Sunday, September 8, 2013

"Does someone's drinking bother you"?

 

One of the public service announcements for Al-Anon says,

 

"Are you bothered by someone's drinking?

I always laugh when I hear that. When you live with someone with active alcoholism or addiction it is a little more than being  "bothered".

BOTHERED  is a fly that won't go away!

BOTHERED is slow traffic!

BOTHERED is poor service at a restaurant!

When you live with active addiction you are slightly more than

BOTHERED!!!!!

There are days you feel like you are losing your mind. There are days you think  that the most logical thing to do is to just get in your car and keep driving.
 
When something is bothering you, you know that the way you are feeling will go away, and that in a few minutes or maybe even hours you will go back to feeling normal again.
 
When you are living in active addiction you become consumed with someone else's behavior. You live in constant fear of what the next knock on the door or phone call will mean.
 
There IS no relief from the fear and worry that rules your every waking moment. When you live with active addiction it feels as if you have fallen into a dark hole and can find no way out.
 Each day more and more dirt is piled on top of you and you fear that one day you will just die,
 alone on the floor of this cold, dark hole.
 
But you hold on...
 
You wake up to another day
and you are still alive
 
The dirt keeps piling on,
 
 and you keep doing the next indicated thing and slowly,
 
one day your eyes open,
 
and you see that you are no longer at the bottom of that dark hole.
 
 There is warm sunshine on your face,
you can see the blue sky and hear the birds chirping.
 
YOU stand up and see that
 
All that dirt that piled up around you
 
has filled in the hole and you can
 
FINALLY
 

 WALK INTO YOUR NEW LIFE

 





Friday, September 6, 2013

Better Days Ahead

There is a moment when you decide to stop fighting and accept what is. A moment when you can finally see that all your attempts to beg, plead, lecture, and force your solutions on the addict have not changed the situation. There is a moment when you can see clearly for the first time that you
 
CAN NOT CHANGE THE COURSE OF ANYONE ELSES LIFE BUT YOUR OWN
 
It's as if you suddenly find yourself behind the wheel of a sailboat on unfamiliar waters. At first you are frightened and unsure that you will know what to do or which way to turn. Slowly you relax and you begin to feel the warm sun on your face, the cool breeze blowing your hair. Your eyes focus on the horizon as you feel your heart race with the excitement of what is ahead.
 You never, ever forget what you left behind but you accept that you
 
DESERVE TO BE HAPPY
 
and you pray that one day your past and your present lives will converge again but for today you make the life you have been given the very best life you can.
 

Thursday, August 29, 2013

The t-shirt controversy continues

Parents Outraged By Kitson Drug T-Shirts - Los Angeles Local News, Weather, and Traffic#.UiANaoVRD8Y.facebook#.UiANaoVRD8Y.facebook

That mom who spoke up on this interview was Jodi Barber from Overtaken She lost her son Jared to an overdose of Opana which is another prescription drug that teens are abusing.

Way to go Jodi. You are amazing.
 
 

It is so amazing what can happen when people ban together to accomplish a goal

 
I am so happy to know these amazing women who have all lost a child to a prescription drug overdose. They have all taken the tragedy their families experienced and are educating the public about prescription drug overdoses.
 
 
When Kitson stores displayed t-shirts with the words, Xanax, Adderall, and Vicodin on them Facebook was flooded with protest from parents who have experienced the first hand destruction these drugs have caused either by addiction or overdoses. In just a few days the local news in Southern California was reporting on it, Brian Lichtenberg's facebook page and website was flooded with letters from angry parents, the three companies who own the trademark names were notified and are now talking about the legal ramifications of their names being used without permission. Today the story was broadcast on the national news after actress Kirstin Johnson who is in Recovery joined the campaign to get the t-shirts off the market.
 
 
Natalie Costa, who produced Behind the Orange Curtain, wrote this on facebook today,
 
"This is how the national media storm started. I tweeted Kristen and she went re/tweeted - so don't ever underestimate the power of social media. Thanks! Kristen Johnston. We waged rallied the troupes, waged a war, and got results. Next big thing --- get Kristen's school funded. People buy a shirt - help open SLAM! Sober Living High School in NYC."
 
Never underestimate the power we have to create change.  I am so grateful to have met so many amazing people who are tirelessly working to educate the public about the prescription pill epidemic we are experiencing all across the country.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Think this may promote drug use? YOU THINK???

I always check my Facebook page when I wake up and this is what Natalie Costa of Behind the Orange Curtain had posted. It seems these t-shirts are for sale in LA stores and are selling out.  


 

Natalie immediately went to battle and started posting these pictures on Facebook as well as some contact numbers to let the designer know that we have a prescription drug epidemic going on in this country. She also contacted the press. Last night Natalie was interviewed as well as  random people in front of the store that was displaying the t-shirts.

One mother holding her toddler said,

" I think their kind of funny, their cute"

Are you kidding me?

 Funny? Cute?

Parents of teens today are in a battle everyday to keep their teens away from drugs. It's not enough that we have to fight the music industry but now the clothing industry is bombarding our kids with these messages.

How ignorant are these people? When Natalie spoke to the designer yesterday morning he stated that he knew nothing about the prescription pill epidemic. Seriously? 

 I have been appalled at comments on Natalie's FB page. Some have said, "it's just a t-shirt".  Then there are the people that think we just need to educate our kids about drugs and they will "just say no" We know how that worked with the Dare Program.


Please join us in having your voice heard. If we say nothing Brian Lichtenberg will continue to produce this crap. Brian says," If they open the door to a much needed dialogue, as they seem to be doing then mission accomplished".  Brian didn't even know about the thousands of lives lost to prescription pills in our Country when Natalie contacted him yesterday. He is full of BS. He doesn't care about the kids, the families or the impact on our culture. Let's be honest, he is in it for the money.
 
Make the calls....
By Phone
1-800-814-8447 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting  end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Monday-Friday 10am -5pm PST

By Email
Customer Service: customerservices@shopkitson.com
Press Inquiries: pr@shopkitson.com

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Letting Go

We just returned from a visit with our son.
To be perfectly honest with you, I told my husband I just wanted to get away and it just so happens that our son lives near my favorite get-away spot.
 
So I have to admit I left with a bit of an expectation. I thought....... since we were so close ....... we might be able to slip in a dinner with him or a short visit in the 3 days we would be in town.
 
I knew he was working and that he would only have one day off while we were in town.
 
THE BOTTOM LINE IS....................
 
After our short visit with him before we headed home
 
I HAD MY FEELINGS HURT!
 
I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER
 (EXPECTATIONS ARE RESENTMENTS IN WAITING)
 
We finished the lunch my husband and I brought to his apartment and then our son reminded us that he had a lot to do.
We were only there about 45 minutes when he let us know that we should get on our way.
 
His room-mate and his girlfriend were in the room at the time and I was really hurt and embarrassed. The whole 7 hour car ride home I reflected on my hurt feelings.
 
Was it WHAT he said?
Was it HOW he said it?
Was it WHO he said it in front of?
 
Was it honest?
Was it the truth?
 
I knew before I even left home that our son was REALLY BUSY.
I knew that his first day off was the day we would be leaving town.
We hadn't checked with him BEFORE making plans to see if he would have time to see us.
We just made the plans and THEN informed him we were coming! (rude)
 
ASSUMING he would fit us in.
(AND YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU ASSUME!)
it makes an ASS out of U and ME!
 
 
What I have decided is........
 
I OVERREACTED
 
my feelings were hurt, but he had a right to say what he said.
 
I JUST MISS MY BOY
 
It's been a LONG TIME OF MISSING THIS GUY
 
ADDICTION ROBBED US OF OUR SON FOR OVER 15 yrs
 
 
 AND I FINALLY FEEL THAT A HAPPY HEALTHY PERSON IS BACK
 AND I WANT HIM IN MY LIFE.
 
HOWEVER, IT'S TIME FOR THIS MOMMA TO LET HIM LIVE HIS LIFE
 
 AND WHEN AND IF HE HAS TIME FOR HIS MOM I'LL BE HERE WITH OPEN ARMS.
 

LETTING GO IS HARD
 
 
Today I will be reflecting on what my part was, expectations, assuming,and treating my son like an adult with courtesy and respect