*Warning

[Anna.]

Last night I heard an old friend of mine overdosed. He was 23. We live in a small town in Georgia with a higher than average drug abuse rate. I'm thinking about alot of my old friends and it sucks. I can't get in touch w/ my meth addicted old best friend to even tell her what has happened. My other buddy just got locked up yesterday for theft to support his crack habit. I got another one in rehab and one that just got out for the second or third time. These are not bad people. These are people with bad habits.

 

We didn't start out like this. You're young and you don't what your getting yourself into it and before you know it you're a freakin addict. We were just having fun while we were young. But there's a point where it quits being fun and you start to reap what you've sown.

 

And it grows gradually, too. You don't try something once and get addicted. That's bull. You try something and realize that it's not as big a deal as its been built up to be all your life and you don't realize that no, one time isn't gonna ruin your life. One time too many is what's gonna ruin your life. Developing a habit is what's gonna get you into rehab if your lucky, jail or the cemetery if your not.

 

You know, even when you clean up, you don't forget what you went through. You still know how good it can feel and it still creeps into your brain from time to time that the option is still there. And then you watch all these people that you care about slowly kill themselves and you can't do anything about it. And the whole situation seems hopeless.

 

I just wish we would tell kids the truth. Not show up at elementary school with McGruff the drug dog every year, til you're immune to it. No cheesy tv commercials. Don't tell a kid that smoking one joint is gonna get them addicted to crack. By the time I got old enough to know what was up, I was so jaded from being bombarded with anti-drug propaganda that I didn't know what to believe.

 

Get somebody who has cleaned up their life to go in and tell kids the truth. Somebody with experience who understands. Tell them that it is possible to do drugs and be ok, for a while. But your luck runs out. And tell them that yeah, it does feel good, but then show them a before and after picture of a meth addict. Tell them as good as it feels, it feels that much worse when you don't have it. And that eventually you're just doing whatever the hell it takes to get yourself out of the bed in the morning. Show them the actual damage drug use over time does to you liver and kidneys.

 

I'm sorry, I'm just frustrated. I don't blame mine nor anyone else's habits on the public school system. And I'm mainly just venting. I'm just mad my freaking friend is dead for no reason. And I just don't want anybody else to have to go through this.

[blush]

I know you are upset, everyone does at some point when you know that it could have been prevented!

 

I provide support for you if you ever need someone to talk to, I lost a friend to a drunk driver, even tho all through his life he never drank, smoked nor did drugs, and swore he would never let someone else that has been drinking drive, he was only coming home from visiting his parents, when he was hit by the other car.

[AwdreeHpburn]

Anna - I hear your frustration and I know it all too well.

 

My sister is a meth addict and has three beautiful little children who's lives she's is ruining. I hate her for it but it is as you said, really hard to reach them.

 

The point of saying it's addictive after the first time is two-fold. First off, it IS addicting the first time for some people and if you've never done it, you have no idea if you'll be one of the un-lucky and 2, it will HOPEFULLY scare people who have no clue from ever attempting for fear of becoming addicted.

 

AND I completely agree with the revleation of sending recovering addicts to schools (which they do) rather than a cartoony crime dog.....

 

But even THAT gets scoffs and blown off by highschool teenagers who are too cool for school...if you know what I mean.

 

There is really no way to keep people from trying it, liking it and selling it. We just have to promote education and lead by example.....

 

I'm really sorry to hear about your old friend. I am in constant fear that I will get that phone call about my sister...

[Hope75]

Hi There Anna,

 

I'm sorry for your loss. I lost a friend to suicide a bit over a year ago who was addicted to heroin.

 

I am impressed with your insight and the fact that you've gotten clean.

 

Would you consider speaking at high schools about addiction?

 

I think you'd be very good at it, and it might be a nice way to honor your friend.

[lovecrazy]

WOW...I am in GA as well, and there are alot of drugs around here...Small towns especially..

 

I lost a friend about 4 months ago to an over dose. And his father was an addicted as well..My sister had a meth problem...hopefully she is recovering, hard to know...

 

I worry that one day I will get a call about my sister...And other friends I have.

 

I am sorry for your loss