IF ONLY...

She knew how to get what she needed; all the locations of free handouts, stores she could “lift’ something unpaid from, “soft touches” were all imbedded in her memory.  She remembered how the drugs made her feel, taking away the pain of life, the shame of stealing, the humbling of begging.  They gave her a sense of being free from her fears and failures, giving her an hour’s peace from feeling anything.  She reflected about all that now that she had a new life growing within her.  “I can’t subject my baby to this,” she thought, “But what can I do?”

Hopeless thoughts filled her mind.  Memories of the bad “trips” kept flooding her brain.  She needed more and more of her drug just to feel normal, let alone get high.  To top it off, her man was angry with HER for getting pregnant.  “As if I’m the only one who’s responsible!” she thought.

Anger.  She was filled with anger at being stuck in such a terrible situation.  Anger.  No one really cared.  Anger.  Life did this to her.  The she remembered the life growing within her again, “I’ve got to do something!” she thought, “But what can I do?!”  Feelings of fear and hopelessness rose up again, “What’s the use anyway, no one cares!” she said as she reached for the syringe.

America is a psychoactive (mood-altering) drug-oriented society.  We use psychoactive drugs to satisfy curiosity, reduce pain, influence mood, change activity levels, reduce tension and anxiety, decrease fatigue and boredom, improve social interactions, and temporarily escape reality or to heighten sensation.

People that become drug dependent experience progressively severe physical, emotional, familial, social, and occupational problems, yet they are unable to reduce or stop their drug usage and usually deny that it is causing problems.  If they do realize there is a problem they are often found going in and out of rehabilitation programs.  They face a daily struggle with not using drugs.  They often have to take medication to balance the chemicals in their brains due to the long-term damage the drugs have done.

Most people think of drug users as homeless street people, gang-bangers, and teenagers but are surprised to find that now even grade school children are trying them.  Professionals struggle and are at a loss of finding a panacea to cure this epidemic that is destroying lives.  What is the answer?  What can we do?

If only someone could stop them before they even started.  If only….