MONDAY GRATEFUL POST

Good Morning Everyone,

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.   I had a really good one.   Spent the day at Teen Challenge with my son and all his fellow roommates there.   It was kinda sad when some of the guys came up to me and hugged me crying cause they were missing their families.    I seem to have taken  on the role of Mom to all the 36 men that are there.   I came in with 2 huge boxes of junk food for them all.    Today I am grateful the opportunity to have had the opportunity to be with all these guys on Christmas and hopefully brighten those guys and my sons day.   Grateful for all the amazing changes that are taking place in my middle son's life.    Grateful that he is drug free and on the right track finally and the other guys at Teen Challenge too.   Grateful for my WLS after a lifetime of being morbidly obese and for mantance for 6 yrs not having that much of a regain.   Life is good and I am so Grateful for my family, friends, Faith and answered prayers that come my way daily.    Grateful for all the wonderful people here on Obesity Help and SO very grateful for OH.    Grateful for support groups that keep me and so many others on track.     PLEASE share with us if you will what you too are grateful for today.   Have a blessed day and please be safe if you are out and about today.


Hugs and blessings ~~~ Vivian

 My good wishes to you, your son and all of his roommates.  I am familiar with Teen Challenge, and they have a good reputation.  I have worked in addiction for the majority of my life, and witnessing recovery on a mass scale is like watching a garden bloom.  I think Teen Challenge has a year long program, right?  That's good - the longer the program, the better the stats for long-term sobriety.  

 Yes....Teen Challenge is a year long program and then after that they can stay on another 6 months and work with the students if they wish.    I am SO very proud of my son and many many of the other young and not so young men there.    I know my son once told me that I did NOT understand addiction.    I looked at him and said....NO not drug addiction because I have NEVER done any drugs.   BUT I face my food addiction every time I eat food.    Thank you for your kind words.  

Hugs and blessings ~~~ Vivian

My best friends daughter is in jail for possession and use.  Cocaine and Marijuana.  She is 35, has 3 children 13,12 and 5. She has had drug problems for a lifetime.  He middle son was a cocaine baby and if not for his aunt he would have become a ward of the state of CA.  She fell off about 2 years ago and has put her husband and family through misery beyond belief.  It is a relief for them for her to be in jail. While she out and about she became pregnant with whose baby, who knows.  Just hoping the jail time dries her out.  At least this baby won't be born addicted.  Just breaks my heart.  Wish she had gotten to Teen Challenge when she was a teen. 

I enjoy your posts but don't always reply.  Hope you have a Happy, Blessed New Year.

 NanaRose.....my son is NOT a teen.   He is 26 yrs. old.   Teen Challenge ISN'T just for teens.    There are teen facilities but the one my son is at is for men 18 - 65 yrs. old.   It has about a 90% success rate for the one's who COMPLETE the year long program.   The only thing is.....it is NOT a lockdown facility.   They can walk out at ANY time.   They have to genuinely WANT to change their lives.    I see the guys come in and they are all shy and it is wonderful seeing them open up and God to heal them from their addictions.    Your family could talk to the courts and ask if she could be court ordered to a Teen Challenge.   BTW....I was told the courts think real highly of Teen Challenge.   There are LOTS of the guys there that were ordered there from jail...some from other states.     Their program is totally amazing.    I will keep your best friends daughter in my prayers.   Tell her about Teen Challenge and tell her to go online and read about them.   I think it is TeenChallenge.org.    Please keep me informed on her.   I will pray that everything will work out for her.

Hugs and blessings ~~~ Vivian

Thank you so much.  I will tell them about this program and see if something might be arranged for her.  Thanks for the prayer, they are all that will change this young woman and her children need for her to be there so badly. 

My parents are ministers and I'm very familiar with Teen Challenge.  I'm an ER nurse and when my patients ask me for help, I recommend Teen Challenge.  Their success rate for people who complete the program and are still clean five years after is approximately 90%.  The national success rate for any other substance abuse program five years later is less than 5% (per specific program - it goes up for each subsequent event, meaning that the more times you fail, the higher your chance of succeeding the next time.  An important thing for people to remember when they get discouraged.)

So, hooray!  :)  I'm very happy your son is getting help and that he is in a program with such successful results. 

Also, you encourage me.  One of the reasons I come back to this site as often as I do is to keep reminding myself (especially since I've not lost any weight in the last week) that I'm on my way to success as well.

:)

Stephanie

 Thank you Stephanie.    We go to a church and all 3 of my sons grew up around Teen Challenge Ladies.    Our church sponsers them and we are their home church too.    So Teen Challenge to me was the ONLY option although 3 yrs ago to did go to a secular drug rehab.   That didn't work.    But then....they have to be ready to submit to Teen Challenge.    It's a very strict and structured program and it is exactly what he needed.    God is still working on him....he is still after 5 months there having a few minor problems.    I keep telling him to just submit and let God heal him and quit fighting it.   He feels that God has called him to preach.    Please keep him in your prayers.   His name is Shawn and thank you for your kind words.    Contact me anytime.    I DO answer emails and read all replies to my posts.   Even though some people have said I don't.    YOu have a blessed day and keep on with your WLS program and the weight WILL come off.   Mine came off slower than I wanted too but by one year it was off.    Bless you my sister and have a wonderful day.


Hugs and blessings ~~~ Vivian

 I have to admit, I have a teen challenge just up the road from me and I have never offered my support. Thank you ladies for opening my eyes. I think i will have to stop by after the first of the year and see if their is anything they need help with. 

Blessings for a great New Year

Pam

 Pam.....Teen Challenge is a Faith based addiction program that has at least a 90% success rate.   They are ran on donations from individuals and churches.    They also make crafts and sell them in front of Walgreens, Sam's Club, Walmart, etc. and sell....jewelry, plaques. crosses and various other things.    I know I have gone to where my son is fundraising and I myself have talked to lots of people about Teen Challenge who tell them about loved ones who have gone through rehab programs and came out only to start reusing drugs.     IMHO....you have to change the person from the "inside out",  My son was adopted by us from birth.   His birth parents were addicts.   In fact when he met her in July she told him she did herion when she was carrying him.    That was the straw that broke the camels back so to speak.     He came to me and told me he was ready for Teen Challenge and didn't want to end up like she was.    She is living in a storage bldg. behind someones home without heat and air and paying $20 a week.    She is crippled and has  many many health issues and looks like a 80 yr. old.    She is 58.    So very very sad.    God took that situatiion of meeting her to finally open my son's eyes to his future if he didn't change.   Sorry for the long post about this Pam.    But trust me....I know you would not be sorry doing anything for Teen Challenge.    Also they are Nationwide.    You have a wonderful week and a very Happy New Year.


Hugs and Blessings ~~~ Vivian