Having been born in the 50's, a show I enjoyed was Leave It to Beaver. For those of you who haven't heard or viewed the show, it was about June and Ward Cleaver and their two sons Wally and Beaver. Those two young scamps got into so much trouble!! Once, Beaver actually tried to cut his own hair. Oh, my! was he in trouble 'when his father came home'.
Ward Cleaver often wore a suit while lounging around the house waiting for supper, and reading a newspaper. June Cleaver wore a dress, pearls, and high heels everyday around the house, doing housework and cooking. Going out to shop required that a hat and gloves be added to her ensemble.
Let's fast forward to 2010 and I will now assume the role of June. Ward is such an old-fashioned name that it just won't suffice; I will call my ex-husband Dick. That's a nice wholesome name, (for someone that isn't so wholesome). Our family doesn't have a 'Wally', but I do indeed have a 'Beaver' that gets into some incredible predicaments. Beaver also has a drug addiction and multiple mental illnesses.
I am going to share with you our life from my perspective.
We are a single parent family that does not have a positive support team from Dick, the father figure. June is disabled with multiple diagnoses, and suffers from frequent pancreatic attacks. The monthly income comes from Social Security disability, a small part time job, and child support. Now that Beaver is in a rehabilitation facility, Dick took June back to court to have the child support discontinued until little Beaver comes home. The judge is making Dick pay $100 in arrears a month to June, which amounts to $46.03 every two weeks. Yippee, June can buy gas to visit Beaver!
The maternal extended family is spread out, and no one remains in the immediate area. The paternal extended family is in the Penn Hills area. Any support comes from the maternal family via phone calls, and they are mainly from Beaver's Uncle Fred who lives in Johnstown. The rest of the family is 'turned off' because they have to admit someone in their immediate family has not only a drug addiction but also a mental illness.
Please note: Mental Illness does NOT = mental retardation!! Beaver is quite smart, and has definite plans for his future.
Stay tuned for the next post............"Living with Beaver: The Beginning Part 2
Living with Beaver: The Beginning Part 2 by June Cleaver; A PSST Mom
Posted by:Sally--Tuesday, August 10, 2010
I am going to share a little bit about Dick, so you'll get an idea of what Beaver and June had to endure.
Dick is a functioning alcoholic that - just for fun - smokes a little weed too. What June and Beaver heard everyday when Dick got home from work was footsteps coming up the stairs, the refrigerator door opening, and the sound of a pop top being cracked open. The funny thing about this--Dick never missed work because of his drinking. This was one positive thing I could say about Dick....
Growing up, Beaver would make Dick angry doing what little boys do best; breaking something and trying to hide the evidence, talking back, etc. These types of behaviors would enrage Dick, probably because he was drinking. There were times when June would leave the house with Beaver, promising herself she'd never come back after one of these confrontations. Realizing the lack of available finances and somewhere to actually go, (and the big one "FEAR"), would always bring them back home.
One very dark, stormy [thunder and lightening] kind of night had Beaver scrambling up the big oak tree in the front yard in his bare feet. Beaver would not come down because of fear of his father going to beat him. June went out into the yard and told Beaver that when the garage door went up, and she pulled her car out, to run down and get in. That night we temporarily went to a friend's home, but Dick tracked us down. For fear that he would come to the friend's home, we again came back home. The reason poor Beaver was so afraid? Beaver was continually curious about a ‘clicking’ sound his father would make when he was outside and was always on the lookout for what this might be. Well, little Beaver got lucky! Beaver found a lighter and a marijuana pipe Dick had been using. Beaver grabbed it off the wall outside and came running up the steps with it. “Here, hide this! I finally found what Dad (Dick) was doing, and he’s going to be coming after me!” Beaver yelled. June was lying on the couch with an afghan over her legs, and caught the paraphernalia as Beaver ran past and into his room. Sure enough, Dick was right behind him. Dick burst into little Beaver’s room, and instead of being embarrassed that Beaver had discovered he was a marijuana smoker, Dick began yelling at Beaver! “How dare you go into my private stuff? How dare you take something that isn’t yours?” yelled Dick. And thus Beaver became afraid.
Poor Beaver had to endure many episodes like the one June just told, just different scenarios. Beatings with a push broom, horribly sarcastic gut-wrenching comments about Beaver's personality, appearance, etc. When Beaver was grade school age, whenever June would reprimand him regarding his lack of attention to homework or some other non-school issue, Dick would appear and seem to gather strength from what June was saying and give it back to Beaver ten-fold. It got so that June would not say anything of a reprimanding nature in front of Dick so Beaver wouldn't get an unreasonable punishment. June would sometimes have to whisper things to Beaver, so Dick wouldn't hear. Sometimes reprimands need to be made immediately. Remember-we've fast-forwarded from the 50's and 'waiting until your dad gets home'.
Next post............Living with Beaver: On Our Own
Living with Beaver: On Our Own by June Cleaver; A PSST Mom
Posted by:Sally--Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Beaver saw Dick punch June in the back. June was actually on the phone with Dick's mother once when this occurred. This too happened the week that Dick was on vacation.
The sadness in all this: Beaver has blocked all this from his mind. The therapists/psychologists/psychiatrists say he does not remember any of these things happening. Is this a blessing?
Terrific summer weather and Dick was on vacation all week. June was in bed reading a book, and Beaver was in his room watching television. Dick came into the room, climbed onto the bed, and began making his sarcastic, degrading comments to June. "You're so fat, who would want you? Why do you read books, think they'll make you smart?" June had enough, and whacked Dick on the arm with her paperback. Boy, did Dick get mad! Dick grabbed June by the arm and yanked her out of bed. June's arm really hurt! Beaver came out of his room to see what was going on, but closed the door when he heard Dick yelling. June went into the living room to sit on the couch, and Dick followed along yelling all the while. Dick stood in front of June yelling about who knows what, and June calmly got up and went over beside Dick and got the phone. June sat back on the couch, with the phone placed beside her face up. Dick continued to rant. June turned the phone on, dialed "9", dialed "1", then dialed "1". June realized that this worked on television, but stranger things have happened. Lo and behold, it worked! The 911 dispatch heard a disturbance and sent the police. June answered the door crying and saying she had made a mistake. The police officers convinced June that the right thing was done, and succeeded in getting June and Beaver to pack bags for themselves and to leave the house until Dick was out.
Beaver and June's story is a little lengthier, but I think you get the idea. It turns out that Dick had torn a ligament in June's arm, and she needed to have surgery. It also turns out that blood is thicker than water. Even though Dick's mother had actually heard June being punched on a few occasions, she still felt it necessary to threaten June's life, as did Dick's evil sisters. Multiple death threats do not make a comfortable home life, but June tried to make things as even keel as possible. June got a P.F.A. against Dick, and subsequently had it extended, after she received a letter in the mail from Dick where he requested that June get the shotguns back that the police had removed from the house, assuring her that "I promise I won't shoot you".
Beaver and June began to build their life together. Beaver was 11, almost 12 years old when this occurred. At first all was good; they got involved with church and their youth activities, scouting was continued, and Beaver began to grow up.
Then Dick and his horrible sociopathic [my opinion only] behavior worsened.
Living with Beaver: The Beginning of the Downslide
In retrospect, Beaver had begun to show signs of mental illness around second grade. June felt that Beaver was just trying to get out of doing his work, whether it is school or something around the home. June feels very ashamed that she was not more alert to thinking ‘outside the box’. After all, aren’t all our children born perfect?
The teachers certainly never brought anything to June’s attention, even though June called for quite a few meetings to try to solve the ‘problem’. June was very active in Beaver’s school, and outside school activities. June felt it was important to assist in providing the very best experiences as possible for little Beaver and all his buddies. June was PTO vice-president, Cubmaster and Den Leader for Beaver and 50 other little boys, and room mother for all grades up through middle school. The fourth grade teacher’s only help was saying that “she is never wrong, and all children hit the fourth grade brick wall”. May I add that she once taught something incorrectly in science, and Beaver answered the question correctly on the test? June called and questioned why it was marked wrong, and showed Miss Twit that Beaver had answered it correctly. The response June received was “that is not how I taught it therefore he answered it wrong”. Isn’t that great that we have teachers that are so sure about their subject matter?
If only someone had stopped, and evaluated little Beaver. He had begun showing signs of ADD and OCD but no one noticed. Beaver’s schoolwork and grades started to go downhill.
In middle school, June’s involvement was becoming limited due to medical reasons. Nonetheless, June’s presence was known and acknowledged by many of the school children, and her finger was still into the ‘behind the scenes’ of the daily grind of the school.
When Beaver was in fifth grade the principal called and requested a meeting with her, June, the school social worker, and Beaver’s teachers. June was not anxious at all to attend this meeting because she knew almost everyone in attendance. The bell began to toll as one-by-one the teacher’s all showed June how “stupid” little Beaver was…including the principal. “He has begun to be a discipline problem because he is never on task, he never has his assignments completed [although I made sure everything was completed the night before], he never has his supplies, etc.” were some of the comments. By the end of the meeting June was in tears. June finally spoke up, “do any of you know how hard it is to sit here and listen to each one of you say extremely negative things about your son?” They were a bit taken back, and apologized for coming across that way.
It turns out that Beaver had begun to be embarrassed to have ANY type of attention drawn to him. That included walking up to the front of the class and turning in homework assignments, raising his hand in class, being the last to leave the classroom, or being called on, or-worse yet, teased about something by the teacher. Beaver was happier to just stuff all papers into his folder without any rhyme or reason to them, and not turn in homework, than stand out in any way.
Unbeknownst to June, although everyone else was not listening – the social worker, Miss Dove, was. Miss Dove called June to suggest some things that might be tried to see if they would help Beaver. June was so grateful for someone to offer help instead of just stating a problem and telling her to fix it.
Beaver’s circle of friends expanded very little throughout fifth and sixth grade. The ‘new’ friends all tested Beaver in some way. Beaver was so excited to have a new friend that he was very willing to do whatever was asked of him. Consequences of actions were not words in Beaver’s book. As a result, Beaver had some unsettling experiences in what June thought were ‘safe’ activities, such as boy scouts.
Beaver experienced what many do in our animal kingdom; the weakest are often the prey.
The saddest of all – Dick did not attend any of Beaver’s school functions or out of school activities. When June retired from scouts [7 or 8 years later] she was approached by scout parents who said, “I didn’t know there was a father for Beaver!” The only thing Dick did attend was T-ball, which Beaver hated because the kids teased him for his lack of running ability. And boy, Dick wasn’t very proud of Beaver at all for that.
Next post: Living with Beaver: The Downslide Continues
Living with Beaver: The Beginning Parts 1-3 by June Cleaver; A PSST Mom
Posted by:Sally--Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Summary - PSST Meeting Saturday August 7, 2010
Posted by:Rocco--Monday, August 09, 2010
It was a perfectly beautiful August morning outside on Saturday. Inside the Eastern Probation Office in Wilkinsburg there was a lot of action taking place at the PSST Meeting where parents were recovering and healing from the distress and difficulties caused by their teen’s addictions. 
The meeting was lead by Intensive Aftercare Probation Officer - Lloyd W. and Family Therapist - Kathie T. from Wesley Spectrum Services. Speaking for all of the parents who attend these meetings we would like to sincerely thank Val, Lloyd, Kathie and Cathy for giving up their Saturday mornings each month to support and coach us, with their wisdom, understanding and some much appreciated humor.
The meeting was well attended by nine parents, who will remain anonymous: alias' Max and Mel, Candy, Daisy, Lily, Rocco and Sally and two new parents who we will call Rose and Violet.
As usual each of us had an opportunity to talk over our own circumstances and issues. We discussed how parents can continue to take back, and keep, the power over teens that are currently in inpatient treatment facilities, teens that are at home and teens that want to come home.
As noted in Lloyd’s previous post (Court Room Role-Play Drama) we did a role play concerning Candy’s daughter Torrie.
Torrie has a court appearance this week. She has relapsed and has been progressing in her drug addiction since May, so this appearance serves as an important window of opportunity for her parents to intervene and save their daughter’s life.
We set up our “Virtual Courtroom” with Judge Kathy, D.A. Lloyd, Public Defender Mel, P.O. Max, Parents Sally and Rocco, and Candy as her daughter Torrie. We went over the various procedures and situations that they may face in the court room, what to expect and how to address their concerns for their daughter. 
One very important side note that Lloyd emphasized was that IF you as a parent feel that you are being passed over during the hearing that you should politely raise your hand, give it a slight wave to gain attention, and make sure that the Judge allows you to speak. This is typically not required since most of the time the Judge will regard the parent’s input as essential.
Lloyd indicated that the hand raising technique should probably only occur one time, if needed. You are not supposed to annoy the court by raising your hand over and over, bounce in your seat or repeat “Ooh-ooh!” to get the Judge’s attention.
On the serious side there are times that in order to get your child the treatment they need; you will have to stand up in court and argue to get them into inpatient treatment or on probation. You will have to do this against your child’s wishes and the PD’s arguments and sometimes against the Judge’s/Hearing Officer’s intentions. Sally and I have done this and we will tell you it was not easy but we both knew that it was absolutely necessary.
We still had some time after our coffee break to go around the room for final comments and concerns. This led to another short role play concerning a teen that is currently in an inpatient facility. On his last home pass visit he broke the rules and now his mom is not comfortable with him coming home for good. He however is intent on coming straight home and will not consider any alternatives. His mom was wondering how she can make her plans clear to him and take back the power.
The emphasis of the role play was to make it crystal clear to the teen that he was not going to come directly home. He must choose to go to a halfway house or ¾ House prior to coming home.
The first PSST key in the role play was for the parent let their teen know “I am going to tell you something that will probably disappoint you. So you have my permission to get up and leave when you get upset.” This tends to persuade your usually oppositional defiant teen stay put.
The next PSST key in the role play was for the parent to use “I am not comfortable with that”. Practice this phrase to use whenever your teen tells you how things should be or what their plan is. No other reason or explanation is required by a parent. The teen cannot argue with how comfortable you are. Repeat as necessary.
The final PSST Key is to find something in what your teen is saying to AGREE with. Follow this with “never the less” or “regardless”.
If they tell you “It really stinks that I am in here!” AGREE with them. “Yes honey, it really does stink. It really stinks that you got into this mess “never the less” we will work together to do what is best for you.”
Even if they challenge you with “You don’t care about me, you wish I would die!” You can AGREE with them. “You know you really make a good point Honey. We are really afraid that if you keep doing what you are doing you will die. We know that you don't understand why we are keeping you in treatment but "never-the-less" we will do everything we can to keep you alive.”
Thanks to all who attended this meeting especially our two new parents. If you looked around the room I am sure you saw a lot of us nodding in agreement and understanding of where you are coming from. We are always looking for more parents to join us so we can offer them some help and some hope.
"By helping others succeed, we help ourselves succeed. Whatever good we give will complete the circle and will come back to us."
Our goal at PSST is to empower the PARENTS of teenage substance abusers and/or Juvenile Court Youth with the support, information, skills and techniques a parent needs to help their teenager to save their life.
Our thanks to the Allegheny County Eastern Probation Office for the use of their space.
The next Parent Survival Skills Training (PSST) meeting is Saturday August 14 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Trinity Lutheran Church 2500 Brandt School Road, Wexford, PA 15090
C'mon in and join us.
Our PSST meetings are open to all parents who are serious about making a difference in their children’s life.
Court room role-play drama scheduled for Aug 7th.
Posted by:Lloyd Woodward--Wednesday, August 04, 2010
A PSST parent, we call her Candy, is asking for help. Her daughter Torrie has to be in Court next week. Her daughter is progessing in her drug addicition and this is an important window for the the parents to intervene. We want to help Candy and her husband be ready. So on Saturday, after very brief introductions, we will move furniture, choose roles and we will be off to the races! I also will post some rules about role-plays for those of you who may not have been to one of our meetings.
Court room role-plays have been one of our most popular learning tools. Traditionally, we choose someone to play the Judge who is trying to be lenient with the teenager. Next, we get a parent to play one of those Public Defenders who want to win no matter what that means for the teen and the family. Of course, Judges and even Public Defenders are people and you can't paint them all with the same brush. I've seen a tough aggressive PD suddenly change completely on a different case where he was clearly worried about his client and her drug problem.
Still, when we do the role-play, we try to provide the most challenging situation for a parent. What if you only got The Court to act in your teenager's behalf because you stood up in Court and demanded and pleaded for inpatient drug treatment or for probation? What if no one was going to try to save your teenager unless you led the way? Pretty scary. It can happen. Usually it doesn't happen- but I've seen it happen. Why not be prepared?
I have posted the details of the petition minus the identifing information below.
I think we will have time to share more after the role-play among ourselves.
Ms. [Intake Officer]
We are writing for concern of our daughter, Torrie. We decided to file the drug possession charges against her to help save her life. In the last year, Torrie's drug addiction has spiraled out of control despite being to inpatient rehab twice in the last eleven months and attending Gateway intensive outpatient rehab until May of this year. Her aggressive and self destructive behavior is now at an all time high. She has progressed to harder more dangerous substances and has removed herself from her family and anyone who cares about her. Her hearing is scheduled for next [near future]. We are truly hoping the Judge will order her for evaluation and drug rehabilitation to save her.
(Torries parents)
Rules:
1. No one is forced to participate in a role-play. I'm the only I know of that has tried to break this rule. Don't let me do it. Sometimes people get more out of watching the role-play, and we have always had plenty of volunteers.
2. Anyone can call Time Out at any time including the watchers. We use the universal "T" signal and say "Time Out." Then, we entertain questions, ideas, or offers to switch chairs with someone.
3. We can switch seats when it seems like a good idea. It's a chance to let other get involved and see what their ideas can do.
According to the information and belief of [Candy and her husband, PRIVATE COMPLAINT], on or between the dates of 3/1/2110 and 4/13/2010 in Allegheny County, said Juvenile did commit the following acts(s):
35780-113A16 M PROHIBITED ACTS - POSSESSION (1 count)
POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE
The actor knowingly or intentionally possessed a controlled or counterfeit substance, namely,unknown prescription pills the said actor not then and there being registered under the Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act, Act of April 14, 1972, or a practitioner registered or licensed by the appropriate State Board, in violation of 35 P.S.
Said child was in possession of unknown prescription pills.
35780-113A31 M PROHIBITED ACTS (1 count)
SMALL AMOUNT - MARIJUANA OR HASHISH
The actor possessed for personal use thirty or fewer grams of marijuana or eight or fewer grams of hashish, a small amount, in violation of 35 P.S. §780-113 (a) (31).
SMALL AMOUNT - MARIJUANA OR HASHISH
Said child was in possession of suspected marijuana.
Turn Wishes to Actions to Reality
Posted by:Rocco--Wednesday, August 04, 2010
Wishes can be your best avenue of getting what you want when you turn wishes into action. Action moves your wish from thought to reality.
If you look down the right-hand side of the home page you will see a section titled “Recommended Posts”. These highlight some of the best of the postings since 2001. There is a remarkable collection of wisdom and insight by parents and professionals to be found there.
The one that caught my eye was titled “Wishes.” As you will see it was a collection of parent’s thoughts collected at a Bridge to Hope meeting and posted by Ken Sutton in January 2007.
Both Parents Survival Skills Training and Bridge to Hope are organizations dedicated to the sharing of ideas and experiences of parents with other parents to provide support, information, skills and techniques a parent needs to help a teenager save his own life.
PSST is here to help parents turn their Wishes to Actions to Reality.
Wishes - posted January 2007
This was written in concert by the parents at the Bridge to Hope Meeting.
At the Bridge to Hope meeting there is a tremendous amount of real world experience dealing with the impact of the disease of addiction on our families. These are wishes that we have shared when looking back on this ordeal. These wishes are voiced about our children but apply equally to brother, sister or other loved ones. Our wish for you is that the sharing of what we have learned will be helpful.
I wish…
...I had known I wasn’t alone through all of this and that there was a good support system out there. When I reached out and had a chance to talk with others I realized I wasn’t going crazy.
...I had understood that taking care of myself was just as important as helping my addicted child recover. I had to get better so the cycle of enabling could be broken.
…I had understood that addiction could occur in any family. It is not just something that happens in dysfunctional families. Being a role model or even a great parent role model is not enough to stop the disease of addiction.
...I had known the huge impact this disease would have on my entire family; and I had taken steps to make sure everyone got the help they needed earlier rather than later.
...I had understood how very important it is to have everyone who is supporting a child’s recovery (all parents, family members, church, school and others) on the same page.
...I had understood that there is a strong spiritual component to recovery from this disease; that church can be a significant resource for my child and my family. Churches have experience dealing with other addicts in the congregation and they can help us understand that recovery comes from faith in a Higher Power.
…I had been able to “let go and let God” sooner. Recovering from the impact of addiction in the family is a process that takes time and is different for each person.
...I had known and really understood what terrible lengths my child would go to (lying, stealing, running away and much worse) to obtain drugs. Valuables needed to be removed from my child’s grasp before the family heirlooms ended up in the pawnshop never to be seen again.
...I had understood the difference between encouraging and enabling. Enabling resulted in spending upwards of $10,000 on heroin over the years.
...I had known I was enabling my child to use drugs when I lied for him and protected him from consequences. Addiction is a situation of opposites where your heart will rule your decisions instead of your brain. You are not helping your child by protecting him from the consequences of his actions no matter what your heart tells you.
... I wish I had known that someday I would feel good about my child being in jail because he is safe and not using drugs.
...I had listened to that little whisper from my heart that told me my child was using drugs.
...I had paid attention to the warning signs: dropping grades, withdrawal from sports and school activities, disappearance of old friends (the “good kids”), new friends who had first names but no faces or last names, increased secret phone activity, sneaking out …etc.
…I hadn’t convinced myself that this was “just a phase” or adolescent “rite of passage.” That I knew how to distinguish between normal teenage behavior and drug related behavior.
…I had known more about the drug situation in my community and school. As parents, we are ignorant of the drug problem with a capital “I”. We have to educate ourselves about street drugs, their potency and symptoms of use, as well as the potential for abuse of prescription or other medicine that we may have in the house.
...I had listened to the clues I was given by teachers and the school principal. I think many people knew or suspected about my child’s drug use before it was acknowledged at home.
…I had understood that drugs are literally everywhere including churches, schools, recovery meetings, rehabilitation centers and places of employment.
…I had known that even when I tried to make my child safe by “grounding” them, that drugs could easily be “delivered” to the house.
...I had understood that no matter how much I loved my child, how much I cried, how much I hurt, how much I bribed, how much I punished, I couldn’t make my child stop using drugs.
…I had known that treatment was not a one-shot deal and not a cure.
... I understood what a really long process recovery from addiction is (years not months) and that after abstaining from drug use it takes them a long time to catch up with their peers intellectually and socially even though they want so much to be normal.
…I had been aware that all recovery meetings are not the same and I had to shop around to find the right program for my child.
...I had never given up on my child. Recovery takes time. “Just for today” are watchwords. What a difference two years makes! There isn’t any good reason to give up hope.
...I had challenged the educational professionals at school more. There is a truant officer at some schools to support efforts to keep your child in school but you have to ask. There are alternative education programs at some schools but you have to ask.
...I had questioned the doctors and the experts more. Addiction can masquerade as depression. I think the age of the child is an issue in treatment. Techniques that work well with a 23-year old may not be appropriate for a 13-year old.
…I had known about Act 53, a government funded program to involuntarily court order a child into treatment without a criminal record.
…I had known that drug tests could be manipulated.
Posted by: Ken Sutton January 2007
If you need help turning your Wishes to Actions to Reality please feel free to attend one of the meetings listed below. There is no charge or commitment.
PSST has meetings on the first three Saturdays of the month from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
First Saturday of the month:
Eastern Probation Office - located at 907 West St., Wilkinsburg, PA 15221
Second Saturday of the month:
Trinity Lutheran Church - located at 2500 Brandt School Road, Wexford, PA 15090
Third Saturday of the month:
Outreach Teen and Family Services - located at 666 Washington Rd., Mt Lebanon, PA 15228
Directions to each site are provided on the left-hand side of the home page.
PSST’s goal is to empower the parents of teenage substance abusers and/or Juvenile Court Youth with the support, information, skills and techniques a parent needs to help a teenager save his own life. These teens are facing alcoholism, addiction, probation, and out-of-home Court placement. There is no charge or commitment. 
Bridge to Hope has meetings every Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. at UPMC Passavant Hospital (Donor Conference Hall) 9100 Babcock Blvd., McCandless, PA 15237 and every Thursday ay at 7:00 p.m. at The Garden Montessori School, 204 Commerce Park Drive, Cranberry Twp., PA 16006 and are open to all.
For more information and help go to: http://bridge2hope.org/
Bridge to Hope Events and weekly meetings support families confronted with substance abuse and addiction. They are free and open to the public. We welcome your participation.
HOME VISIT FOR NEWBIES and HEATHER HAS NO CLOTHES........................Story by Ralph Kramden ( A PSST Parent)
Posted by:Sally--Friday, July 30, 2010
Ed was home for just over four days on a long weekend. On the first day home, Ed's great PO (juvenile probation officer) stopped over shortly after he arrived home. The PO gave him the rough marching orders for the weekend visit. We were armed with a new draft, post-placement contract that we learned to write at PSST. (We couldn't make it through this without PSST!) So, when Ralph got home, we gave Ed the contract. He wasn't happy, but Ed knew that we had some power back, and the old crap wasn't going to cut it anymore. We told him that this was practice for the contract, and as much as made sense, the contract was in-force now. As far as we can tell, there were zero contract violations! Ed tried to test the rules just once, and resurrected some sneaky activity at the end of the weekend -- more on that later. We consider the home visit a success, and await the placement and PO input as well.
How did we have a success? Well, Ed is very motivated to do well right now to regain his freedom. Also, luckily the PO and we introduced the rules-to-live-by (for us, the contract) up front -- defining expectations. Next, we made it easy to have a success -- staying away from people, places, and things that are tempting for Ed. This was easier for us than others possibly, because we could get Ed out of "Weedville", and exposed only to family. While not reality, a low-temptation environment kept Ed cool and even-keeled. Finally, we kept Ed busy -- very busy. Washing cars, painting, staining, plastering, sports, movies, games, video games, family visits, dinners, camp fires, cleaning, mowing, just about anything we could think of was tasked to our hard-working Ed. A little planning to make a BIG list ahead was all we needed, and there is always more work than time. Unlike some teens, Ed is very industrious when not a sloth because of drugs. So, we gave Ed what he likes -- things to do. Maybe this won't work for a lazy teen -- Ed's brother, Norton, couldn't do this -- but filling that teen's time up with activities, especially healthy ones that he likes, might be a good approach for the first home visit. Again, filling your teen's calendar won't be practical for post-placement reality, but it shows him that a drug-free life is possible while at home, even if just for four days. And if it works for four days, just keep that going!
Ed, like most teenagers, is smart at manipulating. Ed’s favorite way to manipulate is by being sneaky about activity that he doesn’t want us to know about, and then often lying about it. We’re not waiting for the lie this time, but the “sneaky” came during the last day of the visit. It seems Norton didn’t secure his computer, and Ed figured this out. Well, what difference does that make, you ask, if Ed didn’t violate his contract or contact his old friends on Norton’s computer? Let us tell you: Norton is an adult and doesn’t have adult-only restrictions on the web sites he can visit. And there are so, so, so many web sites these days that would more than fulfill the dreams of young men like Norton or Ed. In fact, that entertainment doesn’t leave anything for ones dreams, if you know what we mean.
So, after Ed went back to placement, Ralph checked Norton’s computer for activity, in case Ed had decided to contact old friends there. Well, that’s when he “met” Heather. Not an old friend, but a new 2D “friend”. And she didn’t have any clothes on, either. After a cursory look at the activity, Ralph got Alice to come to Norton’s room – not going down the Heather highway by him self, so to speak. This, Ralph has learned, will keep him out of the dog house. Then we painstakingly clicked on each web site that Ed thought was important to visit while he had snuck away from Alice, pretending to do some work for her. She loved this, by the way – Ed doing more work, not watching Heather. And there was Heather, in full action, sans clothing. And she had friends. Honestly, Ralph doesn’t remember Heather’s friends’ names or faces. Ed probably doesn’t remember them, either. Alice is trying to forget them. But now, we have a dilemma. Do we give Ed kudos for good behavior -- he didn’t violate his contract after all, and could have easily used Norton’s computer for forbidden behavior. Or, do we kick his butt up and down the street for manipulating Alice? Does Ed deserve some privacy, if he stays away from the really forbidden activities? Or do we come down hard on Ed for continuing sneaky activity, just like he did when he was doing drugs or committing crimes? Maybe we can call Heather, and see if she has any ideas. She has “live chat” available. You can comment back on this blog, and let us know what you think we should do. Or come to a PSST meeting.
We still have a long road ahead with Ed, but the First Home Visit is in the bag, and we're ready for a Narcotics Anonymous pass, or whatever helps Ed into his next step of recovery.
An Interesting Trip to the Cell Phone Store
Posted by:Sally--Wednesday, July 28, 2010
When Cathy and I were working on Cisco's Home Contract we covered so many situations carefully but were pressed for time and did not clearly decide how to handle the use of a cell phone. As a result, Cisco took it upon himself to reconnect his old cell phone by borrowing money off of a friend and paying for the service 'as you go'. After a discussion with Cisco's P.O. we decided to let Cisco keep the phone provided of course, that he hands me the phone at 11 o'clock each night. As you read in the previous post; we also used the phone as leverage when Cisco did something wrong, this was an easy and effective consequence. Even though he pays for the cell phone, I have the right to confiscate it if he is not living up to par. We took a trip to the cell phone store to purchase a cell phone service contract. You see, I had Cisco 'do the math' and he realized that if he continues borrowing from friends and scrounging up every penny of his hard earned money to pay for the cell 'as you go'; he would be spending at least $120.00 a month to keep in contact with his peers. Cisco was completely in charge and knew exactly what he wanted at the cell phone store. I was merely the driver and Cisco did not need any advice on how to secure a service contract. Oh! What a rude awakening it was. Cisco browsed the store while he waited for service. He was very happy to inform me that he had fifty dollars from his grocery store job and that he could purchase a new phone for only $19.99 and a two year contract. I tried to interject what a 'two year contract' entails but Cisco was too interested in playing with the soon- to- be purchased new cell phone. The service clerk was ready to help Cisco now. Cisco explained to David, the service clerk that he would like to purchase the $19.99 phone with the two year contract. Cisco did not hear David say that the phone was $69.99 upfront and then he would receive a $50.00 rebate in the mail. After David repeated this twice, I translated for Cisco and explained to him that he did not have the resources to buy the phone.
David told Cisco that he could come in at anytime with seventy dollars and buy a new phone and even receive a penny back in change. So Cisco decided he would save up the dollars and was now interested in the service contract on his old phone. The best deal was to get the two-year contract for $59.99 which included unlimited texting. Cisco was now more interested in hearing about what a two year contract means. I offered to lend him the ten additional dollars which he needed to get his service contract and be on his merry way.
Oh! No! There was one more hitch. Cisco needed to either have a co-signer on the service contract or David would have to run a credit check. Depending on Cisco's credit there would either be a zero, $120.00 or $400.00 deposit that the store would have to keep for one year at 3% interest. David asked me if I wanted to cosign and I said no. Cisco gave the clerk some identification to run a credit check. Cisco has to return to the store another time to complete the credit check because he also has to bring in his social security card which he does not carry in his wallet.
On the way home Cisco commented that a lot of his friend's parents pay for their teens cell phones but the he is not a 'pansy kid' and he will save up the money to get his own phone. I labeled this mature behavior. Cisco was a little distraught and I agreed with him that it all was indeed a very big hassle. I agreed full-heartedly because it was a lot of red tape. Never the less I did not co-sign.
This was rather a long drawn out story about our adventure in the cell phone store but I found it agreeable to stand back and let Cisco,who feels that he knows all that he needs to know in life, deal with the situation. It was an ideal learning situation. I did not critisize or act sarcastic. I simply did not want to be responsible for his phone bill when I do not feel it is fully necessary for him to have a cell phone. I really do feel that this is a hard lesson for an eighteen year old to learn. It is really an eye opener to realize how much money it cost to buy something that in the past was just taken for granted.
We Survived Week One
Posted by:Sally--Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Week One is over...... Cisco has been back home since last Monday. Every day I am thankful for the help that we received and are still receiving for our son's recovery. I found out that two of his friends who he used to get high with are in very bad straits. This makes me realize that Cisco would be right there with them if he did not go into placement. Even he feels that he is a lucky kid. I liked Lloyd's post about labeling the good and bad behavior and I am doing
that. I checked out some text messages on Cisco's cell phone. One thing I was unhappy about was that he was in contact with an old friend who he should not contact so we had a good talk this morning. Then I confiscated the phone for a day.
He went to the wave pool with an appropriate friend today. He asked for the phone back before he left for swimming saying that I would not be able to get in contact with him.
I did not fall for that. He will get the phone back tomorrow as originally decided. It is
good to be a parent in control but trust me... Cisco does want to be in control
and does push for it. He makes me work to keep the control. I am glad we
fought to keep Cisco on probation and in the system and that we have the help
and support that we have because it makes my job a lot easier. He was not too upset about me taking his phone. I am learning that when I stand firm he seems to realize that he cannot sway me. Now he did ask for the phone this evening and my answer was still, "No, you will get your phone back tomorrow morning". He only asked once and he accepted the answer. I thanked him for his mature attitude; labeling the good bahavior.
He asked for his phone first thing this morning. I asked him if he wanted to do something with me. Either work out at the gym or go out to eat breakfast. He chose to go to breakfast with me. I told him I would give him the cell phone for him to charge it for later use but I did not want him to take it to the restaurant with us. He was okay with this idea.
We had a very enjoyable breakfast. Cisco was attentive and we talked about his biological family and about how much fun his adoptive grandma used to be. He liked the fact that she used to play video games with him even though she was in her eighties. She actually wasn't too bad at it he mused. I recalled that my mom confessed to me that she enjoyed playing but mostly just kept pushing all buttons as quickly as possible and had no clue what she was doing! I kept that information to myself. His best comment was that even though he was not her biological grandchild he felt her love was so genuine and sincere. I cannot thank her for this because she has passed away but in my heart I thank her for this every day. Grandparents are just so special for teenagers and they leave a lasting impression on them.
I encourage grandparents to join us at PSST meetings since they are such an important part of their teenage grandchildren's lives.
Who is the big dog? Featured Technique: accept a win!
Posted by:Lloyd Woodward--Saturday, July 24, 2010
"You can't make me religious" he claimed. Then he went on to say other things of a hurtful nature.
She persisted and said if she was traveling all that way, she was going to church and he would just have to accept it.
So far so good. It's important that the mom set the stage and it's important that mom takes control of things on off-grounds visits so that her son believes that when he comes home there will be a new sheriff in town. That's when her son employed the old "OK, if you say I have to go, I'll go but blah blah blah" where he informed her of how horrible he thought she was and of how horrible he thought it was that they would go to "her church" but, yes, he would accompany Cruella de Vil and all of her Dalmatians to Church. It was all about what she wanted to do, wasn't it? What he wanted to do didn't matter. Don't they put you in jail for that in this country? Didn't the Pilgrims come over here to find religious freedom?
At this point the mom decided that she would just forgo the visit rather than let him win this one. She correctly saw that to have the visit and allow him to be in charge of what they do would be wrong because it would leave the strong impression that even when he is in placement he is still the big dog.
What she at first missed was this little part: she won. She is the big dog. He said he would go to church. He just doesn't like it. Mom did everything correct and of course it meets with her son's disapproval. The little dog is going to bark his head off over this. So? Mom won but it didn't feel like a win. Let's look at what is happening with our special PSST translator.
Son: OK OK I'll go to your stinkin church because it's not important what I want to do- it never is- the only thing that matters is that you get to spoonfeed me your brand of christianity.
SON, PSST translation: You really think you have some power? You really think you are in charge? Ha!
Mom: We aren't baby killers you know, and it won't kill you to come to church with me. I don't see why it's such a big deal. You should be happy to come with me, look at how far I travel to see you!
Mom, PSST translation: We can share the power. You can decide to come with me and I appreciate that. We are both powerful- and this is really important to me. If I present it the right way to you- you should WANT to come with me.
Son: Fine! I'll go! I'll do anything you want just because you say so. Oh Holy Mom, let me bow down and kiss your feet!
Son, PSST Translation: OK you be in charge but you won't want to be the one in charge for long because I'll make you pay for it- you'll be begging me to take over in no time. YOK you be in charge but you won't want to be the one in charge for long because I'll make you pay for it- you'll be begging me to take over in no time. You aren't tough enough for the job!
ou aren't tough enough for the job!
Mom: Forget it! I don't want to take you now and I don't even think I want to come up.
Mom, PSST Translation: Yes, I'm playing like I'm in charge and if you don't like it, I won't play. You have to learn to like it when I'm in charge.
OR- it could go this way.
Son: OK OK I'll go to your stinkin church because it's not important what I want to do- it never is- the only thing that matters is that you get to spoonfeed me your brand of christianity.
SON, PSST translation: You really think you have some power? You really think you are in charge? Ha!
Mom: Wow! You're going to hate going to my church with me!
Mom, PSST translation: Mom has employed the technique of agreeing with something that he says. She agreed that he would hate it- after all he says he will- he may or he may not but that doesn't matter here. Mom also assumes that he will comply. Mom understands that this isn't really about going to church, is it? This is about who is in charge.
Son: Yes. I am going to hate it and I shouldn't have to do it. This is a free country and you can't force religion on people and you should know that MOM!
Mom: OK. I see this will be a challenge for you. Regardless, I will pick you up at 10 on Sunday, we'll go to my Church, and then we'll go out to eat. After that maybe we'll see if there is something you want to do.
Mom, PSST translation: Yes, darn it, I am calling the shots. You don't have to like it but you will come with me and you can hate every stinkin minute- but you'll have to act appropriately. Mom presented this in the form of a challenge, meaning that he can't go there and act innapropriately either. Later, she can give him kudos for being such an adult about it (if he handles himself appropriately). The fact that he was resistant about going makes it even more to his credit later. "Even feeling the way you did about going, I'm very proud that you came with me and I don't think you even complained once we got there! Thanks. I think that was real "adult-stuff." (see labeling in the post right below this one.) Use of the power word nevertheless, showed that mom wasn't about to argue.
Son: Fine! I'll go! I'll do anything you want just because you say so. Oh Holy Mom, let me bow down and kiss your feet!
Son, PSST Translation: OK you be in charge but you won't want to be the one in charge for very long because I'll make you pay for it- you'll be begging me to take over in no time.
Mom: Ok, was there anything else? I'll see you Sunday!
Mom, PSST Translation: I know you will resent me being the one in charge, nevertheless, I will be the one in charge.
When you win you win. To the victor goes the spoils. That means that there is a cost to be the one in charge. You don't get to be the buddy anymore. You are sometimes resented. Just like the boss at work. Every decision is not a popular one; however, by accepting that and paying the price to be the big dog, you get respect. Respect is what you need now in order to supervise your teen. Love and approval (from them) comes later. Sometimes much later.
If you are willing to pay the price, you get to be the one in charge. If it's support and approval that you want, you don't get it from your teenager. You have to find that somewhere else.
Come to a PSST meeting because we have plenty of support and approval for you- especially if your doing your best to be the one in charge. We clap. We cheer; because at PSST we know just how hard it can be to be the big dog. We think it's worth it because only if you are the one in charge can you have a hope to steer your wayward teenager in the right direction. Of course, while your doing the "steering" he might be barking his head off!
Who is the big dog? Featured Technique: Label Behavior.
Posted by:Lloyd Woodward--Saturday, July 24, 2010
I was recently meeting with a parent and her teenager. The teenager admittedly has anger problems. From time to time he has outbursts where he will raise his voice and go on and on about something that he is angry about. He said, "I'm getting better with it- but it's something I do; I'm working on it."
He denied that he was using these outbursts to intimidate and control people. He said he just has anger issues.
I challenged him, that indeed, his mother was afraid of him. He looked doubtful and asked his mother if that was true. She replied, "Well I'm afraid of upsetting you, but I'm not afraid that you'll hurt me."
Once someone learns to be afraid of upsetting someone, that person has employed a technique that helps to keep control. Parents do it with children and it works; we all do it to some degree with people in our lives. We all have a line that when crossed will send us into a different gear and anyone around us will have to contend with us.
Still, when the teenager uses this technique on a regular basis to attempt to control his parents, it creates an imbalance of power in favor of the teenager. The teenager doesn't have to take responsibility for his behavior because he is labeling his behavior as an "anger problem." That's just who he is. He's working on it but since he has anger issues, and various therapists have confirmed this, then he doesn't have to take responsibility for his behavior.
Once he heard his mother state that she was afraid of upsetting him he seemed to soften his attitude about just what he was doing. Was he trying to control people this way or not? He allowed that while he might not be trying to get something he wanted every time he had an outburst, the fact that he has them on a regular basis was sort of a way to control others.
"Lets help with that," I suggested. "How can you help?" he asked. I wasn't sure. I suggested that we make him an offer he can't refuse. I was thinking that if it cost him something when he had outbursts, that he might have fewer of them. I was thinking along the lines of privileges withdrawn or some sort of sanctions. He got my drift. At that point, I asked him if he had any ideas of what would help and he came up with this idea.
"Tell me when I'm doing it. Say, 'hey, you're intimidating me.'" "That's it, I asked? That will help?" He thought so. I asked his mother if she was willing to try that because it sounded like an excellent idea. She agreed.
So far, so good. The very next day after our meeting this teenager was upset about going to his outpatient program. People there were really making him angry. He was getting louder and louder as he was venting in the car on the way home. His mother said, "You're intimidating me." He replied, "Oh I am?" He calmed down.
When I met with the two of them again, I congratulated the teenager on coming up with a great idea. That really worked. It was a much better idea than what I was thinking about. It's sort of like the use of the technique "Now." When you can get a teenager's behavior on track without punishing him or rewarding him, you are better off. This technique just labels the behavior as intimidating and if it works, you have just taken a short cut to extinguishing that particular manipulative technique.
Of course, this might work best if you have the discussion about it first. Admit that you are finding that you are afraid of upsetting him. Ask him if he thinks that labeling his behavior as intimidating would help. Then follow through. Don't just label it half the time. Label it every time his voice is raised.
What would stop a parent from using this technique? A parent would think, "Well, he is really angry. He can't help himself right now. I have to make allowances because he is really angry- he is upset." This thinking is part of the problem. Once you have established that there is a problem with intimidating behavior then you must label all of it irrespective of how angry he is feeling. You are trying to help him unlearn behavior and your feedback to him has to be consistent, specific, and immediate in order to help him the most. So what if he is angry? Let him find a better way to deal with it. Even if you feel that he has a good reason to be angry, challenge him to deal with it in a better way.
What else might stop a parent from using this technique? If the parent also has outbursts on a regular basis where people have learned that they don't want to upset the apple cart, meaning they don't want to upset the parent! In this case, the apple does not fall far from the tree. In other words, this could be a technique that the teenager has come by honestly in as much as he has seen this technique work for other family members. If that is the case, then it is time to ask the teenager for help. Tell him that you also are trying to change. Ask him to help you by pointing out your intimidating behavior to you so that you can stop using this technique also.
There is power in labeling. The teenager has employed a powerful technique when he labels his behavior as an "anger problem." That means it's not really his responsibility is it? Or at least it's something that he can be "working on" and if he's working on it shouldn't everyone be tolerant? Of courses, this becomes counter-productive. Labeling something as an anger problem appears to be designed to help the person with the anger problem keep the control. Don't upset the teenager by confronting him because he has an anger problem. Sort of like don't upset the animals in the zoo because we all know they can't control themselves; however, we may be underestimating our teens when we conclude that they can't control themselves. What we know about verbal abusers (another label) is that they can almost always control themselves. They rarely have outbursts at work. They rarely have outbursts around several people. Usually it is just around one or two people who always seem to be targeted.
The parent employs the same technique when they label behavior as intimidating. It helps stop the behavior. Other behavior can also be labeled. Whining can be labeled; however, don't berate the teen by labeling, just matter-of-factly state that this is whining and no one gets anything when they whine about it. Forget it. Whining? Then the answer is no.
You can also label mature behavior for what it is. What if you see your teenager ask for something, you say you don't know, and they say, "OK, just let me know, I know you have to think it over." That's a great time to say, "you know what honey, I think that a very mature way to ask for something. You might not get what you're asking for but I have to tell you that I'm impressed that you can ask for it in such a cool way. Like your getting more mature- you know, growing up." You might call it "adult behavior." "That was very adult-stuff you just did!"
There are other behaviors that it might be helpful to label. Once you have a name for a behavior, use that same name each time you label it. Try not to use it to berate or nag the teenager with it. Try to use it as a teaching tool but at the same time- it's a way to stand up to your teen. It's hard to continue to intimidate when some one sees what you are doing and points it out to you. That's power. That's one more thing that can help you be the big dog.
Things You Find When Looking For Something Else - The 3 C's
Posted by:Rocco--Monday, July 19, 2010
Things You Find When Looking For Something Else
- The 3 C's
Often after getting help we wonder why did we wait so long before looking for support and learning how to use the resources that are available to us.
We become aware of a serious problem with the behavior of our teen. We see them changing in negative ways and may even understand that alcohol/drugs are involved. Usually we think that we can handle the situation ourselves.
The idea that our son or daughter might be an addict is so disturbing that we will focus on almost any other issue as the main issue (friends, school, our job). Sometimes we know the reality in our heads but can't or won't accept it in our heart. This split between head and heart is not unusual but may prevent us from moving forward toward learning how to respond to our child’s drug use in a healthy way and seek help and resources for them, ourselves and our family.
First of all many of us don't really understand addiction. The second issue is that the concept of addiction carries with it a heavy load of blame, shame, guilt, failure, and is unfortunately and inaccurately seen as a reflection on the character of our family.
Our tendency is to try to take care of problems within our family and not to "air out our dirty laundry." This behavior tends to isolate the family and reduces our chance of learning more about the reality of addiction and how to contact and use resources that could be helpful.
What do you do with that urge, or obsession, to control your teenage drug/alcohol user’s every move?
It is important to remember the 3 C's.
We didn't Cause the addiction.
We can't Control the addiction.
We can't Cure the addiction.
The 3 C's might sound like we are more helpless than we want to be. We would rather force ourselves into the situation rather than believe we are helpless in a family crisis.
Parent Survival Skills Training (PSST) can help you to understand what you are dealing with when you have an addicted adolescent in your family, help you reduce your feelings of isolation and anxiety, help you relate to your entire family, help you feel better about yourselves and stay connected to friends and other people you know in the community.
PSST can help you with the following:
1. Understand the nature of the disease of addiction.
2. Understand the difference between your teen’s issues and your issues.
3. Understand and begin to implement the 3 C's
.
4. Understand and begin to implement the new 3 C-C's based on what you can do.
5. Learn how to manage anxiety and fear. Learn how they drive unhealthy reactions to the addict.
6. Learn how to use resources both inside and outside your family.
It may take a while before your teenager fully accepts their recovery program. But in the mean time PSST will help you find a sense of balance, self-control and general well-being in your life. When you act from a sense of balance, you have the presence of mind to “be there” for your teen in a meaningful, rather than a desperate way. You have the ability to think clearly and make better decisions. You will know the difference between what your issues are and what your teen’s issues are.
So, what do you do with the urge to control your addict’s every move?
Start by controlling your every move.
Get yourself to a PSST meeting (or find help at www.alanon.org or www.naranon.org), put your health and well-being first, and start treating your teen properly – regardless of whether or not he or she is meeting your expectations of how to live life.
Start to really LIVE your life yourself. Enjoy your moments, hours and days; stay in present time; Breathe deeply and enjoy the company of the people around you without allowing every other word you speak to be about the addict in your life.
Of course that’s just the beginning and at the same time it’s an awful lot.
They say there are only 4 ends to an addict: jail, death, recovery or institution. The same can be said for the co-addict. Stop your obsession and begin to live a life in recovery TODAY!
The New 3 C-C's:
Remember that in fact we are not helpless and if we are to make the best use of important resources we need to learn the new 3 C-C's.
What we Can Cause: Improvement in our well being, increased knowledge about addiction, treatment and how to respond to our teenager.
What we Can Control: Our environment, How we respond to addiction, How we allow ourselves to be treated.
What we Can Cure: Our own emotional and physical health.
The 3 C's and other information concerning Families and Addiction can be found at the following web sites:
12StepFamily.com - dedicated to reaching out to the family members of addicts of all types and help them get the information they need to improve their life circumstances whether the addict is still using or not!
http://12stepfamily.com/category/parents-of-addicts/
Families and Addiction Blog - An ongoing dialogue about how family members can help themselves, the addicted person they care about and learn to use resources in their community.
http://familiesandaddiction.blogspot.com/
Summary – PSST Meeting July 17, 2010 Mt Lebanon
Posted by:Rocco--Monday, July 19, 2010
Summary – PSST Meeting July 17, 2010
Mt Lebanon
DON’T PANIC
If you are having problems with your teenager and suspect drug abuse please come to our next meeting. PSST is here to empower the PARENTS of teenage substance abusers and/or Juvenile Court Youth with the support, information, skills and techniques a parent needs to SUCCEED in helping their teenager save their own life.
We had another great turnout at this week’s PSST meeting at OUTREACH TEEN AND FAMILY SERVICES in Mt Lebanon.
Val, Kathie and Lloyd led the meeting. We had 11 parents and 1 boyfriend representing 9 families.
Each of us had an opportunity to talk over our own situations and issues. We discussed parents becoming skilled at how to take back the power in their homes, teens that turn to alcohol, teens in various stages of recovery and some ways that we can get through to our teens.
We discussed various tactics we use to handle teen drug abuse. There are many ways from the direct approach (“Just do it, or else!”) to the “Iron Fist / Velvet Glove” methods.
Before deciding on which technique to use (sorry there is no “ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL” method) try to first understand how the adolescent brain operates, especially the adolescent brain on drugs. 
Expecting the same response from a teenage drug user that you get from a non-using adolescent, or an adult, will only lead to disappointment, exasperation and frustration.
Here is some information from NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse) –
What Do Drugs Do to the Brain?
Drugs are chemicals. They work in the brain by tapping into its communication system and interfering with the way nerve cells normally send, receive, and process information. Different drugs—because of their chemical structures—work differently. In fact, some drugs can change the brain in ways that last long after the person has stopped taking drugs, maybe even permanently. This is more likely when a drug is taken repeatedly.
Isn’t Becoming Addicted to a Drug Just a Character Flaw?
The first time people use drugs, it’s usually a conscious decision they’ve made. But once people become addicted, they are dealing with a brain disease. Each drug of abuse has its own individual way of changing how the brain functions. But in most cases, it doesn’t really matter which drug a person is addicted to; many of the effects it has on the brain are similar. The fact is that our brains are wired to make sure we will repeat activities, like eating, by associating those activities with pleasure or reward. Whenever this reward circuit is activated, the brain notes that something important is happening that needs to be remembered, and teaches us to do it again and again, without thinking about it. Because drugs of abuse stimulate the same circuit, we learn to abuse drugs in the same way. So while the initial decision to take drugs is a choice for some, a physical need replaces that choice. This is what’s known as addiction.
Isn’t Drug Addiction a Voluntary Behavior?
A person may start out taking drugs voluntarily, but as time passes and drug use continues, something happens that makes a person go from being a voluntary drug user to a compulsive drug user.
Shouldn't Treatment for Drug Addiction Be a One-Shot Deal?
No—it’s not like treating a broken bone. Like diabetes and even asthma, drug addiction typically is a chronic disorder. Some people can quit drug use “cold turkey,” or they can quit after receiving treatment just one time at a rehabilitation facility. But most who have become addicted to drugs need longer term treatment and, in many instances, repeated treatments—much like a person who has developed asthma needs to constantly monitor changes in medication and exercise. The important point is that even when someone relapses, they should not give up hope. Rather they need to go back to treatment or modify their current treatment. In fact, setbacks are likely. Even people with diabetes may go off their diet or miss an insulin injection, and their symptoms will recur—that’s a cue to get back on track, not to view treatment as a failure.
The NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse) website is an invaluable resource for information.
As one of our experienced PSST dads put it “We all need to adjust our own behavior, our own lifestyle and our perception of our teenage drug abusers. It is not that the addict doesn’t care. It is not that they are not ashamed of what they are doing. It is not that they don’t want to recover. It is that their addiction causes them to be so narrowly focused on their primary goal of getting their next high that they don’t see that their lives are unmanageable.”
We need to accept that this is not just “their” problem. This is the whole family’s problem. This is now our reality and we need to adjust our way of life if our child is going to recover. Three items that are indispensable for us and our teen are honesty, open-mindedness, and willingness to change.
There are several posts on the PSST Blog that address the topic of the Adolescent Brain.
The Adolescent Brain – Posted April 2010
“Adolescent Brains are under such rapid growth that indeed they are in many ways not like adult brains. Once we understand this, we can understand some of these mysterious behaviors such as risk-taking…”
Two Books That May Help – Posted August 2009
“As a parent going frantic over my child’s drug use with its related anti-social behaviors and criminal activities, a dear friend suggested I read this set of books written by a father and son detailing the same issue..”.
Drugs and the Brain – Posted December 2006
“The more parents understand what is happening during this critical period of brain development, the better they will be able to respond to the needs of their children...”
This post also links to the NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse) website.
Our thanks to OUTREACH TEEN AND FAMILY SERVICES for the use of their space.
The next Parent Survival Skills Training (PSST) meeting is Saturday August 7 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Allegheny County Eastern Probation Office in Wilkinsburg.
C'mon in and join us. There is no cost or commitment.
Our meetings are open to all parents who are serious about making a difference in their children’s life.
"One Down, One to GO" Story by Max (A PSST Parent)
Posted by:Sally--Monday, July 19, 2010
"One Down, One to GO" Story by Max
For those of you who have read my previous postings, David is my younger of 2 boys. He doesn't realize it yet but he is a lucky guy. At this moment his dad is escorting him to his new boarding school in Utah.
Why school now in the middle of summer, why all the way in Utah - these are the most frequently asked questions. I always answer in the most streamlined way; because this is a different type of school that has rolling admission; they accept kids 365 days a year.
Utah is a rugged place with lots of opportunity for out door experiential therapies and regular fun activities.
Yes, it's very far from Pittsburgh, no, he can't come home whenever he wants, but we will visit him and have family therapy via conference call weekly.
No cell phones or cigarettes allowed. Does any of this sound remotely familiar to anyone?
Sounds like placement in a D&A facility like Gateway Yes, or similar.
Only parents that have toyed with this type of placement would really understand that although we love them and wish they could stay at home, it is better for all sides to be sent elsewhere - at least for the time being. I know my PSST friends understand with zero justification.
David's path to this point has already been documented in 2 previous blogs (Max and Mel's Terrible Adventure Part I & Max and Mel's Terrible Adventure Part II) - feel free to read.
Bottom line for David is that there was no private school in Pittsburgh that would take him with the combination of poor grades and oppositional behaviors, and public school is now out of the question - we are involved in our kids school and always have been, but it isn't a reciprocal relationship. His public high school where his brother Michael is currently falls through crack after crack was not an option. He would be sliding the already slippery slope.
So my husband Mel and I did some research and hired an educational consultant. We explained what we were hoping for; a school that would understand a kid like David and the terrible year of school, bad friends and marijuana that he experienced.
A place where he couldn't be kicked out of for being oppositional, or even cursing at a teacher, sneaking a cigarette, or having a dirty urine screen.
A place that will get him back to the athlete he was before marijuana use made him a slug.
A place that will teach him how to learn so there is a chance that he won't find school so miserable and may actually learn something.
A place that helps him get his big personality down to manageable size.
Since David was only on an extended contract and not formally charged, some of the placements in our area would have been inappropriate. He wasn't actually in the system.
We have the experience of his older brother Michael to relate to, (also in previous blog "Max and Mel's terrible adventure; the prequel") so we understood basically what was out there.
We also know our son very well, and understood his best chance was to remove him from Pittsburgh altogether to a place that is dedicated to helping trouble teens like David. We are fortunate we are able to send him, and he as I said is a lucky guy. In retrospect he will see this.
It was difficult to make the decision, difficult to tell him, difficult to get him there - but this morning at 5 A.M. he willingly got into the car to go to the airport.
Perhaps there is a part of him that understands by now why he is going, that he needs to go. All I know is, I don't feel like crying right now, because I spent the last year crying and worrying. He is now in a safe place. Maybe I can relax a bit and take a deep breath before embarking on the next chapter of our other son Michaels' treatment...stay tuned!
Summary of July 10 PSST Meeting in Wexford
Posted by:Rocco--Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Summary of July 10 PSST Meeting in Wexford
It was a beautiful sunny July day outside in Wexford on Saturday. Inside Trinity Lutheran Val, Lloyd and Kathie T from Wesley Spectrum led the PSST meeting along with 5 perceptive PSST parents in attendance. We had some very good discussion as well as some great coffee, donuts, brownies, cookies and savory sweet cherries.
There was a single mom who explained how she has taken back the power in her home. She is controlling her emotions and will no longer allow her son to manipulate her into feeling bad about herself. She is now responding in a calm but authoritative manner to his tantrums. This has taken away one of her son’s main tactics to get his way and has him looking at his mom in a new light.
One of our enlightened PSST moms returned to talk about her son’s current situation. He had completed his inpatient program in January. He was enrolled in a local ‘academy’ to get him back on track to graduate high school. He was well on his way and even had a very nice internship set up. And then he and some classmates became involved in an infraction which resulted in him being asked to leave the program (including the internship). The mom is very upset, of course, that her son is missing this opportunity to advance his education. The group discussed his circumstances and raised the question of which is more critical to this teenager at this time; his education or getting help with his behavioral issues? Val, Kathy and Lloyd pointed out that there are programs available that would primarily address his behavioral issues while still providing for his education. It may not be the same education available at the ‘academy’ but he needs to understand that his behavior must improve if he is going to succeed with any level of education.
We had updates from Max on how her and Mel’s sons (Michael and David) are progressing in their recovery and also from Sally and Rocco on their son’s (Cisco) impending homecoming from Liberty Station. The boys are at various stages in their recovery but both sets of parents have restored control in their homes and have stability back in their lives.
Things are not perfect but we PSST Parents have the “tools” and we know how to use them. And most important we have the support and encouragement from the professionals and our fellow parents at PSST.
Thanks to all who attended this meeting especially Val, Kathy and Lloyd for their continued counseling.
We look forward to some experienced parents attending our future meetings to continue our discussions and offer whatever wisdom or insights they may have to offer. We would like to see some not-so-experienced parents continue to attend our meetings to work through their dilemmas and their doubts. We are always looking for some new parents to join us so we can offer them help and some hope.
"By helping others succeed, we help ourselves succeed. Whatever good we give will complete the circle and will come back to us."
Our goal at PSST is to empower the PARENTS of teenage substance abusers and/or Juvenile Court Youth with the support, information, skills and techniques a parent needs to SUCCEED in helping their teenager save their own life.
A note to parents thinking about attending their first PSST Meeting: The first meeting may seem a bit overwhelming and you might feel a little uncomfortable. That is okay. Sally and I felt that way when we attended our first meeting three years ago. We now wish that at that time we would have stuck it out longer. Regardless we were happy to be able to return two years later for our second meeting and find acceptance as well as a lot of support, wisdom and understanding. Our family is now healing, hopeful and heading in the right direction.
PSST Announcement:
An “Informational Video” will probably be produced at the Wexford site (Trinity Lutheran Church) following the August Meeting. Any and all participation in the video will be strictly voluntary. The purpose of the video will be to promote Parents Survival Skills Training and to attract further participation by parents. Watch the PSST Blog for more information.
We all would like to sincerely thank Trinity Lutheran Church for the use of their first class facilities to allow PSST to empower parents of out-of-control teenagers. This is a great example of how Trinity Lutheran has been reaching out and serving Wexford and the northern suburbs since 1845.
We look forward to seeing more concerned parents next Saturday, July 17 at the PSST meeting at the Outreach Teen and Family Services located in Mt. Lebanon at 666 Washington Road (There is free parking in the back lot).
C'mon in and join us.
Our PSST meetings are open to all parents who are serious about making a difference in their children’s life.
We Can Do It
Posted by:Lloyd Woodward--Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Last night I listened to a grandmother talk about how she continues to make regular trips to the hospital with her daughter who repeatedly overdoses on Heroin but at the same time this grandmother is supporting her granddaughter in outpatient meetings. She talked of how she and her husband cruise from one crisis to the next, dropping everything important in their lives to help keep their daughter and her daughter alive. Also, there are other family issues that drain the grandparents.
Here are my thoughts on the huge sacrifice that these and many other parents all over make towards their children.
1. A SOMETIMES MYTH: "If it's saving a life, it can't be enabling." Obviously, administering CPR to someone who has overdosed is not enabling- it's saving a life; however, taking your adult drug-addict to the ER several times a month because he has a back problem may be far from saving his life. It may be helping him with drug-seeking behavior as his trip to the hospital clearly is intended to get pain meds. Buying heart medication, which is not covered by your adult drug addicts health care may be saving a life; however, buying stomach medication, which is likewise not covered when you are pretty sure that he just spent his last dollar on a bag of weed may be enabling. Helping your child by taking him the doctor when he is in withdrawal may be saving a life; however, taking him into a nefarious part of town to cop drugs when he is withdrawing may be enabling him towards drug seeking behavior.
It is all a judgement. A good rule of thumb is to be afraid of helping too much. Drug addicts are adept at allowing people to do many things for them that they are quite capable of doing for themselves.
2. Myth: the only thing that really matters is helping my child through this problem. Not really. If you don't take care of yourself you can't take care of others. Set a good example for your addict by having your own life where you pursue happiness by having good relationships where you spend time with people you care about, and have strong interests and hobbies. Work out. Eat well. Get lots of sleep. Be strong. That way, when the real crisis comes you will be ready. Say no to a lot of requests from your adult and teen-age addicts. To them everything may seem like a crisis. It helps your teenagers grow up when they are expected to solve some of their own problems. Be there for them when you know it is a real crisis or when you know that they are finally ready to change their lives for the better.
3. Myth: If I say "NO" about a request I have abandoned my teen and I'm the only one there for him! You have not abandoned him because you have said no about something. You may not be the only one there for him either. Remember, addicts (especially ones that are still using) are adept at turning everything into a monumental crisis and they may be adept at convincing parents that they are the only ones who can help. Sometimes parents aren't the best people to help. (Of course, we all love to hear how important we are.)
4. SOMETIMES MYTH: There is nothing else I can do. When we start thinking that we have no options it may be that we are missing something. Especially, when we stop trying to hold them accountable, when we are just too tired to fight anymore; then it's time to look at our options. There could be several things that we have decided not to do that might just be the ticket! Keep an open mind. Listen to others. Re-evaluate options and don't give up. Keep up the good fight.
For example, if you know your teen will go out anyway, even if you tell him that he is forbidden to leave the house, then don't give up. Tell him he is grounded and look for a more radical approach. Let him know that you know he is out-of-control and that you will be taking serious steps to regain control; this may involve using the authorities or stripping him of all belongings including many of his best outfits. Hit him where it hurts. Take his cell phone- remove his computer to the trunk of your car. Demand that he have an assessment and that he begin outpatient. Don't give up. There is almost always more that you can do. It is not easy but it's better than giving up. Read the post on Should I get My child a PO. Also, "if you do what you always do, you get what you always got" (12-step saying). Try something different if what you are doing is not working.
Keep fighting but fight smart. Sometimes what we are doing is counter-productive. Stop. Re-evauluate if what your are doing is helping. We may be powerless to make the addict choose a better way but on the otherhand we can sometimes raise the bottom for them so that it gets harder and harder for our addict to continue to make bad decisions. That's the important thing. Keep helping but ask yourself, "Am I helping him to continue to abuse drugs or am I helping him towards recovery?"
