This month marks my twentieth year in the drug and alcohol, mental health field. In 1994 I walked onto my first unit. It was an adolescent prison. I worked many years in the prisons, rehabs, and outpatient programs. I have worked with every walk of life, from the famous, and their asshole kids, to murderers. One thing is for sure; the drug problem has become worse over the last twenty years and will get even worse. It will never get better people this is a fact. When I began counseling I heard stories of kids using drugs with their siblings, then I heard using with parents, then using with grandparents, and now I hear of kids using drugs with their Great Grandparents. A young man told me the other day that his Great Grandmother taught him how to shoot heroin. My mind goes back to Nancy Reagan and, “The War on Drugs.” She meant well, I suppose, but what a fucking joke. We may as well give up that war, winning that, not happening. One thing I have learned in my counseling career is there is neither rhyme nor reason sometimes. Behind almost every addict is grief or trauma, drugs are not an individual’s problem, drugs are a symptom of an underlying problem. Anyway, I have seen people from the best families end up stung out and are junkies. On the other hand, I have seen individuals come from horrific families and horrible abuse that have not ended up addicted. Good communication with your kids, this is key. “ Notice every moment.” Keith
I have worked with the worst of the worst for twenty years. Rapists, murders, child molesters, gang bangers, drug dealers, famous people, mafia, you name it. Just because a person wears saggy pants does not mean they are in a gang. I think sagging pants looks like a pile of shit bouncing around in their pants, but nevertheless, I have worked with plenty of kids who are not click affiliated that wear sagging pants. Actually a true clickster doesn’t wear sagging pants because it is too hard to run from the police if their sagging. The public thinks different however, because they judge and live in fear. Give me a break. “Notice every moment.” Keith
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AuthorKeith Kelly currently lives in Rio Rancho New Mexico. Archives
October 2020
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