Statistics alone have shown an increase in drug abuse and drug disorders. Since 2000 there have been 700,000 drug overdoses. Individuals need to be aware that several different and scheduled drugs are available. Some drugs can come from the counter to drugs like fentanyl, which can kill you.

In 2022 there were 37,309 million individuals that were actively using within the last thirty days, including children as young as twelve. So, if you have not had that talk with your children, think about it. This might or might not surprise you, but 47% of juveniles will use drugs before graduation. In the last thirty days, 5% of eighth graders, 20% of tenth graders, and 24% of twelve graders are using. If you are wondering what number of individuals have used in a lifetime, were looking at 138.543 million.

If you think addiction is not out there or on a decrease, we are far from that. Realize that some states run a drug dispensary on every corner, and not everyone abides by the state law. Adults and kids are getting a hold of every drug, from marijuana to fentanyl to fake pills.  

Lately, I have been watching people I love who are in recovery slip back into their old habits. It is sad to watch the ones you love slip away. Since my recovery, I watched seven lose their lives and tons fall. Some that fall come back quickly, realizing this is not what they wanted, whereas others are still out there.

Statistics alone have shown an increase in drug abuse and drug disorders. Since 2000 there have been 700,000 drug overdoses. Individuals need to be aware that several different and scheduled drugs are available. Some drugs can come from the counter to drugs like fentanyl, which can kill you.

In 2022 there were 37,309 million individuals that were actively using within the last thirty days, including children as young as twelve. So, if you have not had that talk with your children, think about it. This might or might not surprise you, but 47% of juveniles will use drugs before graduation. In the last thirty days, 5% of eighth graders, 20% of tenth graders, and 24% of twelve graders are using. If you are wondering what number of individuals have used in a lifetime, were looking at 138.543 million.

If you think addiction is not out there or on a decrease, we are far from that. Realize that some states run a drug dispensary on every corner, and not everyone abides by the state law. Adults and kids are getting a hold of every drug, from marijuana to fentanyl to fake pills.  

Reference:

National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics (NCDAS). (2023). https://drugabusestatistics.org

Written by: Melissa Pena

In this program, they offer up two men’s homes and one for females. While this program requires 90 days, the clients are welcome to stay longer. The facility works through a level program that starts at level one and continues through level four. The program facility offers a 12-step program that is located on-site. Each occupant is required to do chores and attend all meetings. Once a month, they have a guest speaker who shares their testimony so that residents can see what they can look forward to. Residents are also encouraged to look for a job with the help of the facility.

This specific facility has two specific goals.

• To teach our clients how to get sober.
• To teach our clients how to be financially and emotionally independent.

I reached out to a previous client and asked what they learned by attending addiction rehab.

Per Client:

This facility saved my life. I do not know where I would be had I not stepped through the doors of this inpatient addiction rehab. I learned that all my bad decisions were my fault and not others. I started to see how the cycle of drug abuse kept starting over and getting worse each time. I learned how to make amends for the hurt I have done. I also was able to find God.

Please, if you are looking for help, please find help at an addiction treatment facility. You deserve to live a life free of drugs and alcohol.

Written by: Melissa Pena

Let me say this if you are stuck in the depth of addiction; there is help for you. I can say that I first got sober and spent my first nine months of recovery stuck in my home. I was afraid to leave my house, worried I might run into an old buddy, and my daily anxiety was unbelievable. How would I ever bring in a New Year and enjoy what I once lost?

After struggling for nine months and being a dry drunk, I climbed out of my hole and went to Celebrate Recovery. Celebrate Recovery is where I found myself and realized I was not walking this walk alone. For the longest, I believed there was no help. Know there is help, and we want to walk this thing we call recovery with you.

At Celebrate Recovery, I found a place that I call home. I feel welcomed, I found my forever family, and I am loved and supported. I now realize that I am not tied down to a title as an addict. My title at Celebrate Recovery is “my name is Melissa, and I am in recovery for drug addiction and alcoholism, and I struggle with depression and codependency. Do you know how great it feels not to be tied down by a title or walk alone?

If you are still struggling with addiction of any form or any hurt, habit, or hang-up, I recommend you look up Celebrate Recovery; thousands are located all over the United States. Please do not sit another day tied down to the addiction that is taking you away from your family. Your family loves you too much to watch you suffer another day.

Written by: Melissa Pena

Let me say this we can reduce stigma if we change the way we think or the way we respond. Do you remember what I wrote up top? I was called a junkie. A person who is walking through recovery is far from a junkie. You might want to say there goes that addict. You could rephrase that by saying Melissa has a SUD. Another phrase heard a lot is abuse. Melissa was abusing those drugs. Instead, you could have said Melissa is misusing or using. How about the individuals who report and come back to talk to their friends? They possibly had a positive test. Instead of saying you were dirty, you could have tested positive. There are many other phrases we could change, but we also must think and process before responding. I can tell you firsthand that words matter, they are hard to hear, and we already feel bad. We must stop the stigma on drugs and individuals.

Written by: Melissa Pena

Gathering a support network, getting your finances in order, practicing self-care, and setting new goals are just a few of the many ways to help you get your life back on track. There may be a few bumps in the road, but staying positive and continuing to grow will only benefit you in the long run. If you’re wondering what’s next, below are four helpful ways to start fresh and continue on your sobriety journey.

Gather a Support Network

Building a supportive network of people around you is one of the best ways to help you stay accountable. Whether you navigated outpatient or inpatient treatment, you more than likely had support from others in the same program. After treatment, it may be more challenging to face the triggers, stressors, and temptations alone. This is why it’s crucial to have a supportive group of people that you can trust and lean on.

Before you took the steps to gain back control of your life, you may have not had the best circle of friends. If they’re not supportive of your recovery, you may want to consider finding a new group of friends that are trustworthy and cheer you on. Making amends with those you’ve hurt is also a great step in your sobriety journey. When struggling with your sobriety the most, you might want to consider exploring resources to help you through the tough times. A great resource to download is a sobriety app as an additional tool for strengthening your recovery commitment and assisting you during your weak points. This interactive app helps reduce relapse and allows you to monitor your success along with personal development. The last thing you want is to be alone during tough times, so building a supportive circle and finding the necessary tools to help you is key.

Get Your Finances in Order

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, drugs interfere with the way neurons send, receive, and process signals via neurotransmitters. Drugs can alter important brain areas that are necessary for life-sustaining functions and can drive the compulsive drug use that marks addiction. For this reason, people may spend most or all of their money purchasing drugs or alcohol.

When starting over, learning how to be financially stable and smart with your money is vital. Start by creating a weekly and monthly budget. This could include things like groceries, transportation, hobbies, and entertainment. Monthly items to include in your budget are insurance, phone bills, subscriptions, debt you might owe, and rent or mortgage payments. If your current living situation is not helping your sobriety, you may want to consider moving to a new place. This can feel overwhelming especially if your current financial situation is not the best. Start by being realistic about what you can afford. The first step is to estimate how much you can afford to pay for a house. To determine your price range, enter your location, yearly income, monthly debts, and how much money you have for the down payment and closing costs into a mortgage calculator. Knowing your budget and sticking to it will make the process of searching for a new home much easier. The last thing you need is to add more stressors to your daily life, so getting your finances in order is important to help you become more financially responsible.

Practice Self-Care

Now that you’re sober, it’s important to find new ways to keep yourself motivated, nurtured, and happy. Practicing self-care is one of the most beneficial things you can do in your sobriety journey. It’s also a great way to help you prioritize your mental and physical health. Eating healthy, getting plenty of rest, and setting new routines for yourself are all great ways to help your physical and mental health. You should also explore new hobbies that you enjoy, such as yoga, painting, music, baking, cooking, reading, or journaling. Journaling for your mental health is a great way to write down your feelings, thoughts, and worries to help you better understand them more clearly. It can also help you gain back control of your emotions and improve your health.

To avoid temptations, try avoiding social gatherings or outings for a while. Instead, do things for yourself such as cooking a nice meal, going for a walk, watching a new series, or taking a relaxing bath. Prioritizing yourself is the first step to taking care of yourself and taking back control of your life.

Set and Accomplish New Goals

To help hold yourself accountable, try setting goals to accomplish and big milestones to work towards. By having something in your life to look forward to, you’ll feel a sense of achievement and accomplishment once you get close to reaching your goals. Bucket lists are also a great way to keep yourself motivated by working towards exciting things that you hope to do someday. Although you may want to achieve every goal right away, it’s important to take each day one step at a time. Accomplishments won’t just happen overnight and will take time to work towards. Although things take time, don’t forget to celebrate every accomplishment with your support network, loved ones, or even find a group celebration location near you.

For more help with your recovery management, find a sober coach to help guide and improve the quality of your life.

I have learned through the years that the holidays are tough on everyone. Next, I might ask if you have a relapse prevention plan, just in case. Having relapse prevention in place could help you from relapsing. I did not have a plan in place, and I relapsed. Here are a few ideas that have helped me this year.

Relapse has three different stages. Relapse begins with emotional, mental, and physical relapses.  Each stage is different, and if we could recognize these stages, we might be able to prevent relapse before it happens. In a mental relapse, a person begins to think about using. This happens because we might choose to hang out with unhealthy people or deal with stress. Other areas can cause a mental relapse. In the next phase, the mental relapse, we begin to be at war with ourselves. Me, I remember thinking back on all the good times. I even thought about how I could quickly lose weight and stop again. In the last stage, we have a physical relapse. By now, we are using drugs or alcohol. Hopefully, we will realize what has happened and stop using it again. We get back on the road to recovery.

Here are some tools to help you set up relapse prevention. Many of us might think we can handle things alone; I’m afraid that’s not right. We must be okay with asking for help. We must take care of ourselves; it is okay to be selfish. Find self-care that will work for you. I like taking a walk, especially with a friend in recovery. Another thing that I began to do was write out a list of people I could reach out to. This meant seeing the list, and when I struggled, I started at the top of the list and worked my way down until someone answered. This has come to work a lot in my recovery. Another thing I did was found me a sponsor that worked for me. Lastly, I started spending time with God. I will pray, read the bible, and listen to worship music. There is something about worship music that makes you feel better.

Written by: Melissa Pena

Fentanyl is a pharmaceutical drug that is used for pain management. This drug is known to be 50-100 times stronger than morphine. Furthermore, this drug seems familiar to adolescents and has been known to cause many deaths. Many adolescents are unaware that this drug only takes a few milligrams to cause an overdose. 

Number of deaths

From 2019 to 2020, the number of deaths in adolescents tripled. The average range for adolescents using Fentanyl is from age 10 to 14. The record number of overdoses in 12 months went to 104,288. The part of Fentanyl that grabs adolescents’ attention is how their bodies react. 

Side effects of fentanyl

Today there are more and more adolescents who are experimenting with drugs. These adolescents enjoy the side effects. Fentanyl has been known to cause complete body relaxation, pain relief, and sedation. Then there is confusion, and they lose the idea of where they are. Adolescents become nauseous, vomit, and have respiratory distress. 

What happens now?

Adolescents tend to fall asleep and what seems like a peaceful sleep is far worse. Most adolescents think their friends are sleeping because they are snoring. What happens is that these friends leave their friends, and their breathing gets shallow; they turn blue and have a drug overdose. 

Parents need to be familiar with Naloxone; this medication can save your child’s life or even the next adolescent who has a drug overdose. This medication comes in spray or injectable. It is easy to use and can be picked up from most pharmacies. Some areas will have training on how to use Naloxone. Both you and your child should know how to use this medication. You never know when you might need it. Help educate your children about all drugs, especially ones that are silent killers. 

References

Christensen, J., CNN (2022). Middle-school children fall prey to fentanyl overdoses. CNN News. https://cnn.com/2022/02/18/health/fentanyl-fatal-overdose-middle-schoolers/index.html

Written by: Melissa Pena

Addiction can be genetic but also a learned behavior at home. How was your childhood? Were you in a home where drug use, alcohol abuse, or abuse happened? Addiction is also a disease that destroys everything we encounter. Addiction causes home conflicts, missing work, and even health problems. These drugs today are controlling and life debilitating. Addiction does not just affect the drug abuser, but it affects the whole family. I had become the most heartless, cold, irritable, and unrecognizable addict. What was I thinking or doing with my life? 

Today the word is called recovery. I was ready to regain control over my life. I wanted to be in the right state of mind and health. I was prepared to learn what happened to me as a child and deal with this trauma. Today, my recovery comes first before anything else. I attend Celebrate Recovery, which is a 12-step program that is Christ-centered. I work through the steps, attend step studies, meet with a sponsor, and attend two meetings weekly. I realized I had no healthy coping skills. Today, I have healthy coping skills. The skills I gained were reaching out when I am struggling, journaling, and even sitting with my emotions. Sitting with these feelings has not been easy, but I can say I do not self-medicate anymore. Have you found a program that works for you?  What coping skills do you use? Today, I have control of my life and a family who loves me. 

If you would like to reach out to author, please do so on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/melissalynngary2021

Written by: Melissa Pena

Babies affected by addiction

Addiction is rising, and babies are born with severe illnesses because a mother chooses to use drugs. Do you ever wonder how many mothers use drugs during their pregnancy? The annual amount of mothers using while pregnant ranges from 120,000 using marijuana. There are 95,000 using alcohol, while 49,000 use illicit drugs. In 2003 there were 5,000 babies born dependent on drugs. By 2013 there was an increase to 27,000 babies born dependent. Every drug, alcohol, and tobacco product we put in our bodies while pregnant affects the unborn baby. 

Addiction effects to babies

If you stop for a second, do you wonder how these babies’ lives will be affected throughout their lives because of addiction? There is a chance that some babies will never make it into the world because of miscarriage or stillbirth.  What happens to the other babies that do make it? There are chances that babies will be diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). At least 21,732 were diagnosed with NAS in 2012. How about fetal alcohol syndrome? A mother who takes the chance to use drugs is taking the opportunity of letting their unborn baby be born with developmental problems, low-birth weight, and behavioral problems. These effects do not stop here; there could be congenital disabilities to the circumference of their head and mouth, lip problems, and organ failure. Effects do not stop there; babies can have organ failure, skin problems, and holding the right body temp. 

Conclusion

Let me stop and say that if you’re using and pregnant, there is help for you. You are not alone in this walk. Your baby’s life depends on you turning your life around. Let us stop the rise of babies being born addicted to drugs. 

Center for Disease Control & Prevention (2019). Addiction and Pregnancy: A Guide for Mothers.https://cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/substance-abuse/substance-abuse-during-pregnancy.htm

Written by: Melissa Pena

Written by: Dwayne Myers