It is very easy to slip into a pattern.
One of the things we are always trying to do with our Drug Class Program is to challenge teens to look at what they believe to be true. What we believe to be true really controls our actions.
We went though all the things this particular group believed to be true about marijuana and of course some was true some wasn’t. At the end of the class I asked who was willing to take a break from using from using marijuana a few hands went up and I said ”good job” a few more went up and I said “really good job, it takes a lot of courage to try this”. Then one of the kids who had been arguing the most and had some pretty strong opinions about why weed wasn't a problem stuck his hand up, “really!” I said, “Sure, why not, I’ll give it a try” he said. I just said “thanks.”
The next week when I was back at that school I called him to my office. I asked how the experiment went and he said pretty good. So I asked him to explain. He said he did the week clean and of course I congratulated him and asked him to explain. He said for the first couple of days he really missed it and then he realized he was starting to feel better, it was easier to wake up in the morning and things were making more sense, then he realized that he was getting along with his parents better and the biggest thing was that he wasn't as angry all the time. I asked what his plan was and he relied that he was pretty much going to leave it alone.
As he was leaving, he said "thanks".
I’ll keep checking with him.
