By: Lakeview Health
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that an insidious disease like alcoholism can affect people at any age. Even though drinking under the age of 21 is forbidden by law in every state, the vast number of underage drinkers is startling. It’s necessary, therefore, to conclude that literally anyone who takes that first drink subjects themselves to the possibility of developing drinking problems.
Recent Stats on Underage Drinking
Over the years, the Centers for Disease Control has done a number of studies on alcoholism and binge drinking. In some cases, the studies focus on issues related to underage drinking. For instance, a 2013 study showed that as many as 35% of all high school students drank at least one drink within a designated 30-day period during that year. Furthermore, the study showed that 28% of all 8th-graders had already experienced drinking. To say these numbers are alarming would be an understatement. Given a younger person’s propensity for losing self-control, it’s easy to understand why minors often find themselves in a need of treatment for alcoholism.
How Drinking Problems Tend to Start
Most of the time, people take their first drink without any inkling about their predisposition for addictive behavior. First time drinkers may suffer from immaturity, emotional turmoil or self-destructiveness. If any of these conditions exist, addiction is a very real possibility. Remember, no one sets off with the goal of acquiring an addiction. The disease is slow and subtle in how it takes over a person’s soul under the guise of being something that feels good and helps provide the perfect escape from reality. Once people find themselves in the grips of an addiction of any kind, there is only two ways out, the wrong way through prison, insanity or death, or by getting help from a quality treatment center.
A Florida-Based Treatment Center for Drinking Problems
Lakeview Health is a respected residential treatment center located in Jacksonville. We provide a therapeutic-based model of treatment for patients of all ages. We also direct therapy and counseling programs at dealing with dual diagnosis issues that might be contributing factors to a particular patient’s destructive behavior. Prior to the start of any program, the facility’s staff will evaluate patients to determine whether or not an in-house detox stint will be necessary. At the conclusion of treatment, counselors devise a follow-up program that allows patients to stay connected to recovery through special events and group activities. Lakeview Health also emphasizes the importance of family by providing a four-day program of counseling and education for family members. If you’re suffering from an addiction to alcohol, you need help. Don’t let your age become a barrier to you getting the help you need. For more information about our highly successful approach to treatment, we encourage you to contact a Lakeview Health counselor at 866-704-7692. It’s never too early or late to start living life again without addiction.
