Wish I could go back to the way it was before I ever had a taste of the stuff life wasted from drugs powder replaced faith and got traded from love hearts now decaying to dust scratchin’ my face as I escape the hate with a buzz
–Numb me, by Charles Aubrey Rogers
If this is not a testament to never doing drugs, I don’t know what is. Once it sucked my child into depravity, shame moved in and took up residence.
I’ve been combing through Charles’ music and this is just a snippet of a song. He hand wrote all his lyrics and I typed up a lot of them for the book. Then I had to try and decide what went in and what fit where. Even at the last minute, I switched one out for another because I found one that was a perfect fit after a particular chapter that I had not seen before.
Once I read those lyrics, I understood the disease. I understood him.
I am an emotionally naked mental health speaker, and author of the Book, Diary of a Broken Mind and co-author with Kim O'Brien PhD, LICSW of Emotionally Naked: A Teacher's Guide to Preventing Suicide and Recognizing Students at Risk. I raised two boys, Richard and Charles, and lost my younger son, Charles to addiction and suicide on June 5, 2015. I help people foster a culture of connection to prevent suicide, reduce substance misuse and find life after loss. My motivational mental health keynotes, training and workshop topics include suicide prevention, addiction, mental illness, anxiety, coping strategies/resilience, and grief.
As talented and funny as Charles was, letting other people know they matter was his greatest gift. And now the legacy I try and carry forward in my son's memory.
Mental Health Speakers Website. Trained in ASIST and trainer for the evidence-based 4-hour training for everyone called safeTALK.
View all posts by Anne Moss Rogers
2 thoughts on “Numb me”
“Wish I could go back to the way it was
before I ever had a taste of the stuff
life wasted from drugs”.
The words of Charles.
The words of many alcoholics and addicts. I have said these very words myself.
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“Wish I could go back to the way it was
before I ever had a taste of the stuff
life wasted from drugs”.
The words of Charles.
The words of many alcoholics and addicts. I have said these very words myself.
Thank you Anne Moss Rodgers for your courage.
You are welcome. I included complete songs in the book. They offer quite a portrait. One I didn’t see until after.