Not One More West Virginia

11/13/2021

11/04/2021

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10/30/2021

For those of you that know, this is my daughter, Madi.

For those of that don’t know, this is my daughter, Madi.

For those of you that know, you know.

For those of you that don’t know, she is an addict.

I have been on this journey with her since she was 14 years old. She will celebrate her 20th birthday in 37 days. Which is ironic because I was 20 when I had her. We are 6 years and 3 rehabs in. Read on.

Did you know that addiction is classified in the DSM-5? It’s a mental illness that lives in the brain stem: the same brain stem that serves a critical role in regulating certain involuntary actions of the body, including heartbeat and breathing. Pause on that. Addicts feel that they need their drug of choice (DOC) the same way they feel they need to breathe. Pause on that.

Did you know that our society treats addiction as a moral issue and pawns it off on law enforcement to “control”? The average stay in jail is 14 days or less. Where addicts are left to detox alone…outside of medical supervision.
Did you know the detox process can be violent and result in death if not monitored by medical professionals?
The addict is then released at the time their serotonin levels are at their lowest, leading to a high rate of relapse. It’s a pun to say this is criminal. It takes an average of 14-16 months of sobriety for an addict’s brain to balance serotonin levels to that of a neuro-typical brain. Did you know that? Did you know that most insurances will only pay for

10/30/2021

Do not be afraid to fall in love with people. So many are hurting, because so few are willing to love the most difficult ones who they feel appear hopeless. No one is without hope, just sometimes no one is willing to go to the necessary lengths to show it to them. There’s no such thing as “hopeless.” ❤️

10/30/2021

Recovery is possible ❤ Justin Hero Justin W. Ponton

3,001 days sober.

I’d be lying if I said “It’s easy not to take a drink.”

Maybe I missed something along the way. Why is it I still tend to wrestle with sobriety? I keep waiting for these promises that a desire will be removed. My religious friends make me feel like I’m not close enough to God, simply because I still admit to struggles.

Yes, I still struggle, but I will not take a drink today no matter what happens to me or because of me. And not just so I can accumulate time without the substance.

Today I choose not to drink because I HAVE A CHOICE! The power that choice holds is precious and I’m forever grateful for the days I want to give up, but instead give this life everything I have in me.

Don’t let this social media stuff fool you. EVERYONE is dealing with something. Just do your very best to make it through each day without harming yourself or others.