I believe this story is one that many mothers and fathers will relate to, and I dedicate it to the good work by Barbara Theodosiou founder of The Addict's Mom and her wonderful team, Somebody's Mother online Prayer Support Group and the Substance Abuse Community Force.
The Good, Upscale Doctor
The Good, Upscale Doctor
"18-year-old son died of overdose, Grieving mother pushing
Oxy ban,
RX for trouble: Painkiller abuse plagues society, Falling short in
fighting addiction," these all were
either headlines or editorials recently in our local newspaper. They say
in the State of Florida seven people die daily from overdoses of prescription
meds.
Until it hits home in your own
family, headlines like these will not affect you. It will be somebody else's
child, not your own; it doesn't affect you. You can put down people like that,
thinking they may be the scum of the earth, not even realizing that some of
those children started off like your own kids. Just living their life, going to
school, thinking about college and their careers. Then the tragedy of addiction
hits the family.
It may have been a legitimate pain issue, they
may have had surgeries young and pain issues that seemed beyond control. You as
a parent may have questioned the expensive upscale doctor, voicing aloud to him
your concerns. "Why such high pain killers so soon? Aren't morphine
patches something given to hospice patients? Will my child still need these
medications if they have surgery?"
He immediately tried to pacify
you, "It isn't addictive, and it is something they can take their whole
life through if necessary."
You weren't convinced, yet who were you? Did you have as
many degrees as this doctor? Isn't he noted in the community for his work? Didn't
he say he’d do the same treatment for his own daughter or son if in your
shoes? It wasn't long before the teen that was in pain was of legal
age to continue with the doctor without your consent. And sooner than later the
things you were concerned with came about. That is why we have painkiller abuse
in our society. I don't have to name names; there are legions in our State and
country that were writing prescriptions at that time, with no concern for the
long-term outcome, which in most cases was addiction.
Prescription medicine addiction is
a real dilemma in our society and it isn't getting any easier to decide who is
right and who is wrong. Of course, I can understand when someone is in dire
need of medications that they shouldn't be denied. I am not against doctors who
truly must help those who suffer with chronic pain; I am all for good medical
care. Yet the utmost scrutiny should be given to doctors that write painkiller
prescriptions, too many, too soon. Look at the recent celebrity deaths and the
doctors that were a part of each one! We have become such a drugged-up nation;
sometimes I wonder if anyone knows real people
anymore or are they just someone either doped up or a facade of that person you
used to know and love?
Addiction itself has been
described as cunning, baffling, and powerful by AA and Al-Anon groups. That means to me that the person becomes so cunning in
taking care of their addiction that it is second nature to them to use any form
of manipulation to get their source of relief. It baffles the ordinary person
to find this such a powerful influence in our loved one. The person you once
knew and loved seems to be gone from you forever and you can only hand the
problem over to a loving God who alone can bring help for the true pain; the
pain that painkillers will never cover.
Try
not to judge harshly; statistics say addiction hits all families and
social-economic groups before long. You wouldn't want to walk a mile in
the shoes or the grieving mother or father, rehash in your mind what you
could've or should've done, or be in the body of the addict
who became addicted following doctor's orders. Yes, the good, upscale
expensive doctor is of no help now. Only the healing hand of the Great
Physician can have mercy on this kind of hurt.
We go to the Word of God for help and comfort.
Because of the LORD’s great love we are not
consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The LORD is my
portion;
therefore I will wait for him.” Lamentations 3:22-24 (New
International Version, ©2010)
I see in this verse that God truly started the “One day at
a time” movement long before Bill W. came up with it. We wait on His
compassions and healing for our families!
Another version that might help:
I'll
never forget the trouble, the utter lostness,
the taste of ashes, the poison I've swallowed.
I remember it all—oh, how well I remember—
the feeling of hitting the bottom.
But there's one other thing I remember,
and remembering, I keep a grip on hope:
God's loyal
love couldn't have run out,
his merciful love couldn't have dried up.
They're created new every morning.
How great your faithfulness!
I'm sticking with God (I say it over and over).
He's all I've got left.
God proves to
be good to the man who passionately waits,
to the woman who diligently seeks.
It's a good thing to quietly hope,
quietly hope for help from God.
It's a good thing when you're young
to stick it out through the hard times.
When life is heavy
and hard to take,
go off by yourself. Enter the silence.
Bow in prayer. Don't ask questions:
Wait for hope to appear.
Don't run from trouble. Take it full-face.
The "worst" is never the worst.
Why? Because
the Master won't ever
walk out and fail to return.
Lamentations
3:19-33 (The Message)
We have a faithful God to whom we can trust our family’s problems and
issues.
Please send your prayer requests to the Somebody's Mother Online Prayer Support Group:)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/119408188089314/?id=281112801918851
