Frequently asked questions

Why I wrote this book?
Why do parents need drug prevention education?
What Is Drug Prevention Education?
Why Is My Book Different?
What's My Opinion On Teenage Drug Experimentation?
Where is my book available?

Why I wrote this book?

As I left the drug rehabilitation center, I had no idea what I would do with myself, apart from being Mummy and adoring that prospect. Then friends and parents concerned about their children's future started asking me lots of questions about drugs. This made me acutely aware that, unfortunately, I knew just about everything there was to know about drug use, abuse and addiction.

This realization helped me appreciate that, as a parent, I could now use my knowledge to help raise my own children. In fact, I think when it comes to negative experiences and problems, there is almost nothing left that my children could possibly experience that I haven't experienced already.

I became very conscious that I was in an advantaged position, in some respects, over other parents. Most parents don't have personal experience with severe drug addiction when trying to safeguard their children's future.

I also reasoned that, in addition to obvious personal reasons, I had literally been spared from death on more than a dozen occasions because I had a greater mission in life. I wanted, needed, to help others learn from my mistakes and misfortunes. I felt compelled to share my knowledge, my story, so I could bring Good to others from all the misery I had endured.

After great consideration, I decided that the best place to start would be at the beginning: children and drug prevention.

Thus, I wrote, "Ever Wondered if your child will use drugs?"

My aim in writing this book is to explain clearly to parents the importance of drug prevention methods and in being prepared, rather than to despair because they waited too long.


Why do parents need drug prevention education?

I have found most parents research the available drug material only after they sense their child may already be using drugs. Parents must realize the importance of being prepared when it comes to the issue of drugs. Fearful, they wonder how to go about it.. Is it already too late? It is never too late! Parents need to know they can make all the difference in protecting their children.

Parents are in key positions to monitor their children's environment, development, welfare and stimuli. When considering potential drug involvement, it is crucial that parents be the ones who are armed with the facts.

Furthermore, communication is a key element in staying in touch with children and knowing what is going on in their world. It is also the most crucial element of drug prevention methods. Parents need to discuss drugs and drug issues with their children. How can they do this if they have little or no knowledge of drugs and what's available today?

Prevention education can help parents identify possible reasons behind why all is not okay with their child. For example: if children are displaying negative or strange changes in their behavior, attitude or appearance, parents can use this information to help them determine if these changes are possibly drug related. It will also help parents to recognize signs of drug use or to identify drug paraphernalia.

Even the best of parents can't presume to know what the future holds for their child.

Why? Unfortunately, it's because we as parents do not experience what our children experience in their lives today. We are not able to think our child's thoughts, nor do we have our child's sense of reality or coping skills, and we do not own our child's feelings of self-esteem or self worth.

No matter how much we love them and teach them, children are individuals unto themselves. They will be subject to their own unique experiences.

Often, there will be times when these experiences will require the parent to be on guard. This is when the parents' knowledge and preparation, prior to any exposure their children may have to drugs, will help to prevent or help reduce their child's future involvement.

Why even debate it? If parents never need the information, won't that be wonderful? Nevertheless, by having it and being prepared, parents are actually much less likely to ever need it. They will already be on the alert.

Parents work so hard to earn enough to ensure their children's college education and I think, what good is this if their children's physical, emotional and mental well-being is at risk? If all it took to help safeguard their children's future were for parents to read, learn and talk about the issue of drug use, what parent would pass up this opportunity? What parent wouldn't take the time to learn?


What Is Drug Prevention Education?

This may seem like a straightforward question but, in fact, many people have the misconception that drug prevention education is only concerned with knowing the different drug types, what they look like and what they're called.

Yes, knowledge on drug types is a vital element in drug education and I have included a thorough section on this in my book. Knowing what drugs look like, their street names, what paraphernalia is involved, even home-made devices, how to recognize physical and behavioral side effects of drug use and other problems drug use can cause, is definitely essential for parents to be able to detect drug use.

However, when you take into account the fact that a child doesn't just change from one who will never consider using drugs, to one who says, "OK, I'll give it a go," then a parent must realize there is almost always an underlying change which develops before the child makes that decision.

Therefore, I passionately believe, when considering drug prevention methods, parents need to be aware there are other issues equally as important as drug identification and detection of use. I believe children need to be taught life skills, how to deal with the realities of life, forming sound values and keeping within boundaries and the consequences of breaking the rules. Parents need to provide positive reinforcement to build self-confidence and self esteem in their children. Parents also need to practice a habit of open, healthy communication with their children in order to stay in touch with their world, what is important to them so their children feel free to discuss their problem issues.

I have included all of these topics in my book because I believe, if parents teach their children guiding principles and essential life skills, these important lessons will help children to govern their own actions and contribute to healthy decision making.

I remember when I was in rehab we had many classes on life skills, how to build your self-esteem, how to recognize whether you had healthy thinking or not, how to recognize depression and how to practice positive self talk. I often thought to myself, "Why did it take me 31 years and to be in a drug rehab before I learned all of this stuff?" I knew that if I had known these basic life skills beforehand, I could have helped myself more than I actually did. Instead, I felt completely overcome with my negative, distorted feelings. If I'd had self-help tools I could have recognized what was going on inside.

The question I ask is this: "Why isn't this information better promoted as an essential part of a child's education through their school and home?"

This is why I know the content of my book is all-inclusive. I have personally learned from all my terrible experiences what really needs to be taken into account when trying to prevent problems from developing.


Why Is My Book Different?

I set up my publishing business EVER WONDERED(tm) for a specific reason, so I could filter and compile the information I provide through the unique prism of personal experience. There are many drug educators, but not many who possess this crucial element of life experience. This is why EVER WONDERED(tm) and my book "Ever Wondered if your child will use drugs?" is so different, and why it will have such an impact on the development and delivery of drug education.

Through my research, I have discovered parents ask standard questions relating to drug use and their children, but most information providers only answer parent's standard questions with standard responses. This is understandable because the whole issue is so complex and diverse for all parties concerned; however, I felt parents needed, and deserved, more comprehensive responses to their questions. Because of my knowledge on the subject I believe my book fulfils these needs, and the inclusion of my personal experiences give these answers a greater dimension, to help parents better relate to the whole subject.

I know it is not essential to have 'walked the road' in order to provide sound drug education, but I still maintain, how better to know a subject than to have lived it? Drug addiction is not something one would wish to experience but, because I have, I'm able to structure the content of my book more effectively.


What's My Opinion On Teenage Drug Experimentation?

While there aren't any illicit drugs that are classified as instantly addictive, there are plenty of drugs or drug cocktails, which upon first use, can kill!

In addition to first use dangers, there is also NO guarantee which path initial drug use will lead a child. For example: Two children experiment. One uses for a while, then, later decides he doesn't want to continue; however, the other child's initial use, as in my case, equaled the beginning of a long, downward path into drug addiction. Who can say which path their child will follow? And why?

Who knows, when children first use a drug, which child has a greater propensity to addiction, be it through psychological issues, emotional or environmental elements, even addictive genes, which combination will lead to a drug problem?

This makes me question what I would think and do if my own daughters experimented with drugs. If I had my choice, I would never want my daughters using drugs. However, I am a realist. Children experiment with all sorts of things, even drugs. The fact is, even though I stand in a very good position to help my children avoid drug involvement because of all my knowledge of drugs, I still have no guarantees. No parent does.

The other fact is, every child, just like every adult, has free will - the right to make choices and mistakes. All we can do is guide and prepare them as best we can. Even though children may make choices that make their parents cringe, the best possible position parents can possess is an informed one, especially if they want to "cut problems off at the pass."

My knowledge gives me the advantage of effective preparation and the ability to recognize any disturbing signs immediately.

Being prepared, informed and educated on drug prevention methods enables parents to best tackle difficult situations like drug experimentation, hopefully reducing what negative or dangerous repercussions their child is exposed to because of free will actions.

Love is the key. Most parents will walk through fire if it will keep their child safe. Becoming informed, through reading my book, is a much easier, secure, effective route.


Where is my book available?

"Ever Wondered... If Your Child Will Use Drugs?" is available in paperback and
electronic form at Ever-Wondered.com.

That's Ever hyphen Wondered dot com.

Between my book's covers, parents will find all the information they need to protect their child's future.

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