Burleson Star (Burleson, Tex.), Vol. 25, No. 8, Ed. 1 Friday, October 27, 1989 Page: 2 of 20
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1—-Burleson Star, Friday, October 27, 1989
Getting Straight
Drugs and alcohol abuse isn’t just a "big city” problem. It
never really was. But the myth that it is still lives. It’s part of this
disease’s denial system—the old “what I don’t see won’t hurt
me.” TVuth is, this kind- of denial kills.
Yes, kills. Dead. If not physically (and that’s the case much of
the time), then emotionally. Spiritually. It’s like living on the San
Andreas Fault; denying its existence isn’t going to keep the earth-
quake from swallowing you up and making life miserable for
those people who love you and are left alive.
There are drugs and alcohol in town. There are alcoholics
here. There are certified alcoholism and drug abuse counselors
in Burleson, and they have clients who are Burleson natives.
From all classes and races and ages, too.
This disease attacks families where there is love and where
there isn't. It attacks families whose income is $100,000 and
over, and it attacks families who earn less than $10,000. Its vic-
tims arc black, white, Asian, Hispanic, and from all races. None
are immune. It attacks professional people, doctors, ministers,
teachers, lawyers, construction workers, foremen, housewives,
students, unemployed people, reporters, and eveiyone else. It is
indeed an "equal opportunity affliction.”
What I'd like to do in this column is bring this out in the open,
destroy the ignorance and denial and guilt-ridden silence, make
it OK to get help, and provide some answers to the Burleson
Star’s readers which will bring a clearer understanding of the
nature of this disease and what has proven effective in helping
those who suffer from it. .
No one has to identify him or herself; you can just write a
simple question on a piece of paper and mail it to the Burleson
Star (P.O. Drawer 909, Burleson, TX 76028) or call me at work
(346-6043) and ask it anonymously over the phone. And of
course reading the answers in the privacy of your home will not
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breaking anyone’s confidentiality. The symptoms of this disease
can be made clear by showing how something shows up in a
real human life. So if you want to ask a personal question, go
right ahead. If I can answer it in a way which will shed some
light on how to handle this disease, I will.
Feel free to make your own comments as well. If you have a
story to share or a comment to make, then do it. And if you give
me permission to use it in the column I might well do that,
because this column can also be a public forum on this disease
and start all of us talking with each other about what to do. We
can all be parts of a support system for each other. As Einstein
said, “All of us is smarter than one of us.”
Let’s really make this column fun and informative. I need your
questions so I won’t have to just throw together things which
may or may not have value to each reader. Fire away, folks, and
just maybe we can really turn some lives around in time.
-JOHN M. HIGHTOWER
Burleson...We've got you covered!
Three Times A Week...
The Burleson Star and
The Burleson Star Weekend
Call 295-0486 to subscribe.
Dr. Gregory A. Jaryga
PODIATRIST -
Announces the opening of his
office for the treatment of...
• Bunions • Heel Pain • Spurs
• Ingrown Nails
• Flat Foot • Diabetic Foot
Wilshire Blvd. Clinic
214 N.E Wilshire
(Across From Hilley’s)
737-0860 or 295-8194
Experience—
This professional's got it, and answers
JOHN M. HIGHTOWER
John Hightower wants to take
firstthings firstwithhis question and
answer column initiated today in the
Burleson Star Weekend.
In order to do that, he first has to
attack the concept of denial. "That’s
the greatest problem we have in psy-
chiatric and chemical dependency
treatment—people not being able to
admit they have the problem," he
said.
Hightower is the chemical de-
pendency program coordinator for
Fort Worth’s Oak Bend Hospital, and
he has a vast experience in that type
of work. He’s also written columns
for other community newspapers
which encourage readers to write or
call in with their questions, anony-
mously, and have them answered via
the newspaper.
"There’s always a lot of guilt and
shame involved in this type of illness.
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people too often wait a couple of
years before they seek help, and that
can be very dangerous. We want to
answer their questions now—when
they need the answers—even if they
aren’t ready to take the step of
seeking treatment yet,” said the pro-
fessional.
Mail your questions to The Star,
marking on the envelope, "Getting
Straight" so that we can direct it to
him immediately. Or call him di-
rectly at the number listed in his col-
umn to the left Questions can be
from family members, too, who are
frustrated in knowing how to deal
with the problems they face daily
with their loved one.
The Star and Hightower are
pleased to offer this forum as an in-
formation source for those who don’t
know where else to turn.
NOW SHOWING /
CINEMA /
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1-38 * RENDON-CROWLEV RD.
BURLESON Call 288-8888
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Moody, James. Burleson Star (Burleson, Tex.), Vol. 25, No. 8, Ed. 1 Friday, October 27, 1989, newspaper, October 27, 1989; Burleson, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth761181/m1/2/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Burleson Public Library.