Futile Attempts at Teenage Sobriety

Futile Attempts at Teenage Sobriety

All of my attempts at teenage sobriety proved fruitless. My parents were fed up with me and didn’t have anywhere to turn to. If Visions had been in operation ten years ago, it would have perfectly suited not only my needs, but those of my family members as well.
At a mere 16 or 17 years old, my life as I knew it was spiraling out of control. Plummeting grades, outlandish behavior, and an increasing chemical dependence were the grim components of my existence. At this point, my parents had exhausted every possible resource. I was certainly no stranger to therapy, group or individual, or medications of all sorts. As a last ditch effort, my parents dropped me off at a small AA meeting in Venice Beach, CA. As I walked in, I was horrified. 4 or 5 bikers sat in a small room where the couches were as old as the musty stench that filled the room. Collectively, they shared amongst them one full set of teeth and had stained fingertips from smoking cigarettes down to the filter. I vowed right then and there that I was not and would never be an alcoholic. I could not identify with these people. I was young, had a family, and had all my teeth. Little did I know that alcoholism takes many shapes and sizes and does not discriminate. I also was unaware that there was a young peoples’ meeting right down the street.
If only Visions had been in existence! If only they could have pointed my family and I in the right direction. Visions is a safe haven for troubled adolescents and their families who may be wrought with strife and turmoil. Not only does it start the recovery process, but it also provides an honest open forum for family units who want to rebuild and reconnect. Clinical staff address every imaginable issue an adolescent or their family may face this day and age. Too bad they weren’t around when I was an afflicted teen. However, I am so grateful to now be a part of the process.

Staff Member's Continued Education

I am a student at Loyola Marymount working to get my CADAC certification. In my Choice Theory class, we had to make a lesson plan and a syllabus to teach the inmates at CIW, a women's prison in Chino, CA about Choice Theory. This past Saturday we went to go meet the women at CIW and introduce the material that we will be helping them learn. It was the most amazing experience of my life. The women were so motivated to learn and seemed so excited. They were so open and honest and I got learn about their stories and their lives. It was so humbling, and made me so grateful for what I have in my life today. I could have been one of those women. Some of them were addicts and alcoholics. There was one woman there who had been in that prison for 21 years. It was amazing to me to see that she still hadn't given up on life, and was here trying to learn so that she could still make better choices. It was so inspiring. I plan on keeping in contact with the women I met there, and being of service to them as best I can. This experience has opened my eyes and made me realize how lucky I am, and how prison isn't the end for any of us.

I’ve Found My Place

I’ve Found My Place

All my life, all I ever wanted was to feel like I fit in. I always felt as if I was on the outside looking in. I never felt like I belonged. When I was a teenager at fifteen, I got high on drugs for the first time, and finally felt like I fit. I felt comfortable in my own skin and felt a sense of belonging. The only problem was that the high only lasted for so long. And, when t came to an end, I craved more; more of that sense of belonging. So, for the next 5 years, that is what I did, I chased that feeling by drinking alcohol and using drugs. No matter what, it was never enough because the feeling was not genuine. I needed an illicit drug or pharmaceuticals to produce it for me because I did not know that what I needed was to start to love myself.

Now that I have been sober for a couple years, have worked the 12 steps, and practice the principles of the program in my life, I have finally found my place in the world. I finally feel like I fit. It has definitely been a long and strenuous journey, but it gets better each day. I no longer need a drug to make me feel ok; I can be ok on my own. And, my newfound sense of belonging is no longer temporary. It will be with me as long as I remain in contact with my higher power and stay connected in Alcoholics Anonymous.

If feels good to love who I am today. My life is far greater than I ever imagined it would be.

Elizabeth M

Nancy Reagan

Nancy Reagan. My involvement with Visions and my work with teens in their efforts in recovery can all be traced, I believe, to Nancy Reagan.

I was only two years old when the first lady of our nation began championing the “Just Say No” generation into action. There were endless public service announcements and nationwide elementary school campaigns in effort to stop the next wave of drug users from making the same mistakes our parents did. sThere we were, smack dab in the middle of the decade of self-indulgence, signing sobriety pacts years before we would start wearing deodorant.


The first lady’s anti-drug movement was about as effective as all the other trickle-down syndrome policies of the Reagan administration. Fast-forward ten years and those same children were doing the same drugs we were warned about. The ‘Just Say No’ moniker, as much a part of Saturday morning as cartoons and
fruit loops, gave the impression that the disease of alcoholism and addiction was a question of will. We were made to believe that fighting this progressive and fatal affliction was so simple. “Would you like onions on your burger?” No thanks. “Would you like to trade self worth and the innocence of childhood for jails, institutions, or death?” No thanks. As we now know, there is a lot
more to it than that.


For most people, these questions are that simple, but for people like me and the brilliant young people I have the gift to work with; it takes a complete psychic change as brought forth from working the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. This is why I do what I do. It is my wish to dispel the myth of willpower as a solution to our disease, and usher a new era of tolerance and understanding in
the fight that Nancy lost.

The Chemical Dependency Counselor: Nurturer

A Chemical Dependency Counselor is both a nurturer and a disciplinarian. The clients that we work with at Visions definitely need structure. They are in denial that their lives are spinning out of control. Most of them have a dangerous combination of low self-esteem and an invincibility complex. Academically, their grades are dropping due to a lack of motivation and numerous absences. Their family is falling apart because of a breakdown in communication. By the time our clients reach us, their parents have lost trust and are extremely frustrated. That’s where I come in.

As a Chemical Dependency Counselor, I attempt to help the client put the fractured pieces of their lives back together. The trick is finding a balance between providing the necessary structure, but in a nurturing way. The basic problem with the kids I see is that they don’t have the tools they need to deal with the problems of adolescence. They try to fix themselves with drugs and alcohol. I teach them new ways to cope with the stress of being a teenager. My clients are educated about addiction as a disease of the mind and the body. They need to find new ways to process their feelings. I assist them in finding outside support, such as a sponsor and good 12 Step meetings. I meet with them individually throughout the week, formally and informally. When the client leaves Visions, the clinical team tries to make sure that everything is in place so that the transition will be easy. Working with the clinical team, I help in planning a home contract that will keep them on the road that they started in treatment. Even though we do everything possible to ensure success, not knowing how things will work out is one of the hardest parts of my job.

My path began during my adolescence. I went off the deep end. I “bottomed-out,” felt lost, and had nowhere to turn (or so I thought). Fortunately, I found AA and now I am a recovering addict, so I bring a wealth of experience to my job. I’ve been working at Visions for three years. I started out as a Program Aide and I am now a counselor. I completed a two-year program at Glendale Community College. I have helped many young people regain their hope and sanity. I remember one particular client who came in with low self-esteem. He couldn’t imagine life without alcohol. After a couple of months of working the program and sharing his feelings, he used his personality to become a leader, sharing his confidence, and speaking at meetings. Now, others want to be like him because he has the structure and the discipline that he lacked while he was using.

Brian Wildason