Even though it is considered by some to be the most harmless illegal drug there is, marijuana still causes a lot of problems. In a handful of states, marijuana is legal for medicinal purposes. This comes after years of advocates pushing for the drug to be legalized for patients, to treat things like chronic pain, nausea, and anxiety. Many people are trying to make marijuana completely legal, but that kind of progression seems pretty far off.

Medicinal Marijuana

For those states that do permit marijuana for medical purposes, authorities are having a hard time enforcing the laws regarding this substance. While they need to and want to maintain the rights of patients, lines are often blurred between medicinal use and recreational use. If police go after pot growers who are supplying for users for illegal recreational purposes, they run the risk of cutting off the supply also for patients who use it legally. Unless you legalize marijuana possession for growers, dispensaries, and distributers, there will be a negative effect on patients. But, if all these other people are allowed into the loop to supply it to patients, you can expect that some will be selling it to others who aren’t patients as well. The way some of these states are enforcing or not enforcing marijuana use has caused havoc for both authorities and patients.

Marijuana and Teens

Many people feel strongly one way or another about the place marijuana holds in our society. There is much support for the legalization of marijuana to relieve pain and distress to patient. But in many ways, even this is causing an obstacle for certain other groups of people, including teens and adolescents, who are easily influenced about things like drugs. A recent study done by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) suggests that the medical marijuana issue is causing confusion among teens about the seriousness of marijuana and drugs in general. Many teens today think that marijuana is not that bad for them to use, since it is legal for some patients. The result is that marijuana usage in teens is on the rise again and more teens are even in need of treatment for the habit.

Effects of Marijuana

Then there’s the question of what marijuana does to the mind and body. It may not be as addicting as painkillers, or as life-threatening as heroin, but marijuana does have negative effects on the body. It slows the brain, it effects motor coordination, and it increases heart rate. Over time, marijuana is thought to cause brain damage, including memory loss and learning problems. Some people may deny it, but marijuana also is both physically and psychologically addicting. Part of the danger with marijuana is that it is often seen as so harmless. Many people are drawn into just trying marijuana, but then they find themselves years down the line, still using it, or moving on to more dangerous drugs. Before they know it they have lost control of their lives. We need to set boundaries with this drug, and make it clear to young people that it is dangerous to get caught up with any kind of substance.

Sources

Medical marijuana-The legal questions

Medical-pot bill one political puff away from passage

Medical marijuana blurs lines on dangers for teens

Recently, I hit another milestone in my life. My 4-year old daughter told us that she wanted to run away because we didn’t love her and were mean to her. The precipitating event for her decision was the fact that her mother would not let her eat chocolate before bedtime. The nerve of that woman, how could a mother be so cruel!

I sat down on the couch with my daughter and helped her decide what she would need to pack; some food in case she got hungry, some warm clothes in case it got cold, some toys in case she got bored – but only a couple of her favorites because she couldn’t carry too many, and of course an umbrella in case it rained. Wow, lots of stuff! After our discussion, she decided she didn’t want to run away anymore and could suffer some chocolate deprivation.

I refer to this as a milestone in my life because I have used this example with many client parents we have had in treatment but had never experienced it firsthand. I have told many parents whose children call them to report, “the treatment center is locking them in the closet and beating them with sticks,” that situation is not unlike the little kid who wants to run away. If you let them go they get down the street and look at the great big world, it won’t be long before they hightail it home.

It is not unlike that with some of our clients; they are confronted with their pain and told that they are going to have to relinquish their coping skills and deal with it in unfamiliar ways. The whole experience is extremely painful. Their first instinct is to run but it is a well known fact that most addicts do not have the ability to sustain their addiction without some support, therefore we encourage family and friends to withdrawal any support other than supporting treatment and recovery.

I have had many clients prematurely leave our facilities, but once they found that no one would support/enable them, they quickly returned and began a meaningful treatment experience – not unlike the little kid who runs away from home.

I am somewhat making light of this but the analogy is a basic reaction. I know that absolutely nothing rivals the anguish and pain family members go through when they have to cut a loved one off in order to save the addict’s life…especially parents. It is completely against every paternal instinct and inclination. It is however, always necessary.

I am reminded of a story I once read about a missionary who was in a remote location in India and had a son born there with a clubfoot. This condition could easily have been corrected with surgery; however, there was no hospital for miles. One of the missionary doctors explained that everyday this man would have to turn and hold his son’s foot for 20 minutes. This was very painful for the little boy. The missionary spoke of how painful it was to cause such pain for his son. He spoke of how his son would scream, cry and yell, “I hate you,” while he turned the boy’s foot and how those words broke his heart. Then he spoke of the joy he felt when some years later he watched his son run across the soccer field.

The fact is, it is very easy to focus all of our attention on the addict and neglect the pain that their loved ones are suffering. We are constantly asking parents and significant others to practice behaviors that are completely unnatural to them. I don’t know what I would have done had my daughter got up and walked out the door or if I would have had the wherewithal to stand back and allow her to fully experience the consequences of that action; would I be able to sit on my hands until she decided to come back; honestly, I doubt it. I just want to say that we at TSN try to be aware of the family’s needs while we are taking care of their loved ones but I believe today I have a better understanding of what we are asking of them and I know I will be more empathetic. It is not that what we are asking them to do is wrong – it truly is the best thing they can do. That does not make it easy and we need to have patience with them. I also know that without stories like the young girl’s in the article below, I don’t think I could go on in this business. I am including it because I believe it may give some parent out there hope. This young girl came in kicking and screaming and wanted to leave after a week.

By Ann DeMatteo, Assistant Metro Editor
NORTH HAVEN

For the first time in four years, Barbara Hoffman is clean. 



A drug user since 14, the 18-year-old is living in a halfway house in Florida after 60 days of treatment. “All my energy is back. My head is a lot clearer. I don’t need to lie, cheat or steal from my parents,” said the teenager, who estimates she stole money and goods from her parents worth $20,000 from the time she started drinking and using marijuana, cocaine, Ecstasy and prescription painkillers like OxyContin and Xanax.


Her parents, Adam and Joanne Hoffman of North Haven, knew their daughter smoked pot, but were shocked to learn she was addicted to prescription drugs. Now that she’s in rehabilitation, they’re coming forward because they don’t want another family to suffer their pain.
Their world blew apart when they learned a week before Barbara Hoffman was to leave for college in September that she was on a downward spiral, addicted to OxyContin.
“I want to save another parent, another kid, from going through what our family has gone through,” Joanne Hoffman said. “Drugs should not be a secret. That’s how they thrive.”

Prescription pill addiction became an issue in North Haven about a year ago, when more than a dozen people were arrested for numerous burglaries, some dating back to 2006. Police said the burglaries appeared to be connected to the abuse of prescription drugs by some of the young people arrested.



In North Haven in 2008, there were seven arrests involving illegal possession of OxyContin and 26 heroin arrests, according to Capt. James Merrithew, who runs the detective division. In 2009, police made 16 heroin arrests and 19 arrests for pills. Authorities said most users graduate from pills to heroin because it’s cheaper.

Police believe the addictions force users to take advantage of any opportunity to commit burglaries or larcenies.

The town’s Substance Abuse Prevention Council recently created and mailed a brochure to residents about the dangers of prescription painkillers. The town also plans to apply for a $125,000 federal grant that would help the town fight the problem, said Director of Community Services and Recreation Gerardo Sorkin.



The council will continue to educate the community, and this spring hopes to have a program so residents can get rid of their unused prescription drugs. Talks also are planned for the schools.

“We’re very concerned that kids don’t understand how serious addiction to prescription drugs can be,” said Superintendent of Schools Sara-Jane R. Querfeld, a council member. “We’re not seeing any evidence of it at the high school but that doesn’t mean they’re not doing it.”

FROM A GOOD HOME

North Haven parents have been reaching out to Parents 4 a Change, a Southington organization run by Mary Marcuccio, a woman credited with saving the lives of numerous young people, including Barbara Hoffman.

“It’s sad, but the good thing is families are getting help,” said a North Haven mother whose daughter is no longer addicted to OxyContin. She and her daughter continue to be active with Parents 4 a Change.

Parents 4 a Change instructs parents to create an unfriendly environment for their children if they suspect drug use. Parents need to know their children’s friends and need to know where their money is going. Parents in the group said their kids have taken money from their bank accounts or have stolen items from their homes to buy drugs.



The mother said the parents involved in Parents 4 a Change are caring people who were close to their children and made extraordinary efforts to help them once an addiction became known.

Take the Hoffmans, for example. Married for 25 years, Adam Hoffman owns Godfrey-Hoffman Associates, an engineering and surveying firm. Joanne Hoffman is a nutritionist who runs her business in her husband’s building on Broadway. Joanne Hoffman was a room mother when her daughter was in elementary school. She belonged to the PTA, she was a Girl Scout leader, and Adam Hoffman never missed a soccer game.

“I never thought my kid would be involved” with drugs, said Joanne Hoffman.

“The Hoffmans are a good example of parents who are willing to educate themselves and take productive steps to help their child,” said Marcuccio, whose monthly meetings at Derynoski Middle School in Southington now draw 80 people. “Parents are coming out of the closet.”



Barbara Hoffman, 18, graduated from North Haven High School in June. She earned almost straight A’s, took Advanced Placement psychology, was a CAPT scholar, a varsity soccer player for four years and was in the Latin Club. She was planning to major in business.

But a week before she was to leave for Bryant University in Rhode Island, her parents found out she had an OxyContin problem. They had been aware, previously, that she smoked pot, and asked her to stop.

Barbara Hoffman said that starting at 14, she smoked pot about five times a day, every day. It wasn’t that hard to get. Drinking was more of a weekend thing, when friends would steal liquor from their parents’ homes or liquor stores would sell to underage youths.



Barbara Hoffman said her parents didn’t know what she was doing, but some kids had parents who didn’t care that they drank.

When she was 16, she started to experiment with other drugs, OxyContin being the first. She was addicted immediately. Drug-addiction experts and many medical studies, including at Yale University, have linked addiction to genetics. In other words, some people may be genetically hard-wired to become addicts.

“We were just bored. We thought it would be fun. We thought it would be a good idea,” she said of the people she used to hang out with. She tried cocaine a couple of times and didn’t like it, but she liked Ecstasy. When her friends stopped doing it, she continued. When her parents saw the pills, she convinced them they didn’t belong to her.

“I’m a good talker,” she said.



Her parents forbade her to smoke pot, and they started testing her for drugs. So, she stopped smoking and picked up OxyContin, which the tests didn’t pick up.

“During this time, I was breaking up with my boyfriend of three years. I started doing Oxys every day,” going from a few 40-milligram pills to 10 80-milligram pills a day.

She had a job so she had her own money.

“I stole from my parents a lot. … I pawned all my gold, my parents’ gold. At the time I didn’t think it was a big deal because it seemed like everyone was doing it. Now I feel terrible. They worked hard for that stuff and I just took it and sold it like it was mine. I can’t even go by a pawn shop any more,” she said.

INTERVENTION

The moment of truth was Aug. 27, 2009.

“We confronted her with it. … Her new boyfriend, from Hamden, was the dealer,” Adam Hoffman said.

“It was right out of a movie. She acted like a caged animal and said she wasn’t an addict. It was horrifying,” Joanne Hoffman said.

During the confrontation, they had Marcuccio on the phone and she told them what to say.

“Without Mary, the kid would be dead,” Adam Hoffman said.

She was taken to the Stonington Institute, but ran away three times and came back home, saying she could get clean on her own. She then received outpatient services at the University of Connecticut Medical Center and received a shot of Naltrexone, an opiate blocker. She was going to Narcotics Anonymous meetings.

Barbara Hoffman said she hit rock bottom on the night of Oct. 30, when she totaled her car on Interstate 91 after snorting crushed Xanax pills. She was arrested.



Her parents gave her an ultimatum: out-of-state rehab or be kicked out of the house.

On Nov. 3, she was flown to Treatment Solutions of South Florida on the recommendation of Parents 4 a Change.

“She can probably never live in North Haven again because of the sights, sounds and smells. Everyone she knows does anything from drink to use heroin. She can’t handle it,” Joanne Hoffman said.

Adam and Joanne Hoffman attended three “intensive days” of instruction about pharmacology, drug addiction and its causes through the Treatment Solutions Network. They’ll have to attend Nar-Anon, which helps parents of addicts.

They believe that their daughter took drugs to feel better.

“She tried it and had no reason to stop. It made her feel good,” Joanne Hoffman said.

Michael Blackburn from Treatment Solutions Network says there’s a need for what his group does.



Barbara Hoffman had 60 days of inpatient treatment before being transferred to the halfway house, where she lives with five other young women. “She’s doing well,” Blackburn said.

“This rehab is like no other. They call you on your (expletive). It was good, honest. It’s the first time I’ve been to rehab where I actually want to be clean,” she said.

Being in an area in which a recovering addict is unfamiliar helps because the person doesn’t have access to dealers. It challenges the person to get well on his or her own. “The program teaches life and living skills,” Blackburn said.

“She’s seeking a job with the support of Treatment Solutions,” Joanne Hoffman said. “She’ll start college in the fall, knock on wood.”


If you are in love with someone who is struggling with an addiction we have many resources listed on our website www.treatmentsolutionsnetwork.com/families

Jim Bevell
CEO Treatment Solutions Network
561 577-3174
jimb@tsnemail.com

Prescription medication can manage many serious medical and mental illnesses. But if not handled properly, it can also be the cause of just as many and more problems because of side effects, misuse and abuse, and addiction. Unfortunately, children are often the ones who suffer the long-term consequences from prescription drugs.

Mental Illness and Mental Disorders

Many children today are prescribed drugs for mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and autism. For many of these children with severe mental illness, the drugs are a necessity for them to get through the day, even if they have side effects.

Many more children are prescribed drugs for lesser mental disorders, such as Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, and sleep disorders. While all these things can disrupt a child’s life and should be treated, it is important for physicians and parents to avoid relying strictly on meds to manage these disorders. Therapy and counseling, as well as stress management, can all benefit children with mental disorders. The problem occurs when children are put on these drugs without properly being diagnosed, or without really being monitored when on them. Any child on any medication should be watched closely.

Pain Medicine

Children are also put on medication for injuries or pain. Prescription painkillers are not uncommon in young adults for things like sports injuries, surgery, or some other pain. Children that are on prescription medication may be at risk for abusing drugs when they get older. These young patients see the drugs as something that fixes something wrong in their life, and they don’t understand why the same wouldn’t be true of other drugs at other times in their lives. When a person is exposed at a young age to prolonged use of prescription drugs, it begins to be less intimidating and more normal for someone to take them.

Prescription Drug Abuse

Children eventually get to an age where they know a little more about what is going on, and maybe they see their friends experiment with drugs. It is at this time that many of these young people join right in because from their past experience, prescription drugs took care of problems. They may also begin to self-medicate when things get tough at school or with friends. Or they might begin selling their own pills to get a little extra money.

There are things we can do to stop this cycle of prescription medication abuse. Children who have a mental disorder or are in need of pain medications should be completely evaluated to determine the need. When a doctor prescribes a medicine, it should be with great care. Proper dosing, proper education, and proper monitoring are necessary. Parents should be involved and taught to look for warning signs of drug abuse, and children should go through therapy to learn other ways to manage their problem or disorder, in order to decrease the need for medication.

Sources

ER physician says overdose killed Rebecca Riley

At MIT, Ritalin Use on Par With Peer Schools

 Kidshealth.org

As we all sit back and watch the various layers of the U.S. war effort unfold, it is hard enough for us to conceptually grasp the level of loss and violent despair unfolding each minute for our troops in the middle east. Even for family members of soldiers, who risk their lives daily, they may have a different perspective on the madness, but nothing can or will ever compare to the horror each individual soldier experiences.

The reason I bring this up is to shed a little light on a situation we are all facing that is certain to explode like a hidden IED, tripped by an unsuspecting soldier. Four letters we’ve all heard before but you better be ready for since they are about to change the world we live in…PTSD. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a bomb being constructed in the middle east as you read this and will be triggered to explode gradually over the next 20 years. Believe me, if you think I’m being dramatic, watch the approaching explosion and think back to this post if you survive it.

Visit http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/pages/fslist-ptsd-overview.asp for a peek at what we will all be faced with but when you’re reading this, remember that only recently has the the U.S. Military’s powers-that-be begun to recognize the the fact that PTSD exists…that is pathetic and unacceptable. While it is wonderful that it is finally being given credibility, the resources set aside for treatment is a pittance compared to what will be needed. Ironically, each returning veteran will have a ticking PTSD IED inside each one of them that can ‘go off’ at any second. Whether an acute PTSD reaction occurs on the street, at work, at school, at church or at home, you can bet your ass that if WE ALL aren’t equipped with a basic understanding of how to deal with it, we will be suffering as a society for generations to come.

Sadly, PTSD cannot be treated like other behavioral disorders and daily we hear reports of treatment facilities failing patients and their families on a daily basis by attempting to treat PTSD along with other behaviorally impaired patients…THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE!!!! These individuals and their families need specialized treatments with professionals specifically trained to deal with PTSD. Do the math, with the numbers of returning veterans, we are in for a shit-storm if we don’t get a handle on this thing and the government has its hands full.

That is why I’ve assembled a team at TSN, who has created a program called HEROES WELCOME. I will share more about the specifics in the next few weeks but in essence, we are assembling the best PTSD experts and centers on the planet and offering treatment for both the victim and their family. As a society and a field, we have a unique opportunity to learn from the past (Viet Nam) and truly help diffuse a generational bomb. This is not a bullshit sticker on a bumper, this is a way for us all to actually support our troops and save our own society.

This is the seed and you are all aware that TSN is growing a solution so don’t pretend you haven’t been informed. If you are interested in learning more or have something to offer, contact Jed Wallace for details since he will be coordinating the effort on my behalf. I encourage you to do some serious research and soul searching – be a part of HEROES WELCOME and do your part to support the veterans that have given their lives, limbs and personalities to protect our freedom…now it is our turn!

One thing more and more parents are struggling with is knowing if their teen is using drugs or not. Many parents have suspicions about their adolescent trying drugs, or hanging out with friends that use drugs. There are many home drug test kits that allow parents to test their child themselves, but this isn’t always the way to go. Even with all the advances in technology and testing methods, kids are coming up with new ways to cheat on drug tests.

Ways to Cheat on Drug Tests

Anyone doing a quick internet search can come up with countless hits on the topic of how to cheat on a drug test. Teens can and do try lots of easy-to-use tricks such as diluting urine samples with liquids, drinking or ingesting certain substances to mask the drugs, or trying to pass someone else’s urine off as their own. Websites market urine screens that “cleanse” the urine of illegal substances, or ship clean urine to be substituted. However, drug testing methods are becoming more and more advanced, and are able to even detect when a sample has been tampered with or diluted, but many of these tests are only found in a medical lab setting.

Hard to Ensure Accuracy

Some parents believe they are doing a good thing when they make their teen take a drug test and it comes back negative. In many cases, however, a negative test result doesn’t mean the teen isn’t using drugs. Parents need to be more aware of the ways adolescents cheat on drug tests. While it is good to have trust in our teens, we need to be wise to the fact that a teen will lie and cheat to stay out of trouble. Parents cannot simply administer a drug test and believe their kids are clean. Some teens will change to a different type of drug, one that can’t be detected in at-home tests. Other teens switch to inhaling or ingesting other harmful substances that aren’t “drugs”. More than anything, it is important for parents to develop a good relationship with their teen and keep the lines of communication open. We don’t like to doubt our kids, but sometimes for their own safety, it is necessary.

Believing the Excuses

Many parents that find their teen’s test has come back positive for an illegal substance will not want to believe their child is using drugs. Teens will come up with a host of excuses as to why they failed the test, and parents often believe the excuses. It is amazing how many times “I took a drink of my friend’s soda that was laced with drugs” actually works with unsuspecting parents.

Parents should work on getting to know their teen and their teen’s friends better, as well as what kinds of temptations are plaguing their kids every day. Home drug tests often give parents a false sense of security that their child is clean. If a test does come back positive, rather than listen to excuses, this is the time that parents should seek professional help for their teen.

Sources

Most Common Urine Drug Test Cheating Methods Used by Teens

5 Ways Teens Might Cheat on Drug Tests—and How to Catch Them

Home Drug Tests Given to L.I. Parents

Don’t we sometimes get tired of bad news? We often find ourselves getting frustrated when reading the newspaper, watching tv, or reading journals because statistics and news are often about negative things. Sometimes it is depressing to hear all the bad things going on in the world.

Sometimes what we need is a change in attitude. Maybe we need to stop dwelling on the bad things, and focus on all the good that is out there. Take for example, teen drug and alcohol abuse. We hear statistics about the increase in prescription drug abuse among teens, or the number of college students that drink, and we might feel like throwing our hands up and giving in. What we really need to do, however, is find the little positives, the good things kids are doing, the small victories.

The Perception of Peer Pressure

The majority of kids actually don’t do drugs. We can’t deny the fact that there are too many that do, but most kids don’t. When teens are under the impression that everyone else does drugs and everyone experiments with alcohol, the peer pressure just closes in on them, and it will seem like such a big task to them to stay away from it. Teens need to know that they aren’t alone in the struggle, that there are plenty of others feeling what they are feeling and working to stay away from drugs.

Positive Role Models

Kids really need role models as they grow up, and knowing that others have made it through the teenage years without trying drugs will help them a great deal. Older siblings, kids in higher classes, and even their own classmates can serve as role models. Parents should also be good role models for their kids. When parents show responsibility and healthy practices, their kids will pick up on that quickly. Parents should be involved with their kids’ lives, be supportive, and be prepared to initiate tough conversations about not getting involved with drugs or alcohol.

Positive Activities to Avoid Drug Abuse

Another thing parents can and should do is encourage their kids to get involved in positive activities. Teens are a very capable group of people, and parents should expect much more from them than to just hang out with friends and get in trouble. The teen years are a time for enlightening and education, and it is when people really get to know who they are. Parents should give their kids opportunities to get involved with different things, to develop those talents and interests. Don’t dread the teenage years as something you are lucky if you and your child survive. Open up the world for them, encourage their curiosity of things in the world and watch them do great things with their lives.

Sometimes when we expect the worst, that’s just what we get. We need to surround ourselves and our children with positive attitudes, positive influences, and positive expectations.

Sources

samhsa.gov

How Parents Can Prevent Teen Drinking

Working Youth Educate

The Anti Drug

Parents need to constantly be on the lookout for their children experimenting with things like drugs and alcohol. It isn’t enough anymore to simply tell your adolescent “don’t do drugs, and don’t drink”. It is the job of the parent to talk with their children about the temptations they will encounter, and help them learn how to avoid sticky situations. The only way to effectively communicate with your children about what you don’t want them doing is to know what risky behaviors are out there and what your children may face.

1. Experimenting with prescription drugs. Many teens think it is ok to take prescription medication since it was given to someone by a doctor. But many teens are rushed to the emergency room or even die because of complications from taking someone else’s prescription pills. Kids will sneak pills from parents’ medicine cabinets or buy them from friends. It is important for parents to lock up their medications.

2. Pharm parties. These drug parties carry prescription drug abuse one step farther. Kids will get together, bringing along their family’s prescription pills. They dump all the pills into a bowl and take turns ingesting them. These parties show complete ignorance of the dangers of prescription medications. They are especially dangerous because kids at parties like this face an enormous amount of peer pressure. A group mentality takes over and kids think that if others are doing it and are fine, they can do it too.

3. Cannabis. There is a new iPhone application called Cannabis that will tell your teen the names and locations of doctors and clinics that offer medical marijuana. Marijuana abuse is still out there among teens, and with a general acceptance of pot use in our country, it is still a dangerous gateway drug for many teens.

4. Internet drug information. Teens today have a wealth of knowledge at their fingertips, as they consult the internet for anything. The internet will quickly tell your teen how to make their own drugs, where to find prescription pills, and how to pass a drug test.

5. Drug abuse in the suburbs. Many people still believe that drug abuse is a problem in big cities. While this is true, it can affect anyone, anywhere. A new trend is for kids in the suburbs to get involved with drugs, including prescription pills, heroin, and cocaine. Drug use becomes a way for these teens to deal with the stress of school and sports, as well as a way to rebel against parents and teachers.

Schools are constantly working on improving education for children about the risks of drugs. But prevention should start in the home. Parents should spend the time to educate themselves and their children about drugs.

Sources 

Dangerous Mix: Teens finding new uses for parents’ prescription pills

Westporter Joseph Califano brings home drug abuse message

Area schools rethinking drug use policies

“Just say no to drugs.” This message has been used so much over the years that many teens simply tune out whenever they hear another lecture beginning this way. Parents need to be more creative these days in keeping their kids off drugs, but for many parents, this task seems overwhelming. How do you get your kids to listen to you about things like drugs when it is hard enough to get them to listen to you about what kind of clothes they should wear? It might take a little contemplation and hard work, but it can be done. Here are some guidelines to keeping your kids off drugs and alcohol.

1.       Know what they do. Stay involved in your child’s life as they get older, and make sure they are supervised by you or another responsible adult. Don’t assume that just because they are legally old enough to be home alone, that they are ok being left for hours at a time. Kids that come home from school to an empty house will find ways to keep themselves busy, and this is when many of them start experimenting with drugs or alcohol.

2.       Know their interests. Not only will this help you know if your child is trying something harmful, but it will also help you build a healthy relationship with your teen. Get to know what kind of music they like, what their favorite tv show is all about, how they feel about the latest news stories. Sharing moments with them and listening to your child will teach you a lot about why they do what they do. Once there is a solid bond between parent and child, the say-no-to-drugs-talk will be much easier.

3.       Build their self-esteem. Help your child find something they are good at, give them encouragement and praise, and let them know you love them and are proud of them no matter what. A confident teen that knows that drugs can mess up their life will be more likely to stay away from them.

4.       Teach them how to say no. It might seem like enough to tell them to say no, but have you ever put yourself in their shoes? Think of your teen, surrounded by a group of friends that are all smoking pot, and if they don’t try it too, they will be the outcast. It is a very difficult thing to just say no. Instead, equip your teen with other things they can say to get out of this kind of situation. They could suggest other things to do (go to a movie, play a video game), they could say “I’m not into that”, or they could leave and find some other friends to hang out with.

5.       Be a good role model. Keep yourself away from drugs and drunkenness. Teens do look up to their parents and will follow their actions more than words. Let them see you taking care of your body and following healthy habits.

It’s not enough these days to teach teens to just say no. Find ways to get to know your child and gain their respect, and then have talks with them that equip them with tools to stay away from drugs.

Sources

http://drugfree.org

http://prevention.samhsa.gov/about/default.aspx

http://www.jointogether.org/

http://www.aap.org/family/subabuse.htm

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS110568+14-Sep-2009+PRN20090914

Chemical dependency Treatment is, too often, Miss-treatment. This is a legacy from its beginning. For, the first treatment “centers,” were not centers at all. They were Therapeutic Communities. Therapeutic Communities began as a grass-root effort to treat addicts, mainly heroin addicts,  that did not blend into the culture of Alcoholics Anonymous, and other 12-Step groups. Ironically, much of their language, and practices, are still being enacted in modern Treatment Centers. Even in Treatment Centers that claim to adhere to an AA/NA 12-Step-based model of treatment.

This came to be because of an attempt to jumble two incongruent philosophies: the philosophy, of the Therapeutic Communities (T.C.), and the philosophy of the Twelve Steps Fellowships. To truly understand how this came to be, a brief history of the substance abuse treatment field is necessary.

Synanon

This brief history begins with Synanon; arguably, the most influential of the Therapeutic Communities. Synanon began with Charles E. Dederick. He had been an alcoholic for twenty years, and a member of Alcoholics Anonymous. In January of 1958, he ” had no job, two cents in my pocket, and was living off unemployment benefits, in a small apartment near the beach in Ocean Park, California.” (Yablonsky, L. 1965. Synanon the tunnel back) He, and other friends from AA, started a regular weekly meeting. In this meeting, mainly because of Charles, or “Chuck” Dederick, as he became known, the discussions became heated.

In this group, people challenged each other to become truthful. Any sign of rationalizing, or escaping responsibility, was met with strong challenges. Another defining feature of this group was that its members began to move close to each other. A small community, of alcoholics, and addicts, rented apartments around Chuck’s home. Chuck’s apartment became the “clubhouse.” The community began to live as one. They would share their resources, and meet regularly for groups in their apartments. They would also attend an A.A. group together.

This AA group met until a dramatic break that solidified the difference between Synanon, and A.A. This is the story as told by Chuck:

“The break with Alcoholics Anonymous occurred about the middle of August (1958)

It happened right in the middle of an A.A. meeting. Our whole gang had taken over the Saturday night meeting of the Santa Monica A.A. group at Twenty Sixth and Broadway and built it up from its attendance of ten people to an attendance of about forty five or fifty. There was some objection on some issue by the members of the Board of Directors of the A.A. club. I recall the leader stopping the meeting. They didn’t like us. The alkies didn’t like the addicts, and they didn’t like me in particular…and they didn’t like my gang because they were mostly addicts. They made things difficult for us. I remember getting up in the meeting and saying, ‘All right, lets go home-the hell with this.’ So the whole meeting got up, and we all got into our automobiles and came down to the club, and we never went back to A.A. again.

We were building something new and different. Although I will always be grateful to A.A. for helping me personally, Synanon has nothing to do with A.A., any more than a rowboat compares with an airplane. We have a live-in situation, with family characteristics. We emphasize self-reliance rather than dependence on a higher being.

We assumed a responsibility; we had to get up the rent, we had to feed the people when they came in, and so on. This was the point at which the few alcoholics in the club began to fall out. They didn’t want any responsibility. In fact, it was even verbalized. ‘We don’t want to do this; we want to have a lot of fun; we want to have a club as a club.’ The alkies began to say, ‘Well, it’s our club,’ and I said, ‘No, it’s my club.’ I became the champion of the addicts, chucked the alcoholics out, and Synanon was then fully launched for addicts.”(Yablonsky, L. 1965)

The differences between 12 Step Programs and TC

This story reveals the significant differences that exist between the 12-Step programs, and Therapeutic Communities. Differences that have become blurry. They became blurry when a new kind of treatment centers emerged. These treatment centers, unlike Synanon, were based on the 12-Step philosophies of A.A., and N.A. These became known as 28 Days treatment centers. The model of treatment that was created in them became known as the Recovery Model.

The problem was, and has been since, that, in order to house, and treat alcoholics and addicts in a living situation rather than congregating in “meetings” and then going home, these centers tried to incorporate the Synanon idea of community. A community in which addicts, and alcoholics would live together. Where they would participate in groups, and form relationships. But, unlike Synanon, they would be exposed to the philosophy, and the way of life of the 12-Step Programs. During their stay in these centers, the addicts, and alcoholics, would be oriented, and encouraged, to continue to participate in the 12-Step Programs, beyond the treatment experience, through 12-Step meetings.

Structural Differences

However, structurally, these two models of treatment are different. Although the Recovery Model copied the idea of community living from Synanon, these two communities were based on different principles. Synanon was a grass-root movement. The 28-Day Programs were institutions. Sometimes they were part of established Hospitals. Also, they incorporated a medical, professional, and para-professional staff, while Synanon was staffed by its members, with a stated disdain for professional interventions; here is how a Synanon leader puts it: “This is one of the problems with you professionals. You are all involved with drug addiction. You want to know how an addict uses, how much, and all that crap. Around here we are interested in helping ex-dope fiend grow up, by talking about living clean” ( pg. 9)

As shown by the previous statement, philosophically, the differences are even more contradictory. The Synanon model states that addicts suffer from a character dysfunction. That, their dependence on a drug, and the means that they have used to obtain them, have turned the addict into a “dope fiend” A being without humanity; without morality, and without a sense of responsibility. A being that has lost the ability to live, and function among others, as illustrated by the following quote from another Synanon leader: “My problem wasn’t drugs, even though drugs made me subhuman. What I needed, and still need, is to learn more about proper living.”

In the Synanon model of the active addict is a “dopefiend.” “Subhuman,” as described above. This subhuman-dopefiend needs to be broken down, so that the human being can emerge. In the Synanon model of treatment, this is done by any means: confrontation, punishment, and humiliation, if necessary.

For, according to this model, if any part of the dopefiend  survives, “it” will take the person back to drug use, and its accompanying lying, stealing, cheating, etc. Deviations, not only from total abstinence, but from any rule of the community, is seen as an expression of the dopefiend, and is met with severe chastising, and consequences; by the staff, and by the entire community, with the encouragement of the staff. This philosophy is congruent with a structure of discipline, and accountability that facilitated orderly community living.

By contrast, the 12 Step Model is based on the disease concept of addiction; the concept that the addict, and the alcoholic, suffer from the disease of addiction. They are seen as suffering from an affliction that has affected them “physically, psychologically, and spiritually.” That has interfered with their ability to live, and function, normally. That has “high jacked” their brain, and its proper functioning, and this condition has caused negative behaviors that have caused suffering, to themselves, and others.

In the 12-Step model of treatment, the method is encouragement, to “keep showing up” to AA/NA meetings, and begin to “live as if” you are already sober. By practicing this consistently, and “turning over your will to a higher power, “a “miracle,” or “spiritual awakening,” will take place and the person will become sober. During this process, the community will be welcoming, and supportive, even when the person is not sober. There will be no blame, or judgment, but continued encouragement to “keep coming back.” This philosophy is congruent with a loose structure, based on voluntary participation, without coercion, and non-judgmental, unconditional support.

Building Congruency

So, the Recovery Model is grounded in the 12-Step philosophy, but seeks to create, and maintain, communal living. By the dictates of its most basic principles, it is a “program of attraction.” Coercion, of any kind invalidates the entire treatment. The treatment must be based on non-confrontation, and unconditional support. But, how can a treatment program, based on such concepts, work with the resistant adolescents that are sent to treatment by their families, or the people mandated to treatment by the law, or the employer, or simply, the addict, and alcoholic, in an acute state of denial about their condition and of the suffering it is causing?

Can you guess the terrible answer? Yes, profess the 12-Steps, enforce the T.C. Teach the 12-Step philosophy in groups, and lectures. And, institute a system in which the “recovering dopefiends” will be dealt with in the T.C. way: punishment, consequences, and humiliation, if necessary. This is when Treatment turns into MisTreatment.

In the following weeks I will be expanding on this theme: the question of how to build a truly congruent treatment model. I would like your input, and discussion.

J.E. Lesende

juanl@tsnemail.com

Teens often like to live on the edge, throwing caution to the wind, living in the moment. When teens have access to drugs, their recklessness usually grows even more. Many teens today have such access because of how common prescription drugs are. Physicians will often prescribe stimulant medications for individuals with ADHD, which is characterized by inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity. Stimulants, such as methylphenidate and amphetamines, when given in therapeutic doses increase the dopamine levels of the patient’s brain, improving attention and focus.

Prescribed Stimulants

As with any drug, the danger is there to abuse ADHD medication, and many teens and adults do. An estimated 3.4 % of 12^th graders used the ADHD medication, Ritalin, illegally in 2007. Many of these teens use the stimulants to enhance their performance in school or sports because the drugs can help keep them awake, and give them energy and focus. However, when abused, stimulants can increase the dopamine levels of the brain too much and the result is a high that can be addicting. When addicted to a substance, the user wants more and more, and usually will find other ways to get a better feeling of euphoria. Soon, the pill popping might not be enough, and the person will move to crushing and snorting or even injecting these ADHD pills. Once a person gets this far, they have a real drug problem. The medication is no longer going to be enhancing the person’s performance; rather, they are helplessly addicted to the amphetamine and can’t stop themselves even if they want to.

Gateway Drugs

Now the question everyone is asking is this: are ADHD medications “gateway drugs” for more serious illicit drugs? Research is inconclusive in this area. There are those researchers that insist that kids with ADHD have no more tendencies to do illegal drugs as adults than the rest of the population. Others say that they have found a definite increase in these individuals growing up to do drugs later in life. However, if a child thinks that their prescribed medication can be passed around like candy to any friend that will pay for it, they most likely will not respect prescription (or any) drugs as an adult either.

Kids will be kids, and if the trend in a school is to sell ADHD medication, many kids are going to do it. But this trend is dangerous for many different reasons. First of all, teens all over the country have needed emergency medical attention because of the side effects of abusing these drugs. Increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, and even stroke are all risks when amphetamines are abused. Then there is the risk (whether proven or not) of addiction and illicit drug use in the future. Youth must be continuously educated about prescription drugs and how they are to be handled. We need to do more to help these kids understand the dangers of drug abuse, so this trend can stop.

Sources

http://www.additudemag.com/adhd-web/article/617.html

http://www.apa.org/releases/adhd_drugs.html

http://www.nida.nih.gov/infofacts/ADHD.html