A POWERFUL REMINDER TO STAY CLEAN
( " He came from and island, and he died from the street..and he hurt so bad, like a soul breaking, but he never said nothing to me.")
I am not a big TV watcher and I never really have been. Other than sporting events or movies, I view Network TV as nothing more than a barren wasteland, designed to insult our intelligence. I have no desire to watch people eating bugs, and I also believe that a recording contract should be the reward of hard work NOT WINNING A CONTEST. I do realize however, with ratings shares being lost to Cable TV, the networks have been eager to cut production costs which has led to the onslaught of "reality shows" over the last 5 - plus years (the shows themselves are easy to produce, as all you need are people and a camera).
Having said that, this past Sunday evening I caught an episode of "Intervention" on the A& E Network. This is a documentary show that depicts people dealing with such issues as drug and gambling addictions, and the toll it takes on their families. Faced with no other option, the families call in a professional Interventionist. I had read some good reviews about the show and have been meaning to tune in for awhile. If the other episodes are as powerful as Sunday's, this show will be a regular entry into my Tivo. I don't think I have ever had a TV show hit me as hard as this one did.
Episode 14 dealt with an 18 year old girl named Corrine, a drug addict hooked on a deadly, combustible combination of Heroin and Crystal Meth. ( for those not familiar, Heroin is a depressant, Crystal Meth is a stimulant. Mixing the two gives an addict a "speedball" effect, something akin to a drug induced "rollercoaster" feeling.) To make matters worse, she is a diabetic and has been neglecting her Insulin treatments in favor of her addiction. Perhaps it is the Diabetis connection (my father was a Diabetic), or the fact that I have a young Niece who will be 11 in November, but I am not quite sure what it was about her story that hit me so hard. I volunteered at a drug treatment facility in high school as part of a work-release program my Senior year, and took health courses concerning addiction. Maybe that is it. Perhaps it is the fact that a very good friend of mine whom I played Softball with years ago had a bad drinking problem (and we suspected a drug problem as well). All I know is when the episode was over, I was almost to the point of tears.
The girl's background is much the same as millions of other kids all around the country. Honor roll student, scholar/athlete, from a very loving family. However, when Corrine was in the 7th grade she was sexually abused by a babysitter, and that is where things began to go downhill quickly. As as she was entering high school Corrine's parent's relationship ran into problems (the show is vauge as to exactly what the marital problems were, but when the documentary was being filmed her parents were together by all indications). This led to the inevitable adolescent depression and alienation. Having moved to a new town in Missouri as she began high school, Corrine made new friends that introduced her to drugs.
The transformation from "girl next door" to addict during the course of the episode is shocking. It is not so much her physical appearance that undergoes a transformation, but just her overall outlook on life. Home movies are shown of her on vacations with her family, playing with her younger sister. Then we see her taking a shot of Heroin before her mother picks her up for a visit to her Grandmother's house. It is during this scene where Corrine says something that literally made my heart sink. As she is waiting for her mother to arrive at her house ( a basement room that she shares wither her boyfriend, where just about every waking hour is spent doing drugs), Corrine says "My only wish, if I keep feeling this way, mentally and physically, is that I die soon." Call me nieve, but I could not believe it. Here is a girl with her whole life in front of her, that wants to die at the age of 18.
The scene at her Grandmother's house is equally as powerful. After awhile it becomes obvious that Corrine is under the influence, and her and her mother have an argument about the visit being ruined. Inside the house her Grandmother makes a tearful plea that "she wants her angel back". It is here that Corrine allows a brief glimpse of what she is feeling, and the battle that all drug addicts wage. she says to her grandmother that "there have been times over the past few years that I have wanted to call and talk to you but I didn't feel worth it." When asked why she says " I don't know, somewhere along the line, I just started to hate the world."
From there, the actual intervention process is depicted. Corrine thinks she is going to be reuinited with a friend that she has not seen in over a year, but when she arrives at the hotel where her friend is staying, her family is in the room along with the interventionist. Corrine then comes face to face with her problem and the pain it is causing her loved ones. Then she agrees to seek counseling.
The documentary has a bit of a sad ending as well. After entering into a treatment program in Mesa Arizona, Corrine appears to be making progress, but soon is asked to leave the program for violating house rules (coming home drunk). She enters another treatment center, and has a relapse of her Heroin addiction. A tough way to end a very powerful and gripping story.
Having watched this program it has brought home to me the importance of discussing things like drug addiction with kids, even when they are very young. It IS important to let them know that they can come to the adults in their life if they have a problem, or if they are confused about something. Keep the lines of communication open, that is what all of the P.S.A.'s say. (TALKING: THE ANTI-DRUG, as the commercial says). However, after watching this program I came away confused. I wonder if all of these "Anti-Drug" Advisories", all of the classes, symposiums, and Dooms Day scenarios that we put in kid's heads are working. I could be wrong, but I'm sure this girl took much the same health classes that we all took in school. Perhaps I am mistaken, but I am quite positive there were teachers and other adults who urged her to stay away from drugs. So, what happened? How did a child go from loving life, to wanting to die? This is the question that I keep asking myself, and that we should all ask. Peace.
( " He came from and island, and he died from the street..and he hurt so bad, like a soul breaking, but he never said nothing to me.")
I am not a big TV watcher and I never really have been. Other than sporting events or movies, I view Network TV as nothing more than a barren wasteland, designed to insult our intelligence. I have no desire to watch people eating bugs, and I also believe that a recording contract should be the reward of hard work NOT WINNING A CONTEST. I do realize however, with ratings shares being lost to Cable TV, the networks have been eager to cut production costs which has led to the onslaught of "reality shows" over the last 5 - plus years (the shows themselves are easy to produce, as all you need are people and a camera).
Having said that, this past Sunday evening I caught an episode of "Intervention" on the A& E Network. This is a documentary show that depicts people dealing with such issues as drug and gambling addictions, and the toll it takes on their families. Faced with no other option, the families call in a professional Interventionist. I had read some good reviews about the show and have been meaning to tune in for awhile. If the other episodes are as powerful as Sunday's, this show will be a regular entry into my Tivo. I don't think I have ever had a TV show hit me as hard as this one did.
Episode 14 dealt with an 18 year old girl named Corrine, a drug addict hooked on a deadly, combustible combination of Heroin and Crystal Meth. ( for those not familiar, Heroin is a depressant, Crystal Meth is a stimulant. Mixing the two gives an addict a "speedball" effect, something akin to a drug induced "rollercoaster" feeling.) To make matters worse, she is a diabetic and has been neglecting her Insulin treatments in favor of her addiction. Perhaps it is the Diabetis connection (my father was a Diabetic), or the fact that I have a young Niece who will be 11 in November, but I am not quite sure what it was about her story that hit me so hard. I volunteered at a drug treatment facility in high school as part of a work-release program my Senior year, and took health courses concerning addiction. Maybe that is it. Perhaps it is the fact that a very good friend of mine whom I played Softball with years ago had a bad drinking problem (and we suspected a drug problem as well). All I know is when the episode was over, I was almost to the point of tears.
The girl's background is much the same as millions of other kids all around the country. Honor roll student, scholar/athlete, from a very loving family. However, when Corrine was in the 7th grade she was sexually abused by a babysitter, and that is where things began to go downhill quickly. As as she was entering high school Corrine's parent's relationship ran into problems (the show is vauge as to exactly what the marital problems were, but when the documentary was being filmed her parents were together by all indications). This led to the inevitable adolescent depression and alienation. Having moved to a new town in Missouri as she began high school, Corrine made new friends that introduced her to drugs.
The transformation from "girl next door" to addict during the course of the episode is shocking. It is not so much her physical appearance that undergoes a transformation, but just her overall outlook on life. Home movies are shown of her on vacations with her family, playing with her younger sister. Then we see her taking a shot of Heroin before her mother picks her up for a visit to her Grandmother's house. It is during this scene where Corrine says something that literally made my heart sink. As she is waiting for her mother to arrive at her house ( a basement room that she shares wither her boyfriend, where just about every waking hour is spent doing drugs), Corrine says "My only wish, if I keep feeling this way, mentally and physically, is that I die soon." Call me nieve, but I could not believe it. Here is a girl with her whole life in front of her, that wants to die at the age of 18.
The scene at her Grandmother's house is equally as powerful. After awhile it becomes obvious that Corrine is under the influence, and her and her mother have an argument about the visit being ruined. Inside the house her Grandmother makes a tearful plea that "she wants her angel back". It is here that Corrine allows a brief glimpse of what she is feeling, and the battle that all drug addicts wage. she says to her grandmother that "there have been times over the past few years that I have wanted to call and talk to you but I didn't feel worth it." When asked why she says " I don't know, somewhere along the line, I just started to hate the world."
From there, the actual intervention process is depicted. Corrine thinks she is going to be reuinited with a friend that she has not seen in over a year, but when she arrives at the hotel where her friend is staying, her family is in the room along with the interventionist. Corrine then comes face to face with her problem and the pain it is causing her loved ones. Then she agrees to seek counseling.
The documentary has a bit of a sad ending as well. After entering into a treatment program in Mesa Arizona, Corrine appears to be making progress, but soon is asked to leave the program for violating house rules (coming home drunk). She enters another treatment center, and has a relapse of her Heroin addiction. A tough way to end a very powerful and gripping story.
Having watched this program it has brought home to me the importance of discussing things like drug addiction with kids, even when they are very young. It IS important to let them know that they can come to the adults in their life if they have a problem, or if they are confused about something. Keep the lines of communication open, that is what all of the P.S.A.'s say. (TALKING: THE ANTI-DRUG, as the commercial says). However, after watching this program I came away confused. I wonder if all of these "Anti-Drug" Advisories", all of the classes, symposiums, and Dooms Day scenarios that we put in kid's heads are working. I could be wrong, but I'm sure this girl took much the same health classes that we all took in school. Perhaps I am mistaken, but I am quite positive there were teachers and other adults who urged her to stay away from drugs. So, what happened? How did a child go from loving life, to wanting to die? This is the question that I keep asking myself, and that we should all ask. Peace.
posted by smialek316 at 1:44 PM
1 Comments:
This is one thing I learned about human behavior.
If you tell someone over and over again "don't do it", that is exactly what they will desire to do in more cases than not.
We search for the easiest way to communicate things instead of the real way. That's why the whole "Say no to drugs" campaign in the 80's was a bit of a waste. Meanwhile, real education on such things was taking a hit in funding.
Parents have to get real with their kids, not just tell them to not do it and dismiss them. Talk for real with them, get some real facts, and that will go a longer way.
Dude, you gotta post on a bunch of other blogs out there and get them to read yours. We need a forum going here.
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