LIVE RIGHT NOW
Dr. Sabrina Black is a professor, counselor, life coach, conference retreat speaker, and international humanitarian. She is the CEO of Abundant Life Counseling, founder of Global Projects for Hope, Help and Healing (GPH3), and author of Live Right Now. To contact Dr. Black or book her for a speaking engagement, visit www.drsabrinablack.com or call 612-888-LIVE (5483).
Unexpected Death from Drug Overdose
Q. My granddaughter’s friend was found un-
conscious in the locker room of her school. She later died at the hospital, from a drug that had been laced with poison. This girl has no history of using drugs. Apparently this was her first encounter, and it proved to be deadly. My granddaughter is in shock and the whole school is stunned. This is a very good school, and we all thought our children were safe, but now we’re shaken. We’re considering sending our granddaughter to another school, but where? Is there any place safe for our children? What can we do to alert and awaken our children to the dangers of drugs? What can I do to protect my granddaughter? Signed: What Can I Do About Safety and Drugs? A. Dear What Can I Do About Safety and Drugs?, There is a safe place in God. Our children are living in a world stained by sin. In this world sometimes bad things happen to good people. We can teach them that they must live in the world, but they do not have to live as the world lives (John 17:15–16). Your granddaughter could benefit from individual counseling and group therapy or critical incident stress management. Tragedies can happen anywhere, so changing schools may not be
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TODAY’S CHRISTIAN LIVING MAY 2019
a good idea, as she may find comfort in being with her friends. A change at this time may add more trauma to her life. Talk it over with her and the two of you can decide what’s best. It’s also important for you to be a safe place for her so she can process things that she may not share at school in the presence of her peers. As her grandmother, you can provide hope, help, and healing by allowing an opportunity to diffuse and decompress through telling her story. Your granddaughter needs to talk about what happened, how she feels, and how it is impacting her from her perspective. This demonstration of CARE (Concern, Attention, Respect, Encouragement) can be a simple yet very effective approach that validates her experience. Educate your granddaughter about drugs. Hosea 4:6a (KJV) says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” There’s a wealth of information on the Internet about the dangers of drugs. These sites may also be helpful: American Association of Christian Counseling (AACC), American Counseling Association (ACA), American Psychological Association (APA), National Association of Mental Illness (NAMI), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). If she knows that you’re knowledgeable about drugs and peer pressure, that may encourage her to be more transparent and vulnerable.