April 2006 Newsletter
Drugs, Teenagers and
Homelessness
How so much of what we address starts so early
By Cecil Dunn
I hear a lot of stories
about the people who work their way through one or the other of our recovery
programs. One thing that has always struck me is how young many of them
were when they started drinking or taking drugs.
For instance, once a 28-year-old in our men’s recovery program shared his
gratitude that he was celebrating his birthday sober for the first time in
14 years. There is a 39-year-old man now serving as assistant staff and
living at Hill Rise Place. He came through our detention center program.
At thirteen, as his parents went through a messy divorce and began virtually
to ignore him, he decided he wanted to be like the older kids and do drugs.
I’ve heard dozens of stories like these.
These anecdotes came to mind recently when the Lexington Herald-Leader
reprinted a story from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. It related reports of
just how critical teenage abuse of drugs and alcohol is. Its effects
continue down through the years. As the article said, “Teenagers who drink,
smoke and use drugs can derail their brain development and set themselves up
for lifelong addiction.”
That’s the part that frightens. The article reported that brain-imaging
studies have shown us that the teen-aged brain is different from an adult
brain and that it is rapidly changing. That radical restructuring of the
brain, a process necessary for maturation, is deeply disrupted by substance
abuse. It gets in the way of maturity and makes the teenager much more
vulnerable to addiction as an adult.
The article reported that scientists now say that an addiction that starts
early in life is harder to kick than one that starts later. “Nearly half of
kids who are regular drinkers
before age 14 will become alcoholics .... That puts early drinkers at three
times greater risk of alcohol addiction than people who wait until age 21 to
start drinking.”
And it’s not just addiction to which they are at risk. The article reports
that recent studies indicate that drug use prior to 17 leads to a higher
risk of developing schizophrenia.
At that early age, the individual’s pleasure-chemical systems are not fully
developed. When those systems come to depend on substances in order to feel
good, “the normal flow of brain chemicals that aid in learning, decision
making and other key processes are often blocked.”
In this way, one bad decision – about abusing drugs or alcohol as a teenager
– can lead to a string of others. Given the role that substance abuse plays
in homelessness, that one bad decision may eventually lead to a bed at the
Hope
Center.
The article also pointed out that “parental monitoring is one of the most
consistent
predictors of whether teens start using alcohol and other drugs.” That is
an admonition that should be kept constant in our minds.
In one of our community meetings for recovery clients one day, a young
client was being confronted about some of his behavior. A client who had
been here longer asked him how old he was when he stared drinking. He said
he had started at 14. The older client told him that part of his problem
was he was still 14 in so many ways.
That is one reason I am so grateful for our recovery programs. They bring
to the problems our clients face a clarity of understanding that can lead to
real healing.
Things we need
Milk of magnesia
Robitussin PM (Alcohol free)
Pepto Bismol
Soap
Shampoo
Deodorant
Underwear
T shirts
Shaving cream
Sample cups
Toothpaste
Toothbrushes
Socks
Razors
Alcohol free mouthwash
Large size shoes and clothes
Pillows
Towels
Random notes on homelessness in America …
The New York Times recently ran an article on homeless people who live in their cars. In the article it was reported:
As with all homeless people, finding food, warmth and a place to clean up is a constant struggle. But for those who live in their cars, remaining inconspicuous is its own challenge, and though living this way is illegal in most places, experts and advocates believe it is a growing trend.
"It's most often the working poor who find themselves in this situation, teetering on the border between the possessed and the dispossessed," said Kim Hopper, a researcher on homelessness for the Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, which is based in New York.
The number of "mobile homeless," as they are often called, tends to climb whenever the cost of housing outpaces wages, Dr. Hopper said. Last year was the first year on record, according to an annual study conducted by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, that a full-time worker at minimum wage could not afford a one-bedroom apartment anywhere in the country at average market rates.
10th Annual
Clover Classic Marks Most Successful Year
The success
of the 10th Annual Clover Classic reached new heights with the
highest number of runners and proceeds raised in Clover Classic history.
March 11, was a cloudy, cool morning which marked perfect conditions for the
avid runner, and it drew a record crowd of 518 runners.
The John’s Run/Walk Shop and New Balance team sounded the bull horn at
9am that signaled
the runners to begin their trek. Some darted at the sound, others paced
themselves. Many participants pushed strollers and a few walked dogs. The
mass of people moved down
Nina Bonnie Lane
from the Steeplechase Barn at the Kentucky Horse Park each step closer the
finish line.
“Clover Classic…was great, despite the storm. We loved the green
t-shirts!” said Heather Byall, who placed third in her age category. Storms
began to roll in approximately 30 minutes into the race, causing any walkers
or slow joggers to come in the shelter early.
Karen and Johnny Morgison partnered again with the
Hope
Center during the Clover Classic in memory of their son, Ryan. Karen
remarked, “I was on my way walking back to the barn and it started to
sprinkle and I asked Ryan to ‘please hold the rain until Mom gets back to
the barn,’ and sure enough - it started pouring right after I got back! I
think this race is blessed from above and will always do well!”
As the crowd
filtered in out of the rain, and the runners crossed the finish line, Johnny
and Karen took an opportunity to share Ryan’s story with the race
participants. Their reflection Ryan’s compassion reminded the runners of the
purpose of the Clover Classic.
The rain might
have dampened the runners, but spirits were still high as bib numbers were
drawn for door prizes. Donations for door prizes this year included a 20”
Sanyo television, two Magnavox DVD players, and other items donated by
Sincerely Yours, The Locker Room, and Big Ass Fans.
David Hamilton,
Paul Gilvin, and Troy Wester took home 1st, 2nd, and 3rd
place overall male trophies. Jamie O’Shea-King, Karen Lutes, and Tiffany
Cartwright brought home trophies for the female, overall winners. Medals
were awarded to the age group winners.
HOPE Center collected over $19,000 in gross proceeds thanks to these 2006
Clover Classic Sponsors and the runners who participated:
1st Stop Auto Care Center
Don Jacobs
Atkins Real Estate
Ken America Resources Inc.
Christopher M. Hill & Associates
McBrayer, McGinnis, Leslie & Kirkland Lexington Diagnostic Center & OPEN MRI
Elaine Feeney
G & G Electric
Energy Insurance Company
Melaleuca
Pitch
Wachovia Securities
E.J. Bestoso
Hershey Enterprises, INC
Gem Source
BC Wood Companies
Johnny and Karen Morgison
Jean Morgison
Guy-Ezzell Agency, Inc.
Georgia Pacific
Runners awaiting the start at Clover Classic
The 2006 Clover Classic set record for number of runners, number of sponsors and money raised.
There passed this way …
“Bruce” came to the Hope Center after going through the Detention Center Recovery Program. He grew up in the northeast. He started using drugs when he was 13, while his parents’ marriage was breaking apart. He saw his older brother use drugs, and he thought that was a way to gain power over his life. After a few years he got in trouble with some of the criminal element that had become an increasingly large presence in his life, so he joined the military. He thought he was staying clean in the army but came later to realize that he had simply substituted alcohol for drugs. He was still abusing. After his discharge, he returned to his old ways. He eventually decided to come to rural Kentucky in the misguided belief that there would be no drugs here.
As Bruce’s addiction worsened, his criminal justice record grew longer. He always found a way to avoid lengthy stays, and he felt this demonstrated the power he had. Eventually, he found himself in the Lexington-Fayette County Detention Center faced with the prospect of going off to the penitentiary for 10 years. He decided to ask to participate in the Detention Center Recovery Program, not because he wanted recovery, but because he saw it as another way to exercise power and manipulate his way out so he could continue to use.
Something surprising happened in the program. Bruce learned something about himself and his addiction. He began to see his life for what it was. He began to believe that his life could be different. When he got out of jail, he came to the Hope Center men’s facility on Loudon Avenue. He continued in the Recovery Program there, and now serves as Assistant Staff, helping other suffering addicts and alcoholics. Bruce recently moved into Hill Rise Place, the first time he’s had a place of his own since 1999.
“All my life I’ve been looking for power in my life. For a long time I thought I had power. Now I know I never did. Now, I have finally found the power in my life. I found it because the Hope Center helped me learn that the power in my life is the power that’s greater than me.”