Suck kind words from everyone, thank you. It seems like nowadays you can't meet anyone who hasn't been affected by these terrible diseases.
RG- Thank you for your prayers. You are thinking of the right place. Richie bought I think 10 acres about 30 years ago just up from Lost Beach. Those cabins have been in the works for the last few years. I'm really looking forward to it. A question for you, could you recommend a person to rent a decent trail bike from? The bike I've secured for the month is a newer Honda 125, great for touring but not suitable for off road. I'd really love to explore the beach and back trails of Little Bay this time.
Debra- Thank you for your condolences. The level of importance that is put on substance treatment in many countries is a travesty. I'll be posting mini reports with lots of pictures whenever I get the opportunity. I've started a blog but don't like the features so I'm looking for something different. I didn't post any motorcycle trip reports so I think you're thinking of another member.
Tammy- I'm very sorry to hear about your cousin. It's a terrible thing to watch someone you love destroy their lives. My family and I tried EVERYTHING under the sun to save my brother. No amount of money, rehab, touch love or interventions ever seem to do the job. At his absolute lowest point we finally forced him into a long term facility. He completed it and was doing great, I finally had my brother back. One of his best friends ODed in Nov and it was just too much for him to take. Exactly a month later he was dead. An addict has to put their soul into staying clean and work the program. I've never met one who did it on their own. I"ll pray for your cousin and I hope that he hits bottom soon and survives to live a full life.
Rootswoman- The guns to the head was the other thread... but still some very real feelings going on here. I'm so glad to have a place to let this stuff out. I've never been good at sharing or talking in support groups but on here it's different. I also come from the same school, where some people use drugs to self medicate. What I tell mothers in our support group and juvenile offenders when I speak to them, is that people don't always use drugs because they come from broken homes, were abused, or have some deep rooted issues. Some people use drugs because, well, getting high feels good. I strongly believe that people are wired to be prone to addiction. My friends and I did all the same drugs as the now addicts did growing up, and LOTS of them. When it came time to flip that switch and become serious in life, we flipped it. For others, once they had that first taste, something changed in their brain.
Drugs definitely effect your brain chemistry and your ability to produce certain chemicals which effects your daily life. I was maybe 17 when Extacy became popular in my circle. I've rolled probably 30-40 times and it has certainly effected me, along with all the other stuff... It used to be much worse, but over the years my serotonin and dopamine receptors have slowly become active again. My feelings of happiness are still nothing like they used to be. I sometimes have to fight myself from doing Cocaine just to feel that joy again. That's the main problem IMHO with the struggle to stay clean. A Herion addict's brain stops producing serotonin and dopamine once they start using. These are chemicals which the body and brain need to function properly. Even when you stop using, the receptors don't start producing right away and sometime not ever. Same as your daughters father and the LSD.
Enough sad drug talk... I'm coming back to JAMROCK in 11 days!! Blessings to you all and thanks once again for providing such an open forum.