OUR STORIES ABOUT DRUG ADDICTION
Shared by Students at Saddleback College
In our college's shared read, Beautiful Boy, David Sheff writes that “Addiction is America’s deep, dark secret too. Every story in those letters reflects millions more, from every corner of the country. A report by the National Institute on Drug Abuse concludes that, ‘every community is affected by drug abuse and addiction, as is every family.” He continues, “People are relieved to learn that they are not alone in their suffering, that we are part of something larger, in this case, a societal plague—an epidemic of children, an epidemic of families. For whatever reason, a stranger's story seemed to give them permission to tell theirs” (326).
TALES FROM A MISDIAGNOSED RITALIN KID: DANGERS OF EARLY ASSUMPTIONS
By Andy Sundquist
"We noticed you’re having trouble focusing in class, you must have a learning disability!” Although some people think that using initial observations of student behavior and
performance is important to treating learning disabilities, I think it is dangerous because it can lead to misdiagnosis, problems in self-confidence, and an altered perception of that student’s
intelligence from other students."
LIVE LIFE RESPONSIBLY
by Angela Ridenhour
When I was 11 years old, I was taken away from my mother. I was in the hands of Child Protective Services and assigned a caseworker. They took me and told me that I wasn’t going to be in contact with my mom until further investigation. Then, I was further proccessed in a grouphome with about nine other girls who live there and told I was going to live here now. When I was told this news, I got instant anxiety. How could they do this to me? My mom is the only person I’ve ever known to stick with me all this time. Well at the time, I was only seeing what my mind fixated on happening with my presence. I couldn’t see the bigger picture.
CHOOSE YOUR PATH
By Sue Snyder
Sometimes my brother and I waited up late at night to see what condition dad was in when he got home after a night of being with his friends. Several times we saw him stagger up to the porch and just sit on the bottom step. Sometimes he made it into the house by crawling across the porch and pushing the door open. His hands would be shaking, his eyes unfocused, and he smelled of whiskey and sweat. I knew of his secret stash at the back of his closet but I never told anyone, not even mom. In 1950 none of us understood alcoholism or other addictions.
AMERICA'S DEEP, DARK SECRET COMES HOME
By Kayla Smith
Addiction is a loaded word. Methamphetamine addiction cuts even sharper into the psyche of society as a whole. This subject, while still strongly viewed as taboo, affects more American families than cancer and other illnesses combined. Many still feel that they have to handle this problem alone, in shame, and behind closed doors. However I am here to tell those of you still suffering, that I was there too; and most of all, that you do not have to suffer alone and we CAN recover.
THE MYSTERY OF THE AFFLICTED: CUNNING, BAFFLING, AND POWERFUL
By Allison Piccirillo
Everybody knows the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Although it may have been a fictional story, the concept is all too real for the addict. Lots of people have different opinions about addiction, but the fact of the matter is that it is a genetic disposition which exists from birth, and once “activated” by taking the first drink or drug, there is no off switch. One is too many, and a thousand is never enough.
I FOUND MY VOICE
By Laurene Holmes-Hylton
“I’ll SHOW you not to do that!!” My father’s voice shattered my troubled sleep.
I sat up in bed covered in sweat. His middle of the night rantings occurred frequently in my family of origin, so, my usual response was to put a pillow over my head and try to block out his loud shouting. But that particular night, I heard the terrified squealing of my newly rescued puppy.
BIRDS WHO HAVE LOST THEIR WINGS
By Kylee Goller
The day is February 16th, 2018. It’s a special day for a middle aged woman. She gets to give a bigole’ speech on her past and present life, how she changed, and how she did it. All around this woman remains filled seats with warm bodies, of which contain ears open and eyes ready to see.
HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO TO HELP AN ADDICT?
By Taylor Vargas
Helping one another in challenging situations is a human instinct. This may come in the
form of volunteering our time at a food bank during the holidays or giving a friend a car ride.
However, there are certain situations, such as drug addiction, that we may not know how to help
others. I, like many others, would have no idea where to start if I were to discover that a friend or
a family member had a drug addiction.Helping one another in challenging situations is a human instinct. This may come in the
form of volunteering our time at a food bank during the holidays or giving a friend a car ride.
However, there are certain situations, such as drug addiction, that we may not know how to help
others. I, like many others, would have no idea where to start if I were to discover that a friend or
a family member had a drug addiction.
BUZZARDS, BOOZE AND BUNCOMBE COUNTY
By Hannah Stone
Daddy
He often stood in the kitchen at night, doing various things that weren’t culinary-related. Tonight, I found him smoking. “What’re you doin’?” I asked, knowing exactly what he was doing. “Oh, I was, uh, talkin’ to Bud.” He tried to say he’d been standing in the doorway of the kitchen and the patio speaking to the neighbor, but I could smell the weed. “Smells like bud, for sure,” I said.
LIVING WITH AN ADDICTION
By Sachie Watamase
I didn’t know much about a drug addiction before I read this book. Sometimes I heard the news that some famous singers, actors and actresses had died or had been arrested because of it. Every time I saw the drug related news, I wondered why they relapsed again and again.
LIGHT AFTER DARKNESS
By Aleena Robbins
Do you know what it is like to look back on six years of your life and barely remember it? I never wanted to get off the drugs. I never wanted to live in sober world. I honestly thought no one on this planet was truly sober. I had been using consistently since I was fifteen. "The Pharmacy" was what they called my high school.
THE BLINDNESS OF THE ARROGANT MIND
By Cheree Vega
Although I understand the seriousness of the situation, I knew my worst day wasn’t the day I earned my first, second or even third driving under the influence (DUI) offense. It wasn’t the day, I begged the court to release me from custody, and it was promptly denied.
A MOTHER'S LOVE
By Chira Watson
James Joyce once said, “Whatever else is unsure in this stinking dunghill of a world a mother's love is not.” I don’t know much about that, but I know addiction is not unsure either.
The first time I met my mother I was 8 years old. You might try to argue that we met on the day I was born, so I’ll briefly mention that I was born premature and with drugs in my system. My mother wasn’t allowed to hold me.
ROAD TO SOBER
By Michelle Cossey
To say I was red hot with shame in my twenties was an understatement. I was riddled with it throughout every bone in my body, in every ounce of my being, and to the deepest depths of my soul. Kind of like how cancer penetrates the cells of your body, smothers your spirit and takes over your physical being until you finally give up on life.
THE BOY IN THE MIRROR...ONE DAY AT A TIME
By Maryanne Curry-Shults
His first guitar was a red Fender Stratocaster. Alone in his room, 13-year-old Cody Brunner[*] closed his eyes and fantasized he was Jimmy Hendrix, living a lifestyle with an abundance of sex and drugs—the life of a rock star.
"Those who tell the stories rule society"