Friday, November 2, 2012

Intervention Application

Over the past few classes we have been watching numerous addicts battle their addictions. As we have watched we have learned that the addict is almost always triggered by something to start their usage and usually it was out of their control. Tell me some of the most frequent triggers seen and how seeing them and the havoc they caused affected you. Do some research about the trigger you have chosen and does research support your assumption of triggering substance abuse or dependency. What are you going to do to make sure you don't make the same mistakes in your future family or even now in your own life. Give me at least 2 and your action steps.

27 comments:

  1. (Part 1) In both episodes of Intervention, I noticed some common triggers of drug addictions among the people documented. In both episodes with Courtney the heroin addict and Lawrence the alcoholic, the fatherly figure was abusive. Courtney went to visit her seemingly absent father in North Carolina, and she was abused physically while there. This would distort her view of his place in her life and ultimately affect her in a manner that may have possibly pushed her toward prostitution as a means of providing for herself financially, because after being violated she probably did not see herself as having value. Lawrence was physically abused by his step-father and was basically left with these scars of hate and anger for the rest of his life. In both cases, the scars pushed them towards drugs because they tried to get rid of the pain felt as children. I could see that if that pain was inflicted upon me as a child, I would probably be pushed to similar straits as they were. With only negative influence in the home, how could one have a hopeful or inspirational perspective on life? I also noticed another trigger in that both Courtney and Lawrence had to become semi-self-sufficient from a younger age than most people. Courtney, after her sister Kim left for college, was left in some areas to take care of herself while her mother was stuck with clinical depression. She had little support, especially as older sister Kim never seemed to contact her anymore. Lawrence was also, to some extent abandoned by his mother, when she left him and his brothers with his step-father because she could not stand the abuse of her husband anymore. Lawrence was left without any figures of support and had to face abuse by himself. Later, after his mother returned and kicked out his step-father, Lawrence was still put in places to support himself. Eventually, he was the one financially supporting his mother and his brothers. In both cases, an early leave from childhood dependence in both cases appears to have affected Courtney and Lawrence. After such a long time having to become independent mentally and emotionally as adolescents, they resort to drugs because they cannot carry themselves anymore. This reveals to me the burden and pain that comes from being deprived of a childhood and a supportive base. Both tried to push themselves, but it was so hard because of the lack of support in their lives. After seeing these triggers, I was reminded of the importance of parenting in a child's life. It can make or break them, and I need to remember that for when I am a parent.
    Research supports my belief that a lack of family support at an early age is a trigger of future drug abuse. The Children, Youth and Families Education and Research Network says that research suggests that “Authoritative parenting” correlates with “lower rates of substance abuse than autocratic, permissive or uninvolved parenting.” In both Courtney and Lawrence’s cases, their parents were largely uninvolved in their well-being. Courtney may have been supported financially; but in both sets of circumstances there was a lack of parental support on the emotional and mental level, pointing to the correlation in the research. In addition, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services point to a “lack of mutual attachment and nurturing by parents or caregivers” and “ineffective parenting” as ways by which children gain negative perspectives of their family, which often is associated with drug abuse. Although Courtney desired nurture from her mother, her mother was always off trying to deal with her own issues that left Courtney deprived of the parental support that she needed. Lawrence was also without mutual attachment from his mother and her husband, pointing to a greater risk of drug abuse in his life. Research supports the lack of familial support as a trigger of future drug abuse. Negative childhood experiences will stay with a person forever.

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  3. (Part 2) In response to this research and to the lack of parental involvement and support in the lives of Courtney and Lawrence, I plan to be a father who constantly encourages and provides verbal, positive support to my children. I plan to let them know how much I value them (in opposition to the paternal treatment given by Courtney and Lawrence's fathers) and to attend their events as children. I plan to be around the home often, being active in their lives. I also plan to support them financially, as Lawrence suffered from having to support himself early on. He ended up having to take care of his mother and brothers, and this took a toll on him later. In both cases the fathers left, I plan to never leave or divorce my wife. I also plan to not let my children have to worry about their monetary situation until they are adults. Although I plan to be involved in their lives constantly, I also have to make sure that I work enough to provide adequately for them. I cannot be lazy at any time.

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  5. Most people who have an addiction to various crap, have been triggered by family issues. These victims have undergone some serious trauma or have been abandoned during their childhood. Through these abandonment and traumatic issues, addicts attempt to fill their void with certain addictive things. Almost every addict has abandonment and separation anxiety. They've just been so consumed by their past terrors, that they let it overtake their lives. In order to feel better about themselves, addicts abuse substances which slowly eat away at their physical and mental state. Through this knowledge, I can guarantee that I will not fall into the addiction cycle. Because I know how people fall into it, I can strive to avoid what they go through. Oh and when I have alot of babies and a hot wife, I will never leave them because I know what an impact a father figure can make on one's life. done.

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  6. Over the past week we've been watching the intervention episodes and one underlying factor in all of them is the lack of a father figure in majority of their lives and most of the addicts blame themselves. Allison and her sister Erica were both molested and when they told their mom she wouldn't believe them until they told all of their friends. After her mom brought the molestation to court, her father and mother divorced. I believe that Allison blames herself for her dad leaving and then on top of that he wanted her to go with him when he moved but she didn't, then he moved to the middle east and she never heard from him again. Erica was able to move on from her past and live a normal life, Allison on the other hand could not so she turned to inhalers which eventually consumed everything about her. Even though I am not a father figure I will try to stay married and as cliche as that sounds, I will try to always solve things with my husband and make it better. If I ever do get a divorce, I will try to find the best father figure for my children and try to be the best I can to them.

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  7. When Allison was five years old, she was, along with her sister, sexually molested. This causes her to have a lot of pain and unanswered questions. She went to court and was questioned and forced to face the molester. This was a traumatic experience. Being molested as a child can cause severe pain in children who end up relying on drugs to ease their pain. Although some people can make it through the situation and become better people because of it, others’ lives are affected in another way. In Allison’s situation, she still felt a great deal of pain and although her addiction was not all because of her past molestation, she still was hurt because of it. Being molested was one of the many triggers in Allison’s life. Another trigger included losing her dad through her parents’ divorce. Her parents made her choose and she was caught in the middle and lost her dad and his whole side of the family through the divorce. This resulted in her feeling abandoned and unloved. Although she had the love and support of her mom’s side of the family, she could only concentrate on her dad and how he abandoned her. This loss triggered her to rely on inhaling computer duster to numb the pain she felt. Allison got addicted to inhaling the duster and ended up inhaling 8 to 12 cans a day.
    In order to prevent this situation with my own kids, I will make sure to keep them safe to the best of my abilities and if they tell me that something has happened to them, I will take care of it. I will also make sure that they man that I marry is the man I will be with forever. I do not want my children to feel abandoned by either me or their father. Knowing that the man I marry will be with me forever will give me comfort and support along with my children. I will make sure to pay attention to my children and help them when they are feeling down as much as possible so that they will not feel like they have to find comfort with drugs. Although it is impossible to prevent completely, I will do my best to prevent what I can.

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  8. In this intervention episode, Allison was addicted to inhalants. Just like most people who are addicted to things like drugs, there are lots of possible things that can trigger it. When Allison was young, she and her sister were molested. They told their mother, but she didn’t believe them. This was bad, but to make things worse, the molester was not found guilty and was released due to lack of evidence. After the trials, Allison’s parents got divorced. Her father moved away and never showed any interest in trying to contact them. Allison felt it was all her fault. She never had a father figure in her life. Having a father in the picture is an important part of a person’s life. It can affect someone greatly, and all of the people on this Intervention show are examples of that. It seems like none of them had ever made good relationship choices. All of their marriages end in divorce a few months later. Not having a good supportive family during the early parts of their lives follows them all the way to adulthood. They have missing gaps and they fill it with it drugs or alcohol. And it does fill in the gaps for a few hours, but once the high wears off, they have to keep doing it. This leads to an addiction.
    When I grow up, I’m going to make sure I never let anything like this happen to my kids. I’m going to make sure I stay with my future husband and work out any differences, rather than just taking the easy way out and getting a divorce. Taking the easy way out never does any good. I’ll end up hurting the ones I love even more. I’ll always be there for my kids and I’ll make sure that God and family is always the center of my cares.

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  9. The most recent Intervention episode we watched in class was about a girl named Allison. She was addicted to inhalers and would use up to 12 cans a day. She started using the inhalers after she and her sister were molested. Her Mom didn’t believe her and her Dad moved out of the country after they got a divorce. All of these situations were out of her control. This additional emotional trauma caused her to increase her use of the inhalers because they produced a rapid high that resembles alcohol intoxication that can last up to five minutes. They made her feel good and forget about her problems. Two of the most frequent triggers of substance abuse are parents divorcing and one parent deserting the family. Research shows that family and social environment are factors that play a part in addiction as the user continues to employ mood-altering substances, like inhalers, to help them cope with the situation. A history of trauma, including physical abuse and exposure to any traumatic events, can also contribute to the development of addictions. Just like her parents, Allison got divorced. Nicolas Wolfinger from the Department of Family and Consumer Studies at the University of Utah conducted research on children of divorced children and found that growing up with divorced parents increases the chance of them getting divorced themselves.

    Seeing how Allison was molested and had to deal with divorced parents makes me thankful that my parents have a happy healthy marriage. I also want that for my children. I will pray that God brings me a Godly Christian husband who has the same views as me on these issues. My husband and I will bring up our children in a Christian home by providing a good example of marriage and having with Jesus as the center of our family. I will not shelter my children from other world views. I will teach them to make their own choices, I can’t decide for them. I will pray for my children and their future decisions.


    Children of Divorced Parents. Children-and-divorce.com. N.p. n.d. Web. 8 November 2012.

    White, Donna. Symptoms of Teen Substance Abuse. PsychCentral. Psych Central. 2012. Web. 8 November 2012.

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  10. Throughout the past week or so we have studied the different types of addictions, how they started, and what "triggers" them to do what they do. We watched 3 different Interventions, each of which had two common triggers that coincided with each other. The first, was the lack of a father-figure in their life. The second, is the result of the lack of a father figure, it's the lack of a home life or family. Nichole is a young adult who has become an alcoholic over the years. Courtney is a 20 year old heroin addict, and finally there is Allison, a 27 year old inhalant addict. All three of these ladies had a common trigger. Nichole's father was an alcoholic also, and he use to abuse her and her sister. When Nichole was old enough she turned to boyfriends, to take place of her father figure, and with the boys came Nichole's tolerance of alcohol begin to grow. Courtney's family was a little dysfunctional to say the least. She, and her sister grew up in a separated home. Her mother was diagnosed with depression, which left Courtney's older sister to raise her. Courtney has been an addict for 4 years, and would shoot up heroin 6-8 times a day. At the age of 10 Courtney went to visit her father in NC. She accused her father of molestation when she returned home. She now lives with her boyfriend, Jeff, who is also an addict, and his mother. The final Intervention we watched talked about a young woman named Allison. Allison, had a similar story like Courtney. She grew up in a separated home, and was molested by her dad at the age of 5. All three of these ladies have taken the emotional pain they are experiencing and thrown it into drugs, alcohol, and inhalants. Although, it is their choice to do the drug, or drink the drink. Their families almost enable these women to get better, and it's not until they reach rock bottom that they choose to seek help. Sometimes rock bottom is too late.
    In order to prevent this from happening in my own children's lives, I want to make sure that I find the right man for my life and marriage. I don't want to neglect my kids, and I want to make sure that if they tell me something is wrong then I will handle the situation immediately instead of waiting around, because they are children. I want to give my children the best possible life they can have.

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  11. In the Intervention episodes we watched, we witnessed many people being affected by addiction. The main trigger I noticed was some type of family conflict. Either the mother didn’t love them or was the enabler. The dads were absent and the grandmas were saddened by their situation. Addiction affected not only the person doing the drug but everyone in their lives. They used their friends and families in whatever way would help them get what they needed. Both ladies sold themselves in order to earn money for their habits. In learning more about this trigger, I found out that it is the most common and probably the saddest. Your family is where you learn to love and your support comes from. Having dysfunctional family issues, more than the common “dysfunctional family”, leads to feelings of worthlessness and self-loathing. Had I not been blessed with the family support I have, I don’t know what would have already happened in my life.
    My uncle has been an addict of everything from caffeine to nicotine to marijuana to cocaine for upwards of 40 years. He has torn my family apart with his rage and denial. My family is the type that if you don’t talk about your problems, they just go away. An obviously flawed approach has lead him to a miserable life. He now doesn’t possess the brain function to do basic algebra, which he once excelled at, and just sits around doing nothing. His trigger was also family. He was brilliant, the most popular guy in high school, and played every sport but it never seemed to be enough. My grandmother was a perfectionist and could never quite be satisfied with anything he did. After years of the backhanded compliments and constant criticizing, it wore on his self- confidence and he came to a point where he felt worthless. He turned from drugs and never looked back. My mom, his baby sister, tried to put together interventions or anything that could save him but nobody would listen to her pleas so he continued on the path he was on and now it completely controls his life. My mom has no tolerance for stupidity of any kind and drugs fall under that category. In my future children’s lives I plan to be honest with them so they understand that the risks outweigh the rewards. I am only human so my struggles are only worth so much. I plan to do just as my mother has and pray for wisdom for my children and that they make good decisions.

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  12. As portrayed in the Intervention episodes we have watched, family issues can be a major cause to a person to become an addict. In many cases a person does this to either take away the pain of an event in life that has hurt them, to get attention, or even to get back at people in their life. In Nicole’s life, he dad was not always there for her, which made her desperate for a man’s approval. After her boyfriend left her for her sister, it ripped Nicole apart. She started drinking heavily to take away the pain and to let her family know how much that hurt her. In Courtney’s case she turned to heroine because of family issues. Her dad left when she was a baby and her mom was depressed and was not there for her. She lived with her sister for a while but she ran away because she didn’t want to obey her rules. Watching these people’s lives so closely puts into perspective just how important having a healthy, God centered family is. For my future family, I will make sure that God is at the core of it and that we do our best to live a life pleasing to Him. I will also make sure my family is morally grounded. Although it is hard to live in a world with such a twisted idea of what morals are, helping and encouraging your kids develop a relationship with Jesus will help them when making daily choices. Because I do not believe divorce should be an option, I will marry someone who believes that as well. Together we will work through our issues and not give up as seen in so many marriages today. I will also make sure that my husband and I are always there for our kids and that they know they are loved.

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  13. In the intervention episodes we have watched in psychology I have personally seen many underlying reasons in the addict for their substance abuse. There are many different triggers that can cause someone to begin the process of becoming an addict, they include; rape, abandonment, divorce, dysfunctional relationships, and so many more.
    The first trigger I want to discuss is when the addict is left by a member in their family at a young age. In all the interventions that we watched it was the Father that left the family which left the girl feeling alone and unloved. This traumatic event leaves the girls feeling as if they need to fill the gap of their dad’s love with something else, and in these cases it was drugs or alcohol. An example of this would be in the intervention episode with Nichole the girl in her 20’s who had up to 18 beers a day. Her father was a binge drinker when he was younger and never gave Nichole the affection she needed, and other members of her family would promote her drinking at a young age. This habit took a turn for the worse and Nichole became an Alcoholic. In the episode it was so evident how completely wrecked Nichole and her family were; they were all heartbroken but clearly did not comprehend how to handle her addiction. Another example would be the episode that had Courtney on it; she was also abandoned by her father and ended up becoming a heroin addict. Courtney repeatedly showed how little value she put on her life and how they only thing she cared about were drugs. Another thing I noticed in these episodes were when the girls were left by their dad they were normally in unhealthy relationships which encouraged their substance abuse. Courtney’s boyfriend Jeff would promote the use of heroin and personally inject her multiple times a day. These relationships prolonged the substance abuse and also put the girls in situations that were dangerous. Another trigger that we saw in the intervention episodes was child molesting. Allison and her sister were molested at a very young age which is extremely traumatic and on top of that her parents divorced a year later. Allison suffered from the abuse of inhalants. The research that I did definitely supported my assumptions because it was so evident how Allison blamed those issues in her life on why she was abusing drugs. Those traumatic events did put Allison on a pathway to something like this, however she also uses it to justify why she does what she does. These episodes had a huge impact on me because I could see how difficulties in families can really put a strain on the children. It made me also realize how when people are put in a difficult situation they can either choose to rise about it or their lives can end up like the people on the show. I am even more aware now of how important family is to children and how a stable mother and father can really impact the child’s life. I hope to avoid this is my own children one day by telling them everyday how much I love them and how much they mean to me. Also, with picking a husband I will keep in mind he not only influences my life but he will influence the life of our children too, so I will pick a man I know will be there for them with love and support.

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  14. During the Intervention episodes that we have been watching in class we see different addictions, with the different addictions there is common starting place for these young addicts. Growing up most of the addicts had something traumatizing happen to them. The most common event was the absence of a father. While growing up having both parents is good for a child because is presents stability for a family and can make things in life run smoother. The presence of both parents in a child also develops a loving environment where they feel comfortable talking about things that bother them so they don’t have to turn to drugs, or other methods of reliving any pain that they may have. While watching intervention we see how the addiction slowly takes over the addicts life and at times they feel as if death could be better then living without their chosen poison.
    In one episode a heroin addict had collapsed all of her veins but still would shoot up multiple times a day. Her boyfriend enabled her by doing drugs with her and to keep up with her addiction she turned to prostitution in order to pay for her drug. Her mother had been depressed while raising her daughter and at one time tried to commit suicide. This one addict had other underlying issues such as abandonment issues and trying to deal with how her mother was. So she turned to heroin to hide the pain that she was in and her family enabled her by giving her money paying for some of her bills and bringing her to places so she could “work”.
    In another episode, you meet a young girl who is an alcoholic, she also was raised with an absent father, and at first her drinking was purely social then her long time boyfriend left her and started dating her twin sister, this also added to her fear of being alone, she had an enabling mother who from the beginning encouraged her drinking.
    Intervention shows that you have no idea what’s going on behind closed doors and that the people suffering with an addiction have a bunch of underlying issues as well. Some may be an absent family member, abuse, abandonment, rape, and so much more. The different triggers eventually take over the addicts life to the point of them not being aware that they are killing themselves and that there is a real problem and that they not only are hurting themselves but everyone around them who cares for their well being. After watching these episodes it helps me to not belittle other peoples problems and compare them to my own. Because through their eyes that issue is like a mountain that they cant go around and that they have no idea on where to begin dealing with. It also shows me that I am fortunate to have a family that cares about me and only wants to see me do my best. Through this I also learned that no matter what I am going through drugs wont make it better they just mask my problems and when I come down from my high my problems are still there and will just get bigger, I also know see that if things get to the point of turning to drugs I first need to turn back to God. For I know that he has a plan and will always be there for me to help me get through the tough times and He will always love me no matter what happens.

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  15. In this episode of Intervention we watched, Allison is struggling with adddiction. She is addicted to inhalants. She inhales about ten cans of duster per day. Some of the triggers that cause her addiction is that she lacks a fatherly figure in her life and also the fact that her and her younger sister Erica were molested. Allison tried to tell her mother what had happened, but she wouldn't believe her and her mother just disregarded it. It was until Allison began telling other people what happened, such as friends and family that her mother actually took it into consideration and believed her in what she said. The trial was taken into court and Allison and her sister Erica were forced to confont their molester face to face. The trial was soon dismissed because there was not enough evidence. Soon after Allison's mother and father divorced; The divorce resulted in Allison loosing her father and his whole side of the family. Erica just sort of let go of the past, and even though it still hurt her she moved on. Allison could not let go of the past and she dwelled in it and eventually turned to drugs, inhalants. She was missing a fatherly figure in her life, which she greatly needed and this made her feel unloved and abandoned. Her addiction not only affected her, if affected the whole family. It caused pain for her sister, mother, aunts and uncles, and everyone else that cares for Allison because they see that she is just destroying her body, and if she keeps it up she will eventually kill herself.
    To prevent this from happening to my own family that I will have I will make sure that I am present in my childrens lives. I will make sure that they are loved by both my wife and I and never feel like they are not loved or wanted. I don't want my children to have to turn to drugs to fill a void in their lives. I want them to know they are loved and will always be.

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  16. Over the past few class periods we have watched the show intervention in order to see how drugs and alcohol can affect us and our families. The specific intervention episodes I want to discuss are the episodes about alcohol and heroin. The main thing about drugs and alcohol is that they affect our brains, bodies, and families who are watching us go through it all. In the episode about alcohol Nicole showed signs of mental and physical damage that had been caused by the abuse of alcohol in her life.
    There were two distinct triggers that she blamed her addiction on and triggers are the things that addicts say cause their initial beginning of substance abuse. Nicole claimed that not having her father around made her feel lonely and in need of something to fill that need. She also blamed her sister and ex fiancé for getting together and making her fiancé leave her. It has been show that children who do not have a good bond with their fathers are ten times more likely to become depressed which is also shown to cause alcohol problems. The second Episode dealt with the use and abuse of Heroin. The girl in this show also blamed not having a father for her outcome and drug use. Another reason that she may have turned out the way she did is that her mother was depressed throughout her childhood and she was raised by her sister. Being raised by a sibling instead of a parent can be risky due to their wish to be a sibling but trying to find the balance of fun sister and rule setting parent. It is shown that females without a father figure or any parental guidance at all is 4.3 times more likely to abuse drugs in order to take away all of the pain and rejection they feel they received throughout their lives.
    Intervention has helped me see that even something that seems fun and worth it now can end up becoming a serious problem for me later in my life. I see how it affected these people’s brains, lives and family relationships and I believe that God has a bigger and better plan for my life. Maybe someday God will lead me to helping the people who suffer from these issues and begin while they are teenagers and show them that God has a plan for their lives as well as show them they are loved and are worth something to the world.

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  17. http://www.fathers.com/content/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=391

    http://www.fatherhood.org/media/consequences-of-father-absence-statistics

    (Sources)

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  18. Throughout the episodes of intervention there has always been something that sets off the addict, causing them to give into their desire for their drug. That is known as a trigger. Some of the triggers seen in the interventions range from going through a divorce as a child, growing up without a father, being abused as a child, losing a boyfriend, and even molestation. For the most part it appears that a common theme within the triggers is that of a dysfunctional household of some sort. Children are shaped into the adults that they become by the type of situation they grow up in, it is evident that children with dysfunctional households have a much higher chance of falling into drugs than those with a functional household. One of the girls in an intervention, named Allison, was addicted to doing inhalants. She faced many issues growing up, living without a father figure in her life, as well as being molested as a young child. Also, after she was touched many of her family didn’t believe that she was telling the truth and that man was eventually cleared of charges. The suffering of her childhood is evident in her actions as an adult, constantly vying for the attention of some adult male, and even finding a man that is closer to her father’s age than hers, clearly attempting to fill a hole in her life. Another example is of Courtney, a heroin addict. Courtney grew up without knowing her father and in fact the one time she tried to stay with him she claims to have been molested and no longer stays in contact with him. Courtney grew up and did whatever it took for her to get her heroin, being with a man just so she could have access to a supply. Courtney used the drug to escape from the horrors of her life and go numb to the world. These instances are very disturbing for me and I feel great sympathy for the addicts as well as the people affected by them. While they have no one to blame for the addiction except themselves it is clear that events in their lives caused them to take the path they did. It has been shown that kids who grow up in these dysfunctional households have a greater chance of giving into an addiction. They are so fed up with their situation that they will do anything they can to escape from it. It greatly upsets in the way the parents act. For the most part I blame the parents for what they have caused for their children. They are unable to take care of themselves and they have no right to hold another’s life in their hands. In order to prevent these things in my life I am going to create a standard for my own life, never allowing myself to partake in any sorts of drugs, including alcohol, because if I don’t then I am setting an example for my children. The other thing I will do is find a suitable wife I will love and be committed to, and I will make sure we thoroughly discuss the ramifications of having children and make sure that we, as well as other people outside of us, are sure that we are ready to take on this responsibility for ourselves and be willing to set our own lives aside to care for the children. That child will be my responsibility as well as my priority, making sure I do everything I can to give it the best life possible.

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  19. The past week we have been talking about the triggers that cause people to become addicts. Courtney was addicted to heroin for 4 years. She uses about 6-8 times a day by injecting herself with a needle. Courtney’s parents separated when she was 2 weeks old and her mom was diagnosed with depression later on. When Courtney was 4 years old her mom attempted suicide. Her mom was never really the true mother figure that she needed in her life, so her sister Kim took care of her most of her life. Courtney felt abandoned when her sister went off to college. She visited her dad when she was 10 years old and when she returned she was never the same person she was when she left. Courtney said that her father had done something to her when she visited. When she was 13 she started using cocaine and at 15 she moved to Atlanta to live with her sister. Courtney and Kim weren’t getting along and so at the age of 16 she ran away and shortly after started using heroin. She feels like she needs the drugs to not feel all the pain she has gone through in her life. Courtney’s trigger was not having the parental guidance that all children need and also what her father did to her when she was 10. When a parent or parents are not present in their child’s life it deprives them of a good stable home. Children need their parents to be there for them no matter what and when a child does not have that they look for comfort in someone or something else. By watching these addicts go through the struggle of fighting their addiction and hearing their story it makes me want to make sure I give my kids a good stable family built on Christ. I also need to make sure that the man I marry is a Christian who will never leave when times get tough and always be there for his children no matter what.

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  20. The online Webster’s Dictionary defines the term trigger as, “anything, as an act or event, that serves as a stimulus and initiates or precipitates a reaction or series of reactions.” A trigger can take many forms, both physically and mentally, especially when it comes to drug abuse and addiction. Within A&E’s hit reality drama, Intervention, audiences, as well as myself, are exposed to individual with excruciating addictions. Along with these addictions are, you guessed it, triggers. These triggers range from anything to everything, originating from past events that are too haunting for the individual to transcend; most of the time the resolution of this certain event can make the difference to the addict in terms of sobriety.
    Within the past few episodes of Intervention that our class has watched there have been two distinct triggers that have stuck out to me the most, parental abandonment and sexual abuse. In both of the particular episodes I am thinking about the addicts father had abandoned them growing up. Therefore, they didn’t have any kind of suitable father figure in their life. Both of the individuals were females, so of course this abandonment drives them into a search for this male presence, be it in all the wrong places. Personally, I can’t even begin to fathom the idea of deserting my own child. Watching those stories and seeing just how one person can affect someone else in such a negative way simply amazes me. As I grow older and mature I realize just how important family is, and sustaining that wonderful gift is going to be my objective. The other trigger that stood out to me was sexual abuse. In both of the episodes the addicts had a past experience of sexual abuse, one from a complete stranger and the other possibly from the girl’s own father. Such an event can leave a person petrified, fearful, and in search for a pleasurable outlet. Not only was one of the addicts sexually abused as a child, but her mother remained in disbelief about the entire situation for many weeks. It is difficult to hear that a young girl could be put through such a horrible situation, but unfortunately it is what it is. As I approach adulthood and then, hopefully, fatherhood, I am making my relationship with my children my first priority in hopes of preventing anything like this from happening.


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  21. Over the past few class periods, we have watched multiple episodes of the TV show Intervention. Each addict that the cameras follow show signs of what triggered there substance abuse issues. A couple of common triggers are lack of a father figure, physical abuse, and sexual abuse. Most of the triggers mentioned have something to do with the addict’s father. In Lawrence’s case, his Father abused him and his mother to the point of bleeding and unconsciousness. In another case, the addict, when she was younger, was molested by her father. Events such as these can have a serious and negative impact on a person’s psychological well being. For men, they typically take after their fathers actions. If those actions are skewed, then the person’s view of what is right can become skewed, leading to substance abuse. Typically, women, whether they realize it or not, will model some aspect of who they date after their father. Broken relationships lead to broken relationships. Also, if a girl is sexually abused, then they are more likely to become a lesbian due to such a traumatic event. If a child has no father at all, that can lead to abandonment issues or self esteem issues. When I start considering marriage, I need to make sure the man I choose is of the caliber of my moral standards. But before I think about marriage, I have to set moral standard for who I will and will not date. As I future parent, I will be sure to take into account how my actions will affect my children and their future as well as my own.

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  22. In the episodes of intervention that we watched in class a common trigger I noticed was mostly the lack of a male figure in the patients’ lives. Another trigger was the lack of care and proper nourishment from all of the family members. These triggers are based off a dependency of the patient’s families. Most of the time the patient starts to do drugs to get back at their families for hurting them. They want to show their family how bad they are suffering and make them feel the pain that they do. In the episode featuring Nicole the alcoholic, her dad was never there for her. Nicole’s father was a binge drinker himself and verbally abusive while drunk. This lead to Nicole in the later ages become a binge drinker herself and seek out bad relationships with other men that gave her what she wanted. Nicole didn’t know what a good man was in result of her father not caring for her enough. When Nicole was in her early twenties she met a guy named Jeff. Nicole and Jeff got serious and ended up dating for years. After a while Jeff began to fall for Nicole’s sister and then left to be with her instead. This was what really what triggered Nicole the most and made her fall into a deep depression of binge drinking.
    In the episode of Allison, The inhalant abuser, her father left her at a young age. Allison constantly blamed her problem on the lack of a father figure. When her mother came over she kept blaming it on her father and on her mother. Allison’s mother ignored her when she was little when she told her a man touched her. Her mother was not there for her like she should have been. All of these interventions have showed me that it is completely up to the parents to give their kid a good life. When I get older and I have a family I will make sure to care for them and give them the proper nourishment they need to succeed. My family has raised me well, putting me in a nice school and a roof over my head. This has kept me away from all the unnecessary things these addicts have resorted to thinking it will take the pain away.

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  23. In the past few classes we have been watching the show Intervention. This show interviews a person with an addiction and with out that said person knowing plan an intervention trying to get them into rehab. Since we are in our drug unit we have been watching people struggle with drugs like heroin or meth. You may think how could someone just start a drug that controls and ruins their life? Most people have a trigger. When I looked trigger up in the dictionary it said that it was anything, as an act or event that serves as a stimulus and initiates or precipitates a reaction or series of reactions. When watching these episodes I found that 2 of the most common triggers were family troubles or self-consciousness. Doing some research on those triggers I found that most of the time these triggers form at an early age. Courtney was a girl on intervention with an addiction to heroin. Her parents were separated, her mother was diagnosed with depression, and her dad molested her and her sister. All of this happened at a young age. At first she just started using marijuana and cocaine to rebel but then she was hooked on the high. In the last episode we watched Al was a meth addict. When Al was born his parents got a divorce. When he was 3 his dad kidnapped him for several weeks. After that incident his mother would shower him with anything he wanted. Al was also on the larger size so he was picked on and bullied as a kid. This caused many insecurities and he drop out of school and started doing meth. Al’s mother would give him money whenever he needed it to buy more pills and meth. So in conclusion with research I found that triggers support substance abuse or dependency. When I have a family I am going to be as honest with my kids about drugs so they know how harmful they can be to your body. I feel like if most teens knew what was going to happen to them if they started drugs they wouldn’t go down that path.

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  24. There is always a reason for addiction. The show, "Intervention" shows what kind of reasons make people use drugs and get addicted. Courtney was extremely addicted to heroin. She injected herself with heroin every single day. Without it she would go crazy. She has gotten to this stage for many reasons. When Courtney was growing up, she never had real parents. Her parents divorced when she was little and since then there was no father figure in her house. To make things worse, Courtney's mom was diagnosed with depression and even attempted suicide. When Courtney was ten years old, she went to visit her dad. After she came back, she said she never wanted to go again and that her dad had done something terrible to her. All these are causes of why Courtney started using drugs. After having almost no parental support at all, her sister basically became her mom. Her sister took care of her and kept her safe. When she moved on to college, Courtney felt abandoned. She didn't was lost without her sister and turned to drugs. That is when she first started to use drugs. Soon after, she moved in with her sister. Although her sister was like her mom, Courtney was getting sick of it. At this point she used drugs daily. She would go through anything to get drugs. She sleeps with men just to get money for drugs. Her drug addiction mainly has to do with her childhood. She has had such a messed up childhood with no real parents to tell her what is right from wrong. She had no parental support and was mostly by herself. This is a main reason for her drug addiction. She feels the need to replace that missing part of her life with drugs. Another good example of drug abuse is Allison. She is addicted to inhalants. She will inhale up to ten cans a day. Like Courtney, Allison's father left her when she was very young. She had no father figure and her mother didn't take Courtney and her sister seriously. When Courtney and her sister had told their mom they they had been touched by another man, it went through one ear out the other. Her mom basically ignored what they said and took no action to do anything about it. It was only until Courtney had told enough people, her mom had listened. When they were in court, Courtney and her sister had eye to eye contact with the molester during the whole case. The molester was later released with no charges. This event caused major trauma and scars to Courtney. This triggered her to do drugs. After the first time using drugs she got hooked. This was due to the events that happened in her childhood. She blames the mom and her messed up childhood is the reason for her addiction. Her main excuse is how bad her childhood was and she wanted to escape from the memories and that was by using drugs. This is a trigger because it is a cause of drug abuse.Research shows that environmental factors and attitudes play a big role in drug abuse. Exposure, attitude, and how you treated are factors of triggers and drug abuse. Courtney also did not have a father figure at all in her life. This is another reason to her drug addiction. All of the things that happened to Courtney are triggers for her. All of these examples of triggers and addictions make me reflect on my life. It has given me a clear view on what to do for my family and how to raise my kids. It gave me a better knowledge on the consequences of not being a good figure for the family. I will overall become a better person and will continue to stay away from the bad influences in my life. When I have a family of my own I will treat them with the respect and care that my family has treated with me. I will give them the sense of security and love that will never leave them. I will try to be a big influence in my children's lives.

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  25. The intervention episodes we have watched have been really interesting. The addicts that we watch have interesting stories of how they became addicted to a their drug. The triggers that cause them to start and eventually become addicted to the drug are usually their family problems. Most of the people we watched that were addicted to drugs had divorced parents or a horrible family situation. They either didn't have a mom or a dad to look up to so they needed something to fufill that need. The first girl we watched had an alcohol addiction and her dad was a heavy drinker and was not a part of her life. She had a boyfriend that she loved very much but he left her for her sister. Her family was a major part of her alcohol use. We watched another episode about an alcoholic whose dad beat him which caused him to try to be tough and the best at everything. One herion addict we watched had a depressed mom who was incapable of taking care of her so her sister had to do it. When her sister left for college, she was all alone and needed someone so she started using herion to fufill her need. The research I did on family structure in relation to drug abuse said that kids with a mom and a dad have the strongest protection from substance abuse in contrast to those kids with stepfamilies of just one parent who have an increased risk of becoming a substance abuser. Another trigger of substance abuse is the interaction between the parent and the child, for example, if the parent abuses the child, neglects them, or spoils them. The relationship parents have with their kids is extremely important. Even if someone has divorced parents, both of the parents need to be a part of their kids life. When I am ready to get married I am going to make sure I find a Christian girl that loves God and make sure she is the person I want to spend the rest of my life with and who God wants me to spend the rest of my life with. I will try my hardest to make sure my kids grow up in a Christian home and will teach them about God's grace. I will make sure my wife and I love our kids and have a good relationship with each other and resolve any conflicts we have. I don't want to make the same mistake many other people have and become a drug user or make someone else become a drug user.

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  26. Recently, we have been watching a few episodes of Intervention. Addiction is caused by many triggers, abandonment being a major one. Courtney's parents split when she was ust a baby. Not having a father figure has its own effects, as well as her mother falling into a deep depression. Courtney was mainly raised by her sister, Kim. Kim eventually left for college, which devastated Courtney. Courtney visiter her father when she was 10, and came back a changed person, because her father had sexually abused her. At age 13, Courtney began using Cocaine. A few years later Courtney went to live with her sister, which resulted in her eventually running away because Kim took the guardian role way too seriously. Kim soon began shooting Heroin several times a day. In order to get the money to buy Heroin, she slept around with random strangers. I will make sure to always be there for my family no matter how I'm feeling. I will pray that God blesses me with a man who has a heart for God, and that I know will love and cherish our children as much as I do. I will make sure to have a stable relationship with every member of my family.

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  27. Throughout the intervention episodes that we have watched there is always a trigger that sets off ones addiction. Mostly this is a dramatic event in their childhood that affects then the rest of their life. They become dependent on their drug of choice instead of dealing with their emotional pain. This is when they become dependent on the drug and cause their addiction. Allison and Courtney both have a common trigger with their addiction. Both were molested by their father in their childhood. They turn to drugs to deal with their pain. Instead of facing their pain they both mask their pain with their drug of choice. I believe that they being molested severely impacted their childhood. They no longer trusted their fathers and cope with the pain brought by them in negative ways. I believe that this trigger can be stopped and no longer push people into addiction. This can be stopped by having a healthy family. In my future family I want to have a healthy relationship with my children. I understand that almost every child needs a dependable father figure. If this father figure is lacking then I believe that the child will have some affect and could lead to addiction. I hope that I can lead a good life as an example to my children in hope for them to have a normal and drug free life.

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