Uncle Ted
Many thoughts have come together. The holidays bring memories of family. The news brings word of wars and drugs. Travels into Albuquerque bring visions of shocking change.
My Uncle Ted was a very handsome man, a good worker and a charismatic musician and singer. Perhaps because of playing in night clubs, he became addicted to alcohol. Later in life, my dad [his brother] and I picked him up when he was lying on the streets of Chicago. His thank you was 'What the hell do you want? Leave me alone!' He was repeatedly beat up, became disabled mentally and had large leg ulcers that never healed. And there no longer was any music in his life.
The epidemic of marijuana, methamphetamine, and opioid addictions [in addition to alcohol and pornography has captured our young as well as adults. WHY?
One of my smart friends said 'Because it makes them feel good!!'. But it really doesn't. When I used pain meds or lots of caffeine or a couple of alcoholic drinks, I feel the effects, but I don't feel normal. I don't feel healthy. I'm not fully alive in the present moment. And in general, the pill that produces immediate relief produces an increasing reliance with an increasing amount to produce the same effect.
I was in the waiting room of a dealership in Albuquerque until my truck was winterized. There were six silent men there, looking down at their smart phones.
None made eye contact or conversation with another human being, even the man sitting 5 inches away from me. It felt like being in the land of the dead. It's as if the machines are our masters and we've become uniform isolated humanoid robots who need to occasionally escape to an alternate reality.
So many complex roots are involved in addiction. So many ideas about prevention and treatment. Maybe a trip to our Drug Treatment Court will help our understanding. It's located in the County Building next to Smith's and is a State entity certified with policies and procedures, less than a year old here in Cibola County. Miriam Rahieb and Lori Vigil were generous with their time and were generally committed to helping those indicted with a felony or misdemeanor that involved substance abuse, to change and to save their lives. The basic idea is that past trauma or other underlying issues initiated drug use to cover the pain, without the incident itself being openly focused on and resolved.
Lori and Miriam have personal experience with the trials and heartaches of living with a family member who has hurt them and almost died several times. I marvel at their compassion, hope and forgiveness. Court ordered treatment consists of an evaluation for substance abuse after referral of 'judgement and sentence'.
Then a referral is made for intensive [three times a week out- patient treatment at the Full Circle program across from the laundromat on Roosevelt. The focus is identifying triggers for drug use, learning about oneself, schooling, taking personal responsibility and dealing with the negative feelings of hurt family and friends. Information is given about the effects of drugs on the brain and body even after the present use stops and suicidal signs. There are also referrals to Rehab Centers [e.g. Darrins Place, Four Corners Recovery, Santa Fe recovery, Hoy Recovery and Turquoise Lodge]. There is a compliance court on Wednesdays where a team of attorneys, probation officers, treatment facility representatives, officers and a judge follow the progress of the person through positive reinforcement and/or sanctions. There is a pre-prosecution program for juveniles so that they will not have a record. Sandoval County and Valencia County [especially under their present judge] have gotten excellent results. [P.S. Juveniles are prohibited from using THC until age 21 and it is illegal to drive under the influence of THC]. Lori, who cares deeply about her clients, says 'you can't throw people away and there are services here to save people's lives' Today's lesson: Each of us must journey through the woods until we find our path out into the light. It's easier if you have someone at your side-human or Divine.
Joan Klonowski