<p>mini - we TOTALLY agree on the binge drinking, my point EXACTLY was that most studies seriously underestimate the number of binge drinkers.</p>
<p>I don’t know what sense of the word alcoholic you’re using; there are so many definitions out there. My point was that people who can medically be classifed as alcoholics (based on # of drinks/day) can often be taught to moderate their drinking without going to total abstinence. Certainly, though, there are people who should just not drink; diagnosing them is clearly much more difficult than just looking at how much someone drinks and requires looking at how, why and when they drink.</p>
<p>There are NO definitions of alcoholics based on number of drinks a day. There are NOT many definitions out there. The only, standard and universally accepted definition, used in every state in the country is that which is found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fourth Edition, of the American Psychiatric Association.</p>
<p>DSM-IV defines substance dependence (which includes alcoholism) as:
A maladaptive pattern of substance use, leading to clinically significant impairment or distress, as manifested by three (or more) of the following, occurring at any time in the same 12-month period:
tolerance, as defined by either of the following:
a need for markedly increased amounts of the substance to achieve intoxication or desired effect
markedly diminished effect with continued use of the same amount of substance
withdrawal, as manifested by either of the following:
the characteristic withdrawal syndrome for the substance
the same (or a closely related) substance is taken to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms
the substance is often taken in larger amounts or over a longer period than was intended
there is a persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control substance use
a great deal of time is spent in activities to obtain the substance, use the substance, or recover from its effects
important social, occupational or recreational activities are given up or reduced because of substance use
the substance use is continued despite knowledge of having a persistent or recurrent physical or psychological problem that is likely to have been caused or exacerbated by the substance (e.g., continued drinking despite recognition that an ulcer was made worse by alcohol consumption)</p>
<p>(stolen from someone else’s post in the Lucifer threads).</p>
<p>Stated at the web site referenced above:</p>
<p>"Early Weeks Are Critical
As the fall semester begins, parents can use this important time to help prepare their college-age sons and daughters by talking with them about the consequences of excessive drinking.</p>
<p>This rapid increase in heavy drinking over a relatively short period of time can contribute to serious difficulties with the transition to college.</p>
<p>Anecdotal evidence suggests that the first 6 weeks of the fi rst semester are critical to a first-year students academic success. Because many students initiate heavy drinking during these early days of college, the potential exists for excessive alcohol consumption to interfere with successful adaptation to campus life. The transition to college is often difficult and about one-third of fi rst-year students fail to enroll for their second year."</p>
<p>I suggest again, organized activities should be arranged at schools for the first few weeks - make that a couple of months - so that the kids have specific, adult-led, fun and interesting activities to keep them occupied as they make this transition in their lives. Leaving them to hang out in the dorm as they work to fit in, meet a whole new set of people and negotiate their way around campus is a recipe for difficulty. Add to that a sophomore as an RA and professional staff who leave at 5PM and it’s the blind leading the blind. </p>
<p>We need to squawk about changing the culture in Freshman dorms.</p>
<p>firsttimemom, no flames here, but some quick points:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>most colleges have professional staff members who oversee RA staff and live on campus - often called Residence Directors, Area Coordinators, Residence Hall Coordinators, etc, these staff have Master’s Degrees in College Student Personnel and counselling.</p></li>
<li><p>All colleges have organized activities for freshmen after orientation week - campus clubs, intramural sports, etc., and most schools start recruiting freshmen for these clubs during O Week. There are non-alcohol related options for fun on campus, but students have to be interested in pursuing them. That is the one part of the puzzle that students have to take personal responsibility for.</p></li>
<li><p>There typically is a lot of programming within residences on campus, especially those that are freshman only, but again - students can choose the non-alcoholic events, or not. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>You can’t get alcohol out of the college experience, so the trick is, finding ways to make sure that the adults attending college know how to make informed decisions about their behavior, and I think that starts at home, and by example. </p>
<p>For example, in my household, we are very careful to never come home from work and say, “I need a drink!” We don’t equate alcohol with stress, or with reward (that’s what candy is for!). We try not to portray it as a way to self medicate, or a required social lubricant - these are important things not only to tell high school students, but to show them. Its like these fraternities that are trying to go dry - the current members are fine with it, until a big time alum shows up and starts spouting off about the good old days, when they all used to get loaded and it was the most fun, ever. I think that as a society, we all need to look at the messages we send children about alcohol, because those internalized messages are the ones that make it seem like drinking to excess is a good idea when they become adults and head off to college.</p>
hmm … my kids have not been there yet … but I sure was … my school gave 13 grades A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, and F … by the end of my sophomre year I had 9 of the bottom 10 covered (I never got the F) … and I didn’t drink or do drugs; I was just too immature and undisciplined to stay on top of studying. </p>
<p>I would guess the vast majority of parent posters on CC are college grads and either personally dealt with adjustment issues when they went away to college … or had very good friend who did. This is far from a new problem an most posters are posting from experience.</p>