Still looking for answers

The director of The Jay County Drug Coalition wrote a letter informing the citizens of Jay County that October is Drug Awareness Month. Reading the local paper or listening to the local radio station should be enough to make us aware of drug abuse in Jay County.
  

Fifteen years ago, my daughter was introduced to drugs and the last 13 years have been an extremely rough ride for our entire family. Until recently, I didn't realize how many other families out there have been and, are going through the same tough times. I think everyone you talk to either has an addict in their family or knows of a friend who does. How sad. 
  

What's even sadder is that we take these drug abusers off the streets. We send them to prison to rehabilitate them. While in prison, they take classes and attend Narcotics Anonymous meetings everyday. Many of them go through a program called CLIFF. The CLIFF program (Clean Lifestyle is Freedom Forever), takes them back to the beginning of their addiction, to understand why and how they got to be where they are now. It teaches them how to make the right choices and helps them to understand they need to avoid the old familiar people and places when they return to society. 
  

Before their release from prison, they are told they need to find a good support system and a sponsor when they return home. For those of you who don't know, a sponsor is a recovering addict who has been clean for a long period of time. 
  

They return home to the same temptations they faced several years back. They have all the tools they learned in the CLIFF program. What they don't have is a support system. They have no friends because their old friends are still doing the same old things that they are trying to avoid. They have no group support because there is no group support in Jay County. 
  

The offenders are told they have paid their debt to society but the majority of society doesn't believe that. It makes it real easy to become discouraged. This is the time the sponsor is so very important to the offender. The sponsor is available to the offender anytime day or night, and when they tell the addict that they understand and know how they feel, they really do.

Where does a person find a sponsor? I have spent a great deal of time trying to find a support group for these past offenders. There is a group called Relapse Prevention. It has a wonderful reputation and my daughter said it was a great support system for her while she was in Indianapolis, during her work release program. There are several Narcotic Anonymous meetings they can attend, also. The only problem is, none of these programs are available in Jay County.
  

I have contacted several NA programs online. I have been in contact with Meridian Services here in Portland, and spoke with drug centers in Indy, Fort Wayne, and Muncie. Meridian Services referred me to AA. I believe the AA program is a wonderful and much needed group but I also realize that for every one DUI we see in the local news, there are 5 drug related arrests. 
  

It has just recently been brought to my attention that there is an NA group meeting in Winchester. If a town half the size of Portland realizes the need for a support system, why hasn't someone realized the need for it here in Jay County?
  

An addict cannot be cured. He or she will always be an addict. They have to make the choice everyday to not use drugs. If your loved one is sick, you take him to the doctor. We need to realize that our children, spouses, parents, friends, whoever the addict is, is truly sick. The best treatment we can get for them is the support that goes along with Relapse Prevention, NA, and other similar programs.
  

How do we go about getting a support group up and running? Does the court system/probation department or the drug coalition have the resources and knowledge available to do this? We need to start somewhere.
　
　Becky Coleman


Portland

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