Letter to the Editor - December 8, 2016

It’s not easy to open a discussion about teens and addiction. Yet it’s a discussion that needs to happen - and it did at a Teens and Substance Abuse Forum at Bishop England High School on Tuesday evening, November 29. The panelists for the program, which was sponsored by The Daniel Island News, brought current and compelling information to this community.

There’s a need to destigmatize addiction, which is a disease of the brain no different than diabetes or hypertension. The panelists emphasized that it’s not a character flaw. Some people are predisposed to addiction more than others because of familial heredity. If they drink or take drugs at parties, even just once, if they have the genes they may become addicted. I was glad to see a group of 8th and 9th graders in the audience listening attentively. Jason Sandoval, DEA, pointed out that in our society we face an “existential threat fueled by a false narrative.” Movies portray beautiful actors who use drugs without losing their looks. Alcohol is glamorized in ads. The narrative needs to change.

Remember the cigarette ads, showing healthy looking cowboys smoking Marlboro? The Surgeon General put a label on those products for a reason because they cause cancer. Today, 60 years after the Framingham study that linked smoking to cancer, many fewer people smoke. Dr. C. Wayne Weart from MUSC provided statistics at the forum showing that while cigarette and alcohol use has decreased, drug-induced deaths have increased. “The US makes up five percent of the world population but consumes 95 percent of hydrocodone, most of which comes from our medicine cabinets,” he said. Presenters all said that some pain is not something to be afraid of. Dr. Viktoriya Magid entertained us saying when she lived in Russia she had a tooth pulled with no anesthesia at all. Panelists agreed: most pain responds well to Advil and Tylenol, which are not addictive.

Among the presentations that caused people’s eyes to tear was Mrs. Trudy Hicks’ recount as the mom of an addicted son. She suffered as only a mother does when her child isn’t well. As her tears poured out, her son Rowe sitting next to her encouraged her to “keep it together, mom.” This mom turned around when she, herself, realized that her emotional stability could not depend on her son’s sobriety. My “aha” moment was when Mrs. Hicks encouraged people to talk about recovery instead of just horror stories. Kudos for opening up the discussion. I hope it will continue as a series of steps for addressing problems, a key factor for building community on Daniel Island. Recovery is possible and we need to talk about it more openly in our community. Parents may think they alone have a troubled teen but it’s not so, and there’s a supportive community here, ready to help. Mrs. Hicks said: “Call me.” The audience gave her a standing ovation for her candor and courage to share.

Outside the auditorium there were several therapeutic programs lining the hallway, offering information about wilderness therapy and other options for adolescents who fail to move constructively into adulthood. Thank you Daniel Island News for organizing this forum and opening the discussion.

C. Claire Law, M.S.
Daniel Island