Issue Date: December 18, 2005

Books

Staying clean

A young recovering addict and former reality TV star shares his sobering tale.

When we last saw Chris Beckman, he was a struggling 23-year-old recovering alcohol and drug addict on MTV's "The Real World: Chicago." Beckman, now 28, credits the reality TV show with keeping him from relapsing, calling it "my halfway house." These days, Beckman visits schools nationwide to caution adolescents and teens about the perils of his former lifestyle. We spoke to him about his recent book, "Clean: A New Generation in Recovery Speaks Out" (Hazelden, $12.95):

Are kids today more susceptible to addiction?
There's an incredible, overwhelming attraction to growing up fast.

Don't all kids experiment?
The bar has been raised. My sister graduated 10 years after me. [In high school,] I had been drinking, smoking pot. Kids in her class are rehabbing from cocaine addiction.

What do you say to parents who think, "Not my child"?
My mother was unaware. I was very good at protecting her from who I was outside of the house.

So, parents should do more than just accept what their child tells them. Like?
Background checks on friends! Check up on where they are when they say they're sleeping at Beth's, at Steven's. Be open, non-judgmental if they tell you things.

And if they tell you they are doing drugs or drinking?
Rather than discipline, communicate what you did at their age, or share a story that creates a bond. Let them know you love them regardless of mistakes. We're all human beings. -- Gayle Jo Carter