Category Archives: Testimonies

What I Wish Parents and Politicians Knew about Teen Drug Use

A Teenager’s Lament

Over the past three years of my high school career, I have observed teen drug use and the increasing desire of my peers to take unhealthy risks for the sole purpose of partying and gaining “life experience.” I remember a point in my life where I was beyond shocked to hear of someone I knew doing pot. But, at this point I have become somewhat desensitized, because I am now aware of the sad reality, which is that everyone does it.

There is no limit to the genre of students which teen drug use has effected- the popular and the unpopular, the athletes as well as members of the robotics club, the dancers, the singers, the freshmen Continue reading What I Wish Parents and Politicians Knew about Teen Drug Use

Open Letter to the Person who Called me Failed Parent

By Sally Schindel

I belong to the club no one wants to join. My son died by suicide in March 2014 at age 31. I have since met other mothers enduring this life change and trying to heal as I am. I find we mothers feel and behave like all mothers – trying desperately to protect our young. We protect children we still have and others threatened by the same harm that took our children. Some of us behave like badgers – we are serious and a force to be reckoned with. Like disturbing a bees nest – we go to work to rebuild our lives honoring our children that left us far too young.  (Read Sally’s previous testimony, Who Said No One Ever Died from Marijuana?)

Listen to Sally’s recent interview here.

Continue reading Open Letter to the Person who Called me Failed Parent

The Will to Change

By DeJohn Cartier Taylor  

“You must be the change you want to see in the world.”     Gandhi            Human potential has no boundary, and as individuals we possess no limits except the limits that we impose on ourselves. I began abusing substances at the age of 13.  And my use would lead to the development of a debilitating addiction that would cause me to spiral down a path toward self-destruction.

In 2011, I was put out of school in 9th grade, and I found myself in front of a judge due to possessing narcotics on school property. When one takes a look at our current world, they will notice that with drug involvement comes varying degrees of violence. Apart from taking on a juvenile record, and being put out of school for a period of 3 months at 13, my usage and experience with marijuana caused me to be Continue reading The Will to Change

Help Save My Son — for Himself and Others

My son suffers from schizophrenia and marijuana addiction. He has become severely depressed and psychotic smoking marijuana, and talks of ending his life. He has been hospitalized 6 times since Colorado legalized recreational marijuana.  He was not hospitalized the year before the legalization of marijuana.

How could Colorado legalize marijuana without any consideration for the mental heath community?  Amendment 64 is a travesty. I need help. I am so afraid for my son who just leaves his home and is in a state of confusion. He gets so paranoid and believes everyone is out to kill him. It has only been two weeks since his last hospital stay, in which he refused substance abuse treatment.  He wants to drive high while being psychotic and talking to his voices.

He is a veteran and receives his treatment through the Veterans Administration. He has a case manager and I have been trying to have his psych doctor sign a paper from the department of motor vehicles that would pull his license to drive. I don’t want him to kill himself or someone else. He has already had several accidents and now has a careless driving ticket. The police have even told me not to let him drive, but how can I do that when he is actively psychotic?

My neighbors wrote a letter for the doctor who’s had this paperwork from the DMV for two months and still refuses to sign the papers. My son almost hit our neighbor’s car head on. as he was driving down the wrong side of the road, and he almost backed into them.   Does he have to kill himself or someone before this doctor will take any action?  He keeps telling me the VA has to call their legal team.   They don’t make the call, and its so frustrating.

He won’t listen to his doctor’s advice or to anyone. Every day is so very challenging and stressful, and it has been very devastating to my family.   (The author lives in Adams County, Colorado)