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Lasso That Addiction
In North Texas this week, a Utah man pleaded guilty in the death of his 5 year-old son back in December, 2008. A young boy, looking forward to a visit from Santa, instead went on to a higher place of excitement and eternity, leaving behind a heartbroken family. All because of a parent’s addiction to methadone.
This post is not about tearing down a father who, no matter what his sentence, will be serving his own self-inflicted life term. It is instead a post about how our addictions truly do affect those around us, and our younger children can become terminal victims by getting into the drugs we may have in our possession
When a person is addicted to drugs, when he or she is in the middle of that high, right and wrong, common sense, rationality, it all takes a back seat. Truthfully, have you ever woke up in the morning with a serious hangover from the night before, possibly not even remembering certain events? Did you ever smoke crack or take heroin and wake up, not necessarily remembering but instead, yearning for yet another fix?
If you are a parent of young children, or even if you have teenagers around, once you are out of touch with reality, you have no idea what they could be getting into. This does make you responsible. If you are lucky, nothing happens. At worst, maybe you catch your teenager stealing your cigarettes or some beer from the fridge and you ground him or her for simply following your actions. But if you aren’t so lucky, you could be like a North Texas family, a father from Utah, parents all over this country and others as well, losing a special blessing like little Lane, a bright and cheerful, smart and inquisitive young boy who already had dreams of what he wanted to do when he grew up. He wanted to be a cowboy.
If reading this makes you want to hug your own little ones a little closer, if it makes you want to re-think that addiction you secretly (or not so secretly) have, then don’t hesitate. Reach for the phone and make plans to get help now. Become what a parent truly is to a child, a hero who is always there. Do it for your sons, your daughters. Do it so that the death of little Lane was not in vain. If you make the decision to get clean based on the death of Lane Owen, you can know inside your own heart that he is up there looking down with a smile as he knows he has helped you win a tough competition, lassoing your addiction.
“The Man”
Okay, now here is a good argument against drugs and for rehab. Many 
people on drugs argue against “the man”. So, for those who do? Think about this. More and more arrests are being made involving drugs and alcohol. More and more arrests mean more money for the court system, the officers, the city and the county, therefore the state, and therefore, “the man”.
Okay, this is not an article against politics but let’s face it, the first paragraph got your attention, right? The truth is, yes, there are more arrests. With the economy today, people are turning more to drugs and alcohol to forget, to feed their depression and to just get through the day, the night, the week.
But think about this: every dime spent on cocaine, heroin, marijuana, alcohol, every dime is taking away from helping yourself in other areas. You could put that money towards a class or trade school. You could put it in savings. You could buy a family board game and spend time with your children, memories that will last a lifetime in a much sweeter way than them witnessing an arrest and visiting you in jail.
Drugs and alcohol can make you forget the outside world for a little while but it will not go away. Sooner or later, we all have to face our actions and deal with the consequences.
Think about what is really important in your life the next time you make a drug deal or buy a case of beer that will be gone by morning with you being the only drinker. Buried within those walls you have put up is a person who once had dreams, a person who has loved ones, perhaps a spouse or children, a person who MATTERS. Yes, you matter.
I don’t apologize for using “the man” tactic as an excuse to get you to notice this article. I simply wanted to get your attention so that you get the true message of this article: with this economy, many of us are bound to feel sorry for ourselves, and yes, even with good reason. But sinking into the forgetful addiction of drugs or alcohol is not the answer. It puts us further in debt, sets a bad example for our children, and costs us everything dear to us.
This economy makes us feel out of control but guess what? There IS something you can control. You can a) stay away from the pitfalls of addiction or b) reach for the phone and call that number there at the side and get into rehab. The feeling of taking control of a seemingly hopeless situation will increase as you learn the tools to stay clean.
In this case, “the man” is really the addiction to drugs or alcohol. Stick it to him and show him you can overcome his power. Oh, and if you do not have insurance and you are broke? See what programs the government offers to help addicts get clean. A little-known positive in these rough times.
Genesis: A New Beginning for Women
Both genders are remarkable in their own ways for many reasons. This post and the next will focus on each individually. With the old addage of “ladies first”, this one will be about women.
From soccer moms to single mothers, from teens to older women, addiction does not discriminate against age or lifestyles. Whatever the reason that a woman has turned to drugs or alcohol, however hopeless she may feel, it is imperative for her to understand that she is worth saving and there is a way out.
Here in Texas there are many rehab programs to help women to overcome addiction. One of them is the Genesis recovery program. This is a year long recovery process, ensuring that someone has the time needed in many cases to become thoroughly detoxed and build the tools necessary to keep a relapse at bay.
The Genesis program in Wichita Falls is led b
y a woman who has herself traveled the road that many addicts travel. She lost everything and became homeless because of addiction and then one day back in 2001, sought help through divine faith and began her journey back to sobriety and getting clean.
Because of her own battle, she has become the perfect combat buddy for other women who find themselves trapped in an addiction. She knows what these other women are going through. She knows what it is like to be homeless, to be addicted, to feel hopeless.
The Genesis program gives women a safe haven. Many of them also have to get away from significant others who are either using, making them use or being abusive. Most addicts do have a dual diagnosis of some sort, whether it be depression or a physical ailment on top of the drug or alcohol addiction. This year long recovery program allows them to focus on what is important, their health, their hope, their victory.
Genesis means beginning. For these women, it truly is. The beginning of a new life free of drugs and alcohol. The beginning of new friendships and support. The beginning of realizing the strength one has within herself. The beginning of the realization that she always deserved this help, that she is redeemable, that she is worthy, that she does have something to offer the world.
For more information, call 940-723-5663. This call will be the beginning of working your way back to being the wonderful person you were, you are and that you were meant to be.
Suicide is Not the Answer
Prescription drug addiction is a growing epidemic. It does not just affect every day people but those who have reached celebrity status as well. So it was with pain as a fan, a mother and a regular human being that I read about the suicide of former child star Dana Plato’s son.
Dana Plato was a talented actress. However, the producers of Different Strokes did not go the route that so many do and fired her for being pregnant. It was then that this writer, who was the same age as Dana Plate, stopped watching the show.
When Dana Plato died, I grieved in the way of a normal fan. I felt sadness and as a mother, my heart went out to her own child. When her death was ruled a suicide by overdose, I felt somewhat aggravated at her for leaving that legacy for her son. Still, I had been taught to not judge others and instead hugged each of my own three children a little tighter that day.
I have never believed in suicide but I have learned that addiction destroys our common sense and our thinking, leading us to do things we never would have considered before being taken over by drugs or alcohol. The fact that she was addicted to prescription drugs is not in question following a forgery for Valium.
We all have things we have to deal with in our lives. If we have an addiction, it can make those situations multiply into catastrophic events whether they are or not. To this day, I can not fathom leaving a legacy of suicide behind for my children to cope with but I have never walked in the shoes of someone such as Dana Plato.
If you have heard of the suicide of Dana Plato’s son this week and you have an addiction, then I urge you to seek rehab. Think about this: what you do affects other people. Suicide affects your loved ones. If you don’t believe me, think about Tyler Lambert. Don’t let his death be just another story. If you have children or loved ones, even if you are a teenager or college student just starting out,, then do yourself and your loved ones a favor. Get help. Spend the summer in rehab and begin a new life for yourself free of addiction. Suicide is not the answer to the questions you are surely asking yourself if you are addicted to drugs or alcohol.
Help really and truly is just a phone call away. Don’t leave a legacy of tragedy for your family. Do it for yourself, for them and for the future. For every person who gets help after reading this article, know this: you are stating that you want to break free and if your choice was affected by a certain young man’s suicide, you are showing that young Tyler Lambert did not die in vain. You could be keeping your own loved ones from a depression-caused suicide by seeking help for your addiction now.
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