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.

She may have been frustrated a few times with you but she never stopped loving you. Picking up the phone and saying, “Mom, I want to get clean. I want to break the cycle of addiction” will be the most beautiful words she can hear if drugs have taken over your life.

Now stop right there. Perhaps you are saying to yourself that this does not apply to you because your mother has passed away or you are a mother yourself. Well, yes it does, actually. Making a Mother’s Day decision to get clean in honor of your mother would be the most beautiful gift you could give, not only to her memory, but to yourself and your other loved ones as well.

If you are a mother, don’t you want to be around to see that child’s first date? Be there to take pictures of him and his date as they stop by on the way to the prom? Be there for her wedding? Be there for the birth of his own son, your first grandchild?

Mother’s Day celebrates mothers everywhere. Moms do not want fancy jewelry or vacation trips away from you. A simple “I love you and I want to overcome my addiction so I’m going into rehab” will be the most priceless gift you can give her. By making this decision in a time of celebrating what a mother is, you are showing her that all those years of her love and prayers and strength were worth it because you felt it through the chains of your addiction.

By deciding to get clean during the special celebration of Mother’s Day, you are showing your children that you want to be a good mother to them, that you want to get away from addiction and became the wonderful mother they deserve and that they know you can be.

The time to get into rehab is now. No matter what time of year, the time is now. Every day, it is now. Yet, since we are about to celebrate Mother’s Day, what greater gift can you give in honor of such a special day? Make the call to the rehab center. Then make the call to the ones you love the most.

Happy Mother’s Day.

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.

Does that mean we should legalize marijuana? Some people think so. Some states are leaning towards that venue. Texas is one of the states not looking at legalizing marijuana, at least not at this time. Texas has always been tougher on different issues, drugs being one of them. Still, sometimes Texas can be a little too tough on some things, as several cases come to the mind of this writer regarding other crimes and penalties entirely. Two high school sweethearts, one in jail because his birthday falls just after the school year plus he failed a grade. So he turns 19 in jail and his girlfriend is now 17 although they are one year apart in high school, a junior and a senior. This story is heard more and more in families and it is a sad case of Catch 22.

Rules are rules, though, right? Shouldn’t that hold true for drugs as well? If we are going to hold young people accountable for other crimes, then we need to hold drug dealers accountable for selling drugs. Should we legalize marijuana just to make it easier to prosecute minors? No. We should follow through with mandated sentences for dealing drugs, not make deals.

People who are addicted to drugs need rehab. Surprisingly to some, drug dealers are not always on drugs themselves. Drug addicts are not always minors. If marijuana is legalized, it will not solve this issue. Kids get older gets in college to buy their alcohol. They get friends who are eighteen to buy their cigarettes. They will get someone to buy the marijuana, too.

The drug dealers will still be selling drugs. Cocaine, heroin, anything illegal. It will still get sold. They will still sell marijuana to kids who are not old enough to buy it.

Yes, the case for legalizing marijuana makes sense. It is well thought out and organized. However, the case for not legalizing it makes sense, too. Who gets to decide if it becomes legal? The government? The people? Are our young people really the ones being thought about or is it another way to make money? Oh and a final question: if marijuana becomes legal, who is going to pay for rehab when our young people get hooked on a legal drug and spend their time high instead of in college or working?   Because making it legal does not make it free of being an addiction.

We should recognize the affects of alcoholism and drug addiction. We should counter it with therapy and care. We should go after it like a soldier goes after an evil force.

Does anyone wake up one day and decide to become an alcoholic instead of a doctor? Does one decide instead of being a fireman, to become a drug addict? It is not the goal of a person to succumb to substance abuse. Why act like it is?

Many people argue the fact as to whether alcoholism and drug addiction are diseases. Why? Because they say people have a choice. Fine. But wait a minute. Isn’t AIDS a disease? Isn’t HIV a blood disorder? Aren’t sexually transmitted diseases well, diseases? These were brought on by choices, too.

It is time to band together and treat the patient. Treat the addict. Go after the disease. Go after the addiction. Here in Texas, let’s take that “Don’t Mess with Texas” motto we are so proud of and see it for what it is meant to be: strength in numbers. Just as I wrote in a post earlier this week, if our legal system is figuring out things like dual diagnosis, then shouldn’t our other departments do so as well? The VA, anger management, community service projects, jail time, all could help with successful rehabilitation in different situations by recognizing that the person is not the problem, the addiction is.

If a person injures another, we go after that person, right? That is what addiction and alcoholism does. Go after the root of the problem, that addiction. Battle the enemy. Yes, a person can be held accountable for his or her actions but tell them they are accountable because they are worth saving, that person deep inside who is now being controlled by substance abuse is still in there and worth saving.

By doing so, you could be helping someone who could very well go on to becoming a rehab counselor, or the parent of the future doctor who finds a cure for cancer. How awesome would it be to have had a hand in that by helping an addict or alcoholic? Exactly.

I have been following along with some people who have allowed me to do so in order that others might learn from their mistakes.  I have been invited to group sessions and told people I write and promised to keep names anonymous.  I was told it would be good to point out something in hindsight: even if you do your time, even if you pay your debt, you are going to be punished for the rest of your life when it comes to drugs and looking for a job.

One gentleman told me he did a five year sentence for drunk driving. Did not hurt anyone, did not cause an accident. Never did. However, he was a repeat offender. The judge sent him to state jail. He is looking for a job as part of his parole and worried sick that he will not find one.

Another guy told me he will be on parole for ten more years for his repeat drug violations. Luckily, he has a job. He got one through an old friend of his from high school. No one else would hire him, not even a fast food restaurant.

One lady told me that she put that she had one drug violation as a 19 year old nearly 20 years earlier on an application and the manager sent her on her way the moment he saw it. So now she tells people she has no record of any kind. Lying got her a job. Being honest showed her the door.

Texas takes its drug and alcohol violations seriously. We do give second chances. Then, the “stand in the corner” type punishment (fines and possibly probation) turns to being grounded (definitely probation or even six months jail time). Then, if the person still does not learn his or lesson, state jail or prison.

But seriously, we should look at the individual aspects of a crime. If someone paid their dues, if they agree to drug testing and are honest and truthful? Give them a chance. Everyone makes mistakes. Those who get themselves clean and go through rehab?  They could end up being the best employee an employer ever had.