Question

At what age do children first try drinking? What were your thoughts when you learned that, did it surprise you? Why do you think that is the common age? What could you as the MA do to help a pt that reveals they have been abusing alcohol?

Answer 1

1) At what age do children first try drinking?

Children starts thinking positively about alcohol drinking from the age of 9-13years.

2) What were your thoughts when you learned that, did it surprise you?

Yes, it really surprised me. When I heard this there are a lot of questions came into my mind:

• What will be the reasons behind this thought of drinking alcohol?
• Does they know anything about its complications?
• Does anyone motivates them?
• Does any other influence from social media or even from family?
• Is there any psychological problems made them to think about it?

3)  Why do you think that is the common age?

Age 13 is what we call ‘the tipping point’. Growing up is an awkward time, reaching puberty, their social lives changing, relationships and peer pressure growing – and probably being less open with parents. Many studies proven that an early age of onset and a quick progression to drinking to intoxication were associated with high-school students alcohol use and binge drinking.

4) What could you as the MA do to help a patient that reveals they have been abusing alcohol?

Proper education can be given to quit this habit of alcoholism:

i) Reduce the quantity

• He can't stop this habit of drinking alcohol.
• So, he can make small achievable goals.
• Reducing the number of pegs day by day.
• This is called short achievable goals.

ii) Reducing the factors that influenced drinking alcohol

Eg: Stress. In such case stress relieving techniques need to use.

iii) Use leisure times involving in other interesting activities other than alcohol drinking.

iv) Exercises

v) Join groups like alcohol anonymous groups.

• In those groups, there will be lot of people who already quit this habit and some are trying to quit this habit.
• They share their ideas, views and experiences.
• That will help him too.

vi) Explain the complications of alcoholism to him