Young Minds

I work with teen drug addicts on Wednesday evenings. Been doing this for 6 years now. At first I struggled with understanding them. Why had they slipped into addiction? At such a young age? What were they looking for or escaping from? What was their mindset that allowed this to happen to them? And were they concerned about this now?

Early revelations suggested they were unhappy at being told what to do, and not. They felt they were just fine; why would the adult world force them to live otherwise?

Later, I watched them become aware that they were self-medicating. From what, was unknown.

Probing, we learned more. They were bored. They were not listened to. They were not asked for their thoughts and feelings. They were tolerated, not embraced or welcomed. They felt isolated, alone. With drugs, they found a peace, and a group of friends with whom to relate. They understood each other. They knew the score.

Until they overdosed or were caught by authorities.

Of course, the overdose was sobering. Being caught by the authorities was not sobering or helpful. It was an outrage to their personhood and independence! The loss of independence weighed heavy and derailed them from their path to sobriety.

The distance between sobering and outrage is interesting. It is in this divide that answers help shed light on the cause and effect of drug addiction, and what then to do about it.

One thing I have learned about these young people and their ‘take’ on society: they are thoughtful, caring and respectful of those who listen to them or give them respectful attention. This creates a communication pathway. They listen in return. As partners to the sharing of thoughts, they learn a bit at a time. Enough bits build stepping stones that lead them toward lessons of sobriety.

And other lessons, too. Most of these kids are bright. Allowing them freedom to explore inner thoughts exposes them to discovery. Personal truths form from this exercise. They become partners in their own journey and fellow addicts, too. Soon we are laughing at that which caused anger and sorrow only a few weeks before.

I have worked with one new patient recently. He is from South Korea originally. The collision of American and South Korean cultures are titanic to him. He has a blossoming intellect. It is on full display and challenging. But it is also his highway to health. Slowly he admits to addiction. Slowly he is finding this unhealthy. More and more he senses a future that is brighter and more valuable than that of drugs. He is 18 and has much to live for and enrich the lives of others at the same time.

Two weeks in the program and we see these changes. They are not yet results. They are not yet solutions. But they provide hope that sobriety is attainable and sustainable for his life. Then the promise that he embodies will have a chance to be used and felt in the world.

That’s why we do this work. For others. For the rest of us. For the future of all of us. Because not doing so would be such a colossal waste.

December 7, 2018