TEENS WITH PROBLEMS: Autobiography of a Recovering Addict

Autobiography
of a
Recovering Addict
in Five Short Chapters

I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost .... I am hopeless.
It isn't my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
     I pretend I don't see it.
     I fall in again.
I can't believe I am in the same place.
     But, it isn't my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
     I still fall in .... it's a habit.
          My eyes are open,
          I know where I am.
     It is my fault.
I get out immediately.

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.

I walk down another street.

This was written by an anonymous author who uses this little allegory to clearly demonstrate that the process of recovery is not an easy one and there are many pitfalls.

Any 12-step program will tell a person in recovery to take "one step at a time," and parents need to understand that if their children have a problem with addiction, it will not go away overnight.

Education and treatment can help a child become aware of the addiction process and learn coping strategies to avoid relapsing back into substance use.

Sometimes a residential treatment program or specialty school is needed in order to contain a child who has made repeated attempts to "get clean" but has been unable to stay away from them.

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