I became a member because I wanted to be more involved with people in the community who share similar values and have a safe space to be open and discuss things that concern me or the people I care about. Talking about projects and workshops we are interested in.
Many habits are formed at our age, and it’s essential to learn what the danger zones are while you’re still young. Peer-to-peer conversations are so meaningful because many teens feel their parents are talking AT them… not listening. They rebel and often turn toward drugs and alcohol because of peer pressure or FOMO (fear of missing out). We talk and get to the root of WHY they are self-medicating. We talk but Listen more. Listen, affirm and help them understand the Brain science of addiction.
Our coalition is a great opportunity to work on skills we can use throughout our lives; we create activities we like doing and help others discover new passions that can make them happy without turning to self-destructive behaviors. It’s crucial to form good habits and try to prevent one another from making bad choices or going down the wrong path. It helps when you know or work with others who share a similar mindset. It makes you feel good to help others and know you’re doing something positive.
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What kind of events, prevention resources and other things would you like to see implemented in your community?
Lauren – Find guests to talk about addiction when they were our age to hear how it started, what were the curves in the road that led to decisions and changed the course of their life. Our school district has partnered with the coalition in the past and has brought in speakers like Mark Mero and Chris Herron, a former basketball star to share their insights to tackling issues today’s students are facing. Many people are willing to share their experiences with young people, and our coalition can provide a platform for the kind of interactions where we can learn from each other.
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