By his own admission, self-proclaimed drug addict Connor “Wes” Bresnahan is fuzzy on the details of what transpired as he plunged ever downward into a world of needles, theft, dealing and, ultimately, jail time.
Convicted twice on drug charges, the 23-year-old looked like any other young adult as he walked into a private visiting room at the Worcester County Jail. Clean, tall, trim and light-haired, Bresnahan might otherwise be any white middle-class young man about to embark on a successful career, were it not for the county-issued jumpsuit that he wore.
The other indicator of how far he had fallen was the door that locked behind him as he entered the room and the sheet of glass pocked with handprints that separated the visiting station into the prisoners’ side and those who come to see them.
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ReplyDeleteGood story for content. A few misfires on language that cause it to stumble.
"...pocked with handprints"? Were there actually hand-shaped chunks taken out of the glass? Pocking is the formation of a small crater.
"... self proclaimed"? Did the writer want to mean self-professed or self-admitted? To proclaim implies some sort of pride with an announcement. This individual is anything but prideful of his downfall.
The editor should have caught these and others.
A lot of really good drug counselors have been down this road,because it's hard to enlighten one to a topic which one knows nothing about.Maybe his situation will be a deterrent to others.Even though actual counseling was not mentioned,or if it was I didn't see it,his story will help others.
ReplyDeleteAdmitting you have a problem is the first and easiest step. Most fail in their paths away from addiction, I believe because they fail to make a complete lifestyle change, including friendships. He needs to throw his cell phone away and from that point on pick and choose his friends carefully. Real friends will understand. He shouldn't even be around alcohol. It starts all over again with thinking you can have one drink. Don't use things that happen as an excuse to get high or drunk. Try a hobby whether it be cooking, baking, gardening-something you can immediately go to when you feel bored or stressed out.
ReplyDeleteAs the mother of a 21 year old, I am blessed over and over that they did not fall into this pit. It seems like a lot of "influential" families around here want to turn their heads when they might suspect their kid is on some kind of drug, but don't want to face reality. I have to say I feel bad for this guy; but he made the choice several times to do what he did and now he is paying the price - at his expense and his family.
ReplyDeleteHe's worried about when he gets released from jail. One thing he doesn't need to do is to get anywhere near OC. Too many temptations. He also should stay out of working at a restaurant again and look for something like a landscaping job which requires him to get up early so he is tired in the evenings. The ball is in his court. The pull back into addiction is only as strong as you make it. It IS all about avoiding any and ALL temptation with heroin and families can help immeasurable by having alcohol free holidays and celebrations if they don't already.
ReplyDeleteIf you go to the Editorial there more about this.
ReplyDeleteQuoting-
"Most of all if there’s something that hits home for you, then we ask to seek help that recognizes that substance abuse is a disease not necessarily a series of bad choices. If we knew of a friend or had a relative who was in the early stages of cancer, we’d move mountains to help the patient overcome his illness. Instead, parents of drug-addicted children find themselves asking what went wrong? Are they bad parents? Is their child a bad kid?"
Passing off addiction as a disease is making excuses. It is simply nothing more than making bad choices. Yes you were a bad boy. It's no different that someone who choose another destructive path in life such as crime. The rate of successful recovery from addiction is dismal due to this lack of promoting accepting responsibility for bad choices made. Instead addicts are excused because they are told they have a disease.
There is so much money in "recovery" as well that it has become a big business, employing massive amounts of people. Money is being thrown at them privately, through insurance, Medicaid and government and private grants. One thing to keep in mind, no matter what they say, they do not have the addicts best interests at heart.
It's horrible when someone decides to get involved with drugs. But they made the choice and can make the choice to not ever touch drugs again. It's very hard but it can be done.
There was just an article in the NY Times about the misguided use of the word disease when referring to drug addiction. Studies show most who become addicted are off drugs by the time they are 30 and most quit without any kind of professional help. This is largely unreported because it doesn't conform to political correctness but research shows those who are determined to take their lives back with positive life style changes and choices have a better rate of staying off of drugs.
ReplyDeleteI've also read several articles on what is said above about the huge business addiction treatment is now a days. Not only the centers themselves but the methadone sales and other drugs used to treat addicts. Some studies suggested that if drug addiction treatment had a success rate ever goes above 50% and stays for any length of time there we would experience an economic meltdown in all areas of the economy.
I have a 23 YO daughter in jail because of heroin. She has done nothing but make bad choices all her life. As soon as she was taught the right thing to do, she would immediately go out and do the opposite three times worse just to spite everyone.
ReplyDeleteIt's NOT a "disease". It's self hate, and hate towards authority and a complete lack of self respect.
And if you don't love and respect yourself, and all you do is hate yourself and everyone else, well, don't expect anything from my side of the fence. Die in your own excrement.
Love, Dad.