A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern that occurs in an individual and is thought to cause disability that is not expected as part of normal development. A mental illness may be possibly caused by several factors such as genetics, environment, and chemical imbalances in the brain. It is called mental merely because usually, the illness does not involve much anatomical dysfunctions. Usually, the disorder involves a thinking that something is wrong when physically, it seemed as if nothing is wrong. The symptoms are more internal rather than external. People may think that it is normal for someone to be talking to himself for a while. However, when this symptom last longer, longer than a certain period and disrupts bodily functions, then a mental illness may be diagnosed.

As they say, we all are crazy. We all have that craziness within us. It is just a matter of how we handle our differences and extremities that we are able to handle our craziness. Moreover, many ask if mental illnesses really do exist. The English-speaking world has not always used medical language to illustrate the behavior we now label as symptomatic of mental disorder. Descriptions were sometimes framed in quite different terms, such as possession. What we now call mental illness was not always treated as a medical problem. Non-English-speaking nations in the West have had changes in their linguistic usage and their treatment of the mentally ill roughly parallel to Anglophone countries. Anthropological work in non-Western cultures suggests that there are many cases of behavior that psychiatry would organize as symptomatic of mental disorder, which are not seen within their own cultures as signs of mental illness.

However, nowadays, it has been talked about that mental disorders are really existing mental conditions that may have caused disturbance in a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others and daily functioning. Just as diabetes is a disorder of the pancreas, mental illnesses are medical conditions that often result in a diminished capacity for coping with the ordinary demands of life.

Mental illness does not choose an individual to carry the burdens of the disorder. Mental illnesses are not the outcome of personal weakness, lack of character or poor upbringing. Mental illnesses are treatable. Most people diagnosed with a serious mental illness can experience relief from their symptoms by actively joining in an individual treatment plan. In addition to medication treatment, psychosocial treatment such as cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, peer support groups and other community services can also be components of a treatment plan and that assist with recovery. The availability of transportation, diet, exercise, sleep, friends and meaningful paid or volunteer activities contribute to overall health and wellness, including mental illness recovery.

Unfortunately, society may be responsible for one’s failure in recovering form a mental illness. When the person is treated inside a medical institution, he or she is given ample treatment and is treated as if they are normal. They are given proper care and attention so as to promote recovery. However, when they go out into the real world after some time, society, upon knowing their past, would most likely mock them and treat them differently. Society would look at them as someone who still has the mental disorder and consequently, it would make them feel worse and thus, could trigger an occurrence of the mental illness once again.

The feelings of inadequateness would cause problems for a person with mental disorder. He would think that he I not worthy to live in this world given that he could not act properly anymore. However, support from family and friends would be a great help for the patient to view life differently and positively. Thus it is the role of the family to provide the patient with love and care so as to sustain his recovery.

The chemical cocaine hydrochloride is commonly known as crack. There are users who chemically process cocaine in order to eliminate the hydrochloride. This process is called “freebasing” and makes the drug more stronger. “Crack” is a solid form of freebased cocaine. It is called “crack” because it snaps and cracks when heated and smoked. Since crack is a prepared form of freebased cocaine, the user does not have to buy the equipment associated with freebasing. Crack is normally in plastic bags and sold in small quantities, usually 300-500mg or enough for two to three inhalations.

In the 1970s, cocaine was expensive and considered a “status” drug. The introduction of cheap crack increased the convenience of this substance, and crack has become the drug of choice for many drug users, especially for inner-city disadvantaged youth. This has been the beginnings of the growing crack addiction. Crack’s convenience, ease of concealment, wide availability, and low cost has increased its use. The reality that crack is smoked rather than snorted has contributed to its popularity.

The preconceived notion that drug addiction only happens on the street is largely false. It is not new to us that celebrities have their “shining moments” when it comes to substance dependence. They may look pleasant and very much happy in front of cameras, but their deepest secrets are yet to be exposed. A number of celebrities have already been into rehabilitation to fight their crack addiction, heroin, or even alcohol addiction.

Drew Barrymore was one of the very early celebrity known that spearheaded headlines because of her wild child antics. At the age of nine, Drew was already smoking cigarettes. She was an alcoholic at 11, a marijuana smoker by 12, and a cocaine addict by 13. She went to rehab twice and even attempted suicide when she was 14. Currently, that is all in the past. Her wild child days behind her, Barrymore has grown into a sober, responsible and productive woman. Aside from starring in a slew of hits, she has also become a producer, forming the production company Flower Films with friend and partner Nancy Juvonen in 1995. Her company is responsible for hits like Charlie’s Angels and 50 First Dates. This goes to show that anybody messed up with drugs can revive from life.

There are actually two sides to this Oprah-Winfrey-was-a-drug-addict story. On one hand, there’s the remarkable TV moment in the 90s when she tearfully told in her own talk show that she had smoked crack cocaine while in her 20s, but never said anything about dependence on the drug or anything else. On the other hand, there’s the more latest allegation made in a tell-all book by a former boyfriend that Oprah was in reality, a customary cocaine user in the 80s, and was in fact under the influence during her show tapings.

Right now, we can clearly see that Oprah Winfrey has triumphed over the use of cocaine. As of September 2008, Forbes has predicted Oprah as having a fortune worth over $2.7 billion. CNN and Time Magazine dubbed her “arguably the world’s most powerful woman”. She is quite the success story, sordid drug past or not.

Anyone of all walks of life could be a victim of crack addiction. Life is largely unpredictable. On a certain point we are having a good laugh with friends living the good life, the next time we know, we are shaking and craving for a drug we never thought we couldn’t seem to live without. People may be aware of the effects of drugs if abused, yet they still give in to curiosity, probably, or to pressure and thus end up living miserably. However, there is still hope for every addict in this world. Life doesn’t end in addiction. It ends when one gives up.

Suboxone is a variant of subutex, containing an additional ingredient called naloxone. It is the form normally given to patients. Its effects is similar to Subutex. Like subutex, it is used as a pain reliever and a medication drug in treating opioid addiction.

Studies have been made as to determine the real effects of suboxone to the patient. There were about 575 patients being studied with using suboxone, Subutex tablets in 1834 patients and buprenorphine sublingual solutions in 2470 patients. A total of 1270 females have received buprenorphine in clinical trials. Dosing recommendations are based on statistics from one trial of both tablet formulations and two trials of the ethanolic solution. All trials used buprenorphine in conjunction with psychosocial counseling as part of a complete addiction treatment program. There have been no clinical studies made to evaluate the efficacy of buprenorphine as the only component of treatment.

In a double blind placebo and active controlled study, 326 heroin-addicted subjects were at random allocated to either Suboxone 16 mg per day, 16 mg Subutex per day or placebo tablets. The main study comparison was to assess the efficacy of Subutex and Suboxone independently against placebo. The percentage of thrice-weekly urine samples that were negative for non-study opioids was statistically higher for both Subutex and Suboxone, than for placebo.

Since suboxone is a blend of two currently marketed medications, buprenorphine and naloxone, it offers a combination of a weak narcotic (buprenorphine) and a narcotic antagonist (naloxone). The later is supplemented to stop addicts from injecting the tablets intravenously, as has happened with tablets only containing buprenorphine; because it contains naloxone, Suboxone is very likely to produce intense withdrawal symptoms if misused intravenously by opioid-addicted individuals. Buprenorphine is a partial agonist at the mu-opioid receptor and an antagonist at the kappaopioid receptor. Naloxone is an antagonist at the mu-opioid receptor.

Addiction to suboxone or subutex is often inevitable. The drug is not supposed to be used occasionally. It should be used as a nonstop treatment method and thus, may become harmful if usage is stopped too quickly. Like heroin, suboxone could result to a “euphoric” feeling. Undeniably, the person who is continuously taking the drug has a very intense risk of becoming dependent and addicted to the drug. It has a system that imitates the actions of unsurprisingly occurring pain-reducing chemicals called endorphins. Endorphins are found in the brain and spinal cord and lessen pain by combining with opioid receptors. However, opioids also act in the brain to cause feelings of euphoria and hallucinations. This greatly explains their addictive tendencies among people who are taking them in a long-term basis.

Moreover, in using suboxone, one should be very cautious. As much as possible this should be taken with great administration by a medical expert. This medicine may cause drowsiness. If affected, do not drive or operate machinery. Drowsiness will be made worse by alcohol, tranquilizers, sedatives and sleeping tablets such as benzodiazepines. Taking these in combination with buprenorphine can also cause potentially dangerous problems with breathing and so should be avoided while taking this medicine. The liver function should be regularly monitored while getting treatment with this medicine.

In substance addiction, it is very excellent to use drugs such as subutex and suboxone. However, there has never been a substance that has been found to be an effective medication for addiction that is at the same time non-addictive. Science may have been in the route of trying to find the perfect drug that would provide us with the two benefits.

Substances, therefore, should be taken with care and proper supervision from medical professionals. In addition, it is the responsibility of the individual himself to look after his in-take of a drug. He should be the one controlling the drug, not the other way around.

Yes, there is such a thing as sex addiction as well as love addiction. It is not just merely crazily stalking a person you especially like. It is an illness, probably a mental illness that entails compulsivity when it comes to sexual activities and having multiple partners, and being fond of casual sex and self gratification. Sex and love addiction is a progressive illness which cannot be cured but which, like many illnesses, can be arrested. It may take several forms—which includes, but not limited to a compulsive need for sex, excessive dependency on one or many people, or a chronic worry with romance, intrigue, or fantasy, an obsessive compulsive pattern, either sexual or emotional, or both, exists in which relationships or sexual activities have become increasingly destructive to career, family and sense of self-respect. Sex addiction and love addiction, if left unchecked, always gets worse.

The sex and love addiction anonymous was founded to cater to those who have been a victim of this addiction to sex and love. This was created by a previous Alcoholics anonymous member. Though, he had been sober, he was unfaithful to his wife for a period of time. He founded sex and love addiction anonymous as an effort to stop his compulsive sexual and romantic behavior.

The organization encourages members to identify their own “bottom-line behaviors.” The organization classifies these behaviors as “any sexual or emotional act, not regarding its initial impulse may be, which leads to loss of control over rate, frequency, or duration of its occurrence or recurrence, resulting in spiritual, mental, physical, emotional, and moral destruction of oneself and others.”

To aid their group members on the road to recovery, Sex and Love Addiction Anonymous utilizes the 12-step program and the 12 traditions. The good thing with the organization is that since everyone is a victim, they are empathic about each other’s experiences and feelings. Thus, they claim to understand what the other person is going through and are able to offer support through sharing and meetings. As quoted, “we found in each other what we could find nowhere else: people who knew the depth of our pain. Together we found hope and the care of a loving Higher Power. Our commitment is to help others recover from sexual addiction, just as we have been helped.”

The twelve step-Program of Sex and Love Addiction Anonymous states that:

1. We admitted we were powerless over sex and love addiction – that our lives had become unmanageable.

2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood God.

4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

7. Humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.

8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.

9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

10. Continued to take personal inventory, and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with a Power greater than ourselves, praying only for knowledge of God’s will for us and the power to carry that out.

12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to sex and love addicts, and to practice these principles in all areas of our lives.

And here are their Twelve Traditions:

1. Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon S.L.A.A. unity.

2. For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority — a loving God as this Power may be expressed through our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.

3. The only requirement for S.L.A.A. membership is the desire to stop living out a pattern of sex and love addiction. Any two or more persons gathered together for mutual aid in recovering from sex and love addiction may call themselves an S.L.A.A. group, provided that as a group they have no other affiliation.

4. Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or S.L.A.A. as a whole.

5. Each group has but one primary purpose — to carry its message to the sex and love addict who still suffers.

6. An S.L.A.A. group or S.L.A.A. as a whole ought never to endorse, finance, or lend the S.L.A.A. name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property, or prestige divert us from our primary purpose.

7. Every S.L.A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.

8. S.L.A.A. should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ special workers.

9. S.L.A.A. as such ought never to be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.

10. S.L.A.A. has no opinion on outside issues; hence the S.L.A.A. name ought never to be drawn into public controversy.

11. Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, TV, film, and other public media. We need guard with special care the anonymity of all fellow S.L.A.A. members.

12. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.

One of the greatest problems the world is facing today is the problem of addiction. It is “the” dilemma that seems to have no end. People use drugs, abuse it, then they become depended to it. They harm their loved ones and they harm their selves. Their lives crave for the drug and become tangled to looking for means of attaining the drugs. Later on, the person then realizes that life has become worthless and meaningless and that he wants to change. He wants to turn away from drugs but the problem is that he couldn’t easily turn away and say good bye to his long time influential friend- the drug.

There comes a time that the addict tries to look for help. He looks for the aid of an expert to intoxicate him from the drug. Rehabilitation centers provide help to those who have substance use problems. They provide medical help as well as psychological and social aid. However, rehabilitation may not be enough for the full recovery of the person. The patient should be equipped with the right values and skills in facing the real world after rehabilitation.

Groups such as alcoholics anonymous, emotions anonymous, and cocaine anonymous are fellowship groups that provide spiritual enhancement and life skills program to people who wants to receive them. Anyone who is determined to change and turn away from such addictions or someone who merely wants to help victims recover form the darkness they were in is very welcome to join the fellowship. Inside this organization, members help each other to recover from their problems. The fellowship believes that the best people who could understand addicts are those who have been addicts themselves. Sympathy and compassion will never be enough. Someone who has experienced any kind of addiction would really understand the feeling of an addict and thus, would be able to provide the right comfort and support.

Moreover, the fellowship uses the twelve-step program in helping the patients recover. This twelve-step program was first made by the alcoholics anonymous. It consists of twelve steps on how to deal with the addiction, emphasizing acceptance, surrender, and self-awareness. The twelve step program tries to impart that there is one very powerful being above us all, and that we should lay down all our weaknesses to Him and al will be well. Of course, man should do his best to become a better person and God will then do the rest.

Here is an example of the famous twelve-step program from Overeaters Anonymous:

1. We admitted we were powerless over our emotions — that our lives had become unmanageable.

2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.

4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.

9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.

12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

With the twelve-step program, people who have become victims of addiction are given hope that it is not too late – that life does not end in addiction. In fact, it even opens a new door, a new chapter in our lives in which we should live meaningfully.

A woman is largely at risk and susceptible to toxins and other harmful substances when she is pregnant. Teratogens, such as alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs are some of the substances that may cause negative effects towards the fetus inside the mother’s womb. These substances would in turn result to a sick or worse, abnormal baby.

Alcohol is one teratogen that could greatly affect the woman’s pregnancy. People may not be aware of its danger and still allow a woman to drink alcoholic drinks during her pregnancy, but the result of this would be carried by the baby for the rest of his or her life. In the United States, alcohol is the substance very famous to cause mental and physical birth defects. Though, this is only a possibility, the rate is high.

For one, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is a disorder that can occur to the embryo when a pregnant woman ingests alcohol during pregnancy. Alcohol crosses the placental barrier and can stunt fetal growth, create distinctive facial stigmata, damage neurons and brain structures, and cause other physical, mental, or behavioral problems. The main effect of FAS is enduring central nervous system damage, especially to the brain. Developing brain cells and structures are underdeveloped by prenatal alcohol exposure, often creating a collection of primary cognitive and functional disabilities including poor memory, attention deficits, impulsive behavior, and poor cause-effect reasoning, as well as secondary disabilities for example, mental health problems, and drug addiction.

There are different indications that can appear when one is diagnosed to have fetal alcohol syndrome. These indications include low birth mass, small head circumference, developmental delay, organ dysfunction, facial abnormalities, including smaller eye openings, flattened cheekbones, and indistinguishable philtrum (an underdeveloped groove between the nose and the upper lip), epilepsy, poor coordination, poor socialization skills, such as difficulty building and maintaining friendships and relating to groups, lack of imagination, learning difficulties, including poor memory, inability to understand concepts such as time and money, poor language comprehension, poor problem-solving skills, behavioral problems including hyperactivity, inability to concentrate, social withdrawal, stubbornness, impulsiveness, and anxiety.

As said earlier, damage of the central nervous system is the main feature of fetal alcohol syndrome. Central nervous system damage can be evaluated in three areas such as structural, neurological, and functional deficiencies. Structural impairments may include microcephaly (small head size) of two or more standard deviations below the average, or other abnormalities in brain structure. During the first trimester of pregnancy, alcohol interferes with the migration and organization of brain cells, which can create structural deformities within the brain. During the third trimester, damage can be caused to the hippocampus, which plays a role in memory, learning, emotion, and encoding visual and auditory information, all of which can create neurological and functional CNS impairments as well.

The evaluation of neurological deficiencies will take place when structural deficiencies do not exist. Neurological problems are expressed as either hard signs, such as epilepsy or other seizure disorders, or soft signs. Soft signs are broader, nonspecific neurological impairments, such as impaired fine motor skills, neurosensory hearing loss, poor gait, clumsiness, poor eye-hand coordination.

When structural or neurological impairments are not observed, all four diagnostic systems allow CNS damage due to prenatal alcohol exposure to be assessed in terms of functional impairments. Functional impairments are delays due to prenatal alcohol exposure (rather than hereditary causes or postnatal insults) in observable and measurable domains related to daily functioning, often referred to as developmental disabilities.

The production of birth deficiencies is not a measure on the amount of alcohol being ingested. Individual women process alcohol differently. Other factors vary the results, too, such as the age of the mother, the timing and regularity of the alcohol ingestion, and whether the mother has eaten any food while drinking.

Alcohol easily goes through the placental barrier and the fetus is less equipped to get rid of alcohol than its mother, so the fetus tends to accept a high concentration of alcohol, which lingers longer than it would in the mother’s system. this is the reason why the child is the one greatly affected when in fact it is the mother who consumes the alcohol. Unfortunately true.

The belief that a highest being has the power and control of the universe is called spirituality. It is the understanding of the purpose and meaning of life and the development of personal, absolute values. Usually, when we say spirituality, religion is associated. But, although spirituality is connected with religious life, many believe that personal spirituality can be developed outside of religion. Acts of compassion and selflessness, altruism, and the experience of inner peace are all characteristics of spirituality.

To add, admitting to oneself that a superior being controls your life and you can turn to that superior being in time of needs is part of spirituality. It is God’s spirit that can grant you the strength and courage to face your problems. It is the recognition that you do not have to burn yourself out fraught to solve all your problems on your own. It is the openness to let go of your sense of over-responsibility and let God have some power over the problems. Spirituality is also the recognition that humans consist not only of physical matter but also have a spiritual dimension that needs daily care in order to survive.

Faith, hope, and love are the three foundations of spirituality. Faith is what makes the person to believe that a supreme being is helping them in times of trouble, sorrow, and pain. Faith is the belief that God will never abandon or forget you during your time of need. Furthermore, spirituality is easily identified in people who have hope and trust in God’s mercy, wisdom and justice. Their hope makes them to “let go and let God.” Their hope enables them to hand over their sense of over responsibility, guilt, rescuing and enabling to God’s hands. Their hope enables them to take a “tough love” stance in order to get help for the troubled persons in their lives. There is also spirituality when one gives love, concern, and generosity to other people. With spirituality, people are altruistic and giving in their approach to the world. They are able to make a difference in people’s lives.

However, there has been a rising conflict between the boundary of spirituality and religion. The two terms may be sometimes used by people interchangeably, yet one should be clarified with its distinction. Religion is an institution established by man for different reasons- exert control; instill morality, stroke egos, or whatever it does. On the other hand, spirituality is born in a person and develops in the person. It may be kick started by a religion, or it may be kick started by a revelation. Spirituality extends to all facets of a person’s life. Spirituality is chosen while religion is often times forced.

Personally, I believe that spirituality is deeper than religion. As what was said, religion is most of the time forced, thus, usually, people carry out religious rituals out of obedience to the religious tradition. But, true spirituality is something that is found deep within oneself. It is a way of loving, accepting and relating to the world and people around. It cannot be found in a church or by believing in a certain way.

Narcotics Anonymous is a nonprofit organization that works for the recovery of drug addicts. It trails a twelve step program and it is group-oriented. It explains itself as a fellowship of men and women for whom drugs had become a disturbing problem.

The longing to discontinue the use of drugs is the only prerequisite necessary for on to join Narcotics Anonymous. There is a customary meeting for members to lend a hand to each other stay clean, clean meaning a complete abstinence form all mood and mind altering substances. There are no fees necessary when one joins a nonprofit organization.

Narcotics Anonymous provides a place for drug addicts to recover aside from rehabilitation centers. Typically, addicts first join narcotics anonymous after reaching a “bottom” in their life, a point at which life feels completely uncontrollable, characterized by “unemployability, dereliction and destruction” and centered around the getting and using and finding ways and means to get more drugs. There are different bottoms for every Narcotics Anonymous member. This is when an addict can be anywhere he chooses to stop using substances. In practice, it is drug use and the extreme consequences linked with its abuse that convey most addicts to their bottom many of them sliding along ‘this bottom’ for many years often cannot find their way out.

The fundamental unit of Narcotics Anonymous is their customary meetings. Gatherings are held in a array of places such as church meeting rooms, libraries, hospitals, community centers, parks, or any other place that can accommodate a meeting. “Open” and “closed” meetings are the two basic types of meetings practiced in Narcotics Anonymous.In open meetings, everybody is welcome while in closed meetings, addicts and individuals who think they have drug problems are the people who can only attend.

Meeting formats differ, but usually include time devoted to the reading aloud of Narcotics Anonymous literature regarding the issues involved in living life clean which is in print by and for members of Narcotics Anonymous. Many meetings also include an “open sharing” part, where anyone attending has the opportunity to share. There is usually no direct feedback during the ‘share’, thus only one person ever speaks at any given time during this portion of the meeting.

Each group has only one primary purpose that is to carry the message to the addict who still suffers. As a result, the newcomer is considered to be the most important person in any meeting. The message of Narcotics Anonymous is hope, that there is another way to live. The basic promise of narcotics anonymous is that an addict, any addict, can discontinue using drugs, lose the desire to use, and learn a new way of life. Through the twelve step program and the twelve traditions, the members are given hope for a new life worth living and fighting for.

Life should not be put to waste because a man has much potential. He or she may fail, as in becoming enslaved by worldly things such as drugs, but an individual is also capable of standing up from the fall and looking forward once again. Thus, the Narcotics Anonymous, focusing on people who are victims of drug addiction, speaks to these people of how wonderful life still is and that addiction does not mean the end, it is just a middle stage for a new and better life.

Narcotics Anonymous are now based in different areas in the world. The organization is trying to make a difference. These organizations have but one message to get across, that in times of darkness, such as falling into the pit of drug addiction, you are not alone in this battle. The Narcotics Anonymous is there to support you and help you stand up and fight for your life.

predicament and not the problem itself. Therefore, when a patient arrives at a drug and alcohol treatment center, they can look forward that therapy will center on all of the ways that their addiction manifests itself.

No matter how intense the drug alcohol treatment may be, unless the person is willing to change and determined to turn his/her back away from the tempting and devilish treat of drugs and alcohol, all the efforts of treating the addiction would be put to waste.

Picture a town, way out in the desert of the middle of nowhere. It’s a boom town and right now it’s in a down time. But the work continues day and night. There are about eighteen thousand folks living in this town. Enough people to keep a few schools operating and plenty of car repair shops. And just enough people to mask a significantly large meth operation.

Now the miners love the crystal meth. Keeps them on all night while they’re working. Those dark shifts get long, and the last thing you need is a two-hundred ton equipment driver falling asleep. So this guy does up a gram of tweek before the shift and he’s good to go for 4 hours until his next gram at break time.

The guys from across the border love this town too. They go by unnoticed for the most part, but they’ve set up a nice little business for themselves down by the train tracks. Mostly trailer parks, but you get a few shacky looking houses here and there. The fume is enough to keep a person awake for days. Dig through a local dumpster and you’ll find broken beakers, cold medicine boxes, old car batteries, kerosene containers… the most toxic stuff you can imagine. And that’s about all you’ll find. Maybe a few barefooted children running around in dirty clothes.

A lot of people don’t know, and others won’t admit it. But crystal meth is running this town. If the police don’t come in and start crackin some crack-heads, this sleepy little mining town will never sleep again. These crystal meth dealers start at the junior high school. Most of them are kids themselves. They’ve got a mom or a dad who brews the stuff up in a sink at home, this crystal meth. Fourteen year-old kids are turning in ten page essays and too spun to realize they wrote the same sentence three times in a row on six of the pages. They think they’re accomplishing more when really they’re just making scrambled eggs out of everything they touch.

The parents aren’t much better. Working in the mines is a tough job and the guys out there need something to help them stay alert. And since drinking is all too tell tale, the meth makes them feel excited about work and able to take on the world.

But the truth of the entire matter is that the local government knows about the problem. And like any government, it doesn’t go without some corruption. That’s where it all gets interesting. The former mayor had some shady deals going with the underground of the methamphetamine operation. The county government got wind of it and the people kicked him out of office. The new mayor comes in and promises to clean up the town. Now the DEA is in there kickin some heads to the curb. We’ve now got entire neighborhoods that are roped with yellow tape. Men and women in plastic suits walking in and out of houses and trailers like an E.T. invasion. The smart kids are getting out of dealing and back into school. The parents are going to church and trying to clean up their heads.

We now see an old boom town, covered in yellow tape and white suits, trying to go about its business. In five years it will have twice the population it has now. Crystal meth will reenter the scene and the cycle will begin again. Educate the children, or meth will never die.