Battle With Addiction, Part 5: “Is it just a matter of will?”
Posted: October 09, 2015
o far we’ve heard five heart wrenching stories about drug addiction and the damage it left behind. We’ve learned that recovering addicts never completely get over it. Neither do their families. These are people struggling right here in our community.
One person I know had a couple surgeries after some serious injuries. That resulted in a dependence on prescription pain killers. It took a long time and a lot of work to get off them.
I spoke with another Mom just yesterday, who told me this story: Her son was first hooked on painkillers after getting hit by a car here in town (while he was walking). His body finally healed, but his need for prescription drugs never did. That need turned into heroin use that has never stopped.
Little Bits Of Wisdom
Posted: October 07, 2015
This week, I thought I’d give you some quick thoughts about some important topics that have been running through my mind lately. I love hearing experts talk about these things and get fired up every time I hear them. Each one probably deserves its own article, but here goes:
Battle With Addiction, Part 4: “Second Guessing: Andrea’s Story”
Posted: October 01, 2015
Over the last three weeks, we’ve looked at four people who’ve stared their addiction in the face and finally walked away. Today I’m going to tell you about a girl who couldn’t. This is Andrea’s story, as told by her big brother Jason. In many ways, it’s Jason’s story too.
TD: Tell me about your sister.
Jason: Andrea was a pretty girl, and very talented at poetry. She was so intelligent; a straight “A” student. Two of her poems were published in poetry books, in her teens. She was even flown out to Vegas when she was published.
“Belief leads to Behavior”
Posted: September 30, 2015
Last week, I was listening to one of my favorite radio shows (Dave Ramsey) when I happened to hear a guest interview with noted author, Max Lucado. He has hundreds of books in print, with over 82 million sold. Some estimates are as high as 100 million books. He’s that good.
While it’s always nice to hear authors tell the story behind their books, I especially like hearing Max Lucado, because he’s a gifted pastor and speaker too. So I was pretty excited to hear from him directly.
Like other noted authors and speakers, Max has the ability to take big ideas and simply them into just a couple of words that speak volumes. This time, he was talking about his new book when he made a simple statement that I just had to write down: “Belief leads to behavior.”
Battle With Addiction, Part 3: “A study in contrasts: Two different stories”
Posted: September 24, 2015
Why can some people try drugs and then walk away, yet others do it once and are completely hooked? How is it that some people can use for year, then get clean, while others continue to struggle?
Part of it probably depends on the type of drug. Some drugs have a much more immediate and dramatic impact. We’re also learning more about addictive personalities, and genetic predispositions.
I have a good friend who simply can’t take even a sip of one drink. If he does, he wakes up later, after consuming three fifths of vodka. He lost his wife, his job, his career, and his self-dignity. It’s been a battle for him ever since.