Futile Attempts at Teenage Sobriety
All of my attempts at teenage sobriety proved fruitless. My parents were fed up with me and didn’t have anywhere to turn to. If Visions had been in operation ten years ago, it would have perfectly suited not only my needs, but those of my family members as well.
At a mere 16 or 17 years old, my life as I knew it was spiraling out of control. Plummeting grades, outlandish behavior, and an increasing chemical dependence were the grim components of my existence. At this point, my parents had exhausted every possible resource. I was certainly no stranger to therapy, group or individual, or medications of all sorts. As a last ditch effort, my parents dropped me off at a small AA meeting in Venice Beach, CA. As I walked in, I was horrified. 4 or 5 bikers sat in a small room where the couches were as old as the musty stench that filled the room. Collectively, they shared amongst them one full set of teeth and had stained fingertips from smoking cigarettes down to the filter. I vowed right then and there that I was not and would never be an alcoholic. I could not identify with these people. I was young, had a family, and had all my teeth. Little did I know that alcoholism takes many shapes and sizes and does not discriminate. I also was unaware that there was a young peoples’ meeting right down the street.
If only Visions had been in existence! If only they could have pointed my family and I in the right direction. Visions is a safe haven for troubled adolescents and their families who may be wrought with strife and turmoil. Not only does it start the recovery process, but it also provides an honest open forum for family units who want to rebuild and reconnect. Clinical staff address every imaginable issue an adolescent or their family may face this day and age. Too bad they weren’t around when I was an afflicted teen. However, I am so grateful to now be a part of the process.
Originally posted on August 14, 2008 @ 8:08 am
