{"id":2095,"date":"2021-01-22T19:36:37","date_gmt":"2021-01-22T19:36:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localtalkweekly.com\/?p=2095"},"modified":"2021-01-22T19:36:48","modified_gmt":"2021-01-22T19:36:48","slug":"how-did-this-happen-what-can-we-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/localtalkweekly.com\/index.php\/2021\/01\/22\/how-did-this-happen-what-can-we-do\/","title":{"rendered":"HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? . . . WHAT CAN WE DO?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

OP-ED<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How, Dear God, did we get here? We always worked. We sent her to a good school. We live in a nice home. She had decent clothes. We went to church. We did everything we could to protect her. My daughter is a drug addict!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the years, I have worked with many families who called me to get their teen released from a detention center for the second, third or fourth time because he or she had been picked up yet again for possession and distribution of a controlled, dangerous substance which the kid had amply used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I recall Alice, a mother of a teen I had previously represented – twice – called me one Monday morning to say, \u201cThey picked up our boy again.\u201d Knowing exactly who \u201cthey\u201d were, I immediately responded, \u201cI can be downtown in an hour.\u201d Her response was, \u201cGo ahead. He turned 18 yesterday, and I am done!\u201d I was left with a couple of thoughts that I share with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, know this. Authorities like the National Institute on Drug Abuse advise that addiction really is a disease. It occurs because of the way the brain responds to intoxicating drugs. Addiction in the medical community is considered a \u201cchronic disease\u201d akin to diabetes, or other diseases that involve cycles of relapse and recovery and requires continuous monitoring in order to manage the disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To break the arrest\/jail cycle, parents must confront the disease. Parents must accept that addiction is not just the teen\u2019s problem, but may have broader implications about the entire family, for example, how family members deal with feelings, or express emotions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In children and teens, drug abuse may point to an underlying psychological disorder.  Some of the common co-occurring mental health conditions found with substance abuse in kids include: depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder and generalized anxiety disorder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration states that in 2014, 2.8 million teens between 12 and 17 had an episode of major depression. The symptoms of mental illness and addition can be so similar that parents may overlook one or the other: Self-isolation, feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness, false beliefs or delusional thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alice\u2019s kid was sick. He wasn\u2019t really<\/em> a criminal. I liked him, but to arrest him and not address the cause of the problem is a recipe for the problem to resurface and repeat itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was a nice guy! So why is a lawyer worried about teen drug use? Because what lawyers help their clients do is SOLVE THE PROBLEM. While the lawyer\u2019s initial issue may be getting the teen released from detention, a secondary issue is to help parents understand how not to need you again for the same issue. This means telling them what resources they need while there remains time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We need to pay closer attention to teen behaviors so that they can be addressed while the teen is a juvenile and the policy is \u201crehabilitation.\u201d Once a teen turns 18 and is considered an \u201cadult,\u201d the criminal justice system\u2019s only interest is punishment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second, the thought made me thank all that is holy that New Jersey has become more enlightened in its approach to criminal justice reform. But we need to do more. We need to expand treatment for juveniles. It really does little good to get the teen released and have them return to the same place, doing, or not doing the same things. It\u2019s sort of like the classic definition of insanity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We need to make sure all police know that there are alternatives to arrest and conviction. We need juvenile drug courts, and we need to expand mental health services for our children.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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