A charismatic woman confronts the U.S. heroin crisis -- and makes a difference one life at a time
El Hadj Djitteye Questioning Dr. Phyllis Cureton, Photo Credit : Claire Regan, july 2017
Since the beginning of time, human beings have found ways to alter their bodies and their consciousness by taking substances such as herbs, alcohol and drugs.
Many factors influence whether people try drugs and alcohol, including the availability of drugs within the neighborhood, community and school and whether the adolescent’s and adult’s friends are using them.
Heroin addiction has become an epidemic in many American communities. Staten Island, one of the five boroughs of New York City, has been especially hard hit by the crisis. In a three-week period this summer, for example, 13 people died of drug overdoses on Staten Island.
There was once a stigma associated with heroin. Addicts used it secretly, in dark alleys and abandoned buildings. But today, because of its availability and affordability, heroin is often used in homes. In fact, most overdoses now occur in homes.
Samaritan Daytop Village, an out-patient treatment facility located on Staten Island, specializes in treating substance abuse and alcoholism. It offers medically supervised detoxification programs, individual therapy and group therapy to help addicts and alcoholics become sober and stay sober.
For Dr. Phyllis Cureton, who has served as director of Samaritan Daytop Village since May 2014, her career is more like a calling. She and her staff are saving lives every day. The Timbuktu Land of Peace and Culture crew met with Dr. Cureton for an exclusive interview.
Q : Please Can you introduce yourself to us?
Dr. Phyllis Cureton, Photo credit : Claire Regan july 2017
A : My name is Dr. Phyllis Cureton
Q : It seems like you are enjoying the work you do. Would you mind sharing your specific role in the center and what motivated you to take this position? A : I am the program director here at Samaritan Daytop Village and I oversee the whole facility. I make sure the day-to-day operations run smoothly.
Q : Most people understand drugs destroy people. Can you share with me the causes of drug and alcohol addiction on Staten Island? A: You’d be surprised that one of the main root causes is teenagers being bored, having nothing to do, starting to hang out with the wrong crowd, peer pressure. There are a lot of other scenarios that cause people to start using drugs. Someone can get hurt in an accident or hurt themselves and go to the doctor where they are prescribed a painkiller that’s called an “opiate.” They start taking these opiates and can become addicted to them. They can take it one time and become addicted to it. The pill form of opiates is very expensive, which can lead them to start using heroin, an opiate that is a lot cheaper.
Q : What kind of solutions does your center offer for drug and alcohol addiction? A : We focus on the two “H’s” – hope and help. We are considered an out-patient center. People come here and go through counseling and group therapy, and they may see a mental health specialist or a medical doctor – whatever they need. They can come here and hang out and watch TV and play games to keep from being bored. But if someone needs a little more care, I can make a phone call and have them picked up and brought to a residential treatment facility, where they live for 24 hours a day. They can stay there anywhere from six months to a year or even 18 months, depending on their addiction.
El Hadj Djitteye and Kelvin Lymo join Dr. Phyllis Cureton for a church service at Mount Sinai United Christian Church on Staten Island, where she serves as a deacon. Photo Credit : Claire Regan, july 2017
Q : How can clients benefit from your center? They come here and are educated about the disease of addiction. They can learn how to beat it. They can learn how to live a better life, how to be productive members of society, how to not use drugs. Sometimes when you’re using drugs, you feel like you’re alone. You’re by yourself and you’re lost, especially when you want to stop. A lot of times, it will start out with marijuana. We call marijuana and alcohol “gateway drugs” – meaning that when you start using them, it opens the door for you to start using other things such as cocaine, crack, heroin, hallucinogens, PCP. Sometimes a person can be smoking marijuana and someone passes them another drug like PCP. They don’t realize what it is and keep smoking. And before you know it, they’re on to a new drug now.
A : Can you share a success story of your center? We have a lot of success stories. We had a young man who didn’t want to come here but knew that he needed help. He came here screaming and kicking. He hadn’t worked in years. Before he graduated from our program and left the center, he found a job, went back to school, got his wife and children back. He got his whole life back. He still comes back to visit with us and let us know that he’s doing OK. You have to want to come into this program. You have to want to change your life. You have to realize there is a better way, that there is more to life than drugs and alcohol. It’s much easier to help a person who has reached this point.
El Hadj Djitteye Questioning Dr. Phyllis Cureton, Photo Credit : Claire Regan, july 2017
Q : What is your message for people in need of support? A : That there is help and there is hope – the two “H’s.” In America, there is a stigma attached to drug use. “Johnny” hides his drug use, and doesn’t want the neighbors or his family members to know about his addiction. But when he dies from that addiction, everyone knows. A mother and a father came here earlier today, to the center. They sent their son away to a (rehabilitation) program in Florida but he’s getting ready to come back home (to Staten Island). They want him to continue getting the help that he needs in an out-patient program. He’s only 16 years old. They want him to be a part of our program.
Q : What is your last word? A : To let people know that they’re not alone and there are people who care about them. And if they want the help, they can get the help. If they want the support, they can get the support. But they must acknowledge they have a problem and they must be willing to take the first step.
Professor Claire Regan Contributed to the editing of this article
http://www.silive.com/news/2015/10/after_heroin_take_his_son_dad.html
