The AP has a story on Rep. Cindy Ziemke (R-Batesville), her sons’ struggles with heroin, and what the struggles bring to her legislative outlook. Both of her sons have addictions to heroin. Among other things, one ended up in prison and another in a hospital as well as in and out of rehab.
She is proud of what her sons have accomplished though she acknowledges her expectations have changed over the years.
“I used to think they were going to be doctors or lawyers,” she said. “You want to know my proudest moment lately? Sean got a new car. He’s got a clean driving record, a 750 credit score, and he can afford a car payment. That was my proudest moment lately.”
I have to say that this is a scenario that plays out in my nightmares. I have a couple of kids who are delightful and seem to be very much on the right track. And, so, I wonder — how much randomness is there in addiction derailments of otherwise promising lives?
From a policy perspective, this has emphasized to Rep. Ziemke the need for better treatment options in Indiana.
Unlike Indiana, Southern California boasts a wide range of treatment options and, as a result, a much larger sober living community. There is a wider array of housing options for those in recovery, and employers are more open to hiring recovering addicts, she said. There are 12-step meetings available any night of the week.
It’s a stark contrast to Indiana, with its limited treatment options. Fostering a stronger recovery environment in Indiana will take time, she said, but it begins with recognizing the need. And that means spreading the truth that heroin abuse can affect anyone.
To that end, she’s sharing her experiences more frequently. She mentioned Sean’s struggle during the last legislative session when she sponsored a bill expanding the availability of naloxone, the overdose antidote that helped save her son’s life.
And just last month, she spoke to about 500 people at Mental Health America of Indiana’s annual gala.
“It’s hard to do,” she said. “But it gets easier.”
I have 2 friends who lost sons to heroin overdoses. And when I shared this with my friend in Cincinnati he told me he had 5 friends who had kids whose lives were destroyed by heroin. 2 dead, 2 in prison, and one in rehab.
And I don’t know what the answer is. Though for starters I’m fairly certain we should make naloxone more readily available .
What do you suppose the chances of our legislators getting that one right is?
Do all our legislators have to go through this hell to learn empathy for others? This sounds like one gutsy woman who has a lot to teach her colleagues, who if they listen, could begin to reverse our race to the bottom and make Indiana a more humane place to live. She stands in stark contrast to the authoritarian, judgmental individuals who vote their ignorance and intolerance to be approved by an equally mean-spirited and authoritarian governor. Thanks for posting this.
Actually, yes. And they’re not the only ones. Suddenly much of white America has cooled on the lock-up-all-the-addicts talk when suddenly heroin, opiates and meth started overtaking a great deal of it, particularly in the suburbs.
This isn’t terribly uncommon for Republican legislators. Rob Portman, conservative Republican senator from Ohio, supports gay marriage because his son is gay. Mark Kirk of Illinois supports Medicaid funding for stroke victims because he had a stroke. Cindy Ziemke supports better support for those recovering from drug addiction because her sons fit into that category. It’s too bad that empathy doesn’t seem to extend beyond the immediate family.
I am not sure if this can be a Republican vs. Democratic issue but rather the all-too-human issue of focusing on what is personally experienced instead of being able to truly “walk in another man’s shoes”.
John M, your point about a conservative’s empathy not extending beyond their family is absolutely correct. I wonder if there is a biological component to this, favoring one’s own genetic material over the general welfare of society.
Take some time today. Google State Dept of Health for CA and IN. Google 12 Step Program or HIV for Marion County IN and Contra Costa CA. Compare the heath dept sites for Marion County and Contra Costa. Then consider what it would be like for an Indiana citizen, with no insurance, to find help for HIV or an addiction problem vs someone in CA. IMO it appears the state of IN has abandoned the concept of Public Health.
I think that has a lot to do with motivated social cognition as the driving force behind conservatism, but I need to think about it, and it’s on the verge of getting a little late for that. If you search for motivated social cognition, jost and dan kahan, you may get there before me.