Teen Drug Rehab
Let’s talk about drug abuse. And addiction. And teen drug rehab.
Addiction runs in my family. On both sides. My brother is an alcoholic/addict. He tried alcohol for the first time at a very young age at a neighbors house. He was caught with marijuana at school for the first time in the 8th grade. He slowly spiraled out of control with drugs and alcohol throughout high school until he eventually became a non-functioning alcoholic/addict (unable to keep a job, have a place to live, provide basic means for himself, etc.) . His drug of choice is alcohol, but he has also abused nearly every drug you can imagine, some of which I’m sure I don’t know about (and don’t want to know about).
He has been through countless rehabilitation programs (I honestly lost track). Some more effective than others but none able to keep him sober for any significant amount of time. He has been in and out of jail over 50 times (mostly for public intoxication charges). This does not count the nights he was put in the “drunk tank”. His longest stay in jail was about a year. I was grateful he was in jail (oh the irony of that). Because I knew he was “safe” and he was alive. Very telling that I felt he was more safe in jail than he was out of jail. Even the time he was locked up in jail with significant and debilitating injuries after being beaten badly on the streets (he claims by cops). I still felt he was safer in jail. My sister and I showed up at court one day and literally begged the judge to put him in jail. My brother was, understandably, quite angry. The judge complied. (You can read more about my brothers story and our entire family’s battle with his addiction HERE).
When I first learned about Triumph Youth Services the first thing I said was “Oh how I wish you would have been around when my brother was struggling in his teen years.”
My parents are brilliant, loving, kind, and generous. They parented each of their kids differently (as all parents do) and they did the very best they could with what they had. The choices my brother made were HIS choices and are in NO WAY a reflection of their parenting.
I know my parents did everything they could at the time with what they had, but it wasn’t enough to get my brother to choose to change. My brother dropped out of school (although he did eventually get his GED) and as the years passed, his addictions got worse and worse (and worse).
Now, years later looking back at his life and his struggles, I’m a firm believer that early intervention is crucial. Recognizing the problem with drugs/alcohol, asking for help (helping an addict recover is nearly impossible to do without help), and GETTING the necessary help during the early parts of addiction is critical in helping someone get and stay sober.
My brother participated in numerous recovery programs. None of them were effective. Part of the problem was him. And his choices to not stick with the programs he was being taught. Part of the problem may have been the programs themselves and their inability to connect with him. I’ve never once heard him talk about someone at any of those programs that had a profound influence on him. Someone that went out of their way to show they truly cared about HIM and his ability to be and do so much more than he was.
One of the unique things about Triumph is the direct involvement of the owners, Sterling and Bruce, and their personal commitment to the success of each boy. Kids who graduate from Triumph still stay in contact with Sterling and Bruce because they know they care. I wish someone like them had existed for my brother during his teenage years. I wish someone could have connected with him in a way that would have helped him see his worth and value.
Regardless of what my brother did or where he has ended up in life, I’ve never once been ashamed of him. Addiction is a world our family knows well. It’s painful. And there seems to be so much shame attached. I hope by talking about my brother and his struggles with addiction, I’ll give others “permission” to do the same and end some of the shame.
There IS help. There IS hope. People DO recover from addiction. And I strongly believe Triumph is a great place to start.
