Culpeper Overdose Awareness

hope

Helping Children of Addiction

By Leave a Comment

We are mid-way through Children of Addiction Awareness Week. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a quarter of children in the U.S. grow up in households where there is substance abuse, and studies suggest these children are eight times more likely to develop an addiction themselves.

So how can you help?

  • Be the one. Numerous studies have shown that one trusted, supportive, and stable adult can make a tremendous impact in the life of an at-risk child. See the study from Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child
  • Educate yourself.  What are some early warning signs of risky behavior?  How do I recognize and respond to a cry for help?  What resources are available? We have several local training opportunities which can help equip you.
    • ACEs Training: This course totally changed the way I view addiction.  ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) trauma can lead to chronic health concerns like substance abuse and mental health challenges. Gain a better understanding of what trauma is and how it affects our biology. It is well worth your time and is brought to you FREE by the Rappahannock Area Community Services.  Training takes place in Fredericksburg and are typically held 4 times a year.  Dates and details are posted on our UPCOMING EVENTS page.
    • YOUTH Mental Health First Aid: This course teaches how to help youth who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem. You learn risk factors and warning signs, strategies for how to help, and where to turn for resources.  Upcoming training dates and details are posted on our UPCOMING EVENTS page.
  • Look for mentoring opportunities:  There are lots of opportunities to mentor children in our community.  Many of these organizations are not necessarily addressing addiction, but are providing positive experiences for our youth. Here are just a few:
    • Girls On The Run: teaches life skills such as managing emotions, resolving conflict, helping others, and making intentional decisions. They are always in need of coaches and you don’t need to be runner! Contact 540-296-4687 or kathy.butler@girlsontherun.org
    • CASA Court Appointed Special Advocates: volunteers advocate for the safety and well-being of children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect. They represent their best interests in courtrooms and other settings and help change their lives.  There is an upcoming information session Feb 25, 2020 at 70 Main St, Warrenton, VA. RSVP required, call 703-330-8145 or email jpolen@casacis.org
    • GEMS Girls Empowerment Mentoring Services: Provides a safe, creative & motivating space that allows female adolescents to thrive toward personal successes. By increasing self-esteem, it assists adolescents with making better choices, reducing risky behaviors.  Meets every 2nd Wednesday 4-6 at Culpeper Baptist Church Contact: gemsinva@gmial.com

Other Resources

Helping a child whose parent is struggling with addiction
Children of Addiction Website
Sesame Street has created a new character, 6-year-old Karli, whose mom struggles with drug addiction.  Watch Karli’s videos, access resources like coloring pages, music, and articles with topics like how to explain addiction to a child.
Camp Mariposa is a national addiction prevention and mentoring program for youth ages 9-12 who have been affected by the substance use disorder of a family member. Camp Mariposa is offered free of charge to all families. It is offered multiple times throughout the year, and the closest location is in West Virginia near the Southwest Virginia border.

Find more resources on our FAMILY SUPPORT page.

Heroin Overdoses, Deaths Continue to Fall in Culpeper Region

By Leave a Comment

This good news brings hope that our region is making progress in it’s efforts to help those struggling with addiction.

Once a month Culpeper has Narcan training which provides FREE Narcan nasal spray to participants.

We know we still have a long way to go, but the fact that death rates are down – even if that is because Narcan is readily available – shows that we are moving in the right direction.

This article by Allison Brophy-Champion shares some of the latest statistics: “In 2018, there were 29 deaths in this region, 34 in 2017, 44 in 2016 and 14 each in 2015 and 2014. In the past seven years, 146 people have died from using heroin in the area covered by the task force.
(The number of area overdoses is likely higher, as they do not take into account local hospital data, which is not readily shared with law enforcement.)”

Interested in finding out more about Narcan?  Come to a training!
Feb 13th 6pm CULPEPER www.cayacoalition.org/revive/
Feb 18th 6pm MADISON www.rrcsb.org/revive-training/
Mar 26th 6pm WARRENTON www.rrcsb.org/revive-training/

Read the full article at the Culpeper Star Exponent

Running For Their Lives

By Leave a Comment

Come As You Are (CAYA) hosts their annual RUN FOR YOUR LIFE 5K

The Fauquier Times ran a piece highlighting some of the reasons why this 5K is so important.  The race raises awareness to the lives we’ve lost to our addiction epidemic, and shares that hope and help are available.  Both my Joe and his friend Isaac were remembered and we are grateful their stories can be used to help others.

Come out to the race Saturday September 21st and help us Run For Their Lives!
Read the remembrances and more about the 5K:  Running For Their Lives

Run for Joe
8/8/2019      Joe Fleming was the life of the party. This tender-hearted young man, whose 25th birthday would be in three days on August 11, used his wit and humor as a mask to cover underlying depression.
His humor was also a source of frustration for his three brothers, “Joe would always make me laugh about whatever it was that he did wrong and it got him out of a lot of trouble,” recalls his mother Dee.
The outdoorsman had a healthy relationship with nature. Joe was a hunter but also cared deeply for wounded animals. “Joe had a deep respect for nature. He would hunt for deer meat, but if he found a wounded animal, he felt compelled to care for it and nurse it back to health,” Dee explains of the bunnies, birds and dogs that Joe would come home with.
While he didn’t fit the image that most people have of a Christian with his beard and camouflage, Joe lived the life of a Christian and was always looking out for his fellow man. “Joe would befriend anyone who appeared to be lonely and help those in need however he could,” says Dee.
Home-schooled through high school, Joe was involved with sports and loved the routine and schedule of football and rugby. He felt lost and overwhelmed when the regimented schedule ended after high school and he looked to his future that was yet unwritten. He worked in a warehouse and used his time off to work part time at Buffalo Wild Wings.
While still in high school, Joe suffered football injuries that were managed with opioids. These prescription drugs introduced him to the feeling of not feeling. After he recovered from his injuries, he began to drink heavily and smoke pot to cope with his anxiety and depression. Nearly a year after Joe moved out of his home, he overdosed on a combination of cocaine and fentanyl; just 84 hours after his best friend died from an overdose. “I stood at his friend’s viewing to give my condolences while my son’s body lay on the other side of the wall,” recalls Dee of the surreal moment.
Since Joe’s death, his family has become outspoken advocates of eliminating the stigma of addiction disorders and implore families to have open conversations with their children about healthy coping skills for depression and anxiety.
“Even if I knew the outcome, I would still choose to be Joe’s mother,” says Dee of the loss of her entertaining son.
What are coping skills?
We often talk about making sure youth have coping skills for anxiety and depression. But what are some examples of those coping skills? The following list was complied with input from members of the community and is not intended to replace professional advice. If you or someone you know is overwhelmed with feelings of anxiety and/or depression, please seek professional help.
  • Becoming involved with a sport or other fitness
  • Trusting an adult to be a confidant
  • Journaling and sharing it with a trusted adult
  • Meditating
  • Spending time in nature, with a pet or horse (pet therapy)
  • Engaging the guidance department at school
  • Sticking to a schedule or routine
  • Taking a break from social media
  • Reading books with characters in similar situations
  • Receiving acupuncture

Voices of Addiction & Recovery Symposium

By Leave a Comment

I was grateful to participate in the Voices of Addiction & Recovery Symposium. Co-hosted by the Windmore Foundation for the Arts, it’s goal was to share the challenges that someone with addiction faces and the reality that there is hope – recovery is possible.

Ralisha Banks reads a poem she wrote titled “She is Me”. It’s raw honesty impacted listeners.

The Symposium included a panel discussion with Culpeper Police Captain Tim Chilton, local Medication Assisted Treatment provider Dr. DeRoo, Prevention Specialist Alan Rasmussen with the Rappahannock Rapidan Community Services, and myself, representing Culpeper Overdose Awareness and families who’ve lost a loved one to addiction.

Rebecca Fleming reads the poem “My-Master” at the Voices of Addiction and Recovery Symposium

 

 

 

Interspersed among panel discussions were readings of poetry that convey the struggle and depth of pain addiction brings. Community member Ralisha Banks read a poem she authored, “She Is Me,” sharing her experience of growing up in a home with abuse and drug addiction, a pattern that showed up in her own adult life.  Her words were the most powerful of the night.

A display of art made by folks in recovery or still struggling with drug abuse was on display, and community resources were on hand for everyone to take.

Read the full story by Allison Brophy Champion at The Culpeper Star Exponent.

*All photos by Allison Brophy Champion