the past decades, the problem of alcoholism has spread to young companies: wanting to join a new team, its new member (teenager) tries to get rid of complexes and awkwardness of communication with the help of alcohol.

Important! Few people accept the fact that alcoholic beverages are the same drugs, but only hidden under the guise of a legalized product.

Not everyone knows that when ethyl alcohol enters the body, there is a slow destruction and death of organ cells, including the brain.

With the systematic “social” consumption of drinks, the following is noted:

• pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract system,
• inhibition of reactions,
• irritability (often parents of schoolchildren justify this change by adolescence).

Signs of addiction

Sometimes the leader of a group of teenagers becomes an alcohol-dependent child who tries to introduce his friends to the bad habit. In this case, you should pay attention to his behavior. The following oddities can be identified:

• sudden change of mood;
• the emergence of secrets from parents and teachers;
• loss of interest in hobbies;
• plummeting grades;
• suddenly he needed more pocket money without any reason.

If he smells of alcohol, you found a bottle of beer in his backpack, don’t indulge yourself in self-deception - your child is addicted.

You must convey the essence of the matter, help solve the problem and return him to the right path in life. The task of any parent is not to remain on the sidelines.

A child can spend pocket money on alcohol

Preventing smoking among teenagers

Disappointing statistics show that smoking has become the main problem affecting Russian schoolchildren. According to a survey conducted in different schools in different regions, between the ages of 13 and 17, every 5 girls and every 3 boys smoke.

Such a bad habit as smoking is spreading among teenagers at a rapid rate. Modern schoolchildren find a lot of reasons to start using tobacco:

• desire to become like older comrades,
• the influence of advertising and films on the fragile psyche,
• an affordable way to get pleasure - cheap cigarettes,
• the need to appear “more mature” and “more modern”,

Due to their immaturity, it is difficult for schoolchildren to assess the real danger of smoking. It is difficult for them to imagine that a harmless habit can develop into a serious chronic illness after a few years.

Consequences

The consequences of teenage alcoholism cannot be healed; health will remain damaged forever. Gastrointestinal disorders, tachycardia, varicose veins, increased blood pressure, arrhythmia. The immune system is greatly weakened. The most dangerous and irreversible consequence of childhood alcoholism is dysfunction of the brain; the personality is irreversibly degraded.

Prevention of alcoholism in adolescents is one of the current topics among parents and educational institutions. Despite all the measures taken to ban the sale of alcohol to minors and restrictions on the sale of products after 22:00, the problem of childhood alcoholism remains important today.

The trouble with childhood addiction is that it leaves an irreparable mark, since the growing body easily gets used to the poison.

It is naive to believe that the problem cannot be resolved by itself. Today your teenager will just try it, and then alcohol will destroy his life and health. Don't let your child fall victim to this bad habit.

Consequences of childhood and teenage alcoholism

Obviously, the effect of alcohol on a child will be much stronger than on an adult, because children’s bodies are not yet fully formed and are very fragile. The damage that alcohol causes at an early age can become irreparable. Alcohol undermines the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, cardiovascular system, reproductive system, and immunity in general. But the most dangerous are, of course, disturbances in the functioning of the brain and central nervous system. [4] Here are the consequences that await children who drink alcohol at different ages: [5]

In general, exposure to alcohol in childhood and adolescence leads to the fact that a person’s personality is not formed, and irreversible changes occur in the body.

Drunkenness also leaves its mark on a person’s appearance. Children who drink alcohol often look younger than their age. The skin becomes unnaturally pale or gray, and the eyes and hair become dull. In general, the appearance becomes unhealthy.

Focus of events

Taking into account the individual characteristics of the groups in which alcoholism and drug addiction is prevented, three types are distinguished. Activities aimed at protecting adolescents from bad habits are included in initial prevention. Such measures involve working with children who have not previously consumed alcohol or drugs.

The program of preventive measures includes conversations on the dangers of alcohol, involvement in community service, awakening interest in sports training, tourism, art, and so on. It is reasonable to carry out primary activities among adolescents in educational institutions according to accepted methods.

Secondary prevention

Secondary measures against alcoholism and drug addiction among adolescents are focused on the risk group. Such prevention takes place among young people who drink alcohol and drugs. Measures are also aimed at individuals with an increased likelihood of becoming dependent on destructive habits. These are considered children from dysfunctional families, with manifest social neglect, mental disorders, and so on.

Secondary measures are necessary in order to identify adolescents who use alcohol or drugs and prevent them from developing a persistent dependence on addictions. To take measures of this kind, professional assistance from narcologists, psychologists, and other specialists is required. Measures must be carried out in a timely manner to prevent irreversible consequences in the development of the situation and the emergence of various diseases.

Tertiary prevention

Tertiary measures involve helping patients who are close to the topic of alcoholism and drug addiction. Such prevention includes diagnosis, as well as treatment in health and rehabilitation centers. Activities at this stage should be aimed at preventing further personal decay and maintaining a person in a capable state.

In this case, we can already talk about a complex disease that requires long-term and thorough treatment, the effectiveness of which largely depends on the patient’s desire to cope with his problem of alcoholism or drug addiction. As a rule, specialists have to help teenagers with an already formed disease, when all the tragic consequences of addiction have already manifested themselves.

Prevention of drug addiction among adolescents

Sad statistics show that the category of bad habits of adolescents includes the systematic use of narcotic substances. For this reason, the prevention of addiction should become an integral part of the education policy used in schools and universities. The good work of psychologists and the support of parents and teachers gives positive results.

The Russian Federation has succeeded in developing methods to combat drug addiction. Every year, many programs are funded to fill the information vacuum that has formed in the minds of teenagers. For this purpose, the media, publications in periodicals, censorship and educational video material are used.

The package of measures to prevent drug addiction includes telephone counseling for adolescents under the influence of psychotropic substances:

• "Hotline".

The purpose of this organization is to provide consultations to addicts and their relatives on drug addiction issues. It is also responsible for supplying the population with information about medical organizations where patients can receive qualified care. Each subject of the Federation has its own hotline.

• Drug addiction support phone number.

Patients are assisted remotely by specialists in the field of chemical dependency.

• Helpline number.

The line is staffed by competent psychologists who will never refuse useful advice to both the patient and his relative.

Alcohol addiction and its development

Drinking alcohol becomes addictive sooner or later. This occurs due to two factors: the influence of its deposits in body tissues, and also due to a decrease in emotional state. Alcohol becomes a means to cheer yourself up, relieve stress, that is, to escape from the realities of life and its problems. And it causes a decrease in the ability to face life and cope with difficulties. It's a vicious circle.