What is it about heroin usage that grips its victim to the point where he or she feels like “Heroin’s Puppet?” Or any substance for that matter that a person becomes a slave to?

I once had a childhood friend who was addicted to the smell of Vicks Vapor Rub. He would carry a jar around with him and sniff it throughout the course of the day. Not to speak of those I know that are alcoholics, or recovering alcoholics.

Substance abuse, is it a disease? Or, is it just a bad choice? Since embarking on this journey and trying to learn as much as I can, with the allotted time that I have viewing the literature, blogs, and video’s, I have been contemplating these questions and others like it.

At the last “Learn To Cope” meeting I attended, I listened to a speaker Melissa Weiksnar. The title of this blog is courtesy of her message and book “Heroin’s Puppet.”

Ms. Weiksnar spoke of her daughter, Amelia, who was bright, intelligent, athletic, who started off doing well in college. But, she died when she was 21 years old, a day after Christmas five years ago from a heroin overdose.

Ms. Weiksnar told the story of her daughter’s life from her perspective and Amelia’s. From Amelia’s vantage point she relied on Amelia’s journals which Ms. Weiksnar had edited and printed into the book “Heroin’s Puppet.”

Like most stories I had heard, the drug usage started off as recreational then became more and more relied upon and abused as the pressures of life increased. As time elapsed for Amelia the drug experimentation had her trying many different types.

As the case with many. Amelia got caught up with the wrong crowd. Once she started on her experimentation, she saw druggies everywhere. Almost like when you go buy a new car, or start thinking of buying a new car brand, all of a sudden, you see that brand everywhere.

With the wrong associations, Amelia experimented with drugs until she became in her own words “Heroin’s Puppet.” It grabbed a hold of her and wouldn’t let go.

I’ve contemplated this from the spiritual side and humanistic side. Overcoming ones negative strong holds can be quite difficult. It’s easy to become entangled with the wrong things of this world. Oh how I wish it weren’t so.

Things initially begin because of our free will. We start off on a path by thinking in a certain manner that starts us off on our journey. Whether we think right or wrong it has us heading off into our future.

I am reminded of Phillipians 4:8:

⁸ Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. ⁹ The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

Paul admonishes us to think a certain way on certain things that are good and wholesome. We may not be able to control our environment to the extent we would like. And, we may not be able to control the actions of others around us, but we can control our thoughts.

It is my prayer that I might be able to help others who feel like puppets in what little way that I can through this blog, and times I’m able to teach or preach. Feeling enslaved can be heart rendering. But, there is hope!