Category Archive

Here is a story of one man’s journey through addiction;  too long to put on this page.  It is a personal, unorthodox  and unique in its account of what addiction means to this individual and the outcome of his recovery.  “…A kid can go from a suburban high school 15 year old with an interest in computers to a dope addict in just weeks.  And not just heroin, prescription drugs are grabbing a lot of kids by the balls nowadays…15% of all people are born with a lack of dopamine/endorphin production.  This accounts for most attention deficit, and most of the drug problem.  This also accounts for the most intelligent people you will ever meet…”  Read more about what can happen in  Frank’s Story

Matthew Sockolov’s blog,  The Easier Softer Way appears in the side bar of dadonfire.net.  It’s a spiritually based personal recovery blog worth a look.  Its inspiring to see a young man sharing his recovery.  He posted his thoughts on his own fourth step in:  Courage.  Click on the link to view.   It is the meat of the 12 step program.  This is where an addict shares a fearless moral inventory with another human being.  Spiritual practices describe the process of  vocalizing one’s defects of character as a door to let go these soulful burdens.  The 12 step process can do anyone, in or out of the program a lot of good.  Many spiritual practices & religions use a version of the fourth step.  Catholics for instance “confess” their character defects (sins) to another person.  This process is fundamentally key to releasing the human flaws that fuel addiction to dangerous drugs and alcohol. Link by Matthew

The Fighter is a film with a rough and tumble backdrop inspired by the Lowell  documentary “High on Crack Street” by Richie Farrell, about crack use and crime in a run down New England Industrial town.  (you can view the entire film here).   Mark Wahlberg plays “Irish” Micky Ward, trained by his half-brother Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale), a former fighter who battled addiction.  Micky Ward overcomes the obstacles of drug ridden Lowell and rises  to boxing fame to  win the WBU Light Welterweight titles.  The movie was filmed in the City of Lowell, Massachusetts.  Check out the Boston Globe story .  Link by Barbara Lear of Salem, NH.

This is a dark eye opening story written by Laura Lang in 2004 about the  impact of heroin on her life.  “…I have not been born again, and I didn’t die of an overdose and come back to life.  I simply decided that if I kept shooting heroin everyday I would eventually become a serious junky.  What most people don’t understand about heroin is that there are two kinds of heroin addicts…”

Read the rest of it here:   http://blacktable.com/lang041104.htm

“… We buried 6 of his friends up here from OD’s.  Often the ones that died were fresh out of very expensive rehabs.   The point I am making is this…it is love and love alone that will help you and your family thru this nightmare. Tough love mostly…”  read the rest of Maggies Story

Life After celebrates and offers a video archive of stories of hope.  This archive of stories of recovery was constructed by the Partnership for a Drug Free America. Below is a sample of what you will see on their site.

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Synopsis of a new book by the author, Dr. Barbara Sinor, www.drsinor.com

“….Tales of Addiction and Inspiration for Recovery offers deep insight into ourselves and those we love. Between the potent stories, the reader finds pertinent information surrounding addiction recovery which presents an awareness of how the public can help those with drug or alcohol addictions. Various literature is introduced which allows the reader to discover how anyone of us can be of service to our addiction population….”  see the rest of the synopsis   here. Material submitted by Dr. Barbara Sinor, Ph.D.

Pat shares this story.  His experience begins in the blue collar town of Ayer, Mass., as he chronicles the difficulty of dealing with dual diagnosis in his family.

I am an alcoholic and drug user, active since 1971, until I stopped drinking in 2001.  If I knew then what I know now I never would have started.  During my heyday, I used pot, amphetamines, cocaine and LSD.  Who would have ever guessed I was that messed up; but I was!

In 2001, I was told by my Primary Care Physician that I would have to undergo chemo for liver disease or face the possibility of developing cancer of the liver.  I am happy to say the treatment was successful and I have recovered physically from the treatment.  I am now as I was then; a single parent.  My children at that time were 15, 10 and 8 years old and I was working full-time and only missed 2 days of work because of the treatment.  I can’t stress enough to my children that they should not abuse alcohol and not do drugs.  In this world we live in, these things have been so glamorized that it is sickening.

I do not know if there is any relativity to another situation that I deal with on a daily basis, but my children were diagnosed at an early age with ADHD.  Which it seems, may actually have been bipolar disorder.  My two oldest have mild cases and do not need medication.  My youngest son has an extreme case and has been hospitalized three times in (2) years.  It is not an easy thing to deal with and each day can be a challenge.  All three of my sons are very intelligent, but at times I look at my youngest son and see his difficulties and it makes me cry to see him struggle like he does.  My ex-wife – my children’s mother – also has bipolar disorder and also abused drugs and alcohol.  She has been hospitalized (14) times since 1995 and currently shares the five bedroom apartment I have with my two sons still living at home because she is unable to work because of her disability.  She became homeless 2 years ago.  I have had a tremendous amount of support from my family over the years and have had a great deal of faith in my life that has really helped me get through trying times.

I have been involved in a few support groups through the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health and The National Alliance on Mental Illness.  Having those resources available, really helped me.  Like I said, I don’t know how my children having a mental illness relates.  It just goes to show that in some way what we do may have some far reaching consequences that we cannot see.  This story was submitted by Patrick Gentry

excerpt…”Point is this.  Just one addict!  has imposed a cost to his family, various providers,  the community of LA, the jail system and the valuable resources of North Ridge Emergency Center of an estimated total of $25,000 in two months time.  A cost no one keeps track of or understand this its totality.  In an era of impending health care and legal reform, the success and further growth of  pre-screening protocols like SBIRT would appear to be an imperative…”  read the rest of the article here

What’s Left of Us, a memoir of addiction.    Check out his site. Website contribution by Richie Farrell.  Check out some quotes from his book  here.

“Any parent who has had to confront a child’s drug abuse is familiar with the drawn-out agony of despair, impotence, fear, grief and, while there is still a chance for recovery, hope. That last is perhaps the most ravaging of all. Hope means you aren’t yet numb enough, not yet at peace with the chaos into which life has spilled, not yet so defeated and angry that you’re unable to try to help. Julie Myerson, a novelist living in London and the mother of three children, was finally forced to throw her eldest son out of the house — and change the locks — when his cannabis habit so deranged him that he became physically violent. He was 17 years old.”  Read the rest of the review here Article from New York Times, “Reefer Madness” by Dominque Browning.

The Heroin Awareness Foundation is a self-funded, volunteer organization designed to provide non-professional, unbiased information, discussion, personal connection, encouragement and resources for families and individuals affected by heroin and other drugs of abuse.  Read the stories HERE.  Read Kyndalls’s story.  Site posted by Mary.

This dad lost his daughter to heroin and responded with a website outreach called Dads against Drug Dealers in an effort to target drug dealers.  His site’s  memorial page starts with his own 19 year old “Jani” followed by 14 others/  All young lives lost to drugs.  All loved.  All only the tip of the iceberg.    Check out this website right here.

Click here to read a -straight to the point- account of  Mary Ann’s lifelong battle for sobriety and sanity and her ultimate success.  Now with over a decade of sobriety behind her, Mary Ann is a contributing member of Narcotics Anonymous, having attended national conventions and engaging in service work in Northern California, spreading her experience, strength and hope to those in need.

June 10, 2009

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Attn:  President Barrack Obama

URGENT HEALTH/ DRUG ABUSE ISSUE

Dear President Obama

I am a small Tucson business owner and father currently affected by the downturn.  My boy, Owen is 22, diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and is a heroin addict. He also has some judgment impairment (ADHD…)  Without too much detail, I need to say the system is failing him and other addicts, especially those with life threatening diseases.  He  is a non-violent person and frequently ends up in jail instead of rehab, because rehab is so difficult to get into if your not very wealthy.  The outcome of being an addict often leads to jail.  After 4 years, he hasn’t much time left  to get well or he could die on the streets.  I urge you to address the epidemic of drug addiction with compulsory federally mandated addiction treatment and rehabilitation,  especially for addicts in grave danger from the complications of overlay diseases such as diabetes, type 1, HIV, hepatitis, etc…

I would like to add that my beautiful son is currently homeless in Los Angeles and in and out of ER.  Lately, he made (4) ER visits to North Ridge Medical Center, LA,  for dangerous  diabetic complications (keto-acidosis).   Unfortunately, the medical system, particularly in ER fails to grasp a global view of the patient while in ER and frequently discharges patients back on to the streets with life saving prescriptions they can not easily fill.  Measures that would help and could prevent the overtaxing of ER facilities around the country could be triggers for compulsory psychiatric evaluation and transfers to appropriate lower cost facilities or rehabilitation centers or even a simple shelter.

Legal complications should also be noted.  Regarding an addicts impact with the legal system, they rarely are able to follow through with court mandates while active in addiction, nor does the legal system make a distinction or accommodation for the circumstances of a young sick addict.  For instance, court mandated commitment to rehabilitation is not triggered in cases where an infraction is not specifically drug related (i.e. possession) even though DA’s know the offender is an addict and in Owen’s case, gravely ill.  Most addicts are released to the streets without a treatment mandate and re-offend or overdose.  From a very concerned father.

Sincerely

William Ford,  Concerned Dad