<~~ It's good stuff! My friend KayKay and I were talking about my addiction to Doritos and her addiction to tacos. We're trying to quit cold turkey, and well, so far I could tell you that's not going so great. *eats some Doritos chips* I'm pretty sure she's in her bathroom, slipping tacos. Anyways, I'd just like to say:
Okay, nevermind about that. All I want to say is, where there's a will, there's a way. My uncle's a severe acoholic and smoker. He's been at it for decades. But now, he's actually trying to quit for his family. And I believe with baby steps, he will get there.
The reason I'm posting this is because I've seen kids at my school make the mistake of giving in to addictions. I used to think drugs didn't come into the picture until high school. It turns out, even middle schoolers these days are slipping drugs! They sneak pills, cigarettes, and weed, and what amazes me is that some of them don't even get caught.
WHERE ARE THE TEACHERS FOR GOODNESS' SAKES?
Some kids are lucky to get caught and get the help and discipline they need, but what about those other potheads and stoners who constantly do drugs behind their ignorant parents' backs? These kids usually end up in the streets, their future long flushed down the toilet.
Which is why I can't stand to see people who used to be my friends turn into druggies who could care less about what's happening to him/herself or the world. But how do happy, sucessful students become like this?
Some kids do it because they're lonely, with no one to hang out with. This may seem like a small problem, but to a teenager, a social life is crucial. I'm going to bring up a problem I addressed earlier: peer pressure. If you want to fit in to a drug clique, it's easy, just buy and use some drugs.
That's the first step to becoming a druggie. If you've only used drugs a few times, chances are, you're not addicted yet. But remember, the hardest thing to do is stay in a clique once you have joined. In order to stay in, you'd have to continually do drugs. This is the "Ahhh... so that's how it works" moment.
Most kids (especially in their teen years) are insecure, so they will take the bait. Maybe hanging with these people gives them a ground to stand on, or a wall to lean on. Teens will do almost anything to feel secure, fit in, or belong.
But that's not even half of it. Usually the victims will become predators themselves, and they will continue to influence people that they know. The chain goes on and on. It's like a disease, and it's spreading fast. Unlike the H1N1 flu, this disease has been around ever since... forever. It's human nature to be vulnerable; to feel insecure. It's human nature to make these mistakes.
So, I'm writing this post to spread a message. If you know someone who's under the influence, please get them help. Whether it's drugs, smoking, achohol, cutting themselves... anything that's potentionally dangerous, you have to tell someone. Maybe it's your friend that needs help. Maybe it's a family member. Or maybe... it's you. I know it's hard. I've seen someone fall under the influence who was very close to me.
If you're thinking, "But I don't want to get my friend in trouble. Would he/she get mad at me?" Chances are, yes, but if you keep thinking that way, you're really no better than them yourself. To see someone get hurt, and not help them when you have the chance is also a big mistake.
Think about it. If that was you, would you want someone to care enough to get help for you? You might be furious at first if you found out it was your friend that told on you, but later on, when you've got your life all sorted out again (hopefully), you'd actually be grateful. So don't sit around thinking, "Maybe someone else will find out, and they will help. And then my friend's going to be all better again."
That's just plain stupid if you can't realize that you're the one person who can help. Don't take any chances, because that's what got your friends into that path in the first place. Be a real friend and speak up for them.
How to help:
- Tell a teacher, counselor, adult, or parent.
- If you're brave enough, confront your friend. Give them a chance to let you help them before you take in your own hands and call the police or any other authority.
- If you catch your friend using drugs, then inform an adult immediately. Don't wait to see if they do it again, because they can develop an addiction. It's best to solve a problem before it gets severe.
- When first approaching your friend, just talk. Don't scold, yell, preach, or threaten them. Talk calmly but clearly and listen in a sympathetic way. That should help them open up. If after several attempts this fails, you can no longer try to solve things by yourself. You have to take agression and tell an adult.
Drug addiction is BAAD. Every one should do their part against drug abuse.. Addiction to DORITOS, on the other hand is GOOooD. I am addicted to coffee and I tried to stop, but I just can't get through the day (can't blog)without a cup. lol.
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