A USA Facts Health Survey answered the question: Is Teen Drug and Alcohol Use Declining?
The numbers are encouraging, but numbers describe people— young people — whose use and abuse of alcohol and drugs create ripples— usually harmful and painful.
These ripples are hard to quantify —and the pain, confusion and troubles that erupt when casual use becomes abuse are hard to heal.
Helping young people who abuse drugs and alcohol — our children — into recovery is . . . hard.
We can control their choices — up to a point. But
We can control our choices, though.
Ignoring, or denying the power drugs and booze has over our kids can lead to an unhappy dead-end.
If nothing ever changes, nothing ever changes.*
Experimentation is what kids do— it’s how we all learn.
But the stakes are often way higher than they used to be — What point is one too many experiments?
That’s where our learning about the difference between use and abuse helps; so does understanding the nature of addiction. (. . . the aftermath of an overdose)
Figuring out which “experts” will be the most helpful— that’s hard, too. Two helped me: prayer and God.
Statistics in the Article Describe Hurting People
The Serenity Prayer may sound like a weird tool to help the hurting, and God, a peculiar source of help, but He is on call 24/7.
I’ve needed that prayer and God’s help when trying to accept what I can change and what I can’t when people I know and love can’t or won’t get help.
I’ve needed kindred spirits, too: real people who listen and love and help. Another resource that has been especially helpful is Al-Anon.
Dear reader, thank you for reading.
For what it is worth, I am weeping with you if your beloved child is out on a dangerous limb.
I hope and pray God grants you wisdom and courage and peace as you change what you can.
And know that a changed attitude on our part really may help to bring about recovery. (The Merry-Go-Round of Denial)
Love in Christ,
Sober and Grateful
