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About Derek Johnson
Expertise
Any behavior in which you are compelled to engage in when you do not want to can lead to an addiction.

Ask an Expert - Visit my Virtual Office at Kasamba

Experience
I offer counseling (http://www.kasamba.com/derek-johnson) of all types -drugs, alcohol, sexual, anger, depression, co-dependency, anxiety, grief, stress, eating disorders, distortions of thought, compulsions, mood disorders, controlling behaviors, inferiority, marriage and family, motivation, life coaching, relapse prevention and recovery counseling- from an eclectic approach.

My abilities are being refined daily by supervising a counseling center that offers counseling to 120 clients. I have 10 years of direct care in all counseling arenas. I also have 2 years experience working with the mentally handicapped. Additionally, I have 2 years experience in Marriage and Family relationship issues. I have personally and unfortunately experienced sexual abuse, a suicide attempt and many addictions. This gives me a unique perspective in helping others.

Organizations
Teen Challenge of Florida
Florida Certification Board
International Society for Mental Health Online
International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium

Education/Credentials
Certified Mental Health Professional # 50190 (MA)/ Certified Addiction Professional #3279 (MA) / Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Sociology / Internationally Certified Counselor #24570 / Certified by the Florida Certification Board / Certified by International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium / NET Institute Diploma for Counseling and Addiction Studies

You are here: Experts > Teens > Health for Teens > Addiction to Drugs > Drug abuse

Topic: Addiction to Drugs

Expert: Derek Johnson
Date: 5/8/2008
Subject: Drug abuse

Question
Hi My name is brittany and i have been living with my boyfriend for three years now. He has been addicted to crack and cocaine for five years. The past two years have been the worst two years of mylife. He had been using drugs the whole time and i did not know about it.He would lie and leave for days on end to be out using drugs. He hurt me so bad. He is currently in jail and is taking drug abuse programs. He says he wants to change his life and will never use drugs again. He has been telling himself this for 5 years now. so my question is what are the chances that he will never use drugs again. Is he telling me the truth or is this just what drug addicts say so that they dont lose everything. im very scared because im in a position where i dont want to make a wrong choice. i love him and want to help him but i just cant stand to be put through this all over agin. how can you continue a relationship that has been based off of a lie? please please help me. thank you

Brittany

Answer
Hi Brittany,

He most likely honestly means what he says at this point and probably even believes it himself. The chances are rather slim but it is attainable. I used crack for one year myself and have never returned. Many have and many have relapsed multiple times prior to maintaining sobriety. And some never attain it. There is really no exact science to know in each individual.

The one aspect that does improve the chances is a genuine spiritual conversion. When people experience this aspect the chances improve greatly.

In general crack is such an addictive drug that when the stresses of life begin to consume people they return to use it to cope. It takes a daily monitoring of the dry relapse symptoms and a daily walk to improve in recovery to maintain long-term abstinence.

www.liveperson.com/derek-johnson

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