My Kid is Doing Drugs and Got Arrested: Now What?
A Guide for Parents and Others Who Love a Teenage Drug User
by
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February 1, 2004 2 o’clock A.M. “Is this Matt’s mom?” “Yes.” “This is Andrew. I hate to be the one to tell you this but Matt just got arrested”. “For what?” “ Possession.” “What did he have?” “Speed.” “Was he the only one who got arrested?” “Yes.” “Why wasn’t any one else arrested?” “No one else had drugs.” “Is this something new for Matt?” “Yes, pretty new.” “I gotta go.” THIRTY MINUTES LATER I called the police department searching for Matt’s whereabouts when I had finally collected myself. Police department “I just received a call that my son was arrested and I am trying to find out where he is and what to do.” “What’s his name?” “Matthew Gilchrist.” “No, I don’t find anything yet. Call back in an hour or so.” SECOND CALL ONE HOUR LATER My anxiety had risen considerably…. Police department “I’m trying to locate my son. He was arrested 2 hours ago”. “His name?” “Matthew Gilchrist, he was arrested near 3rd and Broadway.” “Oh yeah, we just rounded up a bunch of crack cocaine users.” “That’s right… c r a c k c o c a i n e… your son was using c r a c k c o c a i n e!” “What should I do?” “Come in, in the morning with bail and get a public defender.” Needless to say this was not reassuring and I felt sicker than before. A very long hour passed before Matt called. ANOTHER HOUR PASSES “Hi mom, did Andrew call you?” “Yes.” “Please come and get me”. “Is it scary there?” “Yeah, kind of, just get me soon please.” I laid awake for what was left of the early morning hours. No sleep, no crying, just shock and FEAR! Fear of what was to come. Fear of the unknown. Fear for Matt’s safety. Fear for Matt’s life. Hopelessness, helplessness, and complete and utter feelings of numbness haunted me. I was totally unprepared for that first phone call and the visceral reaction that followed. We have all seen the movie version of someone getting bad news who faints dead away. This sounds like an overreaction, right? It was not too far off the real thing for me. I felt dizzy, thought I was going to pass out, got nauseated and felt my blood pressure rise. Then fear and worry kicked in. My first thought was to leave him there to teach him a lesson but after a very early morning phone call to a friend who is an attorney, we were immediately referred to his colleague, who specialized in criminal defense, and we were instructed to get him out as soon as possible since it was Friday and he would be sent to County Jail for the weekend. We were told that this was a place we definitely did not want our 19 year old son to be sent.
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About the Book
My Kid is Doing Drugs and Got Arrested: Now What? is my story of hope and success. The book gives information about the widespread societal problem of teen substance abuse. It explains how teens become hopelessly addicted to drugs and the horrible feeling of craving that drives the teen to use drugs. It alerts parents to the subtle signs of substance abuse and explains the connection with co-existing mental illness. More importantly, I tell my personal story of my son, Matt’s rock bottom drive into the depths of addiction and his coexisting bipolar disorder, and how as a family we dealt with it. You will learn about Matt’s arrest, rehab, and recovery told from my perspective as a mother and health care provider. I offer insight into the feelings of fear, hopelessness, and failure as a parent. You will learn how this problem affected my family and how we weathered the storm. I use stories that illustrate important issues for parents to recognize in their teens. Suggestions for treatment are offered
About the Author
Donna Beard Gilchrist is the mother of a recovering junkie. She is a very successful Nurse Practitioner with over 35 years of patient care experience. Donna holds a Masters Degree in nursing and is a Board Certified Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner. She practiced at a large HMO in the Los Angeles area for 35 years and is currently employed by a large University in Los Angeles as a College Health Nurse Practitioner. She has been a visiting instructor to a California State University. She also taught for many years in a Nurse Practitioner Educational Program. She has been a speaker at numerous continuing education programs for Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants. In addition to her current college health practice, Donna has become a popular speaker on campus to student groups about how to stay healthy while attending college. Donna was blind sided when she discovered that her teenage son was a substance abuser and feels her new mission is to tell parents her story of hope and success.