Families & Friends Of Addicts Support Group
Addiction affects more than just the individual. This community is dedicated to the families and friends of individuals suffering from any form of addiction. Mental health professionals are increasingly considering alcoholism and addiction as diseases that flourish in and are enabled by family systems. Family members react to the addicted person with particular behavioral...
So, in the past month, I have come across the information from 4 people I work with that they are each dealing with heroin addicts in their life, be it a brother-in-law, a child, a sibling....but in the past 4 years of finding out about my sons issues, I have found a total of (hold onto your seats) 25 people dealing with a heroin issue in their lives....I find that to be staggering numbers. And THAT is only the people 'brave' enough to TALK about it out loud.
I haven't come out and told people that I work with what is going on, too embarrassed. But the other night, I found that two people I work with closely are dealing with the SAME issues! REALLY? So as I came out and said 'you know my son is an addict as well', I saw something in their faces that hit me like a ton of bricks, it was the look of relief. Relief that they are NOT alone.
So the question is this? WHY, when my own personal #'s are so staggering, isn't our government getting more involved and coming out to the public to acknowledge that we ARE in the throws of epidemic proportions?
WHY do we send addicts to prison then release them when their stint is up? WHY are we not getting them to the actual 're-hab' programs they truly need? I would much rather have my tax dollars spent on helping these folks get their lives in check with worthy programs? Not just putting them in a cell, letting them de-tox, clean for 6 months or more, then putting them back on the streets to their 'own means'?
Is it just me thinking all this?
K
I haven't come out and told people that I work with what is going on, too embarrassed. But the other night, I found that two people I work with closely are dealing with the SAME issues! REALLY? So as I came out and said 'you know my son is an addict as well', I saw something in their faces that hit me like a ton of bricks, it was the look of relief. Relief that they are NOT alone.
So the question is this? WHY, when my own personal #'s are so staggering, isn't our government getting more involved and coming out to the public to acknowledge that we ARE in the throws of epidemic proportions?
WHY do we send addicts to prison then release them when their stint is up? WHY are we not getting them to the actual 're-hab' programs they truly need? I would much rather have my tax dollars spent on helping these folks get their lives in check with worthy programs? Not just putting them in a cell, letting them de-tox, clean for 6 months or more, then putting them back on the streets to their 'own means'?
Is it just me thinking all this?
K
I doubt the govt would be putting too much money into helping addicts... when it is just barely doing and adequate job with the Vets.. and that is me being nice to the govt.
They need to make people very aware of this issue. Or we will have a dope pandemic fair worse than was seen in the 20s and 30s.
The other answer is financing these programs - prisons, rehabs, etc.
Another answer is the recovery rate is so low even at the best rehabs in the country - in the world - that perhaps they have a blind eye to it.
Another answer is some people simply don't want help. Do we want to help them? Absolutely - because we can see the other side of it - but as we all know unless the person going through the addiction seeks out help they aren't going to get help.
Its complex.
I fought with this internally (the laws, the whys, etc.) when I realized the laws surrounding rape/domestic violence survivors - and came to found the best thing for me to do for me is to redirect my anger - and say to myself "What am I doing to make things better? What am I doing to make sure the government is hearing me?" But that's just what worked for me.
I want my tax dollars out there helping people as well - but just within my family alone, my parents don't want to get clean - my brother is an ex prisoner and he didn't want to get clean - and now its in his next generation as he married an addict and they have had at least one drug addicted child born to them. And that's just one set of people.
Get involved somehow if you are so driven to. Redirect your anger proactively. Its frustrating. Its an uphill battle. I completely empathize with what you are going through. Let your voice be heard by your government if you so desire too.
Sending some peace your way.
xoxo
ALso, I think doctors over prescribe meds that have a high addiction rate with very little thought.