Ellen Campbell-Grizzle
SOBRIETY IS a difficult goal to achieve for recovering addicts. Some never survive while others return to a purpose-filled life.
Those who are walking the rocky road to recovery appreciate the constructive role played by family, friends and community. Many recovering addicts have some powerful experiences to share though few will go public because of fear of stigma. In this Drug Awareness Month, we share a few vignettes.
MY GRANDCHILD'S TEARS
Five-year-old Sasha Gaye was inconsolable. She came home from school sniffling and crying. When her grandfather came home, she told him that she did not want him to die. "Why?" he asked. She explained that she had seen a video at school about what cigarettes do to people who smoke. Her grandfather had a 10-stick-per-day habit and he frequently tried to quit. Sasha Gaye cried for the entire night. The next morning he promised her that he would quit. Eight months since then, he has battled with weight gain, cravings and near misses, but he has never smoked a cigarette again.
QUICK SILVER
They called Marcus Quick Silver, because he was never still and moved with speed. After graduating from high school, he went on to university and earned a bachelor's degree in marketing. Quick Silver was a top salesman for 20 years. He moved with a crowd that drank hard and found every reason to party.
Then one day, his wife told him that their daughter, Faith, had been fired from her job in the tourist sector because she was an alcoholic.
Quicksilver went home early that afternoon to spend time with Faith. From birth, she had idealised her father and patterned her life after his. Reality struck when the father realised the consequences of his lifestyle. Father and daughter have been detoxified and are battling to remain alcohol-free. Marcus says that he has very few friends these days, but he has never been happier.
TIME TO COME HOME
Louis P. dropped out of high school at 15 years old and left home. His mother never heard from him for eight years, but got reports of his whereabouts from time to time. She was a hardworking woman who had pinned a lot of hope on her only child.
His teachers first noted a disturbing trend of missed classes and failing grades. Louis frequently disappeared from home without explanation. Louis' mother asked him if he was smoking and he confirmed that he had started using ganja and had no intention of stopping. The distraught woman had sought help from her employers, church and even tried to contact Louis' father who had left her before their son was born.
Eight years later, Louis came back. He brought his 'queen' to meet his mother. They were making a decent living selling craft items. Louis' mother met Ella, her granddaughter and namesake, for the first time.
NO EASY ANSWERS
Persons of all types, social status and ages are caught in the web of drug abuse. This is a problem with no easy answers and no sure cure. We are often perplexed and astounded by the extent to which drug abusers will go to get high. Persons who call the helpline of the National Council on Drug Abuse (NCDA) are often agonised and traumatised. Seventy per cent of the callers are women who are seeking help for friends and relatives who are mostly men (85 per cent). Ultimately, the addict must want help and may respond to various triggers that push them in the direction of recovery. Families, friends, peers, communities and co-workers play an indispensable role in this process. This is not an easy road and prevention remains the best answer. Don't start!
Ellen Campbell-Grizzle is president of the Caribbean Association of Pharmacists and director of information and research at the National Council on Drug Abuse; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.
