Bell Ringer

Finish their story…

Read the following story. According to the choices the individual has made in their life now, decide what you think will happen if they continue down the path they chose.

Susan

Susan comes to middle school P.E. class for the first time and realizes she needs to wear a bathing suit in front of everyone! After attending her best friend’s party and eating birthday cake she feels guilty. Susan goes into the bathroom and tries to make herself throw up.

Chuck just found out that his mother has been diagnosed with Cancer. Although he seems the same to his peers at school, as soon as Chuck goes home he becomes depressed. Chuck decides that the only way to escape from his feelings is to sneak into his parent’s liquor cabinet and drink away his pain.

Gambling• According to recent research, about 2.5 million adults in

America are pathological gamblers and another 3 million of them should be considered problem gamblers, 15 million adults are at a risk for problem gambling and about 148 million are low-risk gamblers.

• Gambling addiction is a compulsive need that can be devastating for the person and his family. Gambling addiction statistics show that more than 80 percent of American adults report having gambled at some point in their lives. Gambling addiction statistics reveal that well over $500 billion is spent as annual wagers. The statistics show that during any year, 2.9 percent of U.S. adults are considered to be either pathological or problem gamblers. Gambling addiction statistics gleaned from a study of co-occurrence of gambling and alcohol reveal that problem drinkers are more likely to have a gambling addiction problem. Gambling addiction is seen more among Caucasian Americans than African Americans and Hispanic Americans.

Gambling

• Compulsive gambling is not the addict's problem, but rather his solution for some serious underlying problem. One cannot blame gambling for an addiction because then the addict focuses only on the treatment than personal change. Gambling addiction is associated with other mental health problems like depression, anti-social personality disorder, mood disorders in many cases. Most people with compulsive gambling problems also have drug or alcohol problems. There is ongoing research about the actual causes of compulsive gambling.

What is alcoholism?

Alcoholism, also known as alcohol dependence, is a disease that includes the following four symptoms:

Craving - A strong need, or urge, to drink.

Loss of Control - Not being able to stop drinking once drinking has begun.

Physical Dependence - Withdrawal symptoms of alcoholism, such as nausea, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety after stopping drinking.

Tolerance - The need to drink greater amounts of alcohol to get "high."For clinical and research purposes, formal diagnostic criteria for alcoholism also have been developed. Such criteria are included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, published by the American Psychiatric Association, as well as in the International Classification Diseases, published by the World Health Organization.

What is alcoholism?

Cutting

Emma's mom first noticed the cuts when Emma was doing the dishes one night. Emma told her mom that their cat had scratched her. Her mom seemed surprised that the cat had been so rough, but she didn't think much more about it.Emma's friends had noticed something strange as well. Even when the weather was hot, Emma wore long-sleeved shirts. She had become secretive, too, like something was bothering her. But Emma couldn't seem to find the words to tell her mom or her friends that the marks on her arms were from something that she had done. She was cutting herself with a razor when she felt sad or upset.

What is cutting?

• Injuring yourself on purpose by making scratches or cuts on your body with a sharp object — enough to break the skin and make it bleed — is called cutting. Cutting is a type of self-injury, or SI. Most people who cut are girls, but guys self-injure, too. People who cut usually start cutting in their young teens. Some continue to cut into adulthood.

• People may cut themselves on their wrists, arms, legs, or bellies. Some people self-injure by burning their skin with the end of a cigarette or lighted match.

• When cuts or burns heal, they often leave scars or marks. People who injure themselves usually hide the cuts and marks and sometimes no one else knows.

CONCLUSION

Where to go for help…

WORKSHEET ANSWERS ADDICTION LESSON1.) Define addictive behavior:Behavior that is repeated, is difficult to stop, and has harmful

effects.2.) An individual who has an irresistible urge to repeat a

behavior is…Compulsive3.) What does it mean to return to addictive behavior after a

period of having stopped?Relapse4.) What is formal intervention?An action by people, such as family members, who want a

person to get treatment for an addiction 5.) Is it always easy to tell a person is suffering from an

eating disorder?No, some people may hide their addiction very well. This is

common amongst bulimics. They purge out the food they binge upon and maintain a fairly steady weight.

• 6.) What are the four types of eating disorders? • Anorexia Nervosa• Bulimia Nervosa• Extreme Overeating• Compulsive Exercising• 7.) Define bulimia nervosa.• An eating disorder in which a person has uncontrollable urges to

eat excessively and then to rid the body of the food• 8.) What are two long-term effects of having an eating disorder?• Fatigue, discolored teeth, loss of tooth enamel, irregular

menstruation, organ failure• 9.) True or False: Experimentation with chemical substances at a

young age increases the chances of being addicted as an adult.• 10.) What is the addictive substance contained in cigarettes?• Nicotine • 11.) Alcoholics most commonly damage which organ?• Liver• 12.) Someone who knowingly or unknowingly provides alcohol to

an alcoholic is an…Example: a bartender• Enabler

Getting Help…• Tell someone. People who have stopped an addiction often say the first step is

the hardest — admitting to or talking about their problem. But they also say that after they open up about it, they often feel a great sense of relief. Choose someone you trust to talk to at first (a parent, school counselor, teacher, coach, doctor, or nurse). If it's too difficult to bring up the topic in person, write a note.

• Identify the trouble that's triggering the addiction. Addiction is a way of reacting to emotional tension or pain. Try to figure out what feelings or situations are causing you to cut. Is it anger? Pressure to be perfect? Relationship trouble? A painful loss or trauma? Mean criticism or mistreatment? Identify the trouble you're having, then tell someone about it. Many people have trouble figuring this part out on their own. This is where a mental health professional can be helpful.

• Ask for help. Tell someone that you want help dealing with your troubles and your addiction. If the person you ask doesn't help you get the assistance you need, ask someone else. Sometimes adults try to downplay the problems teens have or think they're just a phase. If you get the feeling this is happening to you, find another adult (such as a school counselor or nurse) who can make your case for you.

• Work on it. Most people with deep emotional pain or distress need to work with a counselor or mental health professional to sort through strong feelings, heal past hurts, and to learn better ways to cope with life's stresses. One way to find a therapist or counselor is to ask at your doctor's office, at school, or at a mental health clinic in your community.