Teenagers all around the world are struggling with addiction. This is a photographic project that follows the lives and stories of teenagers in the Austin area who are recovering from addiction. This community is particularly important to me because in October of 2011, I got sober as a 14-year-old adolescent. If it weren’t for the rooms and communities presented in this project, I would not be sober today.
The Palmer Drug Abuse Program and Keystone are the two resources available for teenagers in Austin who are looking for recovery. They are commonly referred to as Alternative Peer Groups because they provide the teenager with a group of peers who are sober. This is crucial in the success of recovery because it provides understanding and accountability. The Palmer Drug Abuse Program is a free program that offers two meetings a week with hangouts after, and an event on the weekend. Keystone offers multiple meetings a week and two events on the weekend. Both of the groups provide meetings for the parents as well.
Having these resources available is crucial to teenagers who need assistance. It provides support, accountability, and a new way of living. My friend who introduced me to the Palmer Drug Abuse Program over 7 years ago passed away from an overdose in December and it is for him that I am bringing light to this issue and resources available for recovery.
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PDAP Meeting at Riverbend Church
On Monday nights, the Palmer Drug Abuse Program meets at Riverbend Church for one of their two meetings a week. They have a check-in with the clients, followed by a discussion brought by one of the clients.
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Meeting Room
This room holds the Monday meeting. The Palmer Drug Abuse Program is based on the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous which are in the wall.
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Alcoholics Anonymous Book
Since P.D.A.P. is based in Alcoholics Anonymous, it is common to see their book which the clients use to bring topics of discussion in the meetings.
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Emily, 12-12-16
Emily began drinking when she was 16. She was upset at her parents when they told her she was going to move. She found out that it was easy to make friends if she was drinking and going to parties. Within a year and a half of her starting to drink, she had be hospitalized for her drinking and had jumped out of a car in a blackout causing her to break 7 bones in her hand. She was then sent to her first treatment center. Upon returning home, Emily found that the sober community was mostly older people and she didn’t find a group of people her age. She stayed sober for a few month then relapsed. Emily failed out of three colleges due to her drinking. After ending up in Austin, she kept drinking for a few months. She had been drinking and driving frequently and that all came to an end when she woke up with 35 beer cans in her passengers seat. That day, Emily found a recovery group of young people and she became willing to do anything to stay sober. She wanted to be of service and share her message of recovery and found out about the Palmer Drug Abuse Program. She fell in love with it because she saw herself when she had tried to get sober the first time and wished it was a resource available for her when she was a teenager. She hopes that even if the clients don’t stay sober, they will always know they can come back to recovery and that it is a safe space.
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John, 9-9-16
John got sober in another Alternative Peer Group in Austin that closed down in 2018. He now volunteers at both of the groups in Austin. He was asked to be the monthly speaker at P.D.A.P. to the parents and the clients.
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Monthly Speaker Meeting at P.D.A.P.
The attendees get ready for the speaker to share his story about growing up, his addiction, and his road to recovery. John now works at Juiceland in Austin.
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Smoke Break
One of the common occurrences at a function is a smoke break. Many of these clients have quit drugs and alcohol but still hold on to smoking. The whole group usually migrates outside to participate in this break.
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Client and Volunteer Chat Outside Bowling Alley
Eli is seen talking to Caroline who is staff. She got sober with P.D.A.P. and now spends time coming back to the program that helped her get sober.
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Clients Chat Outside Bowling Alley
Clients enjoy a break from bowling to smoke and bond with each other.
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Clients Tate and Michael
Tate and Michael are close friends. They are together at every event and meeting. They both got sober in the Palmer Drug Abuse Program and now they make music together.
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Tate, 10-12-17
Tate started using at the age of 13. His behavior progressed to running away and doing other illegal activity which took him to jail. Shortly after getting out, he realized he wanted to be sober and began attending a sober high school in Austin called University High School. The high school required he attend an Alternative Peer Group in Austin which led him to P.D.A.P. He says that P.D.A.P has provided sober friends his own age which has helped him tremendously because it is rare to find other teenagers who are sober.
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Max, 9-28-13
Max began using drugs in 7th grade around the same time that his dad passed away. He used it as justification for him to use drugs freely and avoid his feelings. A few years after he started to go downhill, his mother who is a sober alcoholic sent him to a wilderness program. Upon returning to Austin, he began attending an Alternative Peer Group that just opened in Austin called Teen and Family Services which began in Houston. He was the first client in Austin. He saw a fellowship grow of people his own age who had experienced similar things. He also began attending P.D.A.P. He expressed that during this time, he finally allowed himself to be loved by other people again since his father passed away. The care for these people and the relationships he had built helped him to stay sober. One of his struggles in sobriety has been with his Bipolar Disorder. He struggled with the decision of staying on his medication and decided to stop taking it when he began college in Lubbock. He was suicidal and stopped talking with everybody. He came back home and decided to get back on medication and deal with his mental health. He has started a business with friends and began attending college in Austin. He eventually began working at P.D.A.P and is a founding member of Keystone. His goal is to help as many people have the experience that he had getting sober.
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Caroline, 4-23-18
Caroline started using when she was 12 years old because she couldn’t handle her emotions. Her family life was unstable and she felt safe when she was using drugs and alcohol. She eventually found cocaine which made her feel like she was in control. During this time, she was struggling with self-harm and was sexually assaulted by the people who were providing her drugs. Caroline knew she was going to die if she continued using and reached out for help. After treatment, she came to Austin and began going to the Palmer Drug Abuse Program. She recognized young people like herself and built connections she had always craved when she was growing up. She now knows how to manage her emotions, has meaningful relationships, and helps other people struggling with addiction.
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Angie, 1-4-19
Angie started using drugs in 6th grade. Her adoptive parents didn’t know she was using drugs and she felt like she never fit in with them. She found acceptance from the people who were doing drugs. She got kicked out of school after she had been caught with alcohol on her breath. She decided to go to University High School which is a sober school and they require that the students attend an Alternative Peer Group. She broke down after realizing she had a problem and got sober. She relapsed around the New Year but came back to the program. Keystone holds her accountable and helps surround her with positive peers.
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Max R., 10-20-18
Max started using when he was 13. When he lived in Saint Louis, he fell into the wrong crowd and began smoking weed. It progressed to things like cocaine and anything that was offered to him. While living there, he was stabbed a few times, shot in the wrist, and skimmed with a bullet. Max eventually moved to Austin with his family and went to rehab in Houston. As soon as he was discharged from treatment, he joined Keystone. He did not want to be sober and would show up to events drunk and high. He decided to give up fighting and accepted help. Keystone opened his eyes to a life of recovery and was there to help him when he was ready.
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Ben and Max R. at a Keystone Event
Staff member Ben and Max R. talk while waiting for food at a coffee shop during a Keystone event.
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Avery, 1-2-12
Avery started using because it was fun and it eventually became an escape for him. He got sober in the Palmer Drug Abuse Program right before he turned 15 with the help of the staff members who helped him get honest with himself. Avery has always worked or volunteered for Alternative Peer Groups since then. He worked at Teen and Family Services until it shut down and began working at the Palmer Drug Abuse Program until him and his friends founded Keystone.
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Nat, 2-14-19
After coming to America when she was 5 years old, Nat always felt as if she was different than her peers. She began using when she was 12 years old as a way to cope and put on the appearance that she was happy. It started off with weed and progressed to cocaine and meth. She says she felt a sense of emptiness which brought her to multiple treatment centers over the past few years. Today, P.D.A.P helps her with a sense of community. She has friends now who don’t judge her and who support her. Mostly, they share a common struggle which bonds them together. Nat recently relapsed and is back in a residential treatment center getting help.
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Tate and Nat
Tate and Nat are both clients of the Palmer Drug Abuse Program.
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Keystone Meeting Room
This room is one of the places where Keystone holds meetings at the church.
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Recovery Gave Me
Clients from Keystone wrote down what they have recieved from being in recovery.
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Local EMT Visits Clients
A local EMT comes to teach the clients how to stop bleeding and what to do in an emergency situation.
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Keystone Staff Talking with Clients
Hannah talks with the clients during one of the nights where they hang out at the church.
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Max and Max R. at a Keystone Event
Both Max and Max R. are working together to build flower arrangements.
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Keystone Clients and Staff Make Flower Arrangements
Keystone had a fundraiser to help raise money. Clients, parents, and staff came together to help make the flower arrangements for the event.
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Angie Helps with the Flowers
Angie, client of Keystone, helps put the arrangements together.
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Hannah with the Clients
The girls work together with staff member Hannah.
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Avery Helps with Flower Arrangements
Avery, one of the founders of Keystone, helps get the flower arrangements ready for the Keystone Fundraiser.
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Staff Member Ben
Ben is one of the founding members of Keystone.
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P.D.A.P. Meeting
A group of girls sit together against a wall in a completely packed meeting.
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Eli, 11-1-18
Eli started using when he was 12. He had always wanted to use and when he found some weed in his mom’s dresser, things quickly escalated. He ended up using cocaine, pills, and other drugs. Eli went to rehab in November of 2018 and upon returning home, he began attending University High School. He started going to P.D.A.P. and was happy to find people his age who were sober.
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Staff Members Talk at Meeting Hangout
Caroline and Alex talk outside of UNOs.
