This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Teens Share Addiction Horrors at Drug Free Massapequa Meeting

Outreach Project residents talk about addiction and recovery

They're still in their teens but have been hardened by life already.

Seventeen year old Danny started using drugs in the sixth grade.

He admitted that by the ninth grade, he was addicted to marijuana and was drinking alcohol.

Find out what's happening in Massapequawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

By the tenth grade, he was introduced to Xanax and would often black out. "I don't remember anything from the tenth grade because of Xanax," he said.

For the last six months, Danny, whose last name is being withheld by Patch, because of his age,has been living at the Outreach Project Residence, a Brentwood based organization, which provides drug and alcohol abuse treatment. He spoke at this month's Drug Free Massapequa meeting at Marjorie Post Park, to help prevent other teens from following his path.

Find out what's happening in Massapequawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

A year ago, Danny was in trouble with the law after getting into a fight with another young man and placed under house arrest. Leaving his home wasn't an option so he asked his older brother who was addicted to heroin if he could try the drug. He soon became addicted to heroin along with oxycontin.

After being arrested a second time for drug possession, Danny knew it was time for a change. He feels hanging out with older kids led to his downward spiral.

Eighteen-year-old Christina, who's spent 10 months at the Outreach Project residence, told the group she started drinking alcohol at the age of eight.

Her mother is an alcoholic and Christina grew up with half empty glasses of wine laying around her house.

Curiosity got the best of her and she tasted the alcohol. Her life would never be the same. "I felt better after drinking. By the sixth grade, I was drinking with my friends," she said. 

By the eighth grade, she was smoking cigarettes and pot. "My friends said try the weed and cigarettes, it's fun," she said. Christina smoked a pack of cigarettes everyday for four years. 

She eventually tried Xanax and snorted cocaine. She admitted to pawning her parents jewelry to support her drug habit. 

With her life spiraling out of control, Christina turned to cold medicines such as Mucinex which she drank everyday. "It tasted disgusting but I didn't care. I just wanted to get high." After getting into two car accidents, Christina was ready to regain her life.

Janice Talento the president of Drug Free Massapequa wanted teens to hear how drugs can destroy lives.

"Their stories are a very important message for 12 to 17 year olds to hear," she said.

Living in the Outreach Project Residence has provided structure for Christina, something she had been lacking. 

"I never cleaned my room before I came to Outreach,"  she said.

"We cook, we clean. They have classrooms there just like a regular school." Courtney McComb, Vocational Director for the Outreach Project spoke about how the group battles drug use.

"On a daily basis, there are one on one and group sessions dealing with addictions. It's a 9 to 12 month process. Battling an addiction doesn't happen overnight. We set up long term goals giving them something to work towards so they can make the right decisions on their own."

Now productive members of society, Danny plans to finish school and get a job while Christina will be attending Long Island University. 

Both talked about the rewards of living their lives sober. "When I first got to Outreach, I couldn't even tell my mom and dad I loved them," Christina said.

"Now, I can hug them and say the words 'I love you' to them. Outreach has rebuilt my life. It is possible to have people in your life that don't do drugs. I have learned real life lessons living there." 

Danny is working hard at staying clean too.

"I want to stay away from my bad friends who use drugs, even my older brother," he said.

"It feels good to be clean. It feels good not to steal and lie anymore."

For more information about the Outreach Project, visit www.opiny.org.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?