Addictions: Breaking the Generational Curse
by Sue Scheff on Nov 09, 2011
Addicts. Addiction. Intervention. Rehab. Teen help. Therapy. Wit’s end.
We live in a world that has become more difficult than generations prior. The stress levels, the economy, job loss, losing homes, and even losing loved ones to suicide – bullying – or addiction; when does it end?
Guest writer, Christine Kane, gives us some great insights to consider about the generational curse:
What is a generational curse? Well, what is a curse? First of all, we’re not talking about some voodoo, spirituality thing. Curses are real. They are bad habits and wrong thinking. No one curses you; you curse yourself. Or, in the case of generational curses, your family curses you. But curses are not indestructible. They are not eternal or unavoidable. There are ways to break a generational curse.
Let’s talk examples. What are some generational curses that are common? Alcoholism, child abuse, drug addition, spouse abuse, inappropriate sexual urges, laziness, selfishness, divorce. There are many, many more. If your family has no history of this, if you are the only one with these problems, then you are not under a generational curse. However, if your family has a background in these, you are under a generational curse. What do I mean by that?
A generational curse is part nature and part nurture. Your DNA comes from your parents. They decide your color, your race, your hair, your height, and your health. They also affect your disposition and behaviors. How you are raised marks you just as much as whom you were born from. Not only are you born with certain tendencies, you are raised to accept or reject them.
But you’re an adult now. How you were raised doesn’t affect who you are now, right? Wrong. If you don’t comprehend that who you are now is linked to who your family is, you will never be able to break free of the curse. A generational curse is powerful because it is pervasive. If your parents did it, if your aunts and uncles and cousins did it, then it is no longer abnormal or appalling when you do it. It is just a normal part of life. That is how curses work. They trick you into believing they are ordinary, typical, or inevitable. But they are not.
So, how can you break a generational curse? First admit your own participation. Claim your own rebellion, repent of your own contribution. But you don’t want to do that. You want to claim that you’re just like your mother, so it’s not really your fault. Well, okay then, your kids are going to end up just like her, too. You are an adult now. Claim your own involvement in the curse so that you can overcome it. You can’t overcome what you won’t face.
Second, confess your family’s involvement. You will get nowhere by covering up the past. You must dig up the who and why and how and bring it to light. Even if the contributors are long dead and gone, the curse must be brought to the light so that it can be wiped away. It might be from your grandfather or great-grandfather, but it must be exposed and confessed. Only once the source is exposed will the curse be broken. The issue is not whether they are alive, but is their curse alive?
Generational curses can be huge. They can affect entire groups and races of people. They have affects in slavery and prejudice and family structure and it goes so, so deep. Entire countries can be based on generational curses and the problems that accompany them. So never think you are alone in this. This is not easy. You are breaking a chain; a chain that can have many, many links.
Author Bio
This Guest post is by Christine Kane from internet service providers, she is a graduate of Communication and Journalism. She enjoys writing about a wide-variety of subjects for different blogs. She can be reached via email at: Christi.Kane00@ gmail.com.
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Tags: Addiction, Addicts, At Risk Teens, Parenting, parenting advice, Parenting Blogs, Parenting Resources, Parenting Teens, Teen Addictions, Teen Addicts, Teen Depression, Teen Drinking, Teen drug addiction, Teen Help, Troubled Teens
Ecstasy: What is it? Is your teen using it?
by Sue Scheff on Oct 31, 2011
Does it start with marijuana? Advance to pills? On to needles?
There can be so many different paths your teen can take to the road to addiction, but the one path they need to realize is they don’t need to start to begin with. Understanding the risks and dangers is the beginning of teaching prevention.
October 31st through November 6th is National Drug Facts Week.
This is an opportunity to shatter the myths about drug and substance abuse as well as become an educated parent and build a stronger drug-free community.
What is ecstasy?
“Ecstasy” is a slang term for MDMA, short for 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, a name that’s nearly as long as the all-night parties where MDMA is often used. That’s why MDMA has been called a “club drug.” It has effects similar to those of other stimulants, and it often makes the person feel like everyone is his or her friend, even when that’s not the case.
MDMA is man-made—it doesn’t come from a plant like marijuana does. Other chemicals or substances—such as caffeine, dextromethorphan (found in some cough syrups), amphetamines, PCP, or cocaine—are sometimes added to, or substituted for, MDMA in Ecstasy tablets. Makers of MDMA can add anything they want to the drug, so its purity is always in question.
What Are the Common Street Names?
There are a lot of slang words for MDMA. “Ecstasy” is one of the most common. You might also hear “E,” “XTC,” “X,” “Adam,” “hug,” “beans,” “clarity,” “lover’s speed,” and “love drug.”
How Is It Used?
Most people who abuse MDMA take a pill, tablet, or capsule. These pills can be different colors, and sometimes have cartoon-like images on them. Some people take more than one pill at a time, called “bumping.”
How Many Teens Use It?
According to a 2010 NIDA-funded study, over the past 10 years smart young teens have turned their backs on MDMA. Since 2001, the percentage of 8th graders who have ever tried MDMA dropped from 5.2 percent in 2001 to 3.3 percent in 2010. The drop among 10th graders and 12th graders was similar. However, between 2009 and 2010, some increases were seen in the abuse of MDMA by 8th and 10th graders. For example, past-year use of MDMA increased among 10th graders from 3.7 percent in 2009 to 4.7 percent in 2010. Also, fewer 10th graders saw “great risk” in occasionally using MDMA, which means that they may not understand the health risks of using MDMA as well as they should.
Is MDMA Addictive?
Like other drugs, MDMA can be addictive for some people. That is, people continue to take the drug despite experiencing unpleasant physical side effects and other social, behavioral, and health consequences.
No one knows how many times a person can use a drug before becoming addicted or who’s most vulnerable to addiction. A person’s genes, living environment, and other factors play a role in whether they are likely to become addicted to MDMA.
Learn more – click here.
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Tags: Addiction, At Risk Teens, Drug Addiction, Ecstasy, MDMA, Parenting, parenting advice, Parenting Blogs, Parenting Teens, Parenting Tips, Teen Drug Use, Teen Help, Teen Help Programs, Teen Issues, Teen Rehab, Teen substance abuse, Troubled Teens
Stop Medicine Abuse is Looking for the Next ‘Five Mom’ to Join!
by Sue Scheff on Jul 29, 2011
Help Stop Teen Cough Medicine Abuse
Talking to teens about drug abuse is never easy. Did you know teens that learn about the dangers of drugs from their parents are 50 percent less likely to abuse drugs? As parents, we must work together to educate our teens and create awareness about the dangers of substance abuse, including over-the-counter (OTC) cough medicine abuse.
In 2007, five moms from around the country were brought together to share information with other parents about the largely unknown trend among teens of abusing OTC cough medicines to get high. Since then, the Five Moms campaign has reached more than 24 million parents to help educate them about preventing teen cough medicine abuse, spreading awareness to parents, schools, and communities. And now they want your help! The campaign recently launched the Are You the Next Five Mom? search to look for a new Mom to join the fight against cough medicine abuse.
Are you a mom who is passionate about working with teens? Do you have experience working with teens and substance abuse? If you are interested in being a part of the Five Moms campaign, they are looking for someone who:
- Has experience or a passion for working with teens;
- Has past or previous involvement in teen programming or issues affecting teens;
- Has experience working with teens and/or substance abuse;
- Has raised awareness of cough medicine abuse in their community or is a community leader;
- Works with teens on a daily or weekly basis a coach, teacher, guidance counselor, youth group leader, etc.;
- Uses social media to reach parents and educate them about teen substance abuse;
- Is involved with community organizations that center around pre-teens and teens;
- Developed an original idea or event to educate others about cough medicine abuse; or
- Has distributed Five Moms and/or cough medicine abuse information to their children, peers, community, etc.
For more information on how to enter the Are You the Next Five Mom? search, and for the official rules and regulations, visit FiveMoms.com. To learn more about over-the-counter medicine abuse, visit StopMedicineAbuse.org.
You can join them in Facebook and follow them on Twitter.
Tags: At Risk Teens, cough syrup abuse, Parenting, parenting advice, Parenting Blogs, Parenting Resources, Parenting Teens, Stop Medicine Abuse, Sue Scheff, Teen Drug Abuse, Teen Help, Troubled Teens
Parenting Troubled Teens: Not my kid. But what happens when it is?
by Sue Scheff on Dec 04, 2010
Parent denial is probably one of the most common threads many teens have while they are smoking a joint or popping a pill – even downing the cough syrup. Many parents think their teen is not the bad child – it is the ones they are hanging with – or simply doesn’t exist.
Being a parent in denial doesn’t help anyone, not even the parent. Since eventually it does catch up with you and you find yourself dealing with a teen that is escalating out of control.
With the holidays here, there will be more free time for our teens. Will they be home alone? Are you familiar with over the counter (OTC) drug abuse? Get informed, stay informed and talk to your teens.
Teens who learn a lot about the dangers of drugs from their parents are half as likely to abuse drugs.
For three years Five Moms has taken on the fight of spreading awareness and educating parents, schools and communities. One of the moms asked to have her message passed on:
My name is Christy Crandell. I am a mother of two, drug awareness advocate, and member of the Five Moms campaign to stop cough medicine abuse. When my son, Ryan, was 18-years-old, he was arrested for armed robbery while high on over-the-counter cough medicine. Shocked doesn’t even begin to describe how my husband and I felt after his arrest – although there were warning signs, Ryan had a huge heart and I never thought something like this would happen in my family.
I joined the Five Moms campaign to show parents across the country that it’s never okay to think “not my kid.” I want parents to understand that this type of denial can lead to tragedy, and that cough medicine abuse has real, life-altering consequences. (Watch video for Christy’s story)
For parents, here are some tips to learn more:
- Order free copies of the educational brochure, Preventing Teen Cough Medicine Abuse, for parents to distribute the next time you know you’ll be in a social situation with other concerned parents.
- The next time your child has a doctor’s appointment, bring in a few fact sheets for the physician and the other doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, etc., at the practice.
- Print out this page the next time you have a scheduled meeting with a teacher or anyone from your child’s school.
- Send an e-mail to your friends and neighbors using the StopMedicineAbuse.org tell-a-friend tool, available in both English and Spanish.
- Join other concerned parents by signing up for the StopMedicineAbuse.org e-newsletter.
- Visit DXMstories.com with your teen and go through the real-life stories of teens who have abused cough medicine and learn the true dangers of abuse.
- Download the brochure, Preventing Teen Medicine Abuse from Home to Homeroom, a publication from StopMedicineAbuse.org and the National Association of School Nurses.
Be an educated parent – you will have safer teens. Visit www.helpyourteens.com for more information.
Tags: At Risk Teens, Parenting Resources, Parenting Teens, Parenting Tips, Sue Scheff, Teen Drug Use, Teen Help, Teen Issues
Sue Scheff: Teen-Proof Your House – Talk to your teenagers!
by Sue Scheff on Jun 13, 2010
It’s summer, it’s school break and it is time to hang with your friends! Some households with both parents working or single parent homes, teens have more free unsupervised time. This isn’t a bad thing however if you suspect your teen is using drugs, their time alone can be trouble.
Did you know your home can be the culprit in drug use? Stop Medicine Abuse has created an awareness to help parents recognize the signs of OTC – over the counter drug abuse. Yes, cough medicine, anti-depressants, blood pressure medications and much more. You home can be a place to retrieve drugs. Have you heard of fishbowl parties?
It can be hard to tell if there is an issue when your teens’ moods change from day to day. While many signs of abuse are also common signs of just being a teenager, they can also be cause for concern and a good reason to talk to your teen about the real risks of cough medicine abuse.
- Hearing your child use certain slang terms for dextromethorphan abuse, such as Skittling, Tussing, Robo-Tripping, Triple Cs and Dex
- Empty cough medicine boxes or bottles in the trash or a child’s room, or boxes or bottles missing from the medicine cabinet
- Changes in friends, physical appearance, or sleeping or eating patterns
- Declining grades
- Loss of interest in hobbies or favorite activities
- Hostile and uncooperative attitude
- Unexplained disappearance of household money
- Visiting pro-drug web sites that provide information on how to abuse dextromethorphan and other substances
- Unusual chemical or medicinal smells on your child or in his or her room
Join the Stop Medicine Abuse Facebook Group and stay informed. Follow them on Twitter too!
The key to prevention is education. Be an educated parent, you will have safer teens!
Related articles:
Not My Kid: Parent Denial
Huffing: Dangers of Inhalants
Teen Drug Prevention
Parents the Anti-Drug
Should Parents Read Teens Journal
Tags: Drug Use, Parenting Blogs, Parenting Teens, Stop Medicine Abuse, Sue Scheff, Teen Drug Use, Teen Help
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