The effective treatment of adolescents with substance abuse and behavioral disorders requires an approach that includes attention to every aspect of a young person’s life. We see every individual as a whole being. In addition to fully understanding the emotional, developmental, physical, psychological, familial, social and cultural factors, there must be appropriate resources in place to address these issues.
This weekend I was watching CSI: Miami, as I do most weekends. However this weekend the episode that I was watching showcased a very interesting phenomenon. In this episode there was a substitute teacher who was getting kids to sell drugs for him. A new drug called “cheese”. Cheese is a drug that contains heroin and over the counter cold medication. It is commonly used by watering down heroin and combining it with Tylenol PM. He was getting the kids to sell it by giving them new “cool” shoes. Weird! Not to mention creepy. But anyways, my point is that I have not heard much about this “cheese” drug. I work at a rehab and I have never known anyone who has used this. Now I am not saying that it is not prevalent, I am sure it is, I just have not heard of it here in southern California. So, since it is news to me I am thinking that it is news to you. Therefore, I will educate you. Cheese has mainly been linked to the Dallas, Texas area so far but just as with all drugs, news travels fast. Black tar heroin contains 30% heroin and cheese contains anywhere from 2-8%. It can be bought as a powder and it is used by sniffing it, it is not usually injected such as traditional heroin. Cheese first became known when it was found in due to arrests, and in elementary, middle and high schools in Dallas, Texas between 2005 and 2007. It is basically known as the “gateway drug” to heroin. It is also commonly used by young kids, some still in elementary school. Between April 2006 and February 2007 there were 71 teen drug users arrested (ages 10-16) in the Dallas area. Dalas rehabs and adolescent drug treatment centers started admitting younger and younger kids, where before they were 15-17 years old, they are now admitting 11-13 year olds. Cheese is also considered a cheap drug. It goes for about $2 a hit and $10 a gram. Cheese looks like a tanish-brown powder and is usually folded up in notebook paper. Drug dealers are targeting adolescents and kids by putting this drug in an easy to use powder form, making it more affordable and giving such an innocent name. They are calling it the most addictive and deadly drug since crack-cocaine.
Most of these are common sense, but we forget to address the obvious when we are busy with our own lives
1. Remember that during adolescence, communication generally decreases and a child will confide less in parents. This is a fairly normal process, so parents should not overreact.
2. Listen to what is being said; that is, try to understand the teenager’s feelings and where they are coming from.
3. Stop what you are doing and look at your teenager. Listen when they speak to you. Put the cell phone away for a minute and stop texting.
4. Be sure most of your communication is positive, not negative. Don’t dwell on mistakes, failures, misbehaviors, or something they forgot to do. Give them positive communication and talk about their successes, accomplishments, interests, and appropriate behavior. Modeling appropriate behavior is also a plus.
5. Talk to them about their interests (e.g., music, sports, computers, cars). Have conversations with them without having to make a point, teach them something, or impress them. Talk to them just to talk and to have positive verbal interaction.
6. Avoid talking too much - giving long or too-detailed explanations, repeating lectures, questioning excessively, or using other forms of communication that will result in the teenager turning a deaf ear to you.
7. Try to understand your teen’s feelings. You do not have to agree or disagree with them; just make him aware that you understand how they feel. There are times when you do not have to fix things in order to make them feel better. Again: LISTEN!
8. Do not overreact to what is said. Remember, sometimes teenagers say things that are designed to get a reaction from their parents. In addition, do not say “no” too fast. Sometimes it is better to think about the request and give a response later. In other words, think before you open your mouth.
9. Try to create situations in which communication can occur (driving to the doctor’s appointment, having the teenager help you with household tasks, eat dinner together!). You have to be physically close to the teenager for communication to occur. A television in the adolescent’s room can be an additional barrier to family communication. Whenever possible, the parent should try to do things with the teenager, rather than separately. Although the child may not frequently accept them, provide opportunities for him to do things with you.
10. Try to avoid power struggles, confrontation, and arguing matches. Your goal should be to have the communication move toward a compromise situation, rather than a battle. When appropriate, involve the teenager in decision making and setting realistic and enforceable consequences for his or her behavior. Make sure that they understand that you are the parent.
So for almost 8 years now the only profession I've been interested in is one in the entertainment field. I'm and actress. My adrenaline rushes at the thought of being in front of an audience and hearing their emotions come to life. I love the camera and Ive been told it loves me too, ha ha. I mean that in the most humble way! I love being an adult and playing make believe as a job. Of course it is probably the most difficult job choice one can make. There are no guarantees, not set pathway to go to become a successful working actor- just the determination to make the dream come to life.
In those 8 years I haven't had any other career interests outside of acting. At 29 that is a little scary. People say find a fallback plan and I've always been opposed to the idea of that...its almost like thinking my goal of a sitcom won't come true. Then, finally, something has come along that I've found a passion for: working to help adolescents battle their drug addictions. I'm not saying I'm giving up performing by any means, but Ive found a place in my heart and spirit for helping adolescents in need. Maybe I'm reaching out to help teen addicts because I couldn't help my birth parents fight their drug addiction and now they are gone because of them. Maybe its my mother instinct kicking in. Who knows!
I love seeing the teen drug addicts recover. I laugh inside at their teenage defiance and I tear up when they finally connect. Visions Adolescent Treatment Centers has allowed me the ability to reach out to teens and their families in a different way than acting does and its equally fulfilling. I've been through abuse and turmoil myself and any way I can help a teenager come out of their difficult situations and see that life is wonderful despite any injustices and bad days we come across warms me to the core.
Maybe I'll figure out a way to combine both passions and be able to help change lives of adolescent addicts while bringing a little make believe and magic to their lives.
There are many different ways that adolescents are using to get high these days. Marijuana and alcohol are among the most common. However, more and more adolescents are turning to prescription medication abuse. 48 million or 20% of the United States population have used prescription medications for reasons other than medical in their lifetime. Since 1995 emergency room visits resulting from prescription medication abuse have gone up 163% and so are visits to adolescent drug rehabs Prescription medications are easier to obtain now more than ever. Some teens are simply stealing their parent’s prescriptions out of the medicine cabinet. More often teens are visiting online pharmacies, where they sell very addictive medications to anyone who will pay. Teens also will trade their prescriptions at school, either for other drugs or for money. Prescription medication can be classified in one of three categories that are the most commonly abused: stimulants, opioids and central nervous system depressants.
Opioids include Morphine, Vicodin and Oxycontin, to name a few. Opioids are used to treat pain. When abused these medications can be life threatening. If opioids are mixed with any substance that depressed the central nervous system, such as alcohol, Xanax, or Valium, they can cause respiratory malfunction and death. These drugs are occasionally snorted or injected, in order to amplify the high.
Central nervous system depressants, such as Xanax or Valium, are used to treat anxiety and sleep disorders. Barbiturates are also considered central nervous system depressants. These medications work by slowing down brain activity, which when abused or used with alcohol they can slow the activity down so much that it results in heart or respiratory malfunction and death.
Stimulants speed up the body causing increased attentiveness, alertness and energy. Stimulants were primarily used to treat asthma and obesity. Currently they are used to treat Attention Deficit Disorder, Depression and narcolepsy. Abusing these medications or mixing them with decongestants may result in irregular heart activity and high body temperatures.
We’ve all heard about the epidemic of binge drinking on college campuses across the country and the effects it can have on individual health and academic success. But what about the secondhand effects of this behavior? Much like smoking, collegiate binge drinking causes a host of secondhand problems for those that are surrounded by it.
In my freshman year of college I was on the rowing team and lived in a frat-like “team house” with my fellow rowers. Much like in a fraternity or sorority, many of my housemates and neighbors drank large quantities of alcohol after a win or on the weekends because this was the perceived college cultural norm. As it often does, this behavior caused many problems for my team as a whole including getting written-up for noise violations and being hung-over and late for practices and even races.
Unfortunately, many times it is not just those that engage in this activity that are harmed. Quite often these are the conditions under which fights, verbal and emotional abuse, and humiliating events such as hazing occur. It is also quite common, as I experienced more than a few times, to have one’s sleep disturbed by intoxicated roommates and neighbors or having to “babysit” a friend who could no longer take care of themselves.
The occurrence of ritual binge drinking has dramatic and widespread secondhand effects on both non-binge drinking individuals and college communities in general. Will this trend of binge drinking on college and university campuses continue? Unfortunately, it seems that a combination of stress, peer pressure and a cultural idea of drinking as part of the collegiate experience lead to this unhealthy and destructive phenomenon.
So once again drug dealers prove they are some of the lowest of the low in our society.
There's a new drug on the market being handed to kids in school yards. It's a type of crystal Meth that looks, smells and tastes like strawberry pop rocks (it fizzles and pops like the popular candy) Its being called "strawberry quik" or strawberry meth. This new and kid appealing version of this highly addictive drug is also being made in chocolate, peanut butter, cola, cherry, grape, and orange flavors.
Drug Dealers are obviously looking to turn teens and pre-teens into their new adolescent and teen addict customers. Kids are showing up in Adolescent rehabs and teen treatment centers.
If parents don't still tell their kids to not accept anything from strangers now is a time to start having those conversations! Its sad that "cooks" would be making this destructive drug so easily marketed as a candy for kids only to have serious and even deadly results.
There is a fox news report on this at http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,271215,00.html .
Meth is a highly addictive and destructive drug. Please make sure you children are informed so that they are not rushed to the hospital or morgue because they took "candy" from someone at school!
It is widely known that when attending 12 step meetings, such as alcoholics anonymous or narcotics anonymous, you will see many people drinking coffee or energy drinks and smoking cigarettes. You will see an extreme amount of energy drink consumption especially if you attend a 12 step convention. Many use energy drinks to stay up all weekend during the convention. I have long thought that recovering addicts were probably using these drinks as well as coffee and cigarettes for the effect. That is to get a buzz without having to call it a relapse. Now this is just my personal opinion, but when I was in school to become a chemical dependency counselor they taught us that caffeine and nicotine are two of the most powerful and addictive stimulants available, yet so many recovering addicts lean on these vices during recovery. There are many different arguments regarding this topic. I have heard some people argue that if it wasn’t for cigarettes they wouldn’t have made it through early recovery. I am not one to take an opinion away from another, perhaps which is true for them. But how can we really say that we are sober from all mind-altering chemicals while consuming them at the same time? Are they discounted simply because they are legal? Well, so is alcohol.
Studies have shown that nicotine as well as caffeine consumption actually raises the relapse rate significantly in those trying to recover. These stimulants also act as gateway drugs for many. Heavy alcohol consumption was especially linked to the consumption of energy drinks, as well as those who consume energy drinks are 3 times more likely to use cigarettes and abuse prescription stimulants such as Adderhol and Ritalin (both used to treat ADHD). This is not so surprising considering that these substances give you a similar, and I will admit milder, feeling that other substances such as Adderhol, Ritalin, meth and even coke might give you. If you are a drug addict who has abused such stimulants in the past, consuming caffeine or nicotine is simply asking to get triggered to want to use again. I realize that I am not going to be the one to change all minds but these are the facts. If you want the best possible chance at recovery why would you tempt yourself on a daily basis?
Bill Lane from Bill Lane & Associates Adolescent Transport Services billlaneandassociates.com Talks about Visions Adolescent Treatment Centers
Bill Lane & Associates Adolescent Transport Services specializes in the safe transportation of troubled teens, adolescents and young adults to boarding schools, therapeutic boarding schools, wilderness programs, drug treatment, residential treatment centers and more.
For more than 30 years, Bill Lane & Associates Adolescent Transport Services have been involved in the "troubled teen" and therapeutic boarding school industry and has worked with over 10,000 families to provide transportation to all kinds of therapeutic and treatment facilities.
Christina earned her Bachelors of Science in Psychology from San Diego State University. As Outreach Coordinator for Visions, she continues to build community relations in the treatment field. She also assists with the continued progress reports on Visions Alumni. Christina is currently a member of the Women's Association for Addiction Treatment and Membership Chair for the Orange County WAAT Chapter.
"I am honored and grateful to be a part of a team that provides a safe environment for adolescents to regain a voice, respect and the freedom to be seen as an accounted human being. We have all been adolescents and many of us discredited for our thoughts, so let's open the door of communication and listen to the ignored hurt and feelings of our youth. What we provide for our youth today will foreshadow the actions of our adults tomorrow." - Christina Howard, B.S., Outreach Coordinator
Neuroplasticity: A new perspective in neuroscience
I recently had the opportunity to attend a special neuroscience lecture at UCLA. The focus of this lecture involved an exciting and developing mind-brain science called Neuroplasticity. This new science offers a look at the potential we as individuals have to influence the functioning of our physical brain through awareness and mindful choices.
According to the old scientific paradigm in neuroscience, the human brain is much like the hardware of a computer. It is viewed as a material system hardwired with biologically predetermined neural circuitry or pathways that produce our behavior. This old thinking in neuroscience also asserts that whatever one might call the immaterial consciousness or "mind"—and all its manifestations, such as awareness and choice—is produced by, and ultimately reduced to the physical brain. The critics of this kind of older neuroscience have labeled such a conception as "monism", "reductionism" and "materialism."
Neuroplasticity as a new kind of neuroscience does not suggest that the mind and the brain are completely separate entities, and it is true that certain behaviors and experiences can be explained in large measure by the physical brain. For example, individuals may have genetic, biologically predisposed brain chemistry which can increase the likelihood of mental disorders or addiction. Rather, what this new science suggests is that there is a kind interactional dualism between the mind and the brain. The brain and its functioning can certainly affect the mind and what we experience. However, pioneering research done at UCLA using Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans has shown that when we focus our attention on positive, constructive ideas and behaviors, a "re-wiring" effect happens in the physical brain. During this re-wiring effect, brain tissue that was previously dedicated to other maladaptive tasks is incorporated in new wholesome endeavors
The UCLA research shows that re-focusing our attention onto constructive tasks and healthy behaviors can have dramatic effects. Neuroplasticity has important implications for those suffering from addiction and substance abuse as it suggests that an individual's commitment to recovery and the 12-Steps can have a profound impact on the physical brain. In working a 12-step program for adolescents or aadults and attending meetings, recovering individuals are in a very real sense shaping their brains in the direction of recovery.
As a chemical dependency counselor at Visions Adolescent Treatment Center one of my duties is to educate the Adolescents on the disease concept of addiction and alcoholism. As an southern Californian, with a mother who has been sober through Alcoholics Anonymous for the last eight years, I am very familiar and comfortable with the disease concept. I am not going to lie, when my mother first got sober I was an ornery 13 year old teen who believed that the disease concept was an excuse that alcoholics used to disregard their horrid behavior. I thought that alcoholics and drug addicts, not knowing that I was one, needed to buck up and take the blame for their behaviors. (I did not know at this point that the twelve steps were solely aimed at taking responsibility for our actions and making them right.) However, through the process of going to adolescent rehab at Visions Adolescent Treatment Center myself and getting sober I became very familiar with the disease concept and readily accepted it. When people ask what I do for a living, I tell them, with pride, that I am a chemical dependency counselor for adolescents. Many are intrigued to learn more about the recovering community and most people praise me for helping others. Not once have I received negative feedback or people giving me weird looks, as I originally expected. So you could imagine my surprise, when I found out through a gentleman who was touring our facility, that around the world many people are skeptical about the disease concept. When I say skeptical, I mean that the impression that I got was that is was widely discarded as hogwash, for lack of a better term. This gentleman explained to me that he taught a course in the U.K. on the disease concept. He described the way that his students reacted to it and the various ways that he had to go about getting the information to these people without the entire class balking at him. I was speechless. Sometimes, I for one, take for granted the recovering community that I have grown up in, in southern California.
How does one describe the journey from darkness into light? Many members of Alcoholics Anonymous or other 12 step fellowships will explain this process as a spiritual awakening. My spiritual awakening was of the slow, educational variety. There was no elderly man with a billowy white beard and long white robes who parted the seas, and certainly no burning bush to guide my path. There was however, a long and tedious road of self-exploration, a trip of discovery, discarding, and polishing. Within the confines of Alcoholics Anonymous, I continue to amaze myself on a daily basis.
Five years ago, I simply existed. I no longer participated in life, except to get loaded on drugs and alcohol. I lived to use and used to live. All other areas of life fell by the wayside and my primary purpose was to maintain my high. My family had since given up on me, I was essentially homeless, my health was questionable, and most importantly, I was spiritually broken. Part of me was dying for human contact and help, and part of me was just plain dying. I suppose I had somewhat of a moment of clarity when I realized that the mass amounts of drugs I put in my body weren’t working any longer. The more I put in, the worse I felt. It finally appeared as though nothing on God’s green Earth could save me from me, except perhaps another way. Thus began my journey………
I crawled into Alcoholics Anonymous wanting to once again live. I had no recollection of formative life skills and had to build from the ground up. I took suggestions, got a sponsor, went to meetings, fellowshipped with others, and dove head first into the process. Most importantly, I had to find a God of my understanding. Growing up in a Roman Catholic household, this was no easy task. The punitive God that I had grown up with, had given up on me a long time ago. Letting go of this notion was difficult to say the least. Slowly but surely, I grew into my own skin, came to define and redefine God, and learned how to stand on my own two feet. I also learned what service work was all about. Helping another alcoholic receive the blessings I have received is part of the miraculous cyclical process of the program. Alcoholics Anonymous has provided me with both a new outlook on life and an impenetrable optimism where truly anything is possible. I will forever be grateful.
I woke up at the usual time this morning, 5:30 am. Next I did what I do every morning and probably what a lot of people do across the world. I lit up my first camel of the day. It is something I have done for as long as I can remember, SMOKE!!! The strange thing is I don’t even really enjoy it anymore; it has become a pattern, a habit. However if I don’t light one up there is an overwhelming feeling of anxiety that hits like a tidal wave. About six months ago I tried to quit, well sort of, I never really had too much commitment. The reason I was trying was because the people around me were worried. Strange though the more they worried and complained about my smoking the more I wanted it. Kind of reminds me of when I was using drugs/alcohol. My mind thinks in the same addictive manner when it comes to everything; tell me I shouldn’t due it, tell me its bad for me and it makes me want it more. It’s insane, that same thinking, I’ll show you I’ll hurt me. Fortunately I am in recovery now and have almost five years clean and sober; so why can’t I quit smoking? I just crushed out a camel and writing this blog discussing smoking makes me want another; hold on gotta get one be right back. Ahhh, much better, but not really, it is just the same old pattern. Oh the dilemma that one goes through in trying to quit. It is time to give it another go. So what is the point of this blog? It is an introduction into my world and my ride with a camel; its time to get off the ride. If anyone reads this or wants to try to quit, maybe we could try together. Each week I will be adding an entry of the crazy making my mind goes through in quitting smoking. Respond to these blogs if you share the same type of feelings or frustrations around quitting. If you think its stupid or I am weak for not being able to quit, well you can respond with that also. Strange I psyched myself out so to keep me honest next week on Wed. October 8, 2008 it will be my first day of not smoking. I will share with you all the happy, joyous feelings I am having at that moment, just kidding, I will be pissed off but I will try, how about you? See you in a week!!! Brian Wildason
“I have nothing better to do…!” a phrase uttered by the many of teen students struggling to maintain with the day-to-day pressures of high school. This, a phrase I heard uttered a total of 6 times in less than 2 hours. In short, the conversation consisted of one of my softball players and a best friend discussing the use of marijuana. My player seemed a bit irritated by the fact that her friend had showed up to watch her play “high”. The conversation was casual and playful banter was thrown back and forth between the two. One would tease, “pothead” while the other stated things like “chicken” and “goodie- goodie”. Later after the game, my players began talking about their own history with marijuana and alcohol. Some admitted to drinking rarely while others admitted to never drinking at all. Then I came to my own conclusions about why, this past weekend I spent an exhausting 20+ hours watching, coaching, and participating in a girl’s adolescent softball league that organizes teams ages 8 to 18. In talking with several of the girls who range from 14 – 17 years old, I realized that several of them were partaking in more than just softball as an extra-curricular activity. On top of a full class load, some were cheerleaders, soccer players, band members, volunteers, employees, volleyball players, ASB members, and so on. Each activity requiring more time, attention, and commitment then a typical 9AM to 5PM work day. In an average week, our softball program alone requires 4-week night practices ranging from 2 to 3 hours and at minimum of 2 Saturday games, each 2 hours in length with an hour of pre-game warm-up. When asking them how they managed, their general response was, “it’s hard but it keeps us busy and out of trouble.” We discussed what they meant by “trouble” and to me a surprising number of responses pertained to drug and alcohol use. They all expressed concern over the general peer-pressures associated with high school including drugs, alcohol, sex, relationships, and popularity. Most of them felt that it were easier to avoid these peer-pressures when they were able to give a validated excuse such as softball. In fact, many of them stated that if given more time to attend high school social events they felt they would want to experiment with drugs and alcohol because it was “the thing to do”. As they spoke I remembered my own high school experience and how easy it was for me to get through without using. But I also remember that I too, was highly involved in several activities for those same reasons. I found it interesting that many of them chose to stay busy as a means of also staying sober or “out of trouble”. They expressed that they did not need or desire “down time” because in the small town, they feared that “trouble” was the only other option. The idea that teen addiction is a result of boredom (among other reasons) is in fact true in the case of many of the players I work with day to day. In essence, they each made it clear that staying busy was one of the easiest ways to maintain to stay away from peer-pressure. They also discussed how structured programs were even more effective because it required mental and physical stability, which did not allow for the idea of drug and alcohol abuse.
I have found that the relationships I have formed in my recovery today are based on nothing more than respect and a genuine trust of one and other. When I was getting loaded, this was certainly not the case. I was always suspicious of my friendships with others. What was their motive? Why were they gravitating towards me as an individual? I didn’t have much to offer, aside from drugs and alcohol. These days, I have much to offer. I have a shoulder to lean on, an empathetic ear with which to listen, and a heart that wants nothing more than to help. Today, my relationships with both men and women are symbiotic associations and are direct results of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Before I came to Alcoholics Anonymous, both women and men alike were absolutely never to be trusted. Coming from a dysfunctional household, complete with an abusive father and a co-dependent mother, both respective sexes left a sour taste in my mouth. Men were abrasive and scary, and women were pushy and clingy. This had a huge impact of how I was to view both men and women for a long time. Friendships I developed with each sex were fleeting at best, and romantic unions with men were also dysfunctional and short-lived. In retrospect, I either self-sabotaged most of these connections or picked friends and suitors that were emotionally unavailable. That was the only way I knew how. I was accustomed to picking lesser companions, until I was in fact the lesser companion. Forming authentic, genuine relationships in either a friendship or a romantic interlude was indeed foreign to me. A combination of therapeutic settings and Alcoholics Anonymous really helped me learn how to once again trust both myself and others. I had to have faith in those who would help me rebuild my life.
Today, I rely upon help from both men and women. I continuously reach out for help on a daily basis to my peers. I have come to the realization that I can’t exist in Alcoholics Anonymous alone. Nobody can for that matter. It is so important to build friendships with other people who will be there for you through thick and thin. I have such a strong support network in my life today. I have toiled and worked diligently to build that network and couldn’t be happier. I thank God every day for the people in my life. They are present friends in my life today, and all they want in return is my friendship, loyalty, and trust. It feels good to not only be a respectable person, but a loving friend who people confide in and support through any endeavor. This was made possible through my recovery!
My sister and are were thick as thieves growing up… and eventually started using drugs together and literally began thieving together. This went on for years and eventually we stopped getting along once I fell in love with Heroin and she fell in love with Methamphetamine – somehow, we just weren’t compatible anymore. Go figure.
Well, by the grace of god, I stumbled into the rooms of Narcotics Anonymous and have stayed clean since Dec. 2002. My sister kept using. Once I found out that there was another way to live, free from the chains of active addiction and away from the horrors that a using addict feels trapped by, I wanted her to know all about how happy I was. I wanted her to know that every emotion I felt was 10 times better when I experienced it clean (even the not-so-nice feelings). I wanted her to know that meetings and the 12-steps weren’t as lame as TV or movies had made them seem. I wanted her to know it actually took a lot more effort to get and use and find ways and means to get more drugs than it did to just stay clean and go with the flow of nature (totally appealing to the lazy addict). I wanted her to know that through the help of a sponsor and stepwork, I was actually beginning to accept myself, and work to improve in my areas of weakness. I wanted her to know everything beautiful I had experienced. Most of all, I wanted her to know that if I could do it, she could do it.
So I tried to tell her, but she didn’t care. I was devastated. Here I was, showing her a way out, that she didn’t have to live like that anymore and she just didn’t care! My vision of the two of us skipping off to meetings together in the sunset was smashed! My NA sponsor told me I was powerless over other people (places, things), in addition to being powerless over my addiction (step 1), which I found very irritating. She said the only things I had power to do were being a living example of the program of NA in action and pray for her. Sigh.
I’ve been praying for years. Five years, nine months and eleven days of prayer that my sister finds her path, whatever it may be (I eventually realized that god’s will might not look the same as my vision of what her process should be… ugh). At the end of every NA meeting, we have a moment of silence for the addict who still suffers, inside or outside the walls (meaning clean or still using). My sister’s name is the first name that I think of; it always will be. She means everything to me.
…On Saturday I visited my sister at her Drug Rehab. She just got a sponsor in Narcotics Anonymous J and now has over 90 days clean. She introduces me to her rehab buddies as “This is my sister, she has 5 years clean,” with pride in her voice. Tears come to my eyes as I write this; I can’t express how much gratitude I have that she has found her way to the beginning of her process and I’m so honored to be able to be a part of it.
VISIONS ADOLESCENT TREATMENT CENTERS Personalized programs dedicated to helping youth and their families recover from the destructive effects of substance and other behavior related problems. (866) 889-3665
