I began my private practice 32 years ago primarily as a drug and alcohol counselor, having directed the program for our local mental health center for the four years prior. Methamphetamine was just "coming of age" in popularity and production, but the lost and sometimes raging alcoholics have always been with us. Now, here we are, THIRTY-SIX years later, and due to the relatively small size of our town I have been privy to the inter-generational transmission of shitty lives. Not to say that all the kids of strung out users get lost themselves, but a bunch of them do.
In the last 20 years or so, the focus of my work has shifted to working with kids , teens and their families. Now, incredibly, I have worked with the grandchildren of people I began my career with so many years ago. Someone I met many years ago was a Southwest kingpin of meth. His son was a lively, spirited 14 year old. He was recently sentenced, as a repeat offender, to twenty years in prison. Soon his kids will be coming in for counseling.
I wrote the upcoming essay pretending that users might read it, kick their paternal or maternal instincts into overdrive and help to wake them up to the likelihood of damning their children and spouses because of their own stupid need for self-gratification. It was published in the paper, but the many enthusiastic responses were from (presumably) non-users. So here's my offer: you may send the upcoming essay to whomever you wish without further permission. I would prefer to have my name associated with the essay, as it's pretty dang personal. You can slide it under the front door of a lost friend, or hand it to your sibling. It's not easy to read, so I'm sorry if it's kind of a buzzkill for you. But I'll tell you this: it's the real deal.
http://www.johnsommercounseling.com/blog/badness-the-next-generation
In the last 20 years or so, the focus of my work has shifted to working with kids , teens and their families. Now, incredibly, I have worked with the grandchildren of people I began my career with so many years ago. Someone I met many years ago was a Southwest kingpin of meth. His son was a lively, spirited 14 year old. He was recently sentenced, as a repeat offender, to twenty years in prison. Soon his kids will be coming in for counseling.
I wrote the upcoming essay pretending that users might read it, kick their paternal or maternal instincts into overdrive and help to wake them up to the likelihood of damning their children and spouses because of their own stupid need for self-gratification. It was published in the paper, but the many enthusiastic responses were from (presumably) non-users. So here's my offer: you may send the upcoming essay to whomever you wish without further permission. I would prefer to have my name associated with the essay, as it's pretty dang personal. You can slide it under the front door of a lost friend, or hand it to your sibling. It's not easy to read, so I'm sorry if it's kind of a buzzkill for you. But I'll tell you this: it's the real deal.
http://www.johnsommercounseling.com/blog/badness-the-next-generation
RSS Feed
