Addiction and Tie-Dye Prayers; Invoking Miracles
Author: Kate Holt, RN, CCET

On March 20, 2004, my twenty-three year old son, Peter overdosed. He had been battling addiction to prescription drugs. In an attempt to self-medicate his withdrawal from one drug, he miscalculated with another. This miscalculation cost him his life. Pete died after artificial life support was removed on March 23, 2004.

On the night Peter overdosed, I had been away at a training. During a meeting, I felt compelled to ask the group to pray with me for my son. At 8:20 p.m., we stood, about a hundred of us, as I asked for Divine Light to penetrate Peter’s soul. I found out later that rescue got to Pete at 8:30. By all indications, he had been dead for quite some time before they got to him. It was somewhat of a miracle that he was able to be resuscitated at all. This miracle gave us three days to love and care for him and to say our goodbyes.

Below is an entry I placed in an online memorial guest book for Pete. It gives an indication of the intention that inspired the creation of the Black Rock Foundation, which I created to honor his memory.


August 2, 2004

Dear Peter,
I miss you. The pain of losing you is indescribable. You will always be my baby boy and my heart will always long for you. Losing you has made me acutely aware of the disease of addiction. I know the addict suffers from desperation and self-loathing. I know the addict lacks the ability to cope with his own pain and suffering. I know the addict is imprisoned by his distortions, believing he doesn't have a choice. I know the addict suffers in a darkness created by the drugs and the deception inherent in the disease. I KNOW that Divine Light can penetrate this darkness. I know there is no large-scale political solution to the problem of addiction. Every time I talk about what happened to you, I learn of more people, young and old, suffering this horrific disease. I KNOW every time an addict recovers it is truly a MIRACLE! I know of two addicts who have been helped as a result of your death and a lot of prayer. Knowing all this and wanting to honor your memory, I am creating BLACK ROCK FOUNDATION. (Peter means Rock.)
Love,
Mommy

In loving memory of Peter P. Black IV and holding the belief that healing from addiction is in most cases the result of Divine intervention, the mission of the Black Rock Foundation is to encourage recovery and healing from addiction, primarily through organized sessions of focused, communal prayer and meditation. The Black Rock Foundation also supports recovery through workshops aimed at healing the underlying, potential causes of addiction. Our logo, the tie-dyed ribbon, serves as a reminder to offer a prayer for the healing of addiction. Black Rock is not associated with any religion, holding that all forms of prayer are valuable.

Since creating Black Rock a short time ago and spreading the message by word of mouth, I have been creating a list of people, either struggling with addiction or affected by it, who need prayers. The list consists of about a hundred names already. Every week, I host a prayer circle in my home. My very supportive family and friends join me and we pray for the people on the list. We each take some names with us and pray for them throughout the week. I also facilitate Black Rock prayer circles at other locations. If you have someone you would like us to include in our prayers, email their first name, last initial, and a brief message about them.


You can help the Black Rock Foundation by praying for the healing of addiction. Let tie-dye remind you to offer a prayer for addicts and the people they affect. Open and keep the dialogue going about addiction. Addicts and their families often hide in shame. Hiding prevents healing. Feeling free to talk about it can lead someone to the help and support they need. Please email this article to people you know who might be comforted or join the effort. Contact us if you would like to learn about hosting a prayer circle or to make a tax-deductible donation to help further this mission.

A Prayer for Addicts
God grant addicts the compassion to love and accept themselves, the courage to stand in the world clean and clear, and the wisdom to seek help and support. May Divine Light penetrate their souls.









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Kate Holt is the founder and president of Black Rock Foundation. She is a body-oriented psychotherapist, practicing in Marlton, NJ. She assists on the faculty of the Institute of Core Energetics East in New York.

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