Answer Addiction

Tag: families and addiction

  • Parent Coalition Fights To End Addiction Stigma, Reform Criminal Justice System

    Parent Coalition Fights To End Addiction Stigma, Reform Criminal Justice System

    As parents who saw firsthand how the criminal justice system has treated drug users, they have used their experience to make change—from communities to the policy level.

    In 1999, three parents affected by their children’s drug use decided they would form a coalition to reform the criminal justice system and bust the stigma surrounding substance use disorder. A New PATH: Parents for Addiction Treatment and Healing was born.

    “We’ve come a long way in 20 years,” co-founder Gretchen Bergman told NBC San Diego. “At that time people weren’t talking about it if they had a child with an addictive illness, because of the shame.”

    Bergman, Sylvia Liwerant and Tom O’Donnell met at a support group for families. At the time, parents and children struggling with substance use disorder had few options. “We got together, three hurt people, parents like lions who are helping their cubs,” said Liwerant. “We were angry and we were hurt by what was happening to our children. We wanted help. We felt so helpless.”

    All of their children had been incarcerated for non-violent offenses. The parents say the punishment did not make sense for what they say is a health issue, not a crime.

    In A New PATH’s long history of advocacy, they helped enact policies that aim to pull back punitive approaches to drug use.

    In 2000, they helped pass Proposition 36 in California, which allowed eligible non-violent, non-serious offenders to do their time in a treatment program instead of jail or prison. “That was the first real change in drug policy that rippled throughout the United States in terms of policy reform,” said Bergman.

    And in 2014, they helped pass Proposition 47, which reduced penalties for most non-violent and non-serious crimes. This gave 10,000 prisoners a chance to get a re-sentencing, according to Ballotpedia.

    “We took it upon ourselves to speak out… We started with a lot of passion and by the seat of our pants—not knowing or having any idea it would build and that the need was that large,” said Bergman.

    A New PATH has also supported efforts to legalize marijuana. “We are not promoting any drug use at all. The problem is the consequences are worse than the drug itself,” said Bergman, highlighting the difficulty of finding a job or enrolling in school with a felony looming on one’s record.

    Expanding access to naloxone, the opioid overdose-reversing drug, was a key issue as well. “Why couldn’t parents who were worried about their children overdosing have that in their medicine cabinet?” said Bergman.

    Since A New PATH formed, it has expanded its stigma-fighting and drug policy-reforming efforts to 35 states and 6 countries, according to NBC.

    “The awareness we created so that other families don’t have to go through what we went through, I am proud of that,” said Bergman.

    “There is still stigma about addiction. But people are understanding it better… and the way I understand addiction, people start using because of the pain they cannot solve,” said Liwerant.

    As parents who saw firsthand how the criminal justice system has treated drug users, the group of tireless advocates have used their experience to broadcast their message with the world.

    “Don’t leave us out of the conversation. We live with this. We are the primary stakeholders,” said Bergman.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • R&B Singer Mario Addresses Mother's Addiction in New Video

    R&B Singer Mario Addresses Mother's Addiction in New Video

    Mario hopes the video and song will provide support for those that may be experiencing a similar situation with a loved one.

    Nearly two years after the death of his mother, who suffered from heroin dependency, the singer and actor Mario touches on her struggle in the music video for his latest single, “Care for You.”

    The video, which features dramatized moments from his childhood and teenage years, also depicts his mother buying what is assumed to be drugs from a dealer while the young Mario waits in the car. 

    In an interview with People magazine, Mario said that he hopes the video and song will provide support for those that may be experiencing a similar situation with a loved one. “Realize that your live is the most important thing to that person, because they don’t know how to say it,” he said. “Even in their choice, we have to love them through it.”

    Mario’s mom, Shawtia Hardaway, died in 2017, and while a cause of death was not given, her issues with heroin had been made public through the 2007 MTV documentary special I Won’t Love You to Death: The Story of Mario and His Mom, which depicted his attempts to provide help for his mother with the assistance of family and friends.

    After its airing, the singer, who most recently appeared in Fox TV”s live production of Rent, launched the Mario Do Right Foundation, which provided education and support to children of addicted parents.

    “Care for You” is the second single from Mario’s 2018 album Dancing Shadows, which peaked at No. 9 on the “Billboard” 200.  He told People that in addition to addressing the more painful aspects of his childhood, the song is “really about a man realizing that it’s okay to feel, it’s okay to be vulnerable.”

    “I think a lot of times in our lives, especially men who have gone through things and who have built this warrior shield around their heart, don’t want to admit when they feel something or don’t want to admit when they love someone,” he explained.

    With the opioid epidemic affecting nearly every demographic in the United States and claiming 115 lives every day, Mario understands that support for both the addict and the people around them is crucial.

    “Addiction doesn’t just affect the user, it affects the family,” he said. “In some ways, you also feel like you’re addicted because you’re so close to it. You’re immersed into the hope of them healing and choosing a brighter path.”

    And if a fan or even casual listener is going through the same tumult that Mario experienced, he hoped that they take the steps necessary to care for themselves as much as they care for the person with dependency in their lives. “It’s really important that you take time for yourself to heal and to un-blame yourself,” he said. 

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Dwyane Wade's Mom Pays Tribute To Son For Loyalty During Addiction Battle

    Dwyane Wade's Mom Pays Tribute To Son For Loyalty During Addiction Battle

    In a commercial marking his career achievements, Wade’s mother thanks her son for never giving up on her when she was in active addiction.  

    Dwyane Wade played his final game in Brooklyn, New York on Wednesday. The NBA star, who led the Miami Heat to their first NBA Championship in franchise history, is retiring at 37.

    But behind Wade’s success is his mother Jolinda. In a new Budweiser commercial marking Wade’s retirement, she thanks Wade for the impact he’s had on her life. Jolinda, an ordained Baptist minister, came a long way from her life as a chronic drug-using, struggling mother on the south side of Chicago.

    “When you bought your mother that church, you don’t even understand the lives that you changed,” she said. “You were the joy of my life. But I was dropping the ball.”

     

    Wade gave his mother her own church in 2008, symbolizing her redemption from her past. “I respect my mother so much, from the life that she used to live and to see her today in the life that she lives. I’m so proud of her,” Wade said at the time. “Everybody thinks I’m the miraculous story in the family. I think she is. I think what I’ve done means I’ve been very blessed, but she’s been more than blessed. She’s been anointed.”

    Growing up, Wade and his siblings witnessed their mother use and sell drugs, abuse alcohol, and disappear for “long periods.”

    “We would sit on the porch some nights, hoping she would just walk around that corner,” Wade said in a past interview with Oprah Winfrey. “I kept my ear to the window, hoping I heard her voice or I’d walk myself, hoping to see her.”

    Tragil Wade, Dwyane’s older sister, helped raise her brother in their mother’s absence. She recalled fearing the worst whenever she’d hear about someone dying in nearby abandoned buildings. “I can’t even tell you what it was like,” she said in 2008 at the opening of her mother’s church. “It’s beyond words.”

    Jolinda’s addictions landed her in jails, halfway houses and foreclosed homes, according to the Washington Post. She once nearly died from shooting up an unknown substance.

    In 1994, she was arrested for possession of crack cocaine with intent to sell. She recalled the flurry of emotions she felt when her son came to visit her in jail. “I seen the look on his face, like ‘Why is my Momma behind there? What’s going on?’ He did not understand why I was behind that glass, and I was so mad.”

    Jolinda continued on this path until 2001, when she finally had a change of heart during a church service with her daughter Tragil. At the time, she was on the run after vacating her jail sentence during a work-release program. Wade was a sophomore playing basketball at Marquette University. Jolinda turned herself in, and was released after serving nine months in prison.

    While she was in prison, she became a devout Christian and dreamed of being a pastor.

    In the commercial, Jolinda thanks her son for never giving up on her.

    “That day that I just couldn’t do it no more was the day that I was going to have to turn myself in. And I seen the tears just fall from your eyes. Your momma went down a road, Dwyane, that I didn’t ever think I’d come back from. But on that road, I noticed you kept showing up. And you’d come and see about me. And because you believed in me, when I got out of prison I was a different woman.”

    In his interview with Oprah, Wade expressed the respect that he had for his mother, no matter what she was going through. “I never gave up on her. Never blamed her. Because that was her life, her journey, her path. Without that path, I’m not who I am today.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Parents Of Opioid Epidemic Named Citizens Of The Year

    Parents Of Opioid Epidemic Named Citizens Of The Year

    A New Hampshire paper has named the “parents of the addiction crisis” as the citizens of the year for 2018.

    In New Hampshire last year, 437 people died of drug overdoses, a significant number in the small state. Many of them were young adults who left behind parents who were unable to save them, despite their best intentions.

    Now, a New Hampshire paper has named the “parents of the addiction crisis” as the citizens of the year for 2018.

    “The selection honors parents who have lost children to overdoses — and others whose loved ones have found recovery — but who are striving to help other families find hope and healing,” Shawne K. Wickham wrote in a piece for The New Hampshire Union Leader explaining the selection. “Most do that work quietly, out of public view. They run support groups and volunteer at recovery centers. They raise their grandchildren, postponing retirement in favor of parenting a second time around. Others have shared their stories publicly, reaching out in hopes of sparing other families their grief.”

    After Susan Messinger’s son died of a fentanyl overdose in 2014, Messinger and her husband John (who passed away suddenly last fall) threw themselves into advocacy and awareness in hopes that other parents would never need to experience a loss like theirs.

    “It may look like we’re OK; you see us in the grocery store, Walmart, wherever. We’re there, we’re putting one foot in front of the other; we may have a smile on our face that day or we may look sad,” Messinger said. “But our heart is broken inside and it’s never, ever, ever going to be together again.”

    Jim and Anne Marie Zanfagna lost their daughter to an opioid overdose in the fall. Anne Marie has since painted 180 pictures of people who have died from drug overdoses.

    She calls the series “Angels of Addictions.” It has now been displayed around the state and led the Zanfagnas to found a nonprofit by the same name to raise awareness and cut stigma. They want to encourage other people to be open about addiction. 

    “Speak about this,” said Jim Zanfagna. “Let people know what’s going on. Maybe we can save some lives.”

    Charles “Chucky” Rosa has been speaking out since his two sons died of drug overdoses more than 10 years ago. Recently he has seen more and more parents doing the same. 

    “I used to be the only member of the club that nobody wants to be part of,” he said. “Now there’s so many people that have lost children.”

    Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) said that New Hampshire parents have shown resiliency in the face of crisis.

    “So many families have courageously shared their experience of losing a loved one, which has been instrumental in destigmatizing substance use disorders and raising awareness of the magnitude of this crisis,” she said. “I deeply appreciate their advocacy and will continue to work with them to end this scourge on our state and our country.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Support Group Helps Mothers Affected By Opioid Crisis

    Support Group Helps Mothers Affected By Opioid Crisis

    “Families that are battling this disease, we suffer in silence. The fact that we can have love and kindness from somebody makes a world of difference.”

    For families affected by opioid use disorder, support groups can be their only outlet. More have cropped up amid the national epidemic of chronic opioid use and death, allowing parents, sisters, brothers, friends, and more to share their pain, frustration and loss with others who are going through the same thing.

    One such group, based in Plainville, Massachusetts, brings together mothers who meet every Saturday to talk about how opioid addiction has affected their lives.

    The group, called Unconditional Love, first began meeting in June 2014 at Plainville United Methodist Church. The women come from every stage of addiction and recovery, whether they have children with years’ worth of sobriety or whether they have lost them to addiction.

    “Families that are battling this disease, we suffer in silence,” said founder Robin Hamlin. “The fact that we can have love and kindness from somebody makes a world of difference.”

    “They all had their own journey and their own ways of dealing, and I got something from each and every one,” said Linda Irvin, who lost her son Danny. “It helped me get up in the morning and do something, even if it was just get up.”

    Hamlin, 56, started Unconditional Love four days after the death of her son Brian, who suffered a seizure with one year sober, according to The Sun Chronicle.

    Brian first became hooked on painkillers that were prescribed for an injury during college. Thirteen years later, he committed to sobriety. He was very active in his recovery, Hamlin recalled. He managed the sober home he was living in and would help his mother plan support group meetings.

    Hamlin not only runs the support group, she also visits recovery centers to share her story. Her long-term goal is to open a recovery center in Brian’s name.

    “I’m trying to have this make a difference. Is it going to change what happened to our children? No,” she said. “But it’s going to help other people, and that’s what we fight for. Because when you can talk about it, save a family or give an addict hope, then it’s a beautiful day.”

    According to the women in the group, letting go of blame, and realizing that addiction is a family disease, made it easier to cope with their pain and loss.

    “We’re all in that war, and have beautiful families that are devastated. And it needs to stop,” said Hamlin. “You work on your family your whole life and this disease comes in and slowly takes everything apart, and that’s why it’s a family disease.”

    View the original article at thefix.com