Guest Post :: Community Stories of Recovery, part 1

 In honor of Recovery Month, we requested submissions of recovery stories from members of our own community. What follows is one such submission:

 
I grew up in a middle class family that had numerous strengths and gave me assets for growth.  Unfortunately, generational alcholism existed on both sides of my family and even the non-alcoholics in my family often were at a loss to deal with feelings or set appropriate boundaries with each other.  

When I was a child, there were scary, painful things that rocked my world, stole my sense of safety, and fractured my personal identity.  I wanted desperately to be different than those people I saw who turned to alcohol or valium to fill a void in themselves; however, I fell into the same pit and and started abusing alcohol at age 11.  I did things overtime that were increasingly dangerous to my self and others including drunk driving.  By age 17, I had tried to committ suicide twice.  I stopped breathing during an overdose on alcohol and pills when I was in my late teens.  

Two months before that incident occurred, a recovering drug addict and alcoholic spoke to the teens at my church.  His story was compelling and it was one of the first times I heard an adult tell on himself.  He had been a violent teen who went to prison but was now sane, a business man and kind to his children and I could see that he was grateful to have them.  He gave me hope even though it didn't stop me from drinking. At that point, I was addicted and couldn't stop on will power alone. 

I sought help through 12 step Programs that truly saved my life and taught me how to walk and talk and think all over again.  I had a community backing me that said "we did this and you can, too."  Overtime, I have also benefitted from counseling, spiritually based support groups, exercise and changes to my eating habits.  It has been a series of steady steps forward, using mistakes as spring boards to further growth, input from wonderful sponsors (mentors), asking the God of my understanding for daily guidance, admitting when I am wrong, and being willing to help others that has reshaped my life.  The recovery path is not easy but worth it in the long run.  I have been continuously clean and sober for almost 30 years and want to keep going so I can see what the next chapter will bring one day at a time.
                                                                                                    -Annette

If you have a story of recovery from addiction that you'd like to share this month, send your story in 500 words or less to kate@dftipp.org.

Guest Post: Preventing Pesticide Poisoning in the Home

"Pesticides were identified as the ninth most common substance reported to poison control centers, and approximately 45% of all reports of pesticide poisoning were for children." [1]
Further,
"An EPA survey showed that almost half (47%) of households with young children and 75% of homes without young children had pesticides stored in unlocked cabinets within reach of children." [2]

Pesticides are chemicals that kill or otherwise control pests. They can be either synthetic (man-made) or organic (naturally-occurring). Both types can be toxic to people.

 Common household pesticides include:

Ÿ disinfectants and sanitizers

Ÿ products used to remove mold and mildew

Ÿ cockroach and ant baits

Ÿ insect repellents

Ÿ pet products that control fleas and ticks

Ÿ herbicides (i.e., weed killers)

Ÿ pool chemicals

Preventing pesticide poisoning in the home begins with safe storage practices. Avoid stockpiling pesticide products. Buy products in quantities that can be used in a short period of time. Remember that many common household cleaning products and disinfecting agents are, in fact, pesticides. Consequently, homeowners often inadvertently store household pesticides in kitchens and bathrooms. Read pesticide labels carefully for safe storage recommendations. Every pesticide label will alert the user to, “Keep Out of Reach of Children.” Remove any pesticides from under sinks, in vanities, or on garage benches and place all pesticides out of reach of children in a designated, locked cabinet or one equipped with a child-proof safety latch. Always store pesticides in their original labeled containers and never transfer them to food or drink containers.

Exposure to pesticides can also happen during, and even after, application. Consider purchasing ready-to-use pesticides rather than concentrates. Select low toxicity pesticide products labeled “Caution” on the front panel and read and follow label instructions. Move children, their toys, and pets out of areas where pesticides will be used. Keep them out of treated areas until the pesticide has dried (or according to label instructions). Ventilate treated rooms before re-entering. When treating pets with flea and tick products keep them away from children until the product has completely dried

Improper insect repellent use is another often overlooked source of pesticide exposure. Never over-apply insect repellents to yourself or others. Repellents are intended for use on exposed skin and clothing. Do not apply repellents under clothing or onto cut, bruised, or irritated skin and do not apply onto the face or hands of children.

Always close pesticide containers tightly after use and make sure to use child-resistant packaging correctly (e.g., fully engage cap mechanisms). Never leave an open pesticide container unattended. Finally, and just in case, post or program the Poison Control Centers’ national hotline telephone number, (800) 222-1222 to your personal phone.

For more information about safe pesticide use around the home, visit:

Ÿ Purdue Pesticide Programs at http://www.ppp.purdue.edu/

Ÿ National Pesticide Information Center at http://www.npic.orst.edu/

Ÿ Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/

Photos courtesy of pesticidepics.org

-Drew Martin, Curriculum Development Specialist

Purdue Pesticide Programs

---

[1] Roberts, J.R. & Karr, C.J. (2012). Pesticide Exposure in Children. 130 (6). Abstract retrieved on-line, March 11, 2013, at:www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23184105

[2] National Pesticide Information Center: Poison Prevention. Retrieved on-line, March 11, 2013, at: www.npic.orst.edu/health/poisonprevent.html.

Guest Post: January 28-February 3 is National Drug Facts Week

            Tippecanoe County, we have encouraging news! Data collected by Purdue University’s Student Wellness Office and by the Drug Free Coalition of Tippecanoe County suggest that the rate of abuse for most drugs is declining. The reported abuse of non-prescription stimulant medication on Purdue’s campus in 2012 has dropped from 11.4% of all students to 2.4% of students. When it comes to cigarettes, 90.5% of students report not smoking a single cigarette within the last 30 days. Data from the Drug-Free Coalition’s most recent profile show that minor consumption, OWI, and public intoxication arrests have all decreased over the past four years. This is all encouraging!

            However, our work is not done. While these are positive results, they are in no way ideal. In 2009, 431 people were admitted to St. Elizabeth Regional Health hospitals for alcohol-related health issues, and there were 773 drug-related arrests in Tippecanoe County in 2010. Those numbers are too high. In 2012, 14% of Purdue students reported smoking marijuana, and the frequency increases as students progress through their college career. This is why we are recognizing National Drug Facts Week to counter the misinformation that youth receive from the media, the Internet, and from peers about drugs.

            This fight against the myths surrounding drug use and their consequences is challenging. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), of the most popular songs in 2005, 1 in 3 mentioned alcohol, tobacco, or other drug use, and 3 in 4 rap songs mentioned these substances. Of the top 90 movies over the last twenty years, 7 in 10 showed characters smoking, and 1 in 3 showed characters getting drunk.  These are the messages that youth are viewing and internalizing, and these different media sources are often the basis for harmful misinformation concerning drug use. Having substance abuse normalized and the harmful consequences minimalized in music and film leads to ignorance and poor decision-making. This is why National Drug Facts Week is about “working to encourage teens to get factual answers from scientific experts about drugs and drug abuse.”

            One of our biggest challenges is that we are up against billion-dollar industries that advertise tobacco, alcohol, and other drug products with glamorous and highly-technological messages. Our budgets are nowhere near as large. This makes our messages even more important, and there are many ways we can empower youth to make good decisions. We can:

·      Provide them with accurate information about the negative consequences of drug use.

·      Teach them about media advocacy and encourage them to become involved in healthy activities.

·      Work with legislators and councils to enact policies that hold people accountable for their behavior and policies that promote a safe and healthy environment for our community.

·      Support access to mental health services for those who need it.

Together, we can make a difference.  For more information about National Drug Facts Week, visit http://drugfactsweek.drugabuse.gov/

-Miriam Brown, ATOD Education Coordinator

Purdue Student Wellness Office

Guest Post: December is Impaired Driving Prevention Month

My thanks to Kate Kerrigan for sharing space on the Drug-Free Coalition blog with me this month. December is Impaired Driving Prevention month, and that is a cause that is close to my heart after having two of our children, Claire and Nathan, killed by a drunk driver 7 years ago.

The holiday season can be extraordinarily difficult for families who have lost loved ones. Even a simple thing like sending Christmas cards with a family photo is a painful reminder that our family is not all there. Boxes of Christmas decorations are filled with ornaments made by or purchased for each of our children over the years, with the plan that someday they will be used to decorate a tree of their own. We tried to find an ornament that meant something special to each child that year, such as a small oboe for Claire the year she started playing in her school band. Their favorite cookies, the stockings with their names sewn across the top--each brings to mind a memory of our kids that is precious. As the years have passed, we have found new traditions and ways to celebrate the holidays with our surviving son. We buy gifts for a boy and a girl in the community who we do not know in honor of our kids. Seven years later, the pain of missing them is not so overwhelming as it once was, although it still comes. Now, it seems the pain is also precious to us, because it reminds us how much we love them, and time does not change that.

I realize that our grief is not unique to victims of drunk driving accidents, and my heart aches for each person who is grieving a family member this year. Impaired driving deaths, however, are unnecessary and preventable--there is really no good reason that we should have to endure this loss except for someone's bad decision to get in a truck and drive after drinking heavily.

Many Christmas and New Year's parties include beer, wine, eggnog, and other alcoholic drinks as part of the special celebration. Please be alert and aware of the condition of those around you as you celebrate. There are many good options in addition to driving for people who are impaired--help them find one of them.

One new tradition that my husband and I have is attending the Candlelight Memorial Service, sponsored by MADD, to remember victims of impaired driving wrecks. All friends, families, and community members are invited to join us on Tuesday, December 11, at 7 p.m. in the Depot Room at Riehle Plaza train station for this special time of remembering.

-Sherry Hockerman

To download a printable flyer for this event, click here.