Blinded: A Story of Fact and Fiction

By Latonia Alexander

This book is not only for substance abusers, it is for anyone suffering from addiction and members of their family. It provides facts related to addiction and it also tells a story about the consequences of substance use.

Dr. Alexander peers into the life of a past drug user whose existence has been ravished by substance abuse.
The story is told by a past drug user, Zahara, who was once Blinded by her addiction; she was not capable of seeing how her actions had not only affected who she was as a person, but also those she loved the most. Zahara, tells a story of struggle and survival of a family engulfed by the penalties of addiction.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Latonia Alexander
• Release date: Mar 8, 2020
• ISBN: 9781548630041

Latonia Alexander

Latonia S. Alexander, PhD is the author of Billy Bush Back and His Books, which is an interactive children’s book that caters to the importance of reading. Alexander possess extensive knowledge about the field of psychology and the subject of addiction. Her philosophy can be summarized as: people are more likely to absorb the fact when fiction is introduced; the two then function as a cohesive unit in an effort to convey a story that allows the fact to become relatable as well as retainable.

Book preview

BLINDED

A STORY OF FACT AND FICTION

Latonia S. Alexander, PhD

Copyright © 2017 by Latonia S. Alexander

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by reviewers, who may quote brief passages in a review.

ISBN: 978-1548630041

Library of Congress Control Number:  2017919718

Some characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

Printed and bound in the USA

First Printing 2017

Published by Latonia Alexander Publishing, LLC

Atlanta, GA

Visit www.latoniaalexander.com

Email: [e-mail]

For My Family

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

INTRODUCTION……………………….

Fact and Fiction

Chapter one………………………..

Family

The Life Before

chapter two………………………..

Shattered Innocence

The Remembrance

Chapter three…………………….

The Revelation

When the Shit Hit the Fan

chapter four………………………

The Addict

My Transformation

chapter five………………………..

The Suffering

The Distress of a Family

chapter six…………………………

The Light

The Truth of My Existence

REFERENCES

I would like to acknowledge…

The Black family,

whose resilience is factually exclusive, feared and even envied .

INTRODUCTION

Fact and Fiction

Stories that integrate fact and fiction are those that are memorable.

Introduction

Addiction does not take notice of who you are; you could be married, single, be a senator or a diplomat. Regardless of who you are, it grabs you and holds you tighter and tighter until you are devoted to its wants and desires.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Services Administration [SAMSHA] (2013) addiction actually affects more than 22.2 million people in the United States (Alexander, 2015, p.1). However, there are certain groups of people who are more susceptible to substance use and addiction. Women, especially African American women are more at risk of substance abuse. According to Alexander (2015) violence, childhood maltreatment, racism, and poverty are common risk factors that are associated with women who suffer from addiction. Childhood maltreatment has been linked to substance dependence in adults, be it physical, emotional or sexual abuse (Covington, 2008; Turner & Wallace, 2003).

Throughout history, research and treatment have always focused on white men, who are considered the dominant race, and gender, who suffered from addiction. Therefore, women, especially women of color, have been disproportionately represented. Recovery from drug abuse may seem distant when an individual is suffering from addiction. However, recovery is very real and can be achieved only when a person decides to gravitate towards a new way of living. Women have a number of factors that should be addressed when they decide to seek recovery treatment. As indicated previously, these factors can range from childhood maltreatment to mental illnesses. These issues have to be addressed in combination with recovery treatment. Treatment that is not gender appropriate could possibly increase the relapse rate among this population of women (Alexander, 2015).

It has been found that there are a number of processes that women have used to sustain their recovery. Alexander (2015) conducted a study and found that African American women who seek recovery sustain their recovery through connections; (1) Connection with self and connections with others and (2) Connection with God.

Substance use not only affects the user, but it also has devastating consequences on family members of the abuser. It is vital that family members stay strong and seek counsel as well. Many family members are not aware that they need help nor are they aware that help is available. There are a number of groups such as, Nar-anon, that were designed to address the needs of family members of substance users.

Blinded, was conceived due to the lack of knowledge about substance use and its infliction on the Black family. The acknowledgement of the family’s need for recovery has been over looked throughout the community. This book provides facts about substance abuse, and it allows the reader to take a journey with a past substance abuser, Zahara,