From Drugs to Dropout: the Struggle to Recover

Despite two years of sobriety, Tyler Lybert, 24, is working to repair the damage drugs and alcohol wreaked on his young life.

He never graduated from high school. A drunken driving incident at age 18 stripped him of his driver's license. 

"I still have to ask my mom for rides," Lybert told a room of Brookfield area teenagers and parents. "I lost that freedom. I was sent back to being 10 years old."

He added: "I completely destroyed my life because of my choice to use drugs and alcohol."

At a program at Brookfield East High School Tuesday night, parents and students heard powerful testimony from young adults who became heavily involved with drugs and alcohol, as well as from one young adult who did everything in her power to stay away.

The program, called "Your Choice," aims to teach students about the devastating effects of drug and alcohol use and reach them before it’s too late.

Your Choice was started two years ago by Lybert's parents, Sandi and Rick Lybert, when their son was in a drug and alcohol recovery program.

The Elmbrook Parent Network hosted the event as part of its event series. The Parent Network is a parent-to-parent organization that addresses academic and social issues, said Sandra Schultz, the group’s director of events.

Sandi Lybert said Your Choice is unique because the speakers are young adults.

“It’s important for children to hear about experiences from people closer to their age — rather than adults — because they listen more,” she said. “They (the speakers) don’t give facts, but real life stories.”

Her son Tyler told students Tuesday about the lasting effects his drug and alcohol addiction had — and continues to have — on his family, personal life and future.

Tyler began his addiction at 11 years old when he was in sixth grade.

Describing his home environment when he was on drugs, Tyler said, "It was a tornado in my house. It was pure chaos."

He said he gave up on school. "I didn't care enough to actually try. I didn't think high school would matter."

On the other side of the spectrum, Tyler’s older sister Ashleigh spoke about how she managed to stay away from drugs and alcohol throughout her youth.

Aside from seeing the destruction her brother was causing to his life and her family members’ lives, Ashleigh chose to remain drug free because she had a friend die in a drunk driving accident and because she didn’t want to see her parents hurt.

"I wish I knew more about drugs and alcohol in high school," she said. "I could have stopped him sooner."

Ashleigh told students, "My main message is once you say no, it gets easier. If you see something, say something to someone."

Another speaker, Ricki Keepman, who graduated from high school in 2004, said she considered her mother to be her best friend and was too ashamed to talk to her about her drug and alcohol use.

"I was so afraid of disappointing her, I didn't tell her what was going on inside," Keepman said.

Elmbrook School Board President Tom Gehl opened the program with a short speech.

"The reality of drugs and alcohol are present at most middle schools and high schools in the nation," Gehl said.

"Why is it that I care? About '100 years ago' I got into a lot of things I had no business getting into," Gehl said. "I know what it does and doesn't do. I emerged unscathed and unharmed. Nothing good came of any of that."

Usually the Your Choice program is held during the school day for just students. The Brookfield program was held at night, starting with parents and children together in a room. Then for the second part of the program, the students were taken to another room, while the parents listened to testimony from the young adult speakers' parents. The parents in the audience also had an opportunity to ask questions.

The Elmbrook Parent Network puts on three to five educational programs per year and holds monthly meetings, said Kristin Westrick, network president. The network started about 20 years ago, although many changes to the group have taken place over the years.

The group was interested in bringing a Your Choice program to Elmbrook because of the effective way it uses adults to reach out to the students.

“We saw the value in getting the message out,” Schultz said. “Unfortunately, it’s (drugs and alcohol) are part of the adolescent culture. It affects grades and decision making.”

Westrick said, “It touches their lives even if they don’t choose to use it."

For more information about Your Choice, as well as tips on how to detect drug abuse and talk with children, visit: www.yourchoice-live.org/home.

Upcoming Parent Network Event:

What: A follow up to the Your Choice event in which parents will learn warning signs for drug use and tools to communicate with their children

Where: Pilgrim Park Middle School, 1500 Pilgrim Parkway, Elm Grove

When: Tuesday April 12

For more information: Visit the Parent Network's web site