Teen Challenge

Teen Challenge started in Brooklyn, New York in 1958 by Rev. David Wilkerson.

Wilkerson was a young country preacher pastoring a church in eastern Pennsylvania. One February afternoon, Wilkerson read an article in LIFE magazine about seven teenagers who were on trial for murder.

During a gang fight in Manhattan, these teens beat a young man to death. Troubled by what he read in the article, and sensing God wanted him to do something for the teens, Wilkerson made a trip from his hometown in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania to the urban area of New York City.

Some time after this, Rev. Wilkerson resigned his church in Pennsylvania and moved to the New York City area to work full time with teenage gang members. This new work was eventually called “Teen Challenge.” Soon, Teen Challenge began to also offer help to those addicted to drugs and alcohol.

During these early years, a large home was obtained on Clinton Avenue in Brooklyn. A year-long residential discipleship program was started in this facility. This Teen Challenge program is still helping people change their lives in today! Due to its success, residential Teen Challenge centers began cropping up in cities all across America.

Most of the centers offer a 12-18 month residential program for men, women, boys, or girls. These centers are designed to help individuals learn how to live drug-free lives. The programs are discipline-oriented and offer a balance of Bible classes, work assignments, and recreation.

As of January 2002, at the beginning the 45th year, there were 178 Teen Challenge programs in the United States and another 150 in other countries around the world. A study completed by NIDA in 1974 claimed an 86% success rate 7 years after graduation. Other studies have been completed since that time that confirmed those findings.

The rest of the story of Teen Challenge is told in the best-selling book, The Cross and the Switchblade. This book has sold tens of millions of copies and has been translated into 35 different languages. Another exciting book that is available, Run Baby Run tells of notorious gang member Nicky Cruz who was one of David Wilkerson’ s early converts in New York City. Beyond the Cross and the Switchblade and The Cross is Still Mightier than the Switchblade also detail important early history of Teen Challenge.

Teen Challenge has grown into one of the largest and most successful programs of its kind in the world.

http://teenchallengeusa.com/

Oscar de la Hoya

As I enjoy my 10 months of being sober today I come to realize without a cloud over my head that I will never ever fight again.

Step 8

MARCH 8 Today I am willing for healing to take place in ruptured relationships. I have been doing the best that I can. My acknowledgment that I may have hurt someone else in no way disparages me. I have also been hurt, and I extend the same understanding to myself that I do to others. We have all been doing the best that we can. My willingness to make amends speaks to my spiritual growth and desire for honesty. Making amends to others sets things straight with myself. My self-respect is growing to the extent that I am no longer comfortable with unfinished business. I will finish up my side for my own self and allow the rest to be where it is. It is for myself that I make amends; I do not need to control the result. I am willing to feel clean inside. Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all. Step 8, Alcoholics Anonymous

Dayton Ph.D., Tian (2010-01-01). Daily Affirmations for Forgiving and Moving On (p. 68). HCI. Kindle Edition.

The meaning of Addiction by APA

Addiction is a condition in which the body must have a drug to avoid physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms. Addiction’s first stage is dependence, during which the search for a drug dominates an individual’s life. An addict eventually develops tolerance, which forces the person to consume larger and larger doses of the drug to get the same effect.

Whitney Houston

Sadly enough, we lost another amazing performer to alcohol and drugs. When will fame be enough? Most likely never! The only sure saving grace we can hold onto in this life is our faith in God to help us through. Whitney grew up a gospel singer and was given an amazing gift in her voice. That voice could have been used for greatness in the kingdom of God if the devil hadn't swayed her the wrong way. I pray for her family and pray that she is with the Lord using her precious voice once again to praise Him eternally.

Amen.

Stats

• 76.3 million persons are diagnosed with alcohol disorders;
• At least 15.3 million persons are affected by disorders related to drug use;
• Between 5 and 10 million people currently inject drugs;
• 5%–10% of all new HIV infections globally result from injecting drugs;
• More than 1.8 million deaths in 2000 were attributed to alcohol related risks;
• 205,000 deaths in 2000 were attributed to illicit drug use

For every dollar invested in drug treatment, seven dollars are saved in health and social costs. Abuse of alcohol and other substances continues to be one of the most serious public health problems in both developed and developing countries. Worldwide, alcohol accounted for 4% of the total burden of diseases in 2000.

HALT

An addict who has a “slip” does not necessarily mean that the person has had a complete relapse. It could possibly mean a temporary lapse in changing addictive behavior (Van Vormer & Davis, 2008). In other words, if an addict that has had 5 years of sobriety and suddenly has a slip due to a stressful situation; it is possible to get back to their program without thinking they have blown it. This kind of thinking could cause the addict to go completely off his or her program. It is better for these “lapses” to be viewed as valuable learning opportunities with the help of a therapist (Van Vormer & Davis, 2008).

The term HALT in substance abuse treatment means don’t get too hungry, angry, lonely, or tired. These triggers can cause a setback and cause the addict to use again. It is important for therapists to help their client self-monitor for antecedents that may cause complete relapse (Van Vormer & Davis, 2008). Another method to relieve stressors could be through the concept of spiritual healing by attending church, Bible study, Celebrate Recovery, or cell groups to have a feeling of belonging and a support system that is easy to access in their own community.

Celebrate Recovery is a well-known 12 Step program based on the Bible to help addicts recover spiritually. They can be found in almost every city at Christian churches. Cell groups are formed by people from church who get together in people’s homes to have Bible study or coffee to talk about spiritual things relating to God. These home recovery groups and gatherings could also help teens stay clean by adding a sense of belonging and accountability. Sometimes the addict has had a spiritual life in the past and just needs help tapping back into it (Van Vormer & Davis, 2008).

Van Wormer, K., & Davis, D. R. (2008). Addiction treatment: A strengths perspective (2nd ed.) Belmont, CA: Thompson Higher Education.