Client News

LEADING INTERVENTIONIST AND CO-AUTHORS OF INSPIRATIONAL BOOK “THE LOST YEARS” TO SPEAK AT FUNDRAISER
January 26, 2010

 

CINCINNATI, OH– January 26, 2010– Co-authors Constance Curry and Kristina Wandzilak will be sharing their inspirational, first-hand account of adolescent addiction and recovery at the heart of their memoir, “The Lost Years: Surviving a Mother and Daughter’s Worst Nightmare” during the 4th Annual Friends of Ogichi Speaker Series in Cincinnati next month. Recently featured on ABC’s “Nightline” and star of the new TLC series, “ADDICTED”, Kristina Wandzilak is an acclaimed interventionist and survivor of an addiction that began when she was only 13 years of age. The mother and daughter co-authors will speak to both sides of a family’s struggle with alcohol and addiction, offering the opportunity for teens, parents and friends to understand adolescent addiction through a keynote address and break out sessions. The fundraiser event, sponsored by Ogichi Daa Kwe, a summer camp for young women, will be held at the 20th Century Theater in Oakley on February 20, 2010 from 12:45-3:15 p.m with all proceeds benefiting future camp programs.

Growing up in an upper-middle class, Catholic household in Marin County, California, Kristina Wandzilak was not exposed to alcohol or drugs until she snuck her first taste of vodka at the age of 13 at home. By high school, she was drinking before school and swim practice until she was introduced to drugs before a dance at her private high school. “ I hear a lot from parents who seem to think that their children will be sheltered if they pay a lot of money for their education,” said Kristina Wandzilak. “They think that somehow it shelters them from addiction. But it does not. It’s everywhere. It’s an equal opportunity disorder.”

During high school, her addiction spiraled down quickly, leading her into prostitution, burglary and violent rape until her near death experience in a homeless shelter at the age of 21. Kristina's mother, Constance, tells of her powerlessness to help her addicted daughter, the break-up of her unhappy marriage and how she comes to terms with her own co-dependency. She is also faced with the worst choice a mother could make, to close the door on her daughter , sending Kristina onto the streets in order to protect her other children.

The Friends of Ogichi Speaker Series is intended to encourage and deepen the conversation about the tough issues of teenage years including addiction in families. With one third of youths 12 to 17 reporting alcohol use in past year, teens who have conversations with their parents about the dangers of substance abuse are significantly less likely to use substances compared with adolescents who did not have those conversations.

The Speaker Series is open to the public but registration is required and space is limited. Tickets are $20, tax deductible and can be purchased by contacting Pam Gasparec at 513-772-7479 or pam@campingedu.com. Curb side valet parking will also be available for the afternoon event. For more information please visit www.ogichi.org.

About the Authors:
Kristina Wandzilak is an internationally recognized speaker and expert in addiction, intervention and recovery and has helped hundreds of families around the world. Kristina, who specializes in helping addicted youth, endeavors to treat the family as a whole, not just the addicted family member, in a process she calls “family intervention”. She created Full Circle Intervention (www.fullcirclei.com) and, with her team, she creates an individualized treatment plan for each client and their family. She lives in the San Francisco bay area with her husband and two children.

Constance Curry is a businesswoman and an educational speaker on the subject of addiction and family recovery. She lives in Marin County, California close to her children and grandchildren.

About Camp Ogichi Daa Kwe:
The mission of Ogichi Daa Kwe, which means strong spirited woman in Ojibway, is to empower the strong spirits of young women and their families through wilderness experiences and lifelong community. Ogichi Daa Kwe is owned by the Camping and Education Foundation in Cincinnati and is the sister camp to 87 year old Camp Kooch-i-ching. The Friends of Ogichi event, held every February, offers families and friends a chance to come together for a celebration of friendship, an opportunity to spread awareness of Ogichi’s mission and a shared educational experience. For more information, visit www.ogichi.org or www.koochiching.org