What we do
Do I Have A Problem?
Vaughn
Alcohol and pot took me to the darkest depths of my life. I nearly died on my last binge. What once had been my idea of “fun” turned on me and grabbed me by the throat. I knew that the part of me that craved alcohol wanted me dead, and I was terrified.
Jeff
I was a lost man with a broken spirit when I arrived at Anuvia. Today, thanks to its wonderful staff, I am blessed with a better life. I am a grateful recovering addict named Jeff W, and I want to share with you a little bit about my recovery.
Beth
I loved cocaine. And I loved alcohol – probably more than anything else in my life. But in the end, after trying to kill myself with them, I realized that I really didn’t want to die for them.
Tom
After a month of going to meetings at Anuvia, making friends there, getting a sponsor and calling him, I proceeded to shut up and sit down, pay attention, and I actually learned something.
What Can I Do?
Being proactive as a...
- Make a list of adults you can trust and talk to about alcohol and other drugs.
- Choose your friends wisely; hang with friends who make healthy decisions.
- Join a sports team or take up a hobby that you enjoy.
- Get educated on prevention of substance abuse and become a peer educator. Get involved with Students Preventing and Informing on Drugs and Alcohol (SPIDA).
- Become aware of signs and symptoms associated with alcohol and drug use. If you see a friend who is in need of help refer them to a trusted adult.
- Give back to the community by assisting with a cigarette bud cleanup or many other creative activities.
- Assist your school or community with organizing after school activities for youth.
- Talk to your children on the facts and dangers of drugs and how to make healthy decisions. Your words and actions matter.
- Ask Questions: Who? What? When? Where? And Why? There are many ways to find out what your child is doing just by asking questions. Ask your child to check in with you regularly.
- Get to know your child’s friends and their families. Create a list of their friends’ phone numbers.
- Walk through your neighborhood to find out where kids your child’s age hang out.
- Create a safe zone list, which are places you have checked out that are safe and provide adult supervision.
- Give your child a clear message: Say no to drugs. Establish rules and consequences appropriate for your family.
- Pledge that you will always be available to give your child a ride if none of his or her friends are sober and able to drive.
- Get to know your child’s teacher and counselors. Join the Parent Teacher Association (PTA).
- Join a coalition that focuses on preventing underage drug and alcohol use.
- Contact Anuvia prevention department to assist with programming for an interested group of parents.
- Serve as a positive adult role model for your students and make yourself available for students to talk with you.
- Know the warning signs that may indicate drug use and abuse and learn about the treatment and prevention resources in your area in case you need to make referrals.
- Host school health fairs that provide drug and prevention education or host anti-drug use campaigns in your school.
- Invite substance abuse professionals to deliver presentations or prevention curriculums to your classes.
- Display anti-drug and alcohol use posters throughout your classroom and incorporate prevention games and activities into your lesson plans.
- Celebrate Substance Abuse Awareness Month (October) and Alcohol Awareness Month (April) by having students sign anti-drug and alcohol use pledges.
- Attend trainings and workshops on substance abuse issues.
- Contact your local behavioral health authority to find treatment or counseling options in your area.
- Attend 12 step meetings or support groups.
- Get involved in recovery month (September) events in your community.
- Join or form a community coalition dedicated to alcohol or drug related issues.
- Host community health fairs that provide drug prevention and education information.
- Host drug-free community events such as mocktail nights (alcohol free cocktail parties), sober bowls (alcohol free event for Super Bowl) or drug-free carnivals.
- Form extracurricular or recreational clubs and activities for youth in your community.
- Write a letter to the editor of your local paper on an issue related to drug and alcohol use you feel is important.
- Organize community meetings that focus on educating your community about drug issues in your area.