Stories Others Have Shared
Below are excerpts of stories that other teens and adults have shared with us. We hope their comments will inspire you to submit your own story. If you do share your story with us, we will contact you for permission before posting any excerpts from it.
Teens
"I was a vicious, malicious, frail tweeker with a BADDDDD attitude. I had so many problems that I didn't want to admit to, see, or -- least of all -- talk about. With time I began to understand how to recognize and accept my past and present in a healthy safe manner. I know that being able to talk about my past and see how it connects to my life now is one of the most important tools I have gained."
Alexa, 18, Portland, Oregon
"I was heading down a path of drug dealing and gang involvement. It was difficult to avoid drugs and gangs growing up. I was totally out of control and heading down a dangerous path...Getting caught was the best thing that could have happened to me. The first six months were really hard. I had to break ties with my friends and even some of my relatives. I learned to believe in myself and knew I could change the direction that my life was going through the love and support of my parents. I was able to turn my life around, but it wasn't easy."
Elliott, Marquette, Michigan
"When I was 15, I started doing meth. By the time I was 16, I was using meth every day…It was normal for me to disappear for long periods of time...My use got heavier than ever before. I was becoming a zombie. This time I could no longer close my eyes to what was going on around me. I called my caseworker and told her I was ready…It has taken me a long time to get over some of the things that have happened to me…As I look back over my journey, which is not over, I think about all the youth in treatment who aren't as lucky."
Tiffiney, 19, Portland, Oregon
"When I was 10 years old my Mom died. And then a few months after that, when I was 11, I had to stay with my grandparents for a year. And that's about when I started using drugs… The next year, by the time I was 12, I was into harder drugs: poppin' pills and stuff. I turned into an alcoholic. By the time I was 14, I was into crack cocaine and I wanted to get off of it and I didn't really know how to do it. So one day I decided to stop that. And after getting busted I got into the drug court program and I started counseling and since then I've been getting clean."
Jesse, Dayton, Ohio
"When I first got into the court system I hated everything about it. Now that I'm older and better, I appreciate everyone for helping me and being able to let them in my life. I joined Project Weave with a thumbs up from the judge. I got attached and knew that this program was teaching me more than anything how to bring myself somewhere in life and become someone to help others choose to have a substance-free lifestyle."
Amber, 18, Marquette, Michigan
"I just want to get off probation. I was off once. But I just kept smoking weed and now I'm ready to quit. It's been four years. I want to get everybody out of my business and get on with my own business."
Amber, 16, Seattle, Washington
"I feel like marijuana wasn't helping me for the simple fact that all it was doing was leading me into trouble: bad friends, court, tickets, all that man. I just realized that it wasn't for me no more."
Rickol, 18, Dayton, Ohio
"They sent me to treatment. Helped me to get hooked up with people that are going to help me to change my life, help me get into a house that is structured, help me find a job and stay in school. And hook me up with good people that are going to help me instead of just going to jail where I'm going to get in more trouble."
Olivia, Seattle, WA
"I look at myself and like who I am. I don't use drugs any more. I feel smarter. I respect myself."
Cheyenne, 15, Dayton, Ohio
"Right now, I feel pretty good about my life, you know. I'd like to stay on track, finish out this school year, you know, and go to college. And hopefully graduate and get a good job."
Andrew, Kentucky
Adults (Judges, mentors and project directors)
"I saw a young man that was, at present time, part of the system. But he wanted to change. And he was on his way. He just needed a little guidance and some assistance, so we were there just to try and show him some of the positive things that he was doing. And that kind of helped instill some trust and he opened up with us. And after that, he was like part of the family."
Darryl Williams, Mentor, Dayton, Ohio
"Everyone shares responsibility for youth success. Systems do change when people's beliefs change."
Charlotte McGuire, Project Director, Dayton, Ohio
"Here in New Hampshire and in the other Reclaiming Futures sites across the country, judges are speaking out on behalf of children who have no voice, drawing the attention of the community to their needs, and working with the community to secure the treatment and other assistance they need to restore them to drug-free and crime-free lives."
Judge Willard "Bud" Martin, New Hampshire
"Drug Court is a specialized court where we try to assist young people who have drug and alcohol problems. They've all been involved with a criminal act. They're all in the court system. But we think through drug court, we can give them specialized treatment to give them a better chance to successfully beat the habit, stay in school and stay out of problems with their family."
Judge Anthony Capizzi, Dayton, Ohio
"We can talk about doing interventions while the kids are at the front end of the system, where it's going to be relatively low cost and where we can get some treatment and services into these children and families…Or we can wait until they go to our juvenile rehabilitation facilities and eventually into our adult facilities or into our adult mental health facilities. There's a cost to the community. Our kids are in trouble. We can either try to remedy it at the front end or remedy at the back end. We're still going to have to pay for it."
Judge Patricia Clark, Seattle, WA