Hello, and welcome to
another edition of Up Close.
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We are coming to
you from the beautiful
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3 Angels SDA
Church in Wichita, Kansas.
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We're so pleased to have
you and our live audience
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join us.
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Today's program will center
on one of the most pervasive
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problems of our
generation: drug addiction.
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If I say "drug addict",
what image pops up in your mind?
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Do you envision someone
with scrambled brains who can
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no longer function normally?
The problem is more widespread
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than most of us
recognize. 73% of all drug use
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is practiced by those
that we, benignly, label as
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"recreational" drug users.
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These are people who
go to work every day,
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some in their 3 piece suits,
but their choice of recreation
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is funding the
traffickers of the world.
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Addiction is a progressive
disease, one that accelerates
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as brain neurochemicals become
depleted by regular drug use.
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This degenerative disease leads
the addict constantly chasing
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after the euphoric high.
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Addicts have an illusion
and they live in this illusion.
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It's an illusion that is a total
denial of truth, but it's time
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that we stopped looking
at drugs as the main issue
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and we need to get to
the bottom of the problem.
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Our first guest, Amanda
Hultz, suffered physical
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and sexual abuse from childhood
at the hands of her father.
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His dirty secret was
hidden for years, but finally
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unveiled when Amanda stood
up at 16 years old to testify
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against him.
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Her father was imprisoned, but
the dysfunction of the family
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was not healed.
When her favorite aunt
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was killed in a car crash,
Amanda felt as if the only
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positive, supporting pillar
in her life had just given way,
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and her whole
world came crashing down.
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Listen to this:
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About a year, between
16 and 17, a friend of mine
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had a brother who was using
methamphetamines and at first
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we started smoking weed
just for a week, and then
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he introduced methamphetamines
to his sister, him and his drug
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dealer did.
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And so she introduced it to
us, there were about 5 of us
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that were all friends, and
she introduced the meths to us.
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In the beginning we would
just do it on the weekends,
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or we were just going
to do it for recreation,
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it wasn't going to become
a habit, it was no big deal,
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we weren't hurting anybody,
that's what we kept saying
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to everyone.
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It's no big deal,
nobody was getting hurt,
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we were just trying
to have a good time.
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I was half into testifying in
court, all that kind of stuff.
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Well, if I went high, it wasn't
the same as if I went sober.
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It didn't seem as big of a
deal to me, so it helped with
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all that, I felt like it
was drowning everything out.
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I didn't realize that
slowly, I was being dragged into
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this world that was going to
take me 7 years to get out of.
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Here she thought it was nothing
much in her life, and wasn't
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taking it too seriously,
but it became a serious problem.
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Please help me welcome
Amanda Hultz to the program.
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[Audience Claps]
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Amanda, when I look at you,
you're such a pretty young lady,
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it's hard for me to
believe that you've ever had
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a drug problem, but I want to
thank you for coming and sharing
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your testimony with us today.
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Please tell our audience,
how did you go from that point
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of just recreational
drug use into becoming
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a full fledged addict?
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At first, like I
said, it was recreational.
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I just used it on
the weekends, I wanted to
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do it with my friends, to have
a good time, stay up all night
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and play cards, but then
I had to have it on Monday
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because I had to work on
Monday, and then it became
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that I needed it on
Tuesday, and then I needed it
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on Wednesday so that I
could stay up and go to work,
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and then I quit my job all
together, and then I spiraled
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downhill, I needed it everyday.
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Now, how did this
affect your schooling.
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Weren't you a
cheerleader in school?
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I was. I was a
cheerleader. I was captain of my
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cheerleader squad and as
soon as I started doing drugs
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I actually dropped
out of high school.
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And you were a very
good student, right?
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I was. I was a good student.
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I was gifted and
talented as a child.
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Straight A student as a smaller
child, and then a good student
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in high school.
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So you dropped out of
school and then things began
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to get even worse, what
did you do to actually support
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your drug habit?
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About a year into my
drug use, I ended up becoming
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a drug dealer.
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What was that like for
you? Did it register up here
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for you, Amanda, that you
were doing something illegal,
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or was this just something
that you wanted to do because
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you needed a fix?
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This was something that I wanted
to do because I needed a fix.
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I needed it and I didn't have
the money to support my habit,
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so I did it for the fix.
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Well, there's more to this story
and in fact, Amanda also shared
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with us the rest of the story.
When she married the biggest
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drug dealer in town, she went
further down the slippery slope
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into the abyss, and to
support their drug habit,
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Amanda's husband began
making fake checks and fake IDs.
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So listen to what happened next.
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When I gave birth to my
son, it came crashing down
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on all of us.
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5 days after my son was born,
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they raided our house
and they arrested my husband
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and they charged him with
several counts of forgery, fraud
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and some drug possession.
They released him on bail
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and then had to drop the
charges so he continued to sell
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methamphetamines and we
found out about 4 months after
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they released him that they were
bringing the charges back up.
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So, here we had
a 4 month old son
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and we went on the
run from the police.
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For several
months they followed us
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from city to
city, place to place.
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They would find out, we
would find out that they knew.
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They would raid the house
shortly after we would leave.
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We would live in drug
houses with my infant son,
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where they were,
actually, even manufacturing.
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Then we would leave and the
house would, shortly thereafter,
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be raided, looking for us.
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Finally, one night I was
just done. I told my husband
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that I had a child
that I was going to raise
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and that I couldn't
live like that anymore.
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He said that was fine, I
told him I was going to move in
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with my family, and that he was
going to have to go elsewhere.
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We went to go to the
store and we got pulled over
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by the police.
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What happened that night Amanda?
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The cops surrounded
the car with guns pulled,
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and they knew that my
husband was in the car,
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and they asked him to get out
of the car and at that moment
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he told me that he was done,
that he wasn't going to use
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ever again.
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He actually used the
term that he was rescued,
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not arrested. So here I was,
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I was out, still not having a
place to live, raising a baby,
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I found out shortly
thereafter I was pregnant.
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So you had 1 baby and you
were pregnant with another one.
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Right.
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My husband's in jail and
he tells me that he gets saved
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and that he is
turning his life to Christ.
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And I thought
that was ridiculous.
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Of course, he could say
that. He's in jail, he has a bed
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to sleep in, 3 meals a
day. I have a baby, I'm pregnant
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and I'm trying to
work at a waitressing job.
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We're you still
doing drugs at this time?
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I was still using
marijuana at the time
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for a couple of months,
until I found out I was pregnant
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and then I
stopped using everything.
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When you found
out you were pregnant.
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Your husband calls you and tells
you that he has had an encounter
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with the Lord, that he's
been saved, he's been changed,
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you're not buying it.
You all went to court,
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and what happened at court?
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My husband stood before
the judge and he said that
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"I know what I've done is
wrong and I know that it was"
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"a horrible thing." and he said
"I take full responsibility"
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"for it", but he said "My first
ministry, I would like to be"
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"at home with my wife and my
children, but if I go to prison"
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"I know where God wants
me, so that I can minister"
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"to other men and
lead them to the Lord."
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And the judge's face
softened, and I saw...
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...I saw it happen, I saw
the judge soften, and I knew
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at that moment that he
meant what he said, and that
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the Lord was there, present.
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He was looking at 14
years and that's even what his
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lawyer told him, he would
probably get at least 7-14.
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The judge sentenced him
to 10 years and then told him
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he only had to serve 6
months and he had already served
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4 months, so he got out
within less than 2 months later
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after being sentenced.
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Praise the Lord. Now
let me ask you something,
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were you brought up
in a Christian home?
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I was actually brought
up in a Mormon LDS home.
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Okay, so you were
brought up in a religious home,
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but you really didn't understand
about a personal relationship
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with the Lord.
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No.
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So now, when your husband
only had that amount of time
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given to him by the
judge, did this make you believe
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that there really is a God?
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It did. It made me believe
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and later that night
he called me and I was
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ecstatic, I was so excited.
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I said "I believe, I believe
what you've been telling me."
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And he asked me to
go into a room, private,
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and get on my knees and
that is when I accepted the Lord
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and surrendered
my life to Christ.
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Praise the
Lord. [Audience Claps]
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I think that's wonderful.
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Well, in the rest of
our program we're going
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to try to unveil some of
the causes for drug addiction,
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and we'll also examine
the stages of addiction
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and discuss how we can
become educated enough to lead
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our loved ones to
the road of recovery,
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but most importantly, we will
learn of the resilient nature
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of the human mind.
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There is great hope for recovery
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as Amanda is a testimony
to, so please stay with us.
00:12:19.76\00:12:24.50
We'll be right back.
00:12:24.53\00:12:26.79
We're going to be talking
with Dr. Neil Nedly about
00:12:37.73\00:12:40.95
some of the common symptoms
and the causes of depression.
00:12:40.99\00:12:44.12
And I really hate to say
this, but in all honesty,
00:12:44.15\00:12:47.89
it took every ounce energy
I had to even take a shower.
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I would be in bed
for 5 days at a time.
00:12:52.85\00:12:55.49
It was just the most
debilitating thing I've ever
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gone through in my life.
00:12:59.19\00:13:01.77
And I would just lay there.
00:13:01.80\00:13:04.35
So don't miss it.
00:13:08.25\00:13:11.01
Welcome back to Up Close.
00:13:19.10\00:13:20.81
I'm excited to introduce
our expert guest for today,
00:13:20.85\00:13:23.76
Cheri Peters.
Cheri was a drug addict,
00:13:23.86\00:13:27.23
living on the streets for 10
years, from the ages of 13-23
00:13:27.27\00:13:32.45
before she had an encounter with
God that turned her life around.
00:13:32.70\00:13:37.59
Now Cheri is the director
of the True Step Ministries,
00:13:37.74\00:13:42.20
an international
organization that reaches out
00:13:42.23\00:13:45.30
to at risk people, and
it's located in Kuna, Idaho.
00:13:45.34\00:13:49.88
Cheri is also a Christian
author and has written 2 books:
00:13:49.98\00:13:54.24
"Miracle from the
streets", her life story,
00:13:54.27\00:13:57.03
and "God is crazy about you",
please welcome Cheri Peters.
00:13:57.07\00:14:02.53
[Audience Claps]
00:14:02.56\00:14:04.56
I'm so glad you're here
today, thank you so much.
00:14:04.68\00:14:08.54
You know what cracks me up,
when somebody says an expert
00:14:08.58\00:14:11.24
witness, and I'm
wanting to look around,
00:14:11.27\00:14:13.58
is somebody else
here, because my background
00:14:13.62\00:14:15.79
is an addict. When I
met Amanda was during
00:14:15.82\00:14:17.92
the time that she was pregnant
and Dave was just getting
00:14:17.96\00:14:20.10
out of prison, and those
kind of things, and so I work
00:14:20.13\00:14:22.69
with addicts, and so the
only thing I know for sure
00:14:22.73\00:14:25.26
about God and about
recovery is God does amazing
00:14:25.45\00:14:28.08
things with us. If
somebody ran into me
00:14:28.11\00:14:30.61
at the airport or at the
church, they would never say:
00:14:30.81\00:14:33.16
"You know what? She
looks like a heroin addict."
00:14:33.19\00:14:35.21
You know what I mean is
that they see somebody that's
00:14:35.25\00:14:37.74
in recovery and
that looks healthy.
00:14:37.77\00:14:39.60
Amanda's beautiful, when she
was up there talking with you
00:14:39.80\00:14:42.58
I was just crying because
I thought God is so good.
00:14:42.61\00:14:46.25
So the first thing that I
want to say about recovery is,
00:14:46.38\00:14:49.99
recovery is amazing and
everything that God promises
00:14:50.03\00:14:53.74
about our life in recovery
is true, it's a lot of work,
00:14:53.77\00:14:57.45
but we are so resilient.
00:14:58.20\00:15:00.27
Well you know, what makes
you an expert is this is not
00:15:00.37\00:15:03.47
just theory for you, you've
lived through the lifestyle
00:15:03.51\00:15:06.50
and you've lived through
the recovery and God is doing
00:15:06.53\00:15:09.49
amazing things in your life.
00:15:09.52\00:15:11.57
But in Amanda's case
it was methamphetamines,
00:15:11.62\00:15:15.28
we know that she had an
incredibly dysfunctional
00:15:16.41\00:15:20.14
childhood, what can we tell
about the causes of addiction
00:15:20.18\00:15:25.68
from the choice of addiction?
00:15:25.71\00:15:28.12
With Amanda, she needed
something that would give her
00:15:28.16\00:15:31.30
some power
because she was powerless.
00:15:31.33\00:15:33.20
Methamphetamines
does that, Coke does that,
00:15:34.63\00:15:37.78
anything that's a stimulant,
anything that's going to give
00:15:37.82\00:15:40.84
her the ability to feel
that she can do anything.
00:15:40.87\00:15:45.12
So it's an arousal stage, it's
a hype of high that just says
00:15:45.91\00:15:49.53
that somebody that's powerless,
somebody that's abused,
00:15:49.56\00:15:52.98
somebody has really been damaged
in a dysfunctional family
00:15:53.02\00:15:56.41
will get a lot of
their needs met in that way.
00:15:56.71\00:15:59.50
Serotonin levels, if you know
anything about neurochemistry,
00:15:59.54\00:16:02.64
serotonin levels get
kicked off with amphetamines
00:16:02.67\00:16:05.34
and all of a sudden you feel
euphoric, anything is possible,
00:16:05.39\00:16:08.02
"I can do anything", and
this is from a child that felt
00:16:08.05\00:16:11.09
"I could do nothing
and no one cares about me,"
00:16:11.12\00:16:14.38
"and I couldn't care less
about life" and all of a sudden
00:16:14.42\00:16:16.99
she wants to live, so the first
part, when Amanda was talking
00:16:17.02\00:16:19.99
about the first part of her
00:16:20.02\00:16:21.46
addiction is
everything seemed fun,
00:16:21.49\00:16:22.96
everything was incredible
and then it got to the point
00:16:22.99\00:16:26.38
where I
couldn't do this anymore.
00:16:26.41\00:16:28.04
When I started coming off
of the drug, with an arousal
00:16:28.08\00:16:30.43
kind of high is when I come off
the drug, then my neurochemistry
00:16:30.47\00:16:33.59
is actually flat and I'm
not even producing what I was
00:16:33.62\00:16:36.58
producing before I
felt that euphoria.
00:16:36.61\00:16:38.96
So with her, the stages
about getting more and more
00:16:39.00\00:16:42.18
of the drug, was just a
progression of the addiction.
00:16:42.21\00:16:45.36
Another part of a high is
what's called "saturation".
00:16:45.56\00:16:49.28
Somebody that is needing to
be filled up, they are empty,
00:16:49.31\00:16:53.00
they want to be numbed
from pain, and that was more
00:16:53.03\00:16:55.59
my story. I was
homeless from 13-23,
00:16:55.62\00:16:58.43
my parents were addicts, and
I was empty inside, so I chose
00:16:58.47\00:17:02.57
things like heroin,
marijuana, valium, Zanex,
00:17:02.60\00:17:07.48
things that are going to
sedate me and where I could
00:17:07.52\00:17:10.27
escape, I can step
away totally and escape.
00:17:10.30\00:17:12.62
The last part of a high,
or an addictive personality
00:17:12.94\00:17:16.62
is fantasy, or trance-like
stage, and that's more like
00:17:16.65\00:17:20.26
sexual addictions, but I want
to totally detach from who I am,
00:17:20.30\00:17:23.47
from the pain, or the discomfort
or the reality that I live in
00:17:23.50\00:17:26.64
everyday, I want to
be different from...
00:17:26.67\00:17:29.18
So usually addictions start
with a catalyst of some kind.
00:17:29.28\00:17:33.00
Wanting to be
different than I am
00:17:33.10\00:17:35.09
and finding that in a thing,
in an object or in an event,
00:17:35.34\00:17:39.85
so I'm not finding it in
a person, I'm not finding it
00:17:40.03\00:17:42.56
in anything real, I'm
finding it in something that is
00:17:42.59\00:17:45.09
not real, an illusion.
00:17:45.12\00:17:48.57
So basically, let's
see if I get this right,
00:17:48.63\00:17:52.13
there's 3 types:
there's the arousal,
00:17:52.16\00:17:54.71
the people who are powerless,
who want to be empowered
00:17:54.75\00:17:58.74
and drugs do that for them.
Then there is the sedating;
00:17:58.78\00:18:02.14
people who want to be
numbed and want to forget what's
00:18:02.17\00:18:05.50
going on in their
life. Then the other one is
00:18:05.53\00:18:09.07
the fantasy-like. Would
gambling fall into this?
00:18:09.10\00:18:12.13
Oh yeah. Gambling is
"Oh, I want to win big,"
00:18:12.17\00:18:15.13
"and I want to be a big spender"
and while they're pulling
00:18:15.17\00:18:17.79
the slot machine even if
they're winning or losing,
00:18:17.82\00:18:20.30
that sense of "I'm in
this beautiful place,"
00:18:20.33\00:18:23.06
"and there's chandeliers"
and all that kind of stuff is
00:18:23.10\00:18:26.04
that fantasy "I can be
something other than who I am".
00:18:26.08\00:18:28.95
So all addictions, like cancer,
nobody can really understand
00:18:28.99\00:18:32.37
all kinds of cancers unless
they understand the basic thing
00:18:34.53\00:18:37.91
of cancer, it's multiplying
of these dysfunctional cells.
00:18:37.95\00:18:41.30
In addiction it's the same
thing, there's a common thread
00:18:41.36\00:18:43.70
through all addictions
and that's trying to escape
00:18:43.73\00:18:47.14
into something that's not real.
00:18:47.17\00:18:49.41
Since what you're saying to me,
00:18:49.50\00:18:51.55
let's see if this makes
sense, when somebody gets clean,
00:18:51.88\00:18:57.01
like for example
when she got clean,
00:18:57.16\00:19:00.43
when Amanda was
rid of her drugs,
00:19:00.46\00:19:03.70
that's doesn't mean that
she's not longer a drug addict
00:19:03.86\00:19:06.44
if the cause was still
there, is that correct?
00:19:06.47\00:19:09.06
I wish that when I was a
heroin addict for 10 years
00:19:09.21\00:19:11.74
and somebody said
"Cheri all you've got to do"
00:19:11.77\00:19:13.24
"is stop using heroin". I did,
and my life was still a mess.
00:19:13.28\00:19:16.85
And I'm thinking
"how fair is that?"
00:19:16.88\00:19:18.89
I still didn't know
how to relate to people,
00:19:19.14\00:19:21.36
I was dysfunctional, I
didn't know how to trust,
00:19:21.40\00:19:23.59
I didn't know
how to do anything.
00:19:23.65\00:19:24.92
The first part of breaking
an addiction is to get out
00:19:26.19\00:19:28.62
of denial, and denial
means "I don't even know that I"
00:19:28.65\00:19:31.05
"always lie."
Use it as an acronym.
00:19:31.08\00:19:33.99
"I just don't know
anything". So the first step
00:19:36.93\00:19:41.61
of the first step is
getting away from the drug,
00:19:42.08\00:19:44.90
but that is just
the very beginning.
00:19:45.10\00:19:46.99
We're going to talk more about
recovery in our next segment,
00:19:47.36\00:19:49.66
but let me ask you
this question as well,
00:19:49.69\00:19:51.87
what are some of
the stages of addiction?
00:19:52.80\00:19:55.35
I believe, if you all are
like me, I had a sister who was
00:19:55.52\00:20:00.74
a heroin and drug addict
for 15 years, the Lord healed
00:20:00.77\00:20:05.36
her, literally, over
night, but we didn't recognize
00:20:05.40\00:20:09.96
the symptoms of how
she got started in this,
00:20:10.16\00:20:13.60
and the different
stages of what was going on.
00:20:13.70\00:20:16.27
So what are some of the stages?
00:20:16.30\00:20:18.10
Some people in the
audience will find themselves
00:20:18.14\00:20:20.22
in various stages of addiction.
The first stage is always the
00:20:20.26\00:20:23.73
one where I start to lie to
myself. I'm actually getting
00:20:23.77\00:20:27.21
pulled by something
that has met a need.
00:20:27.24\00:20:29.85
I'm starting to
rationalize within my own mind,
00:20:31.00\00:20:33.26
I'm starting to protect
whatever the behavior is that is
00:20:33.30\00:20:36.04
filling that need, whether it's
drugs, alcohol, sex or whatever,
00:20:36.08\00:20:39.05
eating, workaholism, and
so I'm starting to protect it,
00:20:39.08\00:20:42.09
so the first stage is
very internal, nobody sees it,
00:20:42.12\00:20:45.06
nobody understands that there's
really a change happening.
00:20:45.10\00:20:48.16
The second stage is that
I'm starting to lie to you.
00:20:48.33\00:20:51.54
I'm starting to
say, sex addicts,
00:20:51.64\00:20:55.03
"I'm not really
online doing anything wrong."
00:20:55.07\00:20:57.30
even though they've been
on 3 hours on a porn site.
00:20:57.37\00:21:00.10
They start to lie to the people
around them, they start to
00:21:00.25\00:21:02.91
see you as an enemy; "you
are somehow trying to rob"
00:21:03.21\00:21:06.30
"my only security."
00:21:06.33\00:21:07.85
"I'm not hurting anyone," like
Amanda said, "I'm not hurting"
00:21:08.61\00:21:11.49
"anyone, I'm just having
fun". So what she's trying to do
00:21:11.52\00:21:13.98
right now is rationalize,
and that's the second stage,
00:21:14.01\00:21:16.44
is being able to
rationalize that.
00:21:16.47\00:21:18.04
The third stage, and a lot
of people have seen addicts
00:21:18.08\00:21:21.07
in this stage, they
are totally out of control.
00:21:21.10\00:21:23.66
They are losing jobs,
they are losing spouses,
00:21:23.76\00:21:25.71
they are financially in a mess,
you can start seeing physical
00:21:25.75\00:21:29.90
issues happening with them,
the liver starting to shut down.
00:21:30.10\00:21:32.78
3rd stage is "I'm losing
everything", and I will not
00:21:33.61\00:21:35.73
get out of the third
stage without intervention.
00:21:35.77\00:21:37.86
But there's 3 distinctive
stages in all addictions.
00:21:38.02\00:21:41.50
Now, in the 3rd stage,
isn't it true that their brains
00:21:41.53\00:21:44.94
have been so suppressed, as far
as the serotonin development,
00:21:44.98\00:21:49.52
that they no longer
have rational thinking.
00:21:49.55\00:21:51.68
What's really interesting
about that is some people have
00:21:52.27\00:21:54.63
even said it's like talking
to a schizophrenic, talking to
00:21:54.67\00:21:57.59
an addict in the 3rd stage,
they do not reason with their
00:21:57.63\00:22:00.56
frontal lobe and that's
where we reason, they have done
00:22:00.60\00:22:03.34
PET scans on addicts in this
stage, and there's no frontal
00:22:03.38\00:22:06.09
lobe activity, so
they can't reason.
00:22:06.12\00:22:08.67
When we say "I can't believe
you don't understand this"
00:22:08.71\00:22:10.87
and you're talking to
somebody you love and is totally
00:22:10.90\00:22:13.03
falling apart,
they do not hear you.
00:22:13.06\00:22:15.83
They honestly do not hear you.
When they're manipulating you,
00:22:15.87\00:22:18.36
they don't even know that
they are manipulating anymore.
00:22:18.39\00:22:21.80
That stage is beyond
any kind of reasoning,
00:22:21.83\00:22:24.59
all you can do with that stage
with an addict is pray for them
00:22:25.41\00:22:28.98
and be able to intervene in
short, little spurts with truth,
00:22:29.18\00:22:33.76
and hopefully they
will hear something.
00:22:33.79\00:22:35.83
Have you seen the advertisement
on television where it shows
00:22:36.19\00:22:39.99
the frying pan and then it
says: "This is your brain."
00:22:40.02\00:22:44.03
And then it shows the
fried egg, they crack an egg
00:22:44.06\00:22:48.00
and say "this is your brain on
drugs", the cognitive impairment
00:22:48.04\00:22:52.76
is so bad, that they are
not reasoning, and you can't
00:22:52.86\00:22:56.88
reason with them.
Now, for example, Amanda,
00:22:56.91\00:22:58.99
you told me earlier
that you were in the hospital
00:22:59.03\00:23:02.00
and you were being treated,
your kidneys were shutting down.
00:23:02.04\00:23:05.13
Right. My kidneys were
failing, completely failing.
00:23:05.16\00:23:10.23
I was on
dialysis for a little bit.
00:23:10.92\00:23:13.64
Listen, in the
80's you were 83 pounds.
00:23:13.68\00:23:16.37
I weighed 86 pounds,
I was in the hospital,
00:23:18.69\00:23:20.91
I was so dehydrated that
my kidneys were literally
00:23:20.95\00:23:23.45
shutting down, and I couldn't
wait to get out of the hospital
00:23:23.87\00:23:27.96
so that I could get another fix.
00:23:28.06\00:23:30.02
How long were
you in the hospital?
00:23:30.05\00:23:31.98
3 weeks.
00:23:32.55\00:23:33.52
3 weeks, so in my mind, and
probably in your mind as well,
00:23:33.53\00:23:37.62
we would think that 3 weeks
of no drug use, it aught to be
00:23:37.79\00:23:42.55
out of her system, but yet
they are not thinking properly.
00:23:42.58\00:23:46.52
Well, coming up next we're
going to introduce you to a man
00:23:46.55\00:23:50.46
who battled a
lifelong addiction to drugs,
00:23:50.49\00:23:53.64
so please stay with us
for this encouraging story.
00:23:53.84\00:23:58.00
Are you, or someone
you love, struggling
00:24:02.72\00:24:04.30
with drugs or alcohol?
Do you sometimes wonder
00:24:04.34\00:24:06.66
if there is hope? If so,
we have just the book for you.
00:24:06.70\00:24:09.88
Be encouraged as you
read the promises that God
00:24:09.91\00:24:11.97
has given in His word. Call or
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00:24:12.01\00:24:15.16
of "God's promises"
for your every need.
00:24:15.19\00:24:17.66
You can write to us
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00:24:17.70\00:24:20.06
Or call during
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00:24:25.13\00:24:27.05
Ask for Up Close Offer Nr. 2.
00:24:30.32\00:24:32.76
Welcome back to Up
Close. Today we're talking about
00:24:38.64\00:24:41.87
recovery from drug
addiction, and our next guest
00:24:41.90\00:24:45.10
is Ivan Morfit
from Wichita, Kansas.
00:24:45.13\00:24:48.45
Ivan was tragically
introduced to drugs as a youth
00:24:48.49\00:24:52.03
by his older sister who
thought it would be funny
00:24:52.07\00:24:55.77
to see her brother
high. Here's Ivan's story.
00:24:55.80\00:24:59.47
My older sister starting giving
me drugs when I was probably
00:25:00.52\00:25:04.21
11 years old. I'm
not sure why, I never
00:25:04.24\00:25:07.22
really asked her, but it
was probably simply to be amused
00:25:07.26\00:25:11.98
by the antics that I would do.
00:25:12.01\00:25:15.16
It was a very powerful
thing for me because then I got
00:25:16.90\00:25:20.22
to hang out with her and
all of her friends, and I was
00:25:20.26\00:25:23.55
socially accepted
into that peer group
00:25:23.58\00:25:26.01
as their little buddy.
00:25:26.28\00:25:28.84
I used to spend the weekends
with my sister at her house,
00:25:30.93\00:25:33.94
and we would smoke pot
and watch TV and hang out,
00:25:33.97\00:25:38.55
or sometimes we would drink.
00:25:38.58\00:25:40.60
For me, it was being
cool. I was cool, to hang out
00:25:42.12\00:25:47.39
and do all those things.
00:25:47.59\00:25:49.37
When you're 11 years old
you just don't stop and think
00:25:51.78\00:25:54.69
about consequences, you
don't have the mental acuity
00:25:54.72\00:25:57.60
to do that.
00:25:57.63\00:25:59.16
It really became
engrained into my personality,
00:26:00.51\00:26:04.70
into my behavior.
All through school
00:26:04.73\00:26:09.31
I was smoking and drinking
and carrying on as I wanted to.
00:26:09.85\00:26:14.55
Teachers would pull me aside
and say "Ivan, you're a really"
00:26:15.18\00:26:19.29
"smart guy, why are you
going through the motions?"
00:26:19.32\00:26:23.32
Well, I didn't tell them
it's because I'm getting high
00:26:23.40\00:26:25.87
every weekend and not worrying
about it, and I never thought
00:26:25.91\00:26:30.43
about what it would lead to.
00:26:30.46\00:26:32.81
Ivan didn't realize how this
was going to affect his life,
00:26:35.23\00:26:38.94
and how long, when Ivan actually
met the woman of his dreams,
00:26:38.97\00:26:43.04
she loved him so much that
she tolerated his drug addiction
00:26:43.08\00:26:47.12
and agreed to marry him anyway.
00:26:47.22\00:26:49.51
But Ivan received a
wake up call when the couple
00:26:49.65\00:26:53.05
was expecting their
first baby, and when his wife
00:26:53.08\00:26:56.45
faced frightening complications,
let's have a look.
00:26:56.55\00:27:00.13
We had our first
child, my son, Daniel,
00:27:00.47\00:27:03.15
and I still used drugs.
00:27:03.80\00:27:06.78
And then she got pregnant
with our daughter, Audrey,
00:27:08.03\00:27:11.42
and got exposed to chicken pox
00:27:12.56\00:27:14.69
and she ended up in a coma.
00:27:15.66\00:27:18.14
42 days. I
didn't know if she was
00:27:19.85\00:27:22.29
going to live,
she was going to die.
00:27:22.32\00:27:24.73
My daughter was born 2
and a half months premature
00:27:25.24\00:27:28.19
and I couldn't hold
her, I couldn't pick her up,
00:27:28.49\00:27:32.55
I couldn't touch her, she
had all these tubes and wires
00:27:32.59\00:27:36.60
and leads wired to her
body to keep her alive.
00:27:36.63\00:27:40.09
I think that was
the pivotal point when
00:27:41.33\00:27:46.13
I realized no matter how much
drugs I did, I was still unhappy
00:27:47.09\00:27:52.49
and I began to look; there's
got to be something out here
00:27:53.68\00:27:59.11
that'll make me happy.
00:27:59.21\00:28:01.13
I couldn't fight the depression
and I couldn't fight the feeling
00:28:01.68\00:28:06.16
that there is something missing
in your life, and you better
00:28:06.20\00:28:10.65
figure out what it is.
00:28:10.68\00:28:12.63
Well we're happy to
have Ivan here with us today,
00:28:13.55\00:28:15.59
and we'd like to ask him to
come on up, so please help me
00:28:15.63\00:28:18.40
welcome Ivan
Morfit. [Audience claps]
00:28:18.43\00:28:21.45
Thank you for being here
today to share your testimony.
00:28:26.00\00:28:28.83
When your wife was in that coma,
what was going through your mind
00:28:29.60\00:28:35.62
as far as what you've
been doing with your life?
00:28:35.82\00:28:38.99
At first I would just say
00:28:40.79\00:28:43.20
"do more drugs!"
00:28:44.27\00:28:46.07
I was so miserable I
couldn't function, and then
00:28:47.09\00:28:51.41
when I realized that I was still
so unhappy, even when I was high
00:28:51.58\00:28:57.59
that I had to
figure something out.
00:28:57.62\00:29:01.36
So did you think that
she could possibly die,
00:29:02.30\00:29:05.95
were you facing a
life and death issue?
00:29:06.36\00:29:08.49
That year was a bad year, there
were 4 other expecting mothers
00:29:08.53\00:29:12.96
at the hospital with
chicken pox that year
00:29:12.99\00:29:14.92
and in all 4 instances either
the mother or the infant died.
00:29:15.02\00:29:18.78
Oh my goodness! Oh, mercy.
00:29:18.81\00:29:21.19
So then, you started off
doing more drugs initially
00:29:21.58\00:29:27.00
during these 42 days,
but something happened
00:29:27.03\00:29:30.71
when you went to a party
and you went from a party
00:29:30.75\00:29:34.46
to a church - could you
tell us a little bit about that.
00:29:34.50\00:29:37.54
Being at the party and just
singing and doing all the things
00:29:39.84\00:29:43.77
that I did, I
couldn't handle it anymore,
00:29:43.80\00:29:47.00
I was so miserable.
00:29:47.49\00:29:49.26
I went for a drive.
00:29:50.28\00:29:53.35
I'm just driving in my
vehicle and I'm looking around
00:29:54.64\00:29:57.30
and I ended up, actually
here, at 3 Angels church.
00:29:57.80\00:30:01.54
And it was very quiet
and it was very peaceful.
00:30:01.94\00:30:04.05
I had tried everything
the devil could give me
00:30:05.43\00:30:08.08
to make me happy,
I mean everything.
00:30:08.11\00:30:10.80
So that night I tried
something new, I said a prayer.
00:30:11.45\00:30:15.05
I said "God, I can't figure
this out, I need Your help."
00:30:15.71\00:30:20.75
Was this your first prayer?
00:30:21.00\00:30:22.68
Pretty much.
00:30:22.88\00:30:24.18
And then how this prayer
opened the way, and started you
00:30:24.22\00:30:27.76
on the road to recovery,
tell us a little about your road
00:30:27.80\00:30:31.31
to recovery.
00:30:31.34\00:30:33.08
I started Bible study with
some men here in the church
00:30:34.15\00:30:37.57
and every time they
met with me, I knew that
00:30:37.60\00:30:42.73
whatever they had, I wanted.
00:30:43.34\00:30:46.85
I studied the
Bible for over a year
00:30:48.84\00:30:52.04
and then when school started
I put my son here in the school.
00:30:52.08\00:30:56.47
He came up to me one day
and he said: "You know, dad"
00:30:57.33\00:30:59.68
"I really think we
should be baptized."
00:30:59.71\00:31:01.82
Praise the Lord. How old was he?
00:31:01.85\00:31:03.85
12 at the time.
00:31:04.31\00:31:05.41
How old is your
baby that was born after
00:31:05.47\00:31:08.94
the chicken pox incident?
00:31:08.97\00:31:10.40
She's 11 now and
She's something else.
00:31:10.44\00:31:13.27
And she's a healthy baby?
00:31:13.30\00:31:14.74
Yeah.
00:31:14.77\00:31:15.74
Praise the Lord.
Well, when Ivan was speaking
00:31:15.75\00:31:17.91
with us earlier, he reflected
on what might have been.
00:31:17.95\00:31:22.35
I think the most dangerous
thing for the youth of today
00:31:24.31\00:31:28.59
is that drugs
make you feel good.
00:31:29.21\00:31:33.04
I'm not going to
deny it, I can't deny it.
00:31:33.38\00:31:35.35
I did drugs for over 20 years.
00:31:35.49\00:31:38.11
They don't understand,
00:31:40.62\00:31:43.33
they'll say "well,
I don't rob banks."
00:31:45.23\00:31:46.94
"I don't beat up old ladies.
I don't do all those things"
00:31:46.98\00:31:49.21
"that drug addicts do."
Well, it doesn't matter,
00:31:49.24\00:31:51.44
I didn't do those things either.
00:31:51.47\00:31:53.43
I scored really high on
all those standardized testing
00:31:55.69\00:31:59.86
that schools used.
00:31:59.89\00:32:01.73
I believe I have a really
great intellect, but here I am,
00:32:02.81\00:32:06.99
I'm a 35 year old man,
family, and I work part time
00:32:07.24\00:32:10.90
in a warehouse.
00:32:11.10\00:32:12.42
What could I have done
if I had put the drugs away?
00:32:14.50\00:32:18.30
Where would I be now?
00:32:18.51\00:32:20.26
Ivan, it's a sad thing when
God gave you so much potential
00:32:20.86\00:32:24.58
and you feel like
you haven't used that.
00:32:24.61\00:32:26.61
What do you
think might have been?
00:32:26.64\00:32:28.62
What was your interest before?
00:32:28.65\00:32:30.82
Or were you too young to
really even gain that interest?
00:32:31.16\00:32:34.56
No, from the time I was really
young, I was always reading
00:32:34.59\00:32:37.96
books on science.
00:32:37.99\00:32:39.45
Natural
history, stuff like that.
00:32:40.72\00:32:43.39
Archeology is a
really big interest of mine,
00:32:43.51\00:32:46.22
I love watching
Discovery Channel,
00:32:46.25\00:32:48.63
it's great.
00:32:48.83\00:32:50.40
There's really no telling what
I might have done or become.
00:32:51.09\00:32:55.23
I try not to dwell on it.
00:32:57.46\00:32:59.45
One of the crew, when
I was doing my interview,
00:33:00.35\00:33:02.87
told me, he said "I was 34
with a family, and I went back"
00:33:02.91\00:33:06.76
"to university and
I now have a Ph.D."
00:33:06.79\00:33:09.51
He said it's never too late.
00:33:09.71\00:33:11.02
You know what I was just
getting ready to tell him,
00:33:12.94\00:33:15.05
God is the God of the
impossible, all things
00:33:15.23\00:33:18.33
are possible with God, so
we're just going to be believing
00:33:18.37\00:33:21.20
and praying for you.
00:33:21.23\00:33:23.24
I know He has a purpose for your
life, He's got a plan for your
00:33:24.42\00:33:27.50
life and you're
beginning to walk in that.
00:33:27.53\00:33:29.99
We'll just believe that
God is going to bring about
00:33:30.03\00:33:33.18
some wonderful things
in your life, so thank you.
00:33:33.22\00:33:36.34
Please stay tuned, when we
return we're going to be talking
00:33:36.50\00:33:39.74
with Cheri Peters again
about how families can educate
00:33:39.77\00:33:43.85
themselves and reach
out to at risk loved ones,
00:33:43.88\00:33:47.84
so don't go away.
00:33:48.14\00:33:50.09
We're going to be talking
with Dr. Neil Nedly about
00:33:59.29\00:34:02.46
some of the common symptoms
and the causes of depression.
00:34:02.50\00:34:05.75
And I really hate to say
this, but in all honesty,
00:34:05.78\00:34:09.57
it took every ounce energy
I had to even take a shower.
00:34:09.82\00:34:14.38
I would be in bed
for 5 days at a time.
00:34:14.53\00:34:17.01
It was just the most
debilitating thing I've ever
00:34:17.05\00:34:20.70
gone through in my life.
00:34:20.73\00:34:23.37
And I would just lay there.
00:34:23.40\00:34:26.01
So don't miss it.
00:34:29.77\00:34:31.56
Welcome back to Up Close.
00:34:38.29\00:34:39.67
We're talking to Cheri
Peters, a former drug addict,
00:34:39.71\00:34:42.90
who was literally a
miracle from the streets.
00:34:42.93\00:34:46.17
Cheri, if you would,
you mentioned to me earlier
00:34:46.99\00:34:50.16
when we were just
talking by ourselves,
00:34:50.19\00:34:51.71
a story about Lance
Michael, could you share
00:34:51.75\00:34:54.42
just a little bit about that.
00:34:54.45\00:34:56.10
That, to me, was one
of the saddest things.
00:34:56.14\00:34:57.99
Lance Michael was an incredible
kid, was very good in school,
00:34:58.03\00:35:03.16
his family loved him,
parents were very normal
00:35:03.26\00:35:06.35
and very
involved in their lives.
00:35:06.38\00:35:08.70
Lance gets strung out on
methamphetamine in the 9th grade
00:35:08.80\00:35:12.92
and was dead by the
time he was 22 years old.
00:35:13.02\00:35:16.76
But I've got to tell you,
in that process, he found out,
00:35:16.80\00:35:19.58
after he started
experimenting with drugs,
00:35:19.92\00:35:23.43
he found out that his heart
was blown up, and swollen up,
00:35:23.47\00:35:26.65
and the doctors said "you
even need a heart transplant".
00:35:26.68\00:35:29.83
His mom totally panicked,
00:35:29.86\00:35:32.77
could you imagine,
as mom, hearing that?
00:35:33.30\00:35:35.08
Was it the drugs
that caused this?
00:35:35.90\00:35:38.11
The drugs accelerated a
natural condition in this family
00:35:38.21\00:35:42.91
that the men typically die
when they're 70, 80 years old.
00:35:43.22\00:35:46.96
This kid's dying at 18 years
old, but it was a predisposition
00:35:47.00\00:35:50.71
in this family for
this type of heart disease,
00:35:50.74\00:35:52.81
but the methamphetamine
just sped that up.
00:35:52.91\00:35:55.34
So he's in the
hospital, he's on IVs,
00:35:55.37\00:35:57.08
he's waiting for a
heart transplant and he pulls
00:35:57.12\00:35:59.94
the IVs from his arm
and goes and gets high.
00:35:59.97\00:36:02.76
And his mum said she
would cry to somebody
00:36:02.86\00:36:06.01
"I don't understand
addiction. I don't understand"
00:36:06.11\00:36:08.65
"what this is, somebody should
have taught me because I don't"
00:36:08.69\00:36:11.43
"even know how to reach him.
I don't how to tell him to stop"
00:36:11.46\00:36:14.17
When he turns 21 he finally
says "I can't accept a heart"
00:36:15.50\00:36:19.02
"because if I did this
to someone else's heart,"
00:36:19.18\00:36:21.58
"what I've done to my own heart,
I wouldn't be able to live"
00:36:21.74\00:36:24.07
"with myself." Takes himself
off the heart transplant list
00:36:24.11\00:36:26.41
and dies within 3
months, and this is a family
00:36:26.44\00:36:29.26
that was in love with him.
00:36:29.29\00:36:31.17
Ivan, your family you
said was pretty normal when you
00:36:31.37\00:36:33.78
were growing up, and
all those kind of things.
00:36:33.81\00:36:35.76
The addiction just
took this kid's life.
00:36:37.06\00:36:39.73
The mom said at
one point she thought
00:36:40.09\00:36:43.25
"he just needs to do
something. He just needs to be"
00:36:43.45\00:36:45.75
"involved in something."
So she wanted to make
00:36:45.78\00:36:48.15
a hobby for him. So she
said "Lance, what would"
00:36:48.19\00:36:50.49
"you like to learn, or do?"
And he said "I'd like to do"
00:36:50.53\00:36:53.44
"glass blowing."
00:36:53.47\00:36:55.04
For any addicts in the
audience, why do you think
00:36:55.08\00:36:57.79
he wanted to glass
blow? Do you have any idea?
00:36:57.82\00:37:00.50
He wanted to make his
own pipes, and his mom didn't
00:37:00.60\00:37:03.29
know that because she's
not educated, so she sent
00:37:03.33\00:37:06.26
him to school to learn
how to blow glass, and he made
00:37:06.30\00:37:09.20
the cutest little
pipes to smoke crack in.
00:37:09.23\00:37:12.28
His mom even found a pipe, a
little bear, in the trash can
00:37:12.73\00:37:15.91
with a long tail, and
she said "Lance, why did you"
00:37:15.94\00:37:18.44
"throw this
away, it is so cute."
00:37:18.47\00:37:20.96
She got it out and gave
it back to him, and said
00:37:21.93\00:37:24.26
you can make something of
this, and it was a pipe to smoke
00:37:24.30\00:37:26.93
his meth in.
00:37:26.96\00:37:28.84
So I really believe that
for families you've got to be
00:37:29.01\00:37:32.02
educated, and we hate to
educate ourselves with darker
00:37:32.05\00:37:35.03
things, but
addiction is all around us
00:37:35.06\00:37:37.63
and we need to know what
it is, what it looks like.
00:37:37.73\00:37:40.34
I would even suggest, if you're
worried about your child using
00:37:40.38\00:37:43.47
or your spouse using, get
a drug test, tell them to pee
00:37:43.98\00:37:46.79
in this bottle.
00:37:46.82\00:37:48.55
I am so bold when it
comes to that, if I am hanging
00:37:48.85\00:37:51.64
out with somebody and
I think they're using,
00:37:51.67\00:37:53.83
"You've got to
pee in this bottle."
00:37:53.99\00:37:55.43
If they don't do it,
I will set boundaries.
00:37:55.66\00:37:58.09
"Then you can't be over
here with us because I can't"
00:37:58.13\00:38:01.19
"have you using, and lying
to yourself and lying to us."
00:38:01.22\00:38:04.25
So I really set
strong boundaries.
00:38:04.28\00:38:06.06
So how do families educate
themselves, because even though
00:38:06.16\00:38:10.03
my sister was a drug
addict for 15 years, I prayed
00:38:10.33\00:38:13.81
for her everyday for 15 years
and the Lord did deliver her
00:38:13.85\00:38:18.25
in an unusual way,
literally overnight.
00:38:18.28\00:38:21.38
Oh, and I hate that.
00:38:21.41\00:38:23.21
That was 18 years ago.
00:38:23.25\00:38:24.98
And I say that I hate that,
not because of any other reason
00:38:25.02\00:38:27.74
than some people work the rest
of their life in their recovery.
00:38:27.77\00:38:30.46
My sister, when
she prayed to the Lord
00:38:30.56\00:38:33.12
and surrendered, and
said "OK, I'm ready,"
00:38:33.15\00:38:35.71
"I'm powerless, give
me Your Holy Spirit."
00:38:35.75\00:38:38.28
That was nearly 18
years ago and she's never done
00:38:38.46\00:38:41.83
drugs since.
00:38:41.93\00:38:43.38
That's rare isn't it?
00:38:44.03\00:38:45.81
Right. It's
rare. God is faithful.
00:38:45.85\00:38:47.47
The reason I think it's rare
is He knows that if I would have
00:38:47.51\00:38:52.42
gotten victory over
night, I would have been using
00:38:52.45\00:38:54.26
the next day. Do
you know what I mean?
00:38:54.29\00:38:56.03
So I had to learn the
whole process of recovery,
00:38:56.07\00:38:58.50
I had to learn to hate
the drugs and the dysfunction.
00:38:58.54\00:39:02.76
I had to learn that it's
better to be honest and not lie
00:39:02.80\00:39:06.99
and manipulate.
Why do I not have sex
00:39:07.02\00:39:09.03
with different people?
Because it's better to be
00:39:09.07\00:39:10.93
in a monogamous relationship
that has more purity.
00:39:11.43\00:39:15.24
So God teaches us
slowly in recovery.
00:39:15.27\00:39:17.71
But for family education, with
your sister is a good example,
00:39:17.75\00:39:21.95
you start noticing changes
in your sister, and everybody
00:39:21.98\00:39:24.91
hides that,
nobody says anything.
00:39:24.94\00:39:27.51
People start
making excuses for them,
00:39:27.54\00:39:30.08
instead of confronting: "It's
not OK that you're no longer"
00:39:31.67\00:39:34.78
"doing good in school. It's
not OK that you're hanging out"
00:39:34.82\00:39:37.51
"with friends that you would
not have hung out with before."
00:39:37.54\00:39:40.00
"It's not OK with me" - for
a husband- "that you're not"
00:39:40.04\00:39:42.47
"coming home at
night. It's not OK with me"
00:39:42.50\00:39:44.75
"that you're working till
12 o'clock at the office."
00:39:44.79\00:39:46.80
All those things, when
you see behavioral changes
00:39:46.90\00:39:50.33
in somebody you love, do
not let that go unspoken.
00:39:50.36\00:39:53.76
People say "well,
I don't want to nag."
00:39:54.42\00:39:55.97
I don't want them to die.
00:39:56.04\00:39:57.72
Chris, Lance's mum, did
not want to bury her son
00:39:58.00\00:40:00.93
and she did, and she
said I enabled him right into
00:40:00.97\00:40:04.00
the grave because I
didn't know how to speak to him,
00:40:04.04\00:40:07.04
and I didn't know
about drug education.
00:40:07.24\00:40:09.44
Go online and find out
signs and symptoms of different
00:40:09.60\00:40:13.01
addictions, get
yourself books from the library.
00:40:13.04\00:40:15.97
There is so much information
out there that you couldn't
00:40:16.01\00:40:19.46
read or take in
everything that's out there.
00:40:20.32\00:40:22.58
Stop living in denial yourself
that "I don't have to be aware."
00:40:23.27\00:40:27.34
I think you just hit
the nail no the head,
00:40:27.37\00:40:28.84
Most of us feel overwhelmed.
I know some of your symptoms,
00:40:28.88\00:40:31.88
Amanda, you began losing
weight, your hair began to get
00:40:31.92\00:40:34.89
like straw.
00:40:34.92\00:40:36.37
I was just recently working with
another family who's daughter
00:40:36.83\00:40:40.21
was going through the same
thing and I kept telling them
00:40:40.24\00:40:44.10
"your child is using drugs",
and there was absolute denial.
00:40:44.13\00:40:47.96
"I've suspicion that may
be, but we can't prove that."
00:40:49.30\00:40:53.07
"She keeps telling me,
I've asked her, and she said"
00:40:53.34\00:40:55.94
"absolutely not."
00:40:55.97\00:40:57.87
Somebody called Chris and
said, in the middle of Lance's
00:40:57.91\00:41:00.87
worst part of his
addiction, called her and said
00:41:00.90\00:41:03.65
"Chris, what is
Lance's drug of choice?"
00:41:03.94\00:41:06.48
And Chris said "I was absolutely
dumbfounded and I said"
00:41:06.52\00:41:10.03
"Tylenol?", and they
said "No, I didn't mean that."
00:41:10.31\00:41:13.22
"I mean his illegal
drug of choice." And she said
00:41:13.32\00:41:16.76
"I couldn't even hardly hear
them," there was such denial.
00:41:16.80\00:41:21.00
You said there's so much
out there it's overwhelming.
00:41:22.94\00:41:25.36
Most of us don't know
where to begin, don't you have
00:41:25.39\00:41:28.21
some information on your
website that can give people...
00:41:28.24\00:41:31.58
I will send anybody anything
on any drug, on any type
00:41:31.62\00:41:34.93
of recovery, for
sex, workaholism, drugs,
00:41:34.96\00:41:37.78
alcohol, all the latest
stuff, ecstasy, club drugs,
00:41:37.82\00:41:41.72
so I will send them anything,
www.truestep.org is my website
00:41:42.02\00:41:45.78
and you can ask for
anything and I will send it.
00:41:45.81\00:41:48.36
You can put "drug
intervention", type it into your
00:41:49.36\00:41:53.51
search program and it
will give you tones of stuff.
00:41:53.54\00:41:57.66
Online you can find
amazing information.
00:41:58.16\00:42:00.19
Let me give you that
because she speaks so slowly
00:42:00.23\00:42:03.14
you might have missed it.
00:42:03.17\00:42:09.49
It's www.truestep.org.
00:42:09.53\00:42:15.06
So, www.truestep.org.
00:42:15.09\00:42:20.55
Right, and there's something
else that different ministries
00:42:20.59\00:42:23.70
will do, or different
people will do, we've actually
00:42:23.73\00:42:26.23
gone out to houses and do
interventions, where you sit
00:42:26.27\00:42:28.74
down with the
family and you tell them.
00:42:28.77\00:42:31.13
Tell them what you're
afraid of, you encourage people
00:42:31.17\00:42:33.98
to speak the truth to the
addict, in stage 3 the addict
00:42:34.01\00:42:36.70
will not hear you, but
until they get to that stage
00:42:36.74\00:42:39.58
they will hear you.
Even in stage 3 you're still
00:42:39.62\00:42:42.43
planting seeds, so you
do an actual intervention.
00:42:42.47\00:42:45.29
Having one addict talking
to another one and me looking
00:42:45.72\00:42:48.18
right into their face,
or somebody like me looking
00:42:48.21\00:42:50.28
in their face saying: "You are
losing everything" and giving
00:42:50.32\00:42:54.51
that truth to them.
00:42:54.91\00:42:55.98
We did a structured intervention
with my sister and we got
00:42:56.02\00:42:59.79
her into a drug
recovery program, she actually
00:42:59.82\00:43:02.89
went through 3 of
them, and each time it was
00:43:02.92\00:43:05.96
a 30 day program and she
would come out and within
00:43:06.16\00:43:09.26
3-5 days she
would be on drugs again.
00:43:09.56\00:43:11.99
I just want to emphasize
something that we mentioned
00:43:12.96\00:43:16.39
earlier: getting clean,
being drug free for 30 days...
00:43:16.43\00:43:19.83
...Is half of the first step.
00:43:19.86\00:43:21.83
Did you catch that?
It's not even the first step,
00:43:21.87\00:43:24.10
it's half of the first step.
00:43:24.13\00:43:26.23
What's really interesting
is if you don't take an addict
00:43:26.27\00:43:28.39
through the rest of the
steps in your families, in your
00:43:28.42\00:43:30.96
churches, in your community,
then they will relapse,
00:43:31.00\00:43:33.51
so the next step is
to acknowledge that I am
00:43:33.61\00:43:36.47
out of control, so I get
clean, but then I say out loud
00:43:36.51\00:43:40.20
"I am out of
control. I need some help. "
00:43:40.23\00:43:42.76
Reaching out for
actual, real connections,
00:43:42.80\00:43:45.30
not with any even or
object, but with a person.
00:43:45.41\00:43:47.78
"I need your
help, will you help me?"
00:43:47.81\00:43:49.41
So being able to do
that with family or friends,
00:43:49.45\00:43:51.64
or definitely the Body of
Christ, is being able to say
00:43:51.68\00:43:54.58
"I need some help" is
definitely a part of it,
00:43:54.61\00:43:56.87
to look outside myself and find
some meaning outside of myself.
00:43:56.91\00:44:01.02
Alcoholics Anonymous was one of
the first treatment modalities
00:44:05.13\00:44:08.35
that got the attention of
almost the world, as far as
00:44:08.38\00:44:11.18
addictions, in 1935 because
they started seeing addicts
00:44:11.22\00:44:13.99
really get well.
00:44:14.02\00:44:15.23
And the reason they get well
is because there was community,
00:44:15.27\00:44:17.79
there was 1 addict sharing hope
with another one, they started
00:44:17.89\00:44:20.95
to look outside themselves
in the addiction and started to
00:44:20.99\00:44:24.02
realize that there is a
power greater than myself
00:44:24.05\00:44:26.58
that will restore me to sanity,
and there's nothing magical
00:44:26.62\00:44:29.61
about AA, it's just that
they did things that were right
00:44:29.64\00:44:32.60
for addicts, and
families can do that.
00:44:32.63\00:44:35.12
Actually, the 12 steps of AA,
if you're familiar with them,
00:44:35.22\00:44:38.44
they all come from the Bible.
00:44:38.47\00:44:40.81
Exactly.
00:44:40.84\00:44:42.33
Let's say that in a church
environment, or even in a home,
00:44:45.35\00:44:48.29
once someone has gotten to that
point, they've admitted they're
00:44:48.79\00:44:52.29
out of control, if someone walks
into our church and tells us
00:44:52.32\00:44:55.79
"I'm a recovering drug
addict", what can we do to help
00:44:55.89\00:45:00.19
because how uncomfortable
are they to be "normal people".
00:45:00.22\00:45:06.03
So uncomfortable.
00:45:06.06\00:45:08.16
I was an addict on
the streets by age 13,
00:45:08.20\00:45:11.56
[?] at 23, when I
came into the church.
00:45:11.96\00:45:14.34
My family are addicts, and
when I came into the church
00:45:14.38\00:45:17.86
I didn't even know how to
eat at a table with someone.
00:45:17.90\00:45:20.69
I had not eaten dinner
with someone, I didn't know
00:45:20.73\00:45:23.45
how to deal with anything normal
and I'm around normal folk.
00:45:23.49\00:45:26.91
So anything you
did was modeling to me.
00:45:26.94\00:45:29.60
When somebody would say anything
about friendship, that you are
00:45:29.98\00:45:32.50
my friend, my palms
would sweat because I didn't
00:45:32.53\00:45:34.43
know how to do that, I
didn't know how to trust.
00:45:34.46\00:45:36.33
So as family members, as a
community, church community,
00:45:36.47\00:45:40.27
any of that, is to realize
that your role is to show them
00:45:40.31\00:45:44.04
everything; how to laugh without
it being a sadistic kind of
00:45:44.08\00:45:47.78
laugh, how to communicate,
how to have small talk.
00:45:47.81\00:45:50.99
When somebody would
sit across the table
00:45:51.02\00:45:53.04
and eat with me, I would
think "Do I look at them chew?"
00:45:53.08\00:45:55.62
"Do I look at the
table?" "Do I look at my feet?"
00:45:55.65\00:45:57.90
I had no idea; Why do you
talk about just the weather?
00:45:58.14\00:46:01.45
And I had no idea that for
normal people, the weather,
00:46:01.80\00:46:04.40
talking about that kind of
stuff is just getting to feel
00:46:04.44\00:46:07.01
each other out and being normal.
00:46:07.04\00:46:08.54
And I wanted to talk
about my last suicide attempt,
00:46:08.58\00:46:10.98
and they're like "Whoa!", so
it's like being able to model
00:46:11.02\00:46:14.59
appropriate communication.
00:46:14.69\00:46:16.57
If we did that as a body
of Christ, if we understood
00:46:16.67\00:46:19.07
we're doing this for
the very life of the person,
00:46:19.10\00:46:21.47
we would bless them
beyond what you could imagine,
00:46:21.68\00:46:23.93
and we would bless ourselves.
There's a reason why we need
00:46:23.97\00:46:26.86
to be well and a reason
why we need to model that.
00:46:26.89\00:46:29.60
People would just flock to
us if we could just do that.
00:46:29.75\00:46:33.09
Ivan, for you a great part
of your recovery was coming
00:46:33.19\00:46:38.02
to this church and beginning
to do the Bible studies with
00:46:38.32\00:46:41.55
these men, did they do
some role modeling for you
00:46:41.58\00:46:44.81
and help you? What was
the most effective part,
00:46:44.84\00:46:48.04
besides the spiritual
knowledge you were getting,
00:46:48.24\00:46:50.51
working with the other
men began to change your life?
00:46:52.43\00:46:55.40
I would say the biggest
thing was that when somebody's
00:46:55.50\00:46:59.96
new to Christ and
they're studying the word,
00:46:59.99\00:47:02.18
they have questions.
00:47:02.40\00:47:03.66
It didn't matter what
question I had, they would say
00:47:04.53\00:47:08.36
"Well, let's see
what the Bible says."
00:47:08.39\00:47:10.42
They would open the book
and the answers are in there.
00:47:10.46\00:47:13.95
I don't care what the question
is, the answer is in there.
00:47:15.00\00:47:18.47
Amen.
00:47:18.50\00:47:19.47
But I have to say
Ivan, too, that what doesn't
00:47:19.51\00:47:22.33
get seen a lot is just the
interaction with asking someone
00:47:22.37\00:47:25.77
for help and getting the help.
00:47:25.80\00:47:27.60
There's a healing process
that happens there, just being
00:47:27.85\00:47:31.17
able to sit down with a
live person, rather than an
00:47:31.20\00:47:34.12
inanimate object, a
substance, or the addiction.
00:47:34.15\00:47:37.04
So any communication that you do
with an addict during that part
00:47:37.46\00:47:40.94
of the recovery, will
keep them in recovery.
00:47:40.97\00:47:43.23
This is a stat the most people
don't know, and I was shocked
00:47:43.29\00:47:46.54
to hear it, but as sex
offenders, somebody that is
00:47:46.57\00:47:49.19
acting out a lot, establishes
a friend with one person,
00:47:49.29\00:47:53.08
a real friendship, not a token
friendship, a real friendship
00:47:53.12\00:47:56.00
with 1 person, the recidivism
rate for them acting out
00:47:56.03\00:47:59.42
drops 98%.
00:47:59.45\00:48:01.67
98%, and that is with an
addiction that is difficult
00:48:01.71\00:48:05.02
to control, and so
you're talking about
00:48:05.05\00:48:07.02
any other addiction, we
can act as a body of Christ,
00:48:07.06\00:48:10.04
and the Bible backs us
up, we will heal each other.
00:48:10.08\00:48:12.99
Confess one to another,
pray for each other that you may
00:48:13.03\00:48:15.98
be healed, and it's an
amazing process, but if I think
00:48:16.02\00:48:18.94
it's just about stopping the
drugs, I'm never going to help
00:48:19.32\00:48:22.06
that person get well, it's
about walking with them now.
00:48:22.10\00:48:24.81
Because you've got to
uproot whatever the cause was.
00:48:25.00\00:48:28.10
Right, and relearn stuff.
00:48:28.13\00:48:29.78
Well coming up next we're going
to be taking some questions
00:48:30.42\00:48:33.04
from our live audience,
so please stay with us.
00:48:33.07\00:48:36.14
Are you, or someone
you love, struggling
00:48:41.31\00:48:42.83
with drugs or alcohol?
Do you sometimes wonder
00:48:42.87\00:48:45.06
if there is hope? If so,
we have just the book for you.
00:48:45.10\00:48:48.49
Be encouraged as you
read the promises that God
00:48:48.52\00:48:50.58
has given in His word. Call or
write today for your free gift
00:48:50.62\00:48:53.72
of "God's promises"
for your every need.
00:48:53.75\00:48:56.19
You can write to us
at: [information on screen]
00:48:56.23\00:48:59.12
Or call during
regular business hours:
00:49:01.76\00:49:03.54
[information on screen]
00:49:03.57\00:49:05.50
Welcome back to Up Close.
We're talking about how to
00:49:18.16\00:49:22.24
escape from drug and alcohol
addiction, and we're now going
00:49:22.28\00:49:25.96
to be taking some questions
from our live audience.
00:49:25.99\00:49:30.04
So if you will, please,
thank you for coming up.
00:49:30.33\00:49:32.99
Tell us what you're
name and your question is.
00:49:33.03\00:49:35.66
Hello, my name is
John Cayler, my question is
00:49:36.07\00:49:38.97
if there is a key in helping
keep people out of addiction
00:49:39.17\00:49:42.85
after having been addicted,
what would that key be?
00:49:42.88\00:49:46.19
The key is finding
meaning outside yourself.
00:49:47.67\00:49:50.44
Addicts are so self focused.
Everything is about finding
00:49:50.48\00:49:53.32
release of pain, or
pleasure for myself.
00:49:53.35\00:49:55.93
So finding a purpose,
when AA uses a higher power,
00:49:55.97\00:49:59.66
that I can turn it over to
God, I can look at something
00:49:59.70\00:50:02.53
that's bigger than myself,
I can even say my purpose
00:50:02.57\00:50:05.42
is to let people know
that recovery is possible,
00:50:05.46\00:50:08.28
and so the purpose is bigger
than what the addictive draw was
00:50:08.48\00:50:12.20
Then I start getting reinforced
by people that get into recovery
00:50:12.30\00:50:17.79
because of
something, we share it.
00:50:17.82\00:50:20.24
So the key is finding
meaning outside yourself,
00:50:20.62\00:50:22.93
and stop being so self focused,
and that's so hard for addicts
00:50:22.97\00:50:26.32
because "it's all about me."
00:50:26.35\00:50:28.45
Just to add to that, I
think that really, an intimate
00:50:30.56\00:50:33.19
relationship with God, if we
don't try to practice religion
00:50:33.23\00:50:36.87
but if we really come to
know God as a loving Father
00:50:36.90\00:50:40.52
and someone who is intimately
involved and concerned about
00:50:40.56\00:50:44.78
every detail of our life,
if we see Him that way, I think
00:50:44.81\00:50:49.00
that'll really help us.
We begin to understand what
00:50:49.03\00:50:51.97
2 Corinthians 12:9 says "His
grace is sufficient, His power"
00:50:52.01\00:50:56.43
"is made perfect
in our weakness."
00:50:56.53\00:50:58.52
We've learned to
depend totally upon Him.
00:50:58.56\00:51:00.92
Amen.
00:51:00.95\00:51:02.03
Well, hello, thank you
for coming. What's your name
00:51:02.13\00:51:05.01
and your question.
00:51:05.04\00:51:06.01
My name's [?],
and my question is
00:51:06.02\00:51:09.21
how can you tell if one of
your friends that you don't know
00:51:09.55\00:51:13.43
very well, is having drug abuse?
00:51:13.46\00:51:17.70
When I can tell when somebody's
using is all of a sudden
00:51:19.07\00:51:21.42
they'll be happy, then
they'll be angry, then they'll
00:51:21.46\00:51:23.71
be irritated, then
they'll want to go do something,
00:51:23.75\00:51:25.97
they're going from
one thing to another.
00:51:26.00\00:51:28.75
Or their interests
change radically, and those kind
00:51:28.79\00:51:31.93
of things, so usually
it's a change in behavior.
00:51:31.96\00:51:35.07
If you're saying in your gut
"Something is not quite right",
00:51:36.52\00:51:39.60
trust your gut, it's probably
not right and there's something
00:51:40.10\00:51:42.81
going on. To
check it out just says
00:51:42.84\00:51:45.41
what an incredible friend
you are, if you came up to me
00:51:45.45\00:51:47.79
and said "Cheri, I really like
you and I'm starting to get"
00:51:47.83\00:51:50.14
"to know you, but you know
you're all over the place."
00:51:50.17\00:51:52.74
Being able to check
it out is incredible.
00:51:52.80\00:51:55.22
Sometimes you can stop an
addictive process right in
00:51:55.26\00:51:58.06
the beginning of an addiction
if somebody is just able
00:51:58.09\00:52:00.86
to talk about what's happening.
00:52:00.89\00:52:02.57
Good question.
00:52:02.90\00:52:03.87
Yes, very good question.
00:52:03.91\00:52:05.62
Hi, welcome to the program,
please tell us your name
00:52:05.89\00:52:08.43
and your question.
00:52:08.46\00:52:09.43
Hilary
Washington. My father has been
00:52:09.44\00:52:12.61
involved with drugs
ever since he was 18.
00:52:12.64\00:52:15.80
He was a drug dealer at
first, it was easy money for him
00:52:16.52\00:52:20.44
and then he became
addicted and he's been addicted
00:52:20.47\00:52:23.57
for the past 20 years.
He's been in and out of prison
00:52:23.60\00:52:26.63
and he acknowledges his problem,
but he always seems to go back.
00:52:26.67\00:52:31.67
What can I do,
physically, because I've prayed,
00:52:32.68\00:52:36.08
all of our family for the past
20 years, but it doesn't seem...
00:52:36.12\00:52:40.30
A lot of the times
relapse happens with an addict
00:52:41.43\00:52:43.81
7-8 times before
they get it right.
00:52:43.84\00:52:47.35
So sometimes going
back is part of the process
00:52:47.55\00:52:49.98
for some people, but also
a lot of times with people
00:52:50.02\00:52:53.19
that we love, we think
that stopping the drug,
00:52:53.22\00:52:55.95
or stopping the alcohol
is the answer, and it's not.
00:52:55.99\00:52:59.35
He has to learn. That
neurochemistry that he got
00:52:59.38\00:53:02.68
way out of whack has
to establish itself again,
00:53:02.72\00:53:05.95
and that all takes time.
With some people that are in
00:53:05.99\00:53:08.67
severe addictions, and I
know that this is not a popular
00:53:08.70\00:53:11.35
belief for some, but with severe
addictions you actually need
00:53:11.60\00:53:14.75
to take some anti depressants
that will kick up your serotonin
00:53:14.78\00:53:17.90
levels so that you feel
like living during the time
00:53:17.93\00:53:20.67
that you are relearning
how to function again.
00:53:20.70\00:53:24.93
So with a severe
addict their neurochemistry
00:53:25.11\00:53:27.11
is so suppressed that
you need some intervention.
00:53:27.15\00:53:32.03
With your dad, I want to
say for one, I will join you
00:53:32.16\00:53:35.75
in prayer with him, and
don't give up on him, ever!
00:53:35.78\00:53:39.34
Well Cheri, we have about 2
minutes that I'd like to get
00:53:40.15\00:53:42.79
some final thoughts from you.
00:53:42.82\00:53:45.12
One thing I was interested in,
what are the stages of recovery?
00:53:45.22\00:53:49.22
Stages of recovery are first
to admit that I am powerless,
00:53:49.25\00:53:52.31
I can't do this, I am a
mess, my life is not working.
00:53:52.34\00:53:56.10
The first stage is the
acknowledgement of that.
00:53:56.47\00:53:58.91
A lot of times, the first
stage happens when somebody's
00:53:59.01\00:54:00.96
in prison, they're sitting
there and they're thinking
00:54:01.00\00:54:02.92
"I think this is not working",
it's like "Well hello!"
00:54:02.98\00:54:06.51
The next stage is somebody
intervening and introducing you
00:54:06.61\00:54:10.62
to your own spirituality,
and some people hate to say that
00:54:10.82\00:54:13.92
is God or whatever, but to
God Himself, and being able
00:54:13.95\00:54:16.81
to realize that there is
something outside myself.
00:54:16.85\00:54:19.68
I can start establishing trust
in you because I can't trust me.
00:54:19.78\00:54:23.59
Another thing is to
have a really conscious
00:54:23.69\00:54:27.17
skepticism about
your own understanding;
00:54:28.11\00:54:30.59
don't lean on
it, don't trust it.
00:54:30.79\00:54:33.37
I do not know how to
think yet, and I may never,
00:54:33.41\00:54:36.42
so I'm going to
lean on people around me.
00:54:36.52\00:54:38.48
I'm going to lean on you as
my friend, I'm going to lean
00:54:38.52\00:54:41.17
on my family, people in church,
the men that are ministering
00:54:41.20\00:54:44.38
to me, I'm going to lean on God
Himself, I'm not going to at all
00:54:44.42\00:54:47.57
think that I can figure
this out because I can't.
00:54:47.60\00:54:49.95
So it's like being able to start
looking at all those things:
00:54:50.12\00:54:52.70
"I need to start
doing the nutrition thing."
00:54:52.73\00:54:54.69
"I need to start
putting water in my body,
00:54:54.73\00:54:56.66
"good stuff in my body.
I need to start sleeping."
00:54:56.69\00:54:59.21
An addict is never to be too
tired, too hungry, or too angry.
00:54:59.51\00:55:02.51
All those kind of
things all relapse,
00:55:02.81\00:55:05.09
so the first stages are
just learning all those things.
00:55:05.13\00:55:09.25
Once you get into the
next stage of recovery is you
00:55:09.55\00:55:12.12
finally get it; there's meaning
in my life outside myself.
00:55:12.16\00:55:15.62
"I care about you!" and all
of a sudden the addict looks
00:55:15.66\00:55:19.09
up and says "I care
about you. I'm glad Amanda's"
00:55:19.12\00:55:22.86
"in recovery. I'm
glad that she's learning"
00:55:22.89\00:55:25.16
"to love her children."
Those kind of things that her
00:55:25.20\00:55:27.43
husband is in
recovery, that they have a life.
00:55:27.46\00:55:29.74
As an addict I'm not
glad about that at all
00:55:30.25\00:55:32.30
unless that's
somehow going to benefit me.
00:55:32.33\00:55:34.31
When I'm in the next stage
in recovery, I am truly glad
00:55:34.35\00:55:37.62
for someone else. So
you can start telling
00:55:37.92\00:55:40.16
where an addict is in
recovery by those things.
00:55:40.20\00:55:42.93
The last stage is not only
am I glad for her, but I want
00:55:43.03\00:55:46.25
to see if I can help in
any way, so I actually start
00:55:46.29\00:55:49.48
reaching out to make a
difference in my family,
00:55:49.51\00:55:51.66
in the community
around me, in my church
00:55:51.69\00:55:53.98
and I feel like I'm actively
a part of the human race,
00:55:54.18\00:55:58.38
which I didn't
feel in my addiction.
00:55:58.41\00:56:00.48
Praise God. I just
want to thank you so much
00:56:00.52\00:56:02.75
for being here today, it
has been such a pleasure.
00:56:02.79\00:56:05.56
I also want to thank our guests,
Amanda Hultz and Ivan Morfit,
00:56:05.69\00:56:09.93
thank you for sharing
your testimony with us.
00:56:09.96\00:56:13.12
As I've been sitting here,
the scripture that keeps coming
00:56:14.44\00:56:17.80
to my mind
tonight is Acts 26:18.
00:56:17.83\00:56:22.91
This is what Jesus told
Paul, and Paul is sharing this,
00:56:23.31\00:56:28.67
Christ told him: "I am sending
you to them to open their eyes"
00:56:30.11\00:56:35.68
"that they may turn
from darkness to light,"
00:56:35.71\00:56:38.33
"and from the power of
Satan to God, so that they may"
00:56:38.54\00:56:42.41
"receive forgiveness and
release from their sins,"
00:56:42.44\00:56:46.28
"and a place and a portion
among those who are consecrated"
00:56:46.51\00:56:51.37
"by faith in Me. "
Jesus really is the answer
00:56:51.67\00:56:55.96
and His power is made
perfect in our weakness.
00:56:56.00\00:57:00.26
So I pray that you will
put your trust in Jesus,
00:57:00.41\00:57:04.01
don't ever underestimate
the power of prayer,
00:57:04.19\00:57:07.10
but we've got to all be
educated and do some very
00:57:07.34\00:57:10.70
practical things as well.
00:57:10.73\00:57:12.21
Thank you for
joining us tonight.
00:57:12.25\00:57:15.32
[Audience Claps]
00:57:15.35\00:57:17.82
[Music for Credits]
00:57:21.72\00:57:23.57