Students are dealt different hands in life, though it may not be visible on the surface, you never know what someone is dealing with behind the scenes.
When I was young my father, Lance Purucker, suffered from an alcohol addiction–a disease that affects far too many. Although there was an abundance of love, the experiences that spurned from his addiction were not sunshine or rainbows. After years of battling addiction and many attempts at getting back on track, my dad finally had the courage to sober up and fight back.
“The thing that prevented me from getting help sooner was mostly the false thought that I could gain control of my addiction on my own,” Purucker said.
Though I don’t know what the tipping point was, I do believe that facing one’s addiction and fighting back is one of the bravest things a person can do.
For many who suffer from addiction, merely admitting that they are an addict is virtually impossible.
Guiding Light resident and former Northview student, Joey Hartwell, understands the vulnerability it takes to admit one’s hardships.
“For some people it’s detrimental to go to an A.A. [Alcoholics Anonymous] meeting and have the first thing you say be your name and that you’re an alcoholic or an addict. For some people that really hurts because they feel powerless when they say that,” Hartwell said. “But we are [powerless], that’s why we’re there. If you ever forget that, then you’re screwed.”
Hartwell began his rough journey with drugs and alcohol as a sophomore in high school. It started off with only alcohol and marijuana but eventually grew to be a much larger issue.
“I started in 10th grade, and in hindsight it wasn’t normal. I was still functioning, I wasn’t getting into trouble, I was going to school and my grades were decent. I don’t think I was really addicted yet at that point, but I loved it a lot more than most of the people around me,” Hartwell said.
Though Hartwell began with cannabis and alcohol, he came to a point where anything was fair game.
“There’s a guy I used to see in meetings, he would always say that my Christmas tree topper was alcohol but I would decorate that tree with whatever I could find,” Hartwell said. “In different points of my life there was a lot of pot that went with the drinking, a lot of acid, molly, a little bit of coke, but alcohol was always the constant.”
People struggling with addiction tend to be very susceptible to criticism. The reality of addiction is unimaginable for those not going through it themselves, making it far easier to pass judgment and lend unqualified advice.
“[Addiction] is such a big problem now, more and more people are personally affected. There’s a lot of people that just want to help, but they’re not going to be able to give me advice because they haven’t been through it,” Hartwell said.
The stigma surrounding addiction is one of the biggest reasons addicts are reluctant to get help. The worry of being judged for something they have little control over is incredibly harmful to the recovery process.
“I think [judgment is] what keeps people from admitting it the most, because you don’t want to be labeled,” Hartwell said. “The shame keeps a lot of people out [of rehab], especially those who have been in before and then go back.”
A common misconception is that those suffering from an addiction are lacking in morals and willpower to quit. However, the truth of the matter is that addiction is a disease. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) understands that addiction is more than what meets the eye.
“In reality, drug addiction is a complex disease, and quitting usually takes more than good intentions or strong will,” NIDA said.
Drug abuse and addiction have become more and more of an issue among the younger demographic that is high school students. Here at Northview there are numerous resources for those who may be struggling and long to fight their addiction.
High school counselor, Dion Charity, has information regarding the different resources offered by Northview.
“[Northview] has a person from Wedgwood [Christian Services] that comes in and she meets with our students,” Charity said. “We’re helping to maintain the activities in school but at the same time we’re aware that [addiction] still lives outside of the school day. That’s when we reach out.”
Many addicts make multiple attempts at combating their addiction before their hard work sticks. It is a brutal process that can be extremely discouraging. Though there will always be hate and judgment in the world, overcoming is half the battle.
“Haters gonna hate,” Purucker said.
