By: Chanelle Green
Things seemed relatively normal for Sharon as she was raising her son Jason. He was a happy kid, had never gotten into trouble, was always surrounded by friends and was soon to graduate high school. The 18-year old had plans of entering college and joining the workforce. Sharon was supportive of her son Jason’s goals. As one of six, she was careful to stay on him about his grades and gave him an allowance which she assumed was being used in good faith.
Things suddenly started to shift. Jason’s priorities begin to change. He spent more and more time with a different crowd, often coming home late and inebriated. She initially allowed her son to experiment with marijuana and alcohol at home. She thought because he was young she’d prefer to “supervise” him and know that he was safe and not out on the street. “It’s just a phase,” she thought to herself. “At the time, I didn’t realize that I was doing more harm than good.”
Sharon was right. By late spring of his senior year she received information about her son that was a wake-up call for them both: “His school called and told me he missed more days than allowed and would not be able to graduate.” She knew that this problem had gotten out of hand and he needed help.
Devastated by the news, she realized that she had given Jason too much leeway. The allowance that she was giving to her son was not being used responsibly. He used this money to purchase marijuana on the street and ingredients for a drink called lean, which includes a combination of prescription strength cough syrup, soft drinks, hard candy and alcohol. “I was making excuses for Jason and enabling his behavior.”
Lean – which is also referred to as purple drank, sizzurp, or dirty sprite – can have a dangerous effect on someone drinking it regularly. Prescription strength cough syrup often contains the active ingredient codeine, which is an opiate. An opioid is a class of drugs associated with an extremely high rate of addiction. According to drug.com, the highly addictive nature of opioids is due, in part, to their rewarding, pleasant effects such as euphoria, relief from tension, anxiety, and decreased aggression. When consumed in large doses, one can experience dizziness, blurred vision, nausea and develop memory problems.
Coincidentally, Sharon found herself active with the mental health association as a volunteer. She continued to pursue education through CORE to become a Certified Recovery Support Practitioner, all the while, quietly dealing with Jason’s debilitating marijuana and lean habit at home.
“One day in class, we covered a topic on codependency, where I was asked to act out what that looks like between two family members,” Sharon stated. Her performance looked and sounded far too familiar to one classmate who had a similar experience with a family member. Pam Taylor, who is now Senior Coordinator of NJ Connect for Recovery’s call line – realized that Sharon may not be acting. According to Pam “It felt too real, it just seemed as if she may have been going through what she was acting.”
Pam was right. She approached Sharon and offered her support and information on where her son could receive help. “I already had a 30-day detox and treatment facility in mind in Florida and Pam assisted me in making sure that the facility was an appropriate line of treatment for my son,” Sharon stated.
Jason went on to Florida but did not complete the program. Like many, the road to recovery can involve many hurdles, and at times that can mean relapse. “He came home, and things got progressively worse.” Jason needed a more individualized plan that included a longer stay, intense therapy along with a new environment. He later completed a 12- month detox and treatment facility and has been successful at maintaining sobriety. So far, this longer-term treatment has proven to be more effective for Jason. He is currently stable and working as a peer at the very place that helped him turn his life around, assisting others towards recovery.
If you or a loved one is coping with substance use disorder, call us at 855- 652-3737. Our staff consists of trained peer specialists and certified drug and alcohol counselors who can provide an individual assessment of your needs and get you or a loved one the help you need.
