Unfortunately drug abuse has hit extremely close to me. several friends and family members. Here's my take.
WITHOUT EXCEPTION every one of these people I know have an issue with..get this..."boredom" or what they perceive to be boredom. They cannot sit in the house and read a book or just chill. They have all had super amped up childhoods, full of vacations, limitless toys and stimulation..parents who have taken them everywhere and done everything with them since they were tiny. CONSTANT stimulation from activities, "learning," television, video games, "educational" experiences. A dear family member of mine had what a lot of people would think was the greatest childhood ever..constant trips and vacations, trips to Fl constantly, parties, games, friends over every day, activities GALORE...but what he didn't have was anyone to teach him to have downtime, to not be constantly stimulated and "entertained" now to him, having a job is "boring" ..everything is "boring" if he isnt smacked up. Unfortunately he was introduced to prescription pain pills legitimately, he was in a horrific car wreck..from there he realized he liked them, they made things less "boring" and now several years later he is a card carrying heroin addict. He's smart, funny, good looking, has a loving family..and yet there he is, with track marks.
Another family member (step family) same issue. SHe was given everything since birth. I used to be so jealous on christmas. SOOO jealous at all of the things she got. She is younger than me and every christmas would get the latest electronics, toys, and CASH. They took her everywhere, let her do everything..,concerts, activities, vacations..constantly and even from a very young age. Again..young, beautiful, intelligent (extrememly so, actually) and yet she will do any drug that comes within a 10 mile radius.
They don't even know each other, and they are so similar.
I am of the opinion, from my own experiences that their are two main issues at play here. 1, is the lifestyle people are giving their children. The constant stimulation, constant "educational experiences," constant demand for entertainement..look, there are dvd players in cars because some kids cant entertain themselves on a 20 min trip to walmart..leapfrog books that read TO you and play sounds and music, video games for hours on end, constant tv, countless activities, forced "family time" that according to popular mags needs to include some kind of structured activity, it goes on and on. We don't alow children to be bored, to entertain themselves, to not be engaged in something every moment of every day. DOWNTIME, BEDTIMES, CALMING RITUALS AND ACTIVITIES. We spend so much time "teaching" children everything and pushing them to "follow their dreams" we totally forget that it is more important to prepare them for adult life where everything isn't a circus,a nd we can't be entertained every moment, and we do things we don't want to, because we have to.
2, is of course the fact that narcotics are handed out like tic tacs. For everything from cramps to back pain. Teens have a false sense of security because they think they are "safe" and they are somehow morally superior to people who do "street drugs"
I have several addicts and recovered addicts in my life. They could practically be the same person they are all so similar. none were abused or neglected, none had more than an average amount of strife in life. And yet none of them could face life as they got older without some kind of chemical. A constant pursuit of excitement and entertainment.
The article is about Ohio, but it easily applies to our area.
