TreatmentTalk – substance abuse

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,

Saying Yes to Change with Alex Blackwell, The BridgeMaker

I am honored today to interview Alex Blackwell who has just published his first book, Saying Yes to Change: 10 Timeless Life Lessons for Creating Positive Change.

Alex is a gifted writer and founder of the amazing blog, The BridgeMaker. Alex writes from his heart, sharing his past, even the most painful parts, so that we can be inspired, realize that we are not alone, and know that change is possible.

Can you explain your book title, “Saying Yes to Change?” What convinced you to write the book?

Saying Yes to Change is a reminder that the choice to seek positive change belongs to each of us. Except in unfortunate circumstances, we can chose to stay in a place that is toxic, destructive or unfulfilling; or we can chose to break free, seek change and begin the journey to a more rewarding, happier life.

Simply put, we own the choice to say “Yes” to change and I believe that is incredibly empowering.

I wrote the book to provide a properly-sized window into my life so others can see their lives in the reflection of the window’s glass. Often we feel like we are alone with our thoughts, feelings or fears. But by being open with my path to change, might give someone the encouragement to begin their journey, too.

What overall message do you hope to share with readers of your book?

Saying Yes to Change: 10 Timeless Life Lessons for Creating Positive Change is for anyone who feels the nudge to change; and it’s for people who are already walking the paths to positive change. If you feel stuck, alone or scared, the book will inspire you to acknowledge what you need to heal or change so you can begin living a happier, more meaningful life – right now.

The book has one primary theme, or message I would like the readers to remember: Creating positive change begins with discovering one powerful truth: You cannot change or heal what you do not acknowledge.

Clearly your upbringing affected you. Can you expand how your mother’s substance abuse altered the course of your life?

Cathy, this is a deep and painful question.

My mother was an alcoholic. Later in her life, she became addicted to pain medications (narcotics). Both of her parents were also alcoholics, so I guess she never had a chance.

My most vivid, and painful, image of mother is of her sitting in a dark room, drinking. She would pull down the window shades to make sure the light didn’t come in. The only light was from the end of her cigarette.

To this day, I get triggered around 4 p.m. when the light begins to fall outside and the room grows darker. I turn on every light in the room so I don’t have to go back to that time and space.

Her abuse has altered my life by making me anxious, but it’s also made me vigilant to break the cycle for my children. I’m proud to say that I have done that.

Do you think everyone who has a troubled childhood has to “hit bottom” before they can change and shed the burden of their past? What advice do you have for others who have suffered from a similar situation?

No, I don’t.

I believe we walk the journey that is planned for each of us. Hitting bottom is not a prerequisite to surrendering the past, only becoming mindful of what the past is costing us is needed. This mindfulness can certainly happen in degrees – there’s no one size fits all.

Tell us about your amazing blog, The BridgeMaker.

The BridgeMaker connects people who are looking to walk by faith, share inspiration and celebrate positive change. The meaning of the blog’s name comes from becoming aware of where we are today and seeing where we want to be tomorrow and then making the deliberate choice to cross the bridge to discover the beautiful life waiting for us there.

What is your dream going forward? How will change continue to affect your life?

My dream is to continue sharing my heart. I don’t know where all of this is going, or how it will turn out, but I do have faith. This is my plan and I’m excited to see what’s next!

What do you like to do in your spare time?

This may sound old-fashioned, but I still enjoy hanging out with my wife, Mary Beth. I love our Saturdays of running errands, chauffeuring Emily to her events and then catching a movie, or dinner, or both.

I’m also an avid runner, Kansas City Royals baseball fan and an enjoyer (but not expert) of fine wine.

I try to spend my spare time savoring every moment – each one happens so fast.

Alex is giving one copy of his book to someone who comments, and shares this post! Please leave a comment and let us know that you shared. Thank you!

Click here to order this inspiring book on Amazon!

Alex Blackwell is the Founder of The BridgeMaker. His first book, Saying Yes to Change: 10 Timeless Life Lessons for Creating Positive Change is now available on Amazon. Connect with Alex on Facebook.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or joining Treatment Talk to receive my free ebook, Beyond Addiction, Embrace the New Life. Have a peaceful day!

The winner of Saying Yes to Change was Carolyn H. ! Thank you Alex!