Woodlands Treatment Center

There Is No Blame; There Is Only Love

This is written by Ann Karasinski, a retired school psychologist, but she says her most important work has been parenting. She and her family live in Belmont, Michigan. Karasinski's daughter, Katie, has been in recovery for two years and has a 16-month-old son of her own. This piece was taken from Morning Edition on National Public Radio. It is a series called "This I Believe".

You don't expect your child to grow up to be a heroin addict. From the moment of her birth, you have hopes and dreams about the future, but they never include heroin addiction. That couldn't happen to your child, because addiction is the result of a bad environment, bad parenting. There is most definitely someone or something to blame.

That's what I used to believe. But after failed rehab and long periods of separation from my heroin-addicted daughter, after years of holding my breath, waiting for another relapse, I now believe there is no blame.

After Katie admitted her addiction, I struggled to understand how this could have happened to my daughter — a bright, beautiful, talented and most importantly, loved young woman. When the initial shock wore off, I analyzed and inventoried all the whys and hows of Katie's addiction. I searched for someone or something to blame. I blamed her friends. I blamed her dad. I blamed our divorce. But mostly, I blamed myself. My desperate heart convinced me that I should have prevented Katie's addiction, and that given another chance, I could correct my mistakes.

When Katie came home from rehab, I approached each day with the zeal of a drill sergeant. I championed the 12-step program and monitored her improvement daily as though curing heroin addiction was as simple as nursing a cold. I drove her to therapy sessions and AA meetings. I controlled everything and left nothing to chance. But in spite of my efforts, Katie didn't get better. She left my home, lost again to the powerful grip of addiction.

In the long days, weeks and months that followed, I gathered bits and pieces of old beliefs and tried to assemble them into something whole. Sometimes I gave up, and sometimes I simply let go. Gradually, my search for blame changed to a longing for hope. I comforted myself with the only thing that still connected me to my daughter: love.

I thought about Katie every day, and I missed her. I cried, and worried about her safety and whereabouts. I wrote letters I knew she'd never see. Sometimes I woke up panicked in the middle of the night, certain that my mother's intuition was preparing me for something bad. But through it all, I loved her.

I don't know why or how my daughter became addicted to heroin; I do know that it doesn't really matter. Life goes on, and Katie is still my daughter.

Katie and I meet for breakfast on Friday mornings now. We drink coffee and talk. I don't try to heal her. I just love her. Sometimes there is pain and sorrow, but there is no blame. I believe there is only love.

Alarming Study From CASA

CASA* 2006 Teen Survey Reveals: Teen Parties Awash in Alcohol, Marijuana and Illegal Drugs -- Even When Parents Are Present

14^TH Birthday Marks Turning Point in Teen Substance Abuse Risk

WASHINGTON, August 17, 2006 – One-third of teens and nearly half of 17-year olds attend house parties where parents are present and teens are drinking, smoking marijuana or using cocaine, Ecstasy or prescription drugs, according to the National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse XI: Teens and Parents, an annual back-to-school survey conducted by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University.

CASA’s survey also reveals that teens who say parents are not present at the parties they attend are 16 times likelier to say alcohol is available, 15 times likelier to say illegal and prescription drugs are available and 29 times likelier to say marijuana is available, compared to teens who say parents are always present at the parties they attend.

“Teen drinking and drugging is a parent problem. Too many parents fail to fulfill their responsibility to chaperone their kids’ parties. They have no idea how drug- and alcohol-infested their teens’ world is,” said Joseph A. Califano, Jr., CASA’s chairman and president and former U.S. Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare. “The denial, self-delusion and lack of awareness of these parental palookas put their children at enormous risk of drinking and using illegal and prescription drugs.”

Parental Blinders
The survey also found:

• 80 percent of parents believe that neither alcohol nor marijuana is usually available at parties their teens attend. BUT 50 percent of teen partygoers attend parties where alcohol, drugs or both are available.
• 98 percent of parents say they are normally present during parties they allow their teens to have at home. BUT a third of teen partygoers report that parents are rarely or never present at the parties they attend.
• 99 percent of parents say they would not be willing to serve alcohol at their teen’s party. BUT 28 percent of teen partygoers have been at parties at a home where parents were present and teens were drinking alcohol.
• Only 12 percent of parents see drugs as their teen’s greatest concern. BUT twice as many teens (27 percent) say drugs are their greatest concern.

“Parents need to wake up and smell the pot and beer,” Califano said. “If your teen is having a party at your home, you should not only be there, but be aware of what is going on. And if your teen attends a party at someone else’s home, confirm that the parents will be present and that alcohol and drugs will not. The reality is that even when parents are present at a party, some kids will try to sneak in substances.”

CASA’s eleventh teen survey finds that teens attending three or more parties a month are at two and one half times the risk for substance abuse compared to teens that do not attend parties.

The Dangerous Divide: Age 13 to 14
The transition from age 13 to age 14 is a particularly risky time for American teens.
Compared to 13-year olds, 14-year olds are:

• Four times likelier to be offered prescription drugs;
• Three times likelier to be offered Ecstasy;
• Three times likelier to be offered marijuana; and
• Two times likelier to be offered cocaine.

The CASA survey also reveals that, compared to 13-year olds, 14-year olds are almost three times likelier to attend parties where parents are present and teens drink alcohol; two times likelier to attend parties where parents are present and teens smoke pot; and four times likelier to attend parties where parents are present and teens use other drugs.

The Age of Rude Awakening: 17
By the time a teen reaches age 17:

• One in four (26 percent) will personally know someone their age that was the victim of gun violence, and 27 percent will have personally witnessed drug sales in their neighborhood;
• Seven out of 10 will have been offered an illegal drug; and
• Almost half (46 percent) will have attended a party at which teens were drinking alcohol, smoking pot, or using cocaine, Ecstasy or prescription drugs while a parent was present.

Other striking findings:

• One in five 12- to 17-year olds (19 percent) has personally witnessed the sale of drugs in their neighborhood, and these teens are more than two and one half times the risk of substance abuse compared to teens who have not seen the sale of drugs in their neighborhood.
• One in five 12- to 17-year olds (19 percent) personally knows someone their age who was the victim of gun violence, and these teens are at twice the risk of substance abuse compared to teens who do not know someone their age who was the victim of gun violence.
• Hispanic and African American 12- and 13-year olds are being offered illegal drugs at three times the rate of white 12- and 13-year olds (20 percent vs. seven percent).
• For the first time, the CASA survey reveals that at every age, the substance abuse gender gap has closed. Girls 12 to 17 are at equal or higher substance abuse risk compared to boys of the same age.
• Ten million 12- to 17-year olds (38 percent) say they can buy marijuana within a day, and 5 million (19 percent) can buy marijuana in an hour or less.
• Parental separation and divorce are associated with higher teen substance-abuse risk.
• Most high school students (51 percent) and one in five middle school students (20 percent) attend a school where drugs are used, kept or sold.

QEV Analytics conducted The National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse XI: Teens and Parents from March 9 to April 30, 2006. The firm interviewed at home by telephone a nationally representative random sample of 1,297 12- to 17-year olds (591 boys, 706 girls) and 562 parents (84 percent of whom were parents of teens surveyed). To compensate for under-representation of Hispanic and African American teens, an over-sample of these groups was obtained by surveying in counties with high concentrations of the target populations (40 percent or more Hispanic or African American). Sampling error is +/- three percent for teens, +/- four percent for parents.

A New Treatment For Alcoholism Gives New Hope

Vivitrol, a version of the drug naltrexone, is the first injectable drug to treat alcohol dependence. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has now approved Vivitrol for alcoholics. A similar medication has been available in pill form for some time, but the injectable version of the drug may be easier for people recovering from alcohol dependence to use consistently.  The injection is given once monthly and most insurance companies pay for the medication.

What does this mean to you? It means that there may be a light at the end of the tunnel for those of us who cannot seem to stay sober using ONLY traditional means.  Alcoholism is a chronic, often progressive disease. Left untreated, alcoholism can lead to mental health problems, jail time and can be fatal. But help is available. Vivitrol may be an effective part of a comprehensive treatment plan to help you stay sober.  Call Bob Jones at Woodlands Treatment Center...1-864-288-7636

How Serious Is My Drug Problem?

What about me (or my loved one)?  How do I know if this drug use is REALLY a problem?  After all, I'm not lurking in an alley looking for a fix!  Right?  There is a standard test called DAST or the Drug Abuse Screening Test (formerly DAST-20).  Take a minute to answer the simple questions in the test.  You can give me a call.  It is all confidential.  You don't even have to give me your name.  1-864-288-7636.  Ask for Bob.

WOODLANDS TREATMENT CENTER

Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST)

1.      Have you used drugs other than those required for medical reasons?    (   ) Y      (   ) N

2.      Have you misused prescription drugs?    (   ) Y      (   ) N

3.      Do you misuse more than one drug at a time?    (   ) Y      (   ) N

4.      Can you get through the week without using drugs (other than those required

         for medical reasons)?    (   ) Y      (   ) N

5.      Are you always able to stop using drugs when you want to?    (   ) Y      (   ) N

6.      Do you misuse drugs on a continuous basis?    (   ) Y      (   ) N

7.      Do you try to limit your drug use to certain situations?    (   ) Y      (   ) N

8.      Have you had "blackouts" or "flashbacks" as a result of drug use?    (   ) Y      (   ) N

9.      Do you ever feel bad about your drug misuse?    (   ) Y      (   ) N

10.     Does your spouse (or parents) ever complain about your involvement with drugs?    (   ) Y   (   ) N

11.     Do your friends or relatives know or suspect you misuse drugs?    (   ) Y      (   ) N

12.     Has drug misuse ever created problems between you and your spouse?    (   ) Y      (   ) N

13.     Has any family member ever sought help for problems related to your drug use?    (   ) Y     (   ) N

Have you ever:

14.     Lost friends because of your use of drugs?    (   ) Y      (   ) N

15.     Neglected your family or missed work because of your use of drugs?    (   ) Y      (   ) N

16.     Been in trouble at work because of drug misuse?    (   ) Y      (   ) N

17.     Lost a job because of drug misuse?    (   ) Y      (   ) N

18.     Gotten into fights when under the influence of drugs?    (   ) Y      (   ) N

19.     Been arrested because of unusual behavior while under the influence of drugs?    (   ) Y      (   ) N

20.     Been arrested for driving while under the influence of drugs?    (   ) Y      (   ) N

21.     Engaged in illegal activities to obtain drugs?    (   ) Y      (   ) N

22.     Been arrested for possession of illegal drugs?    (   ) Y      (   ) N

23.   Experienced withdrawal symptoms as a result of heavy drug intake?    (   ) Y      (   ) N

24.     Had medical problems as a result of your drug use (eg, memory loss, hepatitis,

         convulsions, or bleeding)?    (   ) Y      (   ) N

25.     Gone to anyone for help for a drug problem?    (   ) Y      (   ) N

26.     Been in hospital for medical problems related to your drug use?    (   ) Y      (   ) N

27.     Been involved in a treatment program specifically related to drug use?    (   ) Y      (   ) N

28.     Been treated as an outpatient for problems related to drug dependence or misuse?

              (   ) Y      (   ) N

Top Ten Addiction Myths and Myth Busters

Think you know about addiction? Then these common myths may sound familiar:

Myth 1: Drug addiction is voluntary behavior. You start out occasionally using alcohol or other drugs, and that is a voluntary decision. But as times passes, something happens, and you become a compulsive drug user. Why? Because over time, continued use of addictive drugs changes your brain — in dramatic, toxic ways at times, more subtly at others, but virtually always in ways that result in compulsive and even uncontrollable drug use.

Myth 2: Drug addiction is a character flaw. Drug addiction is a brain disease. Every type of drug — from alcohol to heroin — has its own mechanism for changing how the brain functions. But regardless of the addiction, the effects on the brain are similar, ranging from changes in the molecules and cells that make up the brain to mood and memory processes — even on motor skills such as walking and talking. The drug becomes the single most powerful motivator in your life.

Myth 3: You can't force someone into treatment. Treatment does not have to be voluntary. Those coerced into treatment by the legal system can be just as successful as those who enter treatment voluntarily. Sometimes they do better, as they are more likely to remain in treatment longer and to complete the program. In 1999, over half of adolescents admitted into treatment were directed to do so by the criminal justice system.

Myth 4: Treatment for drug addiction should be a one-shot deal. Like many other illnesses, drug addiction typically is a chronic disorder. Some people can quit drug use “cold turkey,” or they can stop after receiving treatment just one time at a rehabilitation facility. But most people who abuse drugs require longer-term treatment and, in many instances, repeated treatments.

Myth 5: We should strive to find a "magic bullet" to treat all forms of drug abuse. There is no “one size fits all” form of drug treatment, much less a magic bullet that suddenly will cure addiction. Different people have different drug abuse-related problems. And they respond very differently to similar forms of treatment, even when they're abusing the same drug. As a result, drug addicts need an array of treatments and services tailored to address their unique needs. Finding an approach that is personally effective can mean trying out several different doctors or treatment centers before a “match” is found between patient and program.

Myth 6: People don't need treatment. They can stop using drugs if they really want to. It is extremely hard for people addicted to drugs to achieve and maintain long-term abstinence. Research shows that when long-term drug use actually changes a person's brain function, it causes them to crave the drug even more, making it increasingly difficult to quit without effective treatment. Intervening and stopping substance abuse early is important, as children become addicted to drugs much faster than adults and risk greater physical, mental and psychological harm.

Myth 7: Treatment just doesn't work. Studies show drug treatment reduces drug use by 40 to 60 percent and can significantly decrease criminal activity during and after treatment. There is also evidence that drug addiction treatment reduces the risk of infectious disease, Hepatitis C and HIV infection — intravenous-drug users who enter and stay in treatment are up to six times less likely to become infected with HIV — and improves the prospects for getting and keeping a job up to 40 percent.

Myth 8: No one voluntarily seeks treatment until they hit rock bottom. There are many things that can motivate a person to enter and complete treatment before that happens. Pressure from family members and employers, as well as personal recognition that they have a problem, can be powerful motivators. For teens, parents and school administrators are often driving forces in getting them into treatment before situations become dire.

Myth 9: People can successfully finish drug abuse treatment in a couple of weeks if they're truly motivated. For treatment to have an effect, research indicates a minimum of 90 days of treatment for outpatient drug-free programs, and 21 days for short-term inpatient programs. Follow-up supervision and support are essential. In all recovery programs, the best predictor of success is the length of treatment. Patients who are treated for at least a year are more than twice as likely to remain drug free, and a recent study showed adolescents who met or exceeded the minimum treatment time were over one and a half times more likely to stay away from drugs and alcohol.

Myth 10: People who continue to abuse drugs after treatment are hopeless. Completing a treatment program is merely the first step in the struggle for recovery that can last a lifetime. Drug addiction is a chronic disorder; occasional relapses do not mean failure. Psychological stress from work or family problems, social cues — meeting some from the drug-using past — or the environment — encountering streets, objects or even smells associated with drug use — can easily trigger a relapse. Addicts are most vulnerable to drug use during the few months immediately following their release from treatment. Recovery is a long process and frequently requires multiple treatment attempts before complete and consistent sobriety can be achieved.

(Sources: National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institute of Health; Dr. Alan I. Leshner, former director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse; “The Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research-Based Guide” (October 1999); The Partnership for a Drug-Free America)

From the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's "Silent Treatment: Addiction in America" project, produced by Public Access Journalism LLC.)

Important Web Site To Visit

"More than 22 million Americans age 12 and older are addicted to drugs and alcohol, but nine out of 10 fail to get the treatment they need."

This is the introductory comment found at Silent Treatment: Addiction In America.  It is a powerful and informative site that is well worth your attention.  How about checking it out and then giving us some feedback here at the blog.  Here is the link:  http://www.silenttreatment.info/