Drugs Discovered Worried Home Turmoil Puzzled? What to do? Get Educated, Actions taken
About the Author
George J. Andrew, MPA
Email: George@pfofc.com
As a teenager in the early 1970s, George J. Andrew struggled with a substance use disorder. He overcame his addiction in an unconventional manner as measured by today’s available remedies. Sensing a lack of purpose in his life, he initiated a new regimen of physical and mental discipline centered around karate. He searched for meaning by learning about philosophy and religion. His newfound passionate dedication to discipline created a spiritual, emotional, and intellectual enlightenment of unwavering purpose, energized direction, and a commitment to a drug-free life.
Sadly, while helping his son battle an opioid addiction, Mr. Andrew found himself thrown into a quagmire of information regarding treatment options and addiction-fighting remedies. This frustratingly slow and steep learning curve in researching opioid addiction moved him to found "Parents for Opioid-Free Children". His goal is to quickly eliminate addiction ignorance by educating parents with a summary understanding of the nature of opioid addiction and how to treat it. He hopes that this educational website, his writings, and his speaking out to parents and others about opioid addiction will support necessary changes in how our society views and combats substance abuse disorder.
George Andrew has a master’s degree in public administration and a bachelor’s degree in business management. As a federal medical disability determinations examiner, he worked directly with physicians and reviewed medical records. These included dual-diagnosis cases common in drug abuse. That said, he sometimes quips that he feels he has earned an honorary Ph.D in the field of addiction because of all his research on and personal experiences with confronting opioid addiction.
Although Mr. Andrew acquired some addiction knowledge from his own past drug use, he never experienced opioid addiction. However, beginning in 2007, he began aggressively researching and acquiring knowledge about opioid addiction and treatment in order to save his son from his addiction to painkillers.
Mr. Andrew’s website and upcoming book, both entitled Parents for Opioid-Free Children, are based on real life experiences in personally confronting his son’s opioid addiction, knowledge gained from talking to numerous drug addiction professionals, and information learned from extensive research. His focus is on the various approaches, options, recovery modalities, therapies, what to do and what not to do, helpful resources to consider, and supports for families of a loved one battling substance use disorder. His intent is to provide a crash course for a concerned parent or family member who is helping a loved one wage a life or death battle against drug addiction.
Today, George Andrew’s central focus in life is on educating people on drug abuse prevention, helping parents and loved ones evaluate addiction treatment options, and battling the growing national opioid epidemic by speaking out and communicating with legislators and people at the forefront of the battle. He continues to urge parents, friends, and addicts to explore cutting edge sober promoting evidence based treatments and utilize essential supports that can facilitate a transformational shift to sobriety.