Jennifer’s legacy - Mother’s grief fuels push for substance abuse reform law

This is an interesting take on helping other with drug problems. I have usually believed that we need to let people kill themselves if they want--Alcoholics and drug addicts--you don't think clearly when on the drugs but if you take them willingly, do others have the right to stop you if you aren't hurting them?  This mother says YES. She believes if you can make decisions for a Alzheimer's victim then you can for someone messed up on mind-affecting chemicals too.

Well, she has a point. One I need to think about.

Jennifer’s legacy - Mother’s grief fuels push for substance abuse reform lawLargo Leader - Tampa Bay Newspapers: "Blair said the Jennifer Act could’ve given her the power she needed to save her daughter’s life. “I have power of attorney over my mother, who is 81 years old. I have legal rights to make decisions as her advocate because she is elderly and can’t make medical decisions for herself sometimes and I can take over her affairs,” Blair said. “I have the right to do that, but I didn’t have the right to do that with Jennifer because she was over 18. I needed the right to be able to do that for Jennifer just like I can do it now for my mom. It’s the same thing. You are stepping in for somebody until they are stable or get clarity and then you can give them that power back to make medical decisions.” "



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TV’s quiet 12-step revolution: Prestige comedies are changing the way we see addiction, sobriety and AA - Salon.com

Sarah Hepola is the author of the New York Times bestselling memoir, "Blackout: Remembering the Things I Drank to Forget." writes this "Article" (Its more like a novel!) about TV and our view of 12 Step programs. One of my biggest bitches with using AA members in TV and movie plots is the writer's need to get everyone drunk, especially their characters who have been sober for many years--so and so's sponsor who had 15 to 30 years. I hate it. In the name of "plot tension" they always get the sober guys drunk--its like Hollywood can't figure out that the 12 Step program actually WORKS for many people--in Hollywood members of AA always fail in recovery--ostensibly to give the plot more spice.

Sarah writes about drama and comedy and AA--gives some great examples and complains that Hollywood makes sobriety look easy, "Stories about addicts follow a familiar arc: the exhilaration of alcohol or drugs, followed by the train wreck, and then — tah-dah! — a shiny new life in recovery." Maybe, but they also make it look basically unattainable and everyone at some time has to get drunk again! Since there are many of us DON'T get drunk again--I find it insulting to show audiences only one side of AA--get in trouble, get in treatment, change your life, relapse at some point!

I'm grateful that recovery is part of life portrayed on TV today. Now lets get real and cut the easy way out of writing "tension" into a plot--try reality--and start with those of us that don't slip for the shock value. Read Sarah's piece here:


TV’s quiet 12-step revolution: Prestige comedies are changing the way we see addiction, sobriety and AA - Salon.com: "People often complain that recovery stories are all the same, because they follow the same trajectory, which is sort of like saying that human lives are all the same, because we all wind up dead. The drama is entirely in how we get there. What I think people are saying is that we keep telling recovery stories in the same way, and it’s boring. Fair enough. I think we need more stories, better stories, different stories. "



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Alcoholic now has 100 convictions after verbal abuse in Crawley church

Alcoholism. Isn't it wonderful? /sarc

Alcoholic now has 100 convictions after verbal abuse in Crawley church and at Gatwick | Crawley News: "At the court appearance on Wednesday last week (March 9) Haynes pleaded guilty to one count of assaulting a police officer, one count of racially aggravated assault, three counts of being abusive towards members of the public and police officers, and one count of failing to appear in court. Prosecutor Melanie Wotton explained that Haynes was battling an alcohol problem. She said: "On November 25, 2015 Mr Haynes was on a bus coming back from Brighton where he was intoxicated."



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Parents are hiring this man to search their kids’ rooms with a drug-sniffing dog - The Washington Post

I have always been for drug testing our kids, especially when there is reason to suspect that the child is in trouble. But drug Sniffing dogs? that might be a better way to find drugs in your home, and I am conflicted. How can you protect your young person if you don't know exactly what is going on? And don't give me this "If you raised them right you could trust them" crop because it simply is not true. It is a young person's job to break away from their parents even when it involves drugs..a right of passage is hiding things from Mom and Dad and testing the waters... any kid who doesn't won't break free to begin their own life.

Still, this is a good article and maybe worth considering--its less invasive than some drug test kits...

Read the article below.

Parents are hiring this man to search their kids’ rooms with a drug-sniffing dog - The Washington Post: "In nine out of 10 homes, Davis told The Washington Post, his dogs have located drugs. The most common drug the drug-sniffing dogs find is heroin, Davis said, though his dogs have also turned up cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamines and barbiturates, sometimes elaborately hidden in homes and cars."



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Almost 90 Percent of Teens Who Abuse ADHD Drugs Use Someone Else’s Medication

Almost 90 Percent of Teens Who Abuse ADHD Drugs Use Someone Else’s Medication - Partnership for Drug-Free Kids: "Using someone else’s medication was the most frequently reported form of misuse, at 88 percent, the researchers wrote in Drug and Alcohol Dependence. The study found 39 percent took more medication than prescribed."

Interesting--but not nearly comprehensive enough. I have news for these folks, most drugs that are abused include the user using other's meds! How so? When pills are prescribed and the person begins to abuse and take more than necessary--they run out quickly but can't get the doctor to write another script. It used to be easy to get multiple doctors to write scripts but new laws have cut down widely on that practice, so what happens? The drug abuser then goes to the streets, "borrows" meds from their friends and steals them from everyone else.

In the 12 step programs, there are some members who get caught up in the practice of using other's meds--telling themselves they are sober and just "borrowing" the pills for some pain. It is a huge problem right now because they don't actually pick up alcoholic but relapse on pills telling themselves they are sober.

The remedy? Honesty--tell the one nodding off in the meeting the truth and discuss taking meds in meetings.



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Parents should 'try everything' to stop kids' drug abuse, youth worker says

Finally, an honest worker who admits that kids drug abuse is not the result of bad parenting!!!! About time.

Parents should 'try everything' to stop kids' drug abuse, youth worker says - Manitoba - CBC News: "Drug use isn't a result of bad parenting, but parents should step up if they suspect their kids might be using, she said. Any change in the kid's typical behaviour should prompt parents to investigate, she said."



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Using Great Photos to create messages

Scott Wilson of Scott Wilson Photography has contributed to my campaign of presenting messages using great photos---Here is a way to think about God or is it God thinking about you?

Correlation of drug, child abuse is a wake-up call |

We most often talk about Parents who are trying to care for their drug addicted kids--but the reverse is also true--often kids are trying to care for their addicted parents! and they suffer the abuse and neglect of parents who are not in their right minds and emotions. The article is interesting--the situations are really sad. If you know of these situations, what would you do?

Correlation of drug, child abuse is a wake-up call | Editorials | www.journalgazette.net: "New data from Kids Count in Indiana show 13.4 percent of children were found to be living with a parent who abused drugs or alcohol. It also places the state fifth highest in the nation for first-time victims of child abuse or neglect reported in the past year. Pratt, who handles children-in-need-of-services cases, commonly known as CHINS cases, sees firsthand the effects of drugs on children whose parents are abusing substances."



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Nothing matters until we know it does

I always have to say to parents of teens and preteens--you don't know you need my workbook until its too late! Parents don't think drug crisis prevention is important until their kid is in real trouble. Even when they are beginning to get into trouble parents don't believe it's happening to their family and blame their child's friends. Parents don't wnat to believe their kid is in real danger until its in their face! So this is a great cartoon--meant for business people, just change a few words and it can refer to parents of teens.

until we know it does - Gapingvoid Blog | Gapingvoid Blog: "This is a riff on a constant theme of mine, “Nothing happens until somebody feels something.”
In other words, it’s amazing that for something to actually matter to us, a switch inside our head needs to be suddenly activated, instantaneously. And until that moment arrives, you’re wasting your time trying to change behavior.
But it’s too easy to forget this, when you’re sitting in a meeting, looking all sharp and businesslike, trying to sound clever and important."



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Brave Mom Tells Truth about her Daughter's Heroin Death

Here's is a brave Mom--she actually put what killed her daughter, heroin addiction, into the obituary! If more people did that, parents might get a better idea of how prevalent the problem is! Rathter than  saying an accident, families might tell the truth--an accident while drunk! Rather than say suicide, say a suicide while stoned on PCP, rather than say simply "overdose" try saying "they took too many pills stolen from their parents". It would be very very hard to tell the truth about drug and alcohol deaths but could and would help so many others understand the scope of alcohol and drug abuse in this country.

Portraits Of Those Killed By Heroin Bring Healing And Awareness : NPR: "When Jackie Zanfagna died last year at 25 years old, her parents did something bold. In the first sentence of her obituary they acknowledge what killed her: an accidental overdose of heroin."



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Retraining Parents To Bond With Kids To Break Addiction Cycle

In our work book for parents Sober Coaching Your Teen, this is exactly what we do, retrain parents regarding their kids and drug prevention/abuse. The traditional methods "love them enough and all is well" approach has turned out to be a dismal failure. But training parents in effective ways to deal with kids make them part of the solution, not problem. No more enabling!!!! Read about what  Nemours Children’s Hospital and UCF have started.

Retraining Parents To Bond With Kids To Break Addiction Cycle - 90.7 WMFE: "“Trading out that sense of pleasure they get from the drug for the sense of pleasure that a lot of parents get from their children,” Boris said. “Not 24-7 because parenting is hard, but there are very important moments for parents.”"



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