SoberWorld Interview With Prescription Addiction Radio

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Host: Patricia, SoberWorld Magazine, how are you tonight?

Patricia: I’m good, thank you so much for having me on your show.

Host: Well, thanks for calling in.  SoberWorld Magazine.  You’re… where are you located?

Patricia:  I’m located in Boca Raton Florida

Host: Not too far from our previous guest: Kelsey.

Patricia: No, we’re the next town over.

Host: She’s in Del Rey.

Patricia: Yes, that’s the next town.

Host: Derek, do you do business with people in the Clearwater/Tampa area?

Derek:

Patricia: Do what?

Host: You just find the best in the country, is that what you were going to say?

Derek: Well, yeah.

Host: Well, Patricia, so you’re sponsoring the golf tournament.  Before we talk about the golf tournament, SoberWorld magazine.  I, quite frankly, I just found out about it.  Please, tell us more.

Patricia: Oh, it would be my pleasure.  I started the SoberWorld in memory of my son, Steven, who I lost to an overdose three years ago.  I wanted to do something to help not only the addict, but the parents and the families because I believe they’re the ones that really suffer through all this.  It’s really an epidemic right now in our country and people need help.  SoberWorld is an informative magazine that is loaded with a lot of really wonderful resources that could take someone straight through recovery.  From the lawyers, who hopefully work out getting their clients in for treatment rather than jail, to the interventionist, detox centers, rehab, sober living, extended care, etc.

We have a lot of wonderful articles from clinicians, authors, and doctors from all around the country, submitting articles.  In conjunction with that we’re also expanding the website nationally, so this way anyone suffering from addiction or anyone who has a loved one suffering, no matter where they live, they can access these resources, as well as the magazine.

Host: Now when you say magazine, is it a physical piece that does get mailed out and distributed?

Patricia: Yeah, it’s both, we are online electronically as well as it’s a physical magazine and we directly mail the magazine to whoever’s been arrested for drugs or alcohol in Palm Beach County.  So, it is getting into the hands of those who need it.  In addition to that we distribute locally the magazine to every high school guidance counselor and every middle school coordinator.  We distribute to the Broward County School Substance Abuse Expulsion program.  The magazine is just in a lot of other places: The Palm Beach County drug court, the meeting halls, coffee houses, doctor’s offices.  I mean, anywhere we can think of to get directly into the hands of those who need it, because I’m sure that you know there’s such a stigma today always attached to addiction.

So many families turn the other way, they hide their head in the sand and they’re afraid to reach out to anyone for help. I wanted to be able to have something that they can pick up when they’re going in for coffee or they’re in their doctor’s offices or wherever they are, I wanted them to be able to pick up this magazine and at least be able to take it home with them and read about the resources and to maybe understand that they’re not alone.

It’s just such an epidemic and I think what’s happening now is so many people are starting to open up a little bit and it’s – and we’re getting the word out that this is an epidemic and it’s affecting everyone.  You know, everyone thinks that everyone has that perfect family, but – and that they’re alone – but they’re not.

Host: You talk about getting the word out, and of course the radio show’s mantra is “Education, Education, Education.”  I keep wondering when we’re gonna reach the crescendo, where the information is actually going to get out there in a factual sense, when people start understanding a little bit better the distribution – the over distribution – of drugs that are being created.

Patricia: Right, well I think that what’s happening now is there are so many people that are overdosing and there’s a lot of people politically that are, I think, starting to now address the situation.  I think that… I think personally, like within the next year, we’re going to see some changes, I’m hoping.  But as far as the doctors – they’re still writing out their prescriptions and a lot of young lives are being lost and a lot of people are becoming addicts who never would have become an addict.  You have people in their 70’s that are becoming addicts.

Host: Are you amazed that when you tell people you’ve never met before that you do the SoberWorld Magazine…in the last year or two or even this last three years have you run into anybody who doesn’t know somebody that’s been affected in some way, shape or form?

Patricia: No, no, everybody knows somebody.  Everybody.  It’s sad.  It’s really sad.

Host: You know, I’m really curious about the magazine SoberWorld, of course.

Patricia: I have to send you a copy.

Host: Well, we’re gonna get you the address.  But I appreciate that.  I’d love to see it.  It’s really long overdue to have met each other, Patricia.  I’ll share that with you on air.

Patricia: Thank you

Host: But we had that conversation earlier today and as you indicated there are so many people that are pounding the drums on this topic that it’s almost too bad that we don’t have one major organization that is doing it right.  We just don’t right now, quite frankly, we just don’t, but that’s another issue.

Patricia: Yeah, but there’s a gentleman by the name of Gary Mendell and I don’t know if you’ve heard of him, but you may want to look it up.  He lost his son and there’s something called Brian’s Wish that he’s starting and it should be quite interesting.

Host: I’ll have to look him up.  I’ll keep his name in mind.  But, the SoberWorld Magazine, what… it’s hard for me to say – you lost your son – every time I hear that, it really bothers me greatly, Patricia.  But how did it evolve, how did the magazine evolve from an idea?  Where did you get the idea for it?

Patricia: Well, I know as a parent how I felt when I was first confronted with my son’s drug use.  There is a stigma and you don’t share really how you feel.  I wanted to be able to have people – some people only have one chance – I was very fortunate that I was able to, like Derek, his parents were able to afford to send him to a place like Suncoast and I was very fortunate that I had the ability to send my son as well, and the insurance and everything else.  But there’s so many people out there that they take their last dollar to get their children help.  If they don’t do it the right way, I mean sometimes that’s the only, that’s their only time they have to help their son, so if they don’t do it right…

So I wanted, you can go on the internet and it’s overwhelming, there are so many places out there.  So, I wanted to be able to offer them resources, kind of like one-stop-shopping, in a magazine where they will be able to go on there and if they need an interventionist or they need a rehab or a sober living that they’ll have some solid resources.

Host: Oh, I completely agree with you.  Totally.  I think that the individuals have to find the right program for the proper needs and that’s why…

Patricia: Exactly, you know, some children need a dual diagnosis place, some need a place that specializes, maybe, in trauma.  There’s just so many different components to addiction and you have to find the right facility for your child.  And like I said, some people only get that shot one time, so I just want to try and educate them to all the, everything that’s out there – all the different facilities – as well as in my magazine I have wonderful articles, really.  I think I told you – from clinicians, doctors, from all over the country and they just write about an array of topics, whether it be trauma or ADHD or anxiety, just so many specialists.  They write articles that can really help people understand the correlation between that and addiction.

Host: SoberWorld Magazine, Patricia, SoberWorld Magazine.

Patricia: Yes

Host: Unfortunately, we’re going to have to run.  Last question: Are you a golfer?

Patricia: I’m not a golfer but I love golf, I love watching it, so… I’m gonna keep my eyes on the… on your show here.  I have it on my computer.

Host: Fantastic.  Patricia, SoberWorld Magazine.

Patricia: And I just want to say that I think it’s wonderful what Suncoast is doing and to be able to give that opportunity to someone out there that normally wouldn’t – in normal circumstances wouldn’t be able to go, I just commend them and I think they’re great and I love them all out there.  They’re really wonderful.

Host: Thank you, Patricia, thank you so much.

 

 

NARCONON SUNCOAST

DRUG EDUCATION AND REHABILITATION