Posts Tagged ‘Alcohol’
“The Man”
Last Updated on Friday, 9 July 2010 12:08 Written by Monica Friday, 9 July 2010 12:08
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.
Tags: addiction, Alcohol, drugs, rehab, the man | Posted under Texas Rehab | No Comments
Suicide is Not the Answer
Last Updated on Thursday, 13 May 2010 06:05 Written by Monica Thursday, 13 May 2010 06:05
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.
Tags: Alcohol, depression, drugs, prescription addiction, suicide | Posted under Texas Rehab | No Comments
The Ultimate Mother’s Day Gift
Last Updated on Tuesday, 6 April 2010 07:07 Written by Monica Tuesday, 6 April 2010 07:07
Easter just passed and everyone knows what comes next, Mother’s Day, then Father’s Day. Two very special days set aside to acknowledge our parents. Whether you are a mom or have a mom, if drug addiction or alcoholism is affecting your family, this is the perfect time to give, well, the perfect gift.
If you have a problem, get help. Seek treatment in a Texas rehab program. Imagine this, going to your mother and admitting you have a problem and that you want to get help now. It would be the ultimate Mother’s Day gift. She has likely prayed and begged you time and again to get help. She isn’t doing it to nag. She does it because she loves you.
Now, on the other hand, are you a mother with a drug or alcohol problem? Make a promise to be there for years to come for your children by seeking help now. Give your children one of the greatest lessons you can: that it is not shameful to seek help and that you and they are worth getting that help for.
Whether you are a young man who saw combat in a war zone, a college student or high school student, you have a mother who loves you and wants nothing in life except your happiness. Whether you are a parent yourself, or a free and easy going single young person, or even someone older and supposedly more mature in your 30s, 40s or 50s, if you have a drug or alcohol problem, get help.
A card is lovely, a gift is nice, a trip to the casino is fun but honestly? No mother would take any of those over the possibility that her child, no matter his or her age, is getting help for a substance abuse problem.
This sounds like a good idea but you are not sure just where to start? Call the toll free number you see on this site. We can help you help yourself. Or email us and we will quickly respond. Texas has some wonderful rehab programs and we are here to help you find one and get your treatment started.
This Mother’s Day, show her how much you love her. Acknowledge you need help and get it. Your mother will always love you, and by getting help, you are showing her that you want to make many more wonderful memories together. I promise you, it is the ultimate Mother’s Day gift. Just ask your mom.
Tags: Alcohol, drug addiction, Mother's Day, rehab, treatment | Posted under Texas Rehab | No Comments
Drug Use, War and Veterans
Last Updated on Tuesday, 23 March 2010 07:17 Written by Monica Tuesday, 23 March 2010 07:17
USA Today has an article in it stating that the increase in drug use among soldiers is due to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Soldiers come back with injuries and PTSD and get hooked on prescription pain medication and mood swing pills. As the 7th anniversary of the war in Iraq is this month, it seems like a fitting and interesting piece to read.
Perhaps part of the reason for the rise in drug use is the fact that medications are sent constantly through the U.S. mail? It takes forever for a soldier to get seen, some are still waiting for their VA cards, but the medications come left and right, with the soldier even being confused as to what each one is for. Not surprising if one of those injuries affected the brain and if there is a diagnosis of PTSD.
Prescription pain medications are meant to help people but yes, they can be addictive. The intended patient and others can get hooked on them. That is why it is best to be under a doctor’s care so the patient can be monitored. But with a system where a soldier is constantly having to start over, where he or she consistently hears the dismissal attitude that questions the integrity and experience of the soldier or veteran, is it any wonder that it appears prescription pain medication use is on the rise? Not to mention alcohol and marijuana use?
When a soldier comes home, he lives with survivors’ guilt because the same blast that killed his comrade “only” gave him a headache or “only” took an arm or a leg. But realistically, that soldier with an amputated limb or head injury
comes home to a new battle, one with the VA where his service is questioned and when someone does believe the DD214 is legitimate, doesn’t want to hear about his experiences because it will give that person PTSD. If a person can claim such a diagnosis second hand, how much more real is it then for the youth who actually lived it?
“Not in the system” is a term many veterans are hearing over and over and over again. Is it any wonder they turn to marijuana and alcohol use? In drug rehab, we are taught about enabling. How enabling is it for a system to turn its back on the very soldiers it was set up for? It’s hard for them to fight for their rights when they are remembering the buddy who lost a life. It’s hard for them to question the fairness of a system that doles out millions in bonus checks to employees while wounded veterans are kicked to the curb.
So they quietly go to their corner, drink a few more shots and smoke a little more weed. They take the pills delivered by mail when what they also need is counseling, medical monitoring and a call center set up that does not belittle their contribution to their country. If a call center representative spoke to a customer the way some of the ones for the VA system speak to veterans, that representative would be out on the street looking for another job. Instead, he or she is just lining the pockets of the higher ups with fatter bonus checks. Whether the veteran is in Texas, Michigan, Florida or another state, he or she needs something besides mailed prescription bottles. Maybe that’s why drug use is on the rise among those who have been to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Tags: Alcohol, drug use, marijuana, prescription pain medication, VA | Posted under Texas Rehab | 1 Comment
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