Introduction
Addictions are one of the potential dangers that children are exposed to at school. Smoking, alcohol abuse, substance abuse, and computer addiction have a tremendous impact on school performance in children and adolescents. In addition to grades suffering due to poor concentration and general disinterest in studies, which has an impact on future academic performance and chances of getting into college, addictions also affect the social, physical, and mental capabilities of a child (Brooks & McHenry, 2016). Early addictions have the potential to ruin a person’s life and lead them to an early grave. The problem of addictions in schools is especially prominent in the US, where adolescents have been suffering from drug and alcohol abuse as far as from the early 1970s. The role of the school counselor in detecting and preventing addictions in students is paramount. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the etiology, the signs, and the design strategies to deal with addictions, as well as analyze and reflect on a case study of a student experiencing substance abuse.
Etiology, Signs of Abuse, and Strategies Against Addictions
According to Jadidi and Nakhaee (2014), etiological factors can be classified into social, psychological, and biological subgroups. Social factors include family relationships and structure as well as community influence. Addictions are more likely in children where parents do not pay attention to their children or are overly strict about enforcing rules. Community influence is a strong etiological determinant, as peer influence and the state of the community as a whole often pushes children and adolescents towards smoking, using alcohol, and trying drugs. Internet addiction often appears as a result of bullying, as it presents a form of escapism from reality and the society that the individual perceives as hostile. Biological factors involve the mechanisms that reinforce the addiction, such as stimulation of a person’s pleasure centers and hormones and elimination of pain and other negative feelings (Jadidi & Nakhaee, 2014). The body becomes used to it, subsequently requiring larger amounts of stimulants in order to experience the same pleasures. The gateway effect is a common biological and psychological event that prepares an adolescent for trying heavier drugs.
Signs of substance abuse and addictions vary based on the kind of substance and methods of intake. Physical signs may include bad breath, pale skin, signs of needle entry points on the wrists and thighs, red eyes, dilated pupils, shaky breath, and various others. However, many adolescents are aware of these obvious signs and make an effort to conceal them by wearing long-sleeved shirts, glasses, and avoiding contact with adults when under the influence of the drugs. Other signs of substance abuse include depression, hostility, changes in eating and sleeping habits, poor academic performance, changes in friends, and general disinterest in socialization and day-to-day activities (Brooks & McHenry, 2016). Typically, these are followed by deterioration within the family.
Strategies for the prevention, intervention, and treatment of addictions commonly found in school-aged youth are complex and tend to involve several options. These options include behavioral counseling, medications, medical devices and applications sought to decrease the effects of withdrawals, evaluation and treatment of mental disorders associated with alcohol or substance abuse, and long-term follow-up treatment and supervision in order to prevent a potential relapse from occurring (Brooks & McHenry, 2016).
Case Study: Alcohol Abuse
John Doe is a 9th-grade African-American student who is suspected of having an alcohol addiction. He is 16 years old. Lives with a single mother, who is also suspected of alcohol abuse. The family is poor, as the father is in prison, and the mother is struggling with finding a permanent job. The student’s academic achievements were average, but have taken a considerable plummet since last summer.
His case is similar to that of many other African-American families struggling with poverty, as they are disproportionally persecuted by law enforcement, which breaks families and leaves single mothers alone with children. Single unemployed African-American mothers are particularly vulnerable to various addictions due to a lack of social support as well as the stigma surrounding them. Alcohol is considered a means of escaping from reality. The student is likely to have picked up the habit from his mother.
John Doe has been spotted attending lectures while drunk, with a distinct scent of alcohol coming from his mouth and clothes. In addition, he has been reported as being seen in the company of other African-American children of his age or older, indulging in light alcohol drinks, such as beer. The boy was not reported of doing any illegal activities aside from underage alcohol use. Peers describe him as a quiet, detached type with no interest in socialization or academics. John Doe was a part of the school’s basketball team but quit practicing last summer, which correlates with the time he allegedly started drinking.
Personal Reflection
Assessing the personality of the counselor is almost as important as assessing the patient, especially in cases when there is a difference in ethnic and racial backgrounds. Some of the strengths I have as a counselor is gentle and understanding nature, a great amount of patience and tolerance, and have plenty of knowledge and academic information at my disposal. I believe I will be able to get in contact with the student, overcome any initial resentment he may have, and figure out a way to help him.
Applying core counseling skills, such as listening to the student’s problems, verbalizing and visualizing the thought processes inside one’s mind, working together to solve the issues, and establishing new, healthy thought patterns need to be done in a culturally-sensitive manner (Dobson & Dobson, 2016). Many African-American patients are particularly sensitive regarding various words and manners of communication they perceive as derogatory (Chu, Leino, Pflum, & Stanley, 2016). Instead, I will treat the patient as an equal and as an expert in his own life and work by offering him the tools in order to overcome his problem.
There is a potential for transference and counter-transference, however. It stems from the differences in differences in ethnic and racial backgrounds (Racker, 2018). The African-American adolescent might perceive me with hostility due to our differences, and expect insensitivity and disrespect from me. I, on the other hand, may have certain stereotypes and prejudices towards the patient, which I am not aware of, which would, in turn, affect the patient-therapist relationship.
Other challenges that might appear during my practice include the inability to connect with the patient, the inability to break the addiction due to the strength of withdrawal symptoms and peer pressure, or various mistakes that could be committed during the therapy. I believe that my first responsibility would be to assess the damage done by alcoholism. It might not be possible for a school counselor to handle alone. As alcohol addiction is a complex problem, so it would require a combined effort of a counselor, a therapist, a social worker, and a pharmacist in order to ensure that the addiction is cured and there is no relapse (Brooks & McHenry, 2016). Cooperation from teachers and the child’s family is paramount, as the problem originally stemmed from home.
References
Brooks, F., & McHenry, B. (2015). A contemporary approach to substance use disorders and addiction counseling (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.
Chu, J., Leino, A., Pflum, S., & Stanley, S. (2016). A model for the theoretical basis of cultural competency to guide psychotherapy. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 47(1), 18-29.
Dobson, D., & Dobson, K. S. (2016). Evidence-based practice of cognitive-behavioral therapy (2nd ed.). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
Jadidi, N., & Nakhaee, N. (2014). Etiology of drug abuse: A narrative analysis.
Racker, H. (2018). Transference and countertransference. London, UK: Routledge.