John's Story: A Tale of Drug Abuse

Posted Thursday, November 24, 2005

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On Thursday, November 17, about 70 people gathered together for the Forsyth County Child Advocacy Center’s Prevent Child Abuse Committee’s LUNCH & LEARN program held at Northside Hospital.

The room was filled to capacity with nearly 70 people. All eyes were riveted on the guest speaker...a simple man in his mid-thirties. He was telling a story that was horrifying. Horrifying because it was true; it had happened to him.

His name was John. He was a college graduate, married, had a family and owned his own successful business. Last year at a family Christmas gathering, he collapsed and was rushed to the Emergency Room. The diagnosis was undetermined, but his family was concerned and staged an intervention along friends and church members a couple of weeks later. He confessed to them there of his drug abuse.

In fact, John had been abusing drugs for years. In college he’d drink with his buddies, then use Methamphetamines to stay away late into the night and study. After marrying, he continued to use Meth, although eventually he traded Meth for pain medications.

John led two lives. On one level he was a respected business and family man – a leader in his community and an Elder in his church. But on another level, he was a drug user and had been one nearly half his life. However, John was lucky. His wife and family were supportive. John entered a drug treatment program in January of this year called No Longer Bound (NLB). NLB is a 12-month residential program. John will begin his new life in another month. His prospects look good.

There are many people like John in our community. Most people assume that drugs are abused by certain elements of society. Those assumptions are wrong, however. Drugs are abused by every element of society, from rich to poor, young to old. It is a spreading problem. Methamphetamine use, especially, has been steadily growing nationwide.

A Meth Task Force is being formed through the Committee. For information, please call Pat: 678-208-1908.

For information on the No Longer Bound program:

2725 Pine Grove Road

Cumming, GA 30041

770-886-7873

www.nolongerbound.com

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