Introduction Addictions Unit

What does culture mean? Culture is the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people, defined by everything from language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts. What does this have to do with addictions?

Drug Culture Based on your own experience, what are some examples of ideas or actions that are a part of drug culture?

“I hate pot. I hate it even more than hard drugs “I hate pot. I hate it even more than hard drugs. I’ve taught high school for 25 years and I hate what marijuana does to my students. It goes beyond missing homework assignments. My students become less curious when they start smoking pot. I’ve seen it time and time again. People say pot makes you more creative, but from what I’ve seen, it narrows my students’ minds until they only reference the world in relation to the drug. They’ll say things like: “I went to the beach and got so high,” or “I went to a concert and got so high.” They start choosing their friends based on the drug. I hate when people say that it’s just experimenting. Because from what I’ve seen, it’s when my students stop experimenting.” 

The Truth…

What does it mean to “Be Proactive?” Be Proactive –It means to take responsibility for your actions and being the driver of your life, not the passenger. What kinds of things did we hear in the video that influenced the peoples decisions to try/use drugs? You make decisions – there is no one else to blame for bad decision making…

“End in Mind” Means: Deciding where you want to go in life. Deciding what your values are and setting goals. Thinking beyond today. Deciding what direction you want to take with your life. How can this help you?

The Final Word…

Why is it so important to have an End in Mind? When you come to critical crossroads in your life it will help you choose the right path. When faced with the decision to try a drug/alcohol you will know what the consequences may be – what will you lose? Choosing who you spend your time with can be a critical crossroad. Why?

Put First Things First… …means to put your “most important” things first. How do we know what are the most important things? Whatever will help you to achieve your “end in mind” – anything that will help you reach your goals.

Question How does addiction impact putting “first things first?” What are some things an addict may do in order to get their drug of choice? Steal Prostitute Lie Manipulate Panhandle Criminal activity

Intervention Tiffany episode – watch as much as needed to get point across