Since you are dying to know. . .

I've been working all week and last weekend dealing with the aftermath of our "cops and robbers stakeout" fiasco. The only naughty stuff going on what with the boys I work with.

Most of you regular readers know that I am a therapist at a substance abuse center for adolescents. Wow that was a mouthful. Last weekend I received notification that 2 of my good boys that make poor choices (I really do not believe in "bad" kids) decided to take off and "kick it." Well, turns out that they had an adult (making a bad choice) get them alcohol. They relapsed and because they were not where they were supposed to be, well cops and robbers stakeout.

I cannot give more details. Sorry. But I will tell you that I did not get home until 3 AM. I did NOT sleep that night. I did get up early and since I had two scheduled appointments on Saturday, I drove under the influence of Red Bull. Had you all going, huh?

Now don't give me the lecture. There are times when it is imperative that your eyes are open and your brain has some help. Like when you are driving. Red Bull everyday is bad. I know that. I also have an extreme phobia to being an addict. So bad that after surgery, I'll take the pain before I'll pop pills for more than a week.

I have watched too many loved ones lives destroyed by addiction. No thanks. I'll pass. Besides, I'm a control freak and I want to be in control of my life and decision, not some substance.

The good news is that relapsing while in a program affords more resources than outside of one. My boys are doing better and are learning what went wrong. I'm just grateful that I get to keep working with them. They are really great kids, with not really great parents or childhoods, and they have a lot to offer when they kick their addiction and gain better coping skills.

We cried together a lot this week. We have worked through some pretty deep stuff. I have witnessed their pain and progress and I am hopeful for recovery. The very fact that they are still alive after all that has happened speaks volumes about their strength. Getting them to believe that they are of worth is the hard part.

I'm going to bed now. It has been a looooooooooooooong week. I finally got caught up on reading all your blogs. Sorry if I didn't post something. My wit and brain have gone bye, bye for the weekend.

Now go hug your kids. They need it.