Recovering alcoholic shares experiences
By: Toni Walker
Editor of The Steel Country Bee
Experience can be the best teacher. The Northeast Texas Coalition Against Substance Abuse used that belief recently to reach students at Daingerfield High School about the dangers of underage drinking.
Coalition director Susan Anderson has been working with students from Daingerfield High School on programs and campaigns to help curb underage drinking. On Thursday, Feb. 18, Anderson brought in someone with first-hand experience in the matter to speak to the students. Staci Clark introduced herself to students as an alcoholic and a drug addict, who has been in recovery for six and one half years. Clark went through her story with students, explaining how she had her first drink at age eight, when she stole a beer from her grandfather. When she was in high school, Clark began drinking, at first, just on the weekends. She then progressed to drinking before school. Her addiction then led to her use of marijuana and other drugs. Clark said that she could do well during the summer, staying away from alcohol and drugs, but would start back when school began again.
“At first, drinking is fun,” Clark said, “but then it gets where you have to do it.” Clark went on to tell the students how she dropped out of high school midway through her senior year, ended up in recovery (the first time) at 18, and was homeless by the age of 20. “My addiction has hurt myself, and a lot of people I love,” Clark said. Clark went on to tell students many of the negative affects her early drinking had on her life.
As a result of underage drinking, Clark, who has been experienced continued sobriety for a little over six years, still has pain and consequences she suffers today. Anderson said, “Many people don’t think about the long term affects underage drinking can have.” Clark deals with emotional scars on a regular basis. She also has experienced the difficulty of finding a job, due to the felony drug charge that will always remain on her record. “I completed nursing school,” said Clark, “only to find out that I cannot receive me license,” due to the felony. Recovery itself is not a given. According to Clark, of those in treatment, only approximately 13 percent achieve long-term sobriety.
Clark did let the students know that there is hope, however. "Nothing good comes from underage drinking,” Clark said, “but you can rebuild your life.” Clark is one of the lucky ones, in that she has been able to obtain and keep both a job and her sobriety. Many alcoholics and addicts do not. “I have lost too many friends, due to alcoholism,” Clark said.
Anderson reminded students about the Coalition’s Instagram campaign, #Rethink_the_Drink. Anderson urged the students to join the Coalition’s account, and enter the contest showing why they choose to “rethink the drink.”
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