Drug Addiction
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
The path to drug addiction begins with the act of taking drugs. Over time, a person's ability to choose not to take drugs can become compromised. Drug seeking becomes compulsive, in large part as a result of the effects of prolonged drug use on brain functioning and, thus, on behavior.
Alcohol
Cocaine
Ectasy
Hallucinogens
Herion
Marijiuana
Methamphetamine
I am tired of Drugs! I am so sick of them I could scream! I am fighting them with all I have. There everywhere! My job at the PD, I see the effects. We would not even have a property crimes unit if it weren't for Drugs. Then at the boys home, the one thing I have such a hard time fighting is Drug Addiction.
It is only through the power of God can this bondage be broken. Drugs have such a stronghold, when they take over a person's life. A person who uses cannot see the tree for the forest. It starts out as experimenting, then continues to escalate until it is Slavery and it doesn't even stop there, it goes from possession, to selling and distributing, to destroying other lives with it. Oh God, do we ever need your delivering hand in this time!!!
Over and over again, I see these boys give up everything and for what? I am so angry! Right now I am dealing with a boy whom I love so very much and he is using again. He is going to fall, the writing is on the wall and yes I know it will be the best thing for him, but it sure is hard to stand by and watch it happen. All I can do is pray and allow God to work it out. I know He will.
Alcohol
Cocaine
Ectasy
Hallucinogens
Herion
Marijiuana
Methamphetamine
I am tired of Drugs! I am so sick of them I could scream! I am fighting them with all I have. There everywhere! My job at the PD, I see the effects. We would not even have a property crimes unit if it weren't for Drugs. Then at the boys home, the one thing I have such a hard time fighting is Drug Addiction.
It is only through the power of God can this bondage be broken. Drugs have such a stronghold, when they take over a person's life. A person who uses cannot see the tree for the forest. It starts out as experimenting, then continues to escalate until it is Slavery and it doesn't even stop there, it goes from possession, to selling and distributing, to destroying other lives with it. Oh God, do we ever need your delivering hand in this time!!!
Over and over again, I see these boys give up everything and for what? I am so angry! Right now I am dealing with a boy whom I love so very much and he is using again. He is going to fall, the writing is on the wall and yes I know it will be the best thing for him, but it sure is hard to stand by and watch it happen. All I can do is pray and allow God to work it out. I know He will.
posted by Live, Love, Laugh | 9:35 PM
20 Comments:
How hard that must be. :(
fts, it is hard to sit and watch it happen, this kid called me tonight and admitted to me he wasn't happy and said he knew where he was headed, so now all I can do is pray for him, I remember when J was in the same place he is, and God worked a miracle.
I used to do marijuana out of high school, and although (thank god for this) I did not get addicted like most did, it's still a hard battle to conquer. It was never a gateway drug for me, I never bought it, I never sold it.. but it was there and by the abundance.
For that year that I did "pot" it was all consuming! I went to work, and school high, and when I was at home I was in a permanent haze. Even to this day I often think about it in passing like "oh how great it will be to be a civilian and I can do what I want. But the funny thing is I would never do it again, but the devil occasionally attacks me with little reminders and lies of my old days.
To your friend, the first step to overcoming is walking away and not giving into temptation, which most often includes getting new friends. I will be praying for him, but like you said it's in God's hands and sometimes we have to hit rock bottom a few times before we wake up and realize what true happiness is.
Msthang,
thanks for being so transparent, I have never used pot, but I had many friends who did.
I am amazed as you said it's a hard battle to conquer. We are weak as humans and I see these boys wanting to stop the substance abuse and having dreams of going to school and changing their lives, then they get to point A, go back to using and their lives are consumed by their addiction and they lose everything, they stop attending church, they stop associating w/ any friend who will tell them the truth, they forget the dream of a better life, they just continue to sink, they no longer live, they exist.
I remember Joseph saying one day that all his friends who were into drugs always lived in the past, but his new friends are always talking about today and the future. It has been quite a change for him going to some of his friend's houses and playing ping pong, drinking dr. pepper and having a good time without doing anything illegal.
I know it is so accepted among youth now ...peer pressure is enormous, there are some like yourself who don't become addicted, but then the others who aren't so lucky become casualties.
It's all about personalities. Some people have an addictive personality, others dont. It's also about how you were raised, and early childhood experiences. You can be raised by great parents, but alot of kids (for whatever reason) feel the need for acceptance, and alot of times that is the easiest group to be accepted into.
You know there is so much more I can say about my story, I will make a post of it.
You are doing God's work...Blessings to you Dana.
Having done a few things I should NOT have done in the past, I can truly agree that it is only by God's grace that we walk away from our addictions, no matter what they are.
Money, drugs, sex, power...
I am so sorry to hear this...and you're right, it's everywhere...the great escape, the big deception. If you could only show him a clip of his life a few years down the road, I don't think he'd flirt with it. I pray this boy gains wisdom and finds his strength and support in God and good friends like you.
I hear ya, to get over addictions it is best to get God involved from the word "Go".
Love ya Mom!
WOW. I can feel your pain coming through in this post. We have struggled with this issue in my own family, and you are so right. You start out using drugs, and before long the drugs are using you. My nephew, for instance, was spiraling out of control for several years. It took a long time for my sister to realize that she was being his enabler (a cycle that goes back generations in our family). She had to let him fall, and fall hard. I’ll be praying for you today that God gives you the grace you need.
Drugs are such a horrible thing, leaving many types of scars behind. "But greater is He that is in me, then He that is of the world." I met some really special people on my last mission trip to NYC that have left their life of drug addiction and selling behind. Their testimonies are amazing.
I hear ya. It's hard.
I'm thankful that God is using you to change these boys lives. Sometimes a single person planting a seed can make a huge impact on someone else. Even if you don't see it right now.
What an amazing heart you have, so real and so sold out for those you love.
"It is only through the power of God can this bondage be broken."
This sentence is so true for all our sins. I thank God for all the bonds he has broken in my life.
Ok the rest of my comment is up on my blog. Most of it reiterates what I said, but a little more in detail.
Ms. Thang, you are right! Although I did not inherit the propensity for drugs and alcohol like others in my family, I do have a very addictive personality. For me, sadly, it was sex for way too many years. It is ONLY by the grace of God that I am alive today, because I fully deserve to have died of AIDS. And yes, only HIS power can break the bondage!
Msthang,
You are so right, it does have alot to do with personalities, what you were subjected to as a child, chemistry and even spiritual warfare! It sure gets tiring sometimes it seems like what's the point? But then I am reminded of what God has done for me and I press on.
Steele,
Good point! There are so many things that put us in bondage and God is able!
Maria
Good idea, I took your advice and talked to him last night. I asked him if this is what he wanted for his life? He told me no. I asked do the friends you are hangin with really care whether you make it or not? He answered no, then I just encouraged him to really think about his life and where he will be. I asked him if he wanted to go back to jail and he said no. So I planted the seeds, let him know I am there if he needs to talk, let him know I care, so now I trust God and pray.
Hey Eddo,
Glad to see you stopped in to say hello!!! I will see you at the birthday party! I am working seven days next week.
Jennifer,
Thanks for the prayers. I need them, because sometimes I get weary in well doing. Oftentimes I feel like I am running up against a brick wall. Of course that is just an illusion because God hears and answers and even when we don't see results right away, I have to remember it is in His time.
JCOL,
I just thought of how I know God brought this kid here and perhaps he is allowing him to go through this and in the end we will see that testimony used for God's glory. I sure hope so, but my feeling right now is he will go to jail for awhile.
Oh Great One
Thanks for the encouraagement
Katie,
Great to see you here, I got my eye on you guys, yall have been having way too much fun!
And you are right, God can set us free from anything! I am so thankful because we sure wouldn't have any hope at all if we couldn't depend on Him!!
You have a very difficult job there to do. I sincerely believe God chooses specific people to do that because He knows they can make a difference. And keep on reminding yourself that you ARE making a difference.
Thanks for visiting my blog...I will be back here :)
There are always consequences to our sin, but God can use those consequences to His glory, and "restore the years that the locusts have eaten". I pray that this will be the case for the men that you minister to.
I can't wait for Eddo to meet some of the guys in New York. I'm so EXCITED!!!
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