TreatmentTalk – Addiction

Parent Pathway: Helping Parents Get Answers

This is an interview with Kim Box of Parent Pathway.

Parent Pathway has recently released their documentary, Collision Course.

It was announced that Collision Course has been nominated for an Emmy Award!

The final selection will be on June 9th in San Francisco at the Northern California Emmys. If you haven’t already seen it, be sure to watch Collision Course and share it with your family.

1. Please introduce yourself for readers that don’t know you.

I am the Co-founder and President of Parent Pathway, LLC. I am passionate about awareness and prevention of teen substance abuse and addiction. I am also passionate about helping parents who have a child or any loved one who is struggling with substance abuse. It affects so many young people who begin with recreational ‘partying’ with their friends and end up with the disease of addiction. This is one disease that is completely preventable; young people and their parents need to know the consequence of substance abuse.

2. Tell us about Parent Pathway and why did you start the website?

Parent Pathway has been created for parents by parents to find a place to get answers, a sense of community, and hope for their loved ones and themselves. We realized the need for this service by seeing what was happening in our communities and families and we also realized that it was difficult to get information to help parents in their time of need. When you realize that your child has gone past the point of experimental substance use and into a serious problem with drugs and alcohol it is difficult to know what to do. It is not a situation that many parents feel compelled to share with their friends and family, it can be very lonely and filled with fear. My partners and I decided that we would create a website to help parents navigate through this difficult situation with their loved one. Our goal is that they find the website and instantly realize that they are not alone and others are here to help.

3. What is Meetings in a Box? Who would benefit from these meetings?

Meetings in a Box are a guide to have a meeting with a group of parents or to do as an individual to help support them through their journey of a loved one struggling with addiction. Each Meeting in a Box is a topic with a description, relevant quotes, music, books and then an exercise to explore the topic and learn how to work through it. An example of some of the topics are; Denial, Hope, Fear, Boundaries, Gratitude, Trust, and many more. These are topics are typical for overcoming co-dependent and enabling behaviors as well as taking care of ourselves. Meetings in a Box is a very innovative service to help parents cope and move forward in their journey.

4. What are some of the common drugs that seem to be abused in the Sacramento area?

I believe the Sacramento area is very similar to many other areas. We have seen an extreme surge in prescription drug abuse. Pain killers like Oxycontin, Vicodin, Norco and many others are very expensive on the street which leads those addicted to these opiate based drugs to use heroin because it is much less expensive and the same high. Alcohol continues to be a huge issue. We are seeing young people binge drinking in middle school, high school and college leading to death in some cases. Even with awareness around drinking and driving, there are still high numbers of young people abusing alcohol and suffering the consequences which can ultimately lead to alcoholism.

5. You also speak to parent groups in your area. What is your message for parents and how can they help prevent their children from becoming addicted to drugs?

Our message is simply that abusing drugs and alcohol at a young age can have immediate and long term consequences. The adolescent brain continues to develop until the age of 25. By using substances, you are altering the chemistry of the brain and have a very high probability of developing the disease of addiction of which there is no cure. Ninety percent of all adults who have the disease of addiction began abusing substances before the age of 18. After the age of 18 the probability of the disease of addiction is one in 25. Parents need to understand this and help their child stay safe and away from abusing substances. We encourage parents to get educated on how substance abuse affects their child and encourage them to talk early and often to their children so they can make good choices. We encourage parents to keep prescription drugs locked up to prevent easy access.

6. Where do you go from here? What are your dreams for the future?

Our goal is to get as much visibility to Parent Pathway so that parents can get the help and support they need. It is such a difficult situation to discover your child has a serious problem with drugs and alcohol. We want parents to easily find our site and know there are others that have traveled this path and will be there to support them. My ultimate dream is that there is enough awareness and education to parents and young teens that we turn this growing epidemic of addiction around and see it rapidly decline. And that would result in not having a need for Parent Pathway. But until then, we will be there help parents navigate through their journey.

Are you a parent who is concerned about your teen? What can we do to prevent teen substance abuse? If you have any questions or if there is something I can help you with, please feel free to contact me through the contact form. I would love to hear from you.

take care,

How to Overcome Addictions

“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood.” – Marie Curie

The following is a guest post by Art Coburn.

It is not impossible to overcome addictions. Many people have done so, and moved on to happy, healthy lives. However, putting an addiction behind you is not a fast, simple process. There are a number of things you must do to succeed. A life of sobriety can be yours.

It Is Necessary To Acknowledge The Problem

If you want to overcome addictions, you need to realize they exist. While this may sound logical, you may be surprised at how many people cannot recognize they have an addiction even when it is very clear. For true recovery to begin, start by acknowledging that you have lost control over your drug or alcohol use. This is an essential step in getting substances out of your life.

Recovery Requires Complete Abstinence

If recovery is your goal, you need to abstain from drinking and using drugs. You cannot use smaller amounts, or switch to a different substance. Your mind and body must be completely free of all substances if you wish to recover. If your doctor has given you any prescription medication, ask him to recommend one that is not addictive, or a different form of treatment altogether.

There Is No One Method That Works Equally Well For Everyone

There are many different resources available to help addicts and alcoholics recover from addictions. Some of the most popular are inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation centers, and 12-Step programs. The method that is right for you is the one that works for you. If you are not certain of which resource to choose, you can ask your physician for advice.

One of the most popular choices people use when choosing a rehab would be the conventional drug and alcohol treatment center. In this type of rehab setting the patient can be detoxed medically if necessary. They will also be monitored by trained staff members around the clock every day some of which are recovering addicts themselves. The clients will be required to attend 12 step meetings, group, lectures, and individual substance counseling sessions.

The most important thing one can do while they are in rehab is to keep an open mind and pay attention to the lectures and when you are in your counseling session be absolutely honest. I good rule of thumb is to talk about the things you will not talk to anyone else about and share from your heart.

Overcoming Addictions Means Many Changes

There is much more to recovery than getting and staying clean. While this is the first step, there is more you need to do to reach your goal of a sober life. The attitudes and behaviors you have had while drinking or using drugs must change. The people you associate with, and the places where you spend your free time, may also need to be changed. In addition to not associating with people who drink and use, you have to learn how to get along with individuals who have never had these issues. You may also have relationships, work, or other issues that require your attention. When full recovery is your goal, there are many changes you must make in your life.

Take Care to Not Develop New Addictions

When you have alcohol and drugs out of your life, you could be tempted to take on other habits. Whether it is sleeping all day, going overboard with exercise, or putting an unreasonable amount of time into a hobby, behaviors can become addictions. Some can even cause a chemical change in your brain. It is important to stay alert to any behavior that is claiming large amounts of your time. Your family members and friends can be greatly helpful with this aspect of your recovery process. If a certain behavior is obsessive and compulsive, you should take steps to break the habit. If you need assistance in doing so, ask for help.

Key Takeaways

When you want to overcome addictions, you must start by acknowledging a true problem exists.
Realize that you cannot recover without complete abstinence. You cannot substitute one drug for another if sobriety is the goal.
Whether you have tried to give up alcohol or drugs in the past, or only recently noticed the need to quit, reaching out for help is the way to succeed. Very few alcoholics and addicts are reaching their goals alone. You can give yourself the best start by asking for help today.

Art Coburn is the founder of the Drug Addiction Therapy Guy website. He has been in recovery and helping recovering addicts for several years.

take care,

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