Phone calls
When people's kids go crazy or they discover they are addicted to drugs, often times they call me. My name is out there in the mental health community and the parent of an addict recovery community, on phone lists all over our county.
I recently received a call from a friend....these are the hardest. Her daughter who has never given them a moments trouble, is in so very deep. I won't go into details, but it is so out of character and so horrifying, the depths that she has dropped to. I was speechless and kept asking, "How can this be? How on earth did she find her way to this place?" I can only compare it to if someone called and told me little one was out doing this stuff. Its beyond what our brains can comprehend.
I referred them to some free clinics, gave them info on detoxing if they couldn't get a bed, advice to go straight to the ER if they feel like its more than they can handle, NA's hotline number, and told her to call if she needed anything. Then I spent a couple days crying. I have known this girl since she was a preschooler. She and my girl were little girl friends. She is so gifted, beautiful, everything you want a daughter to be. All I can think of is they have just begun this long journey and they have no idea what they are in for.
To top off my ebbing mood I found an old picture of my girl on Facebook. It was taken in 2008. I think she was in treatment at that time for alcoholism...so her trouble had begun already, but not the intense drug addictions. Her eyes literally twinkled in the picture, her cheeks are full and round, her hair is straightened and kept up, she had makeup on. I looked at it next to one that I took yesterday. 5 years have taken their toll on my own beautiful brilliant girl.
Today, I HATE addiction. I hate that its taking the lives of our kids....figuratively and literally. I hate it. I hate it I hate it I hate it.
I will keep praying though, because even when I feel discouraged and tired, God is still in charge. God still has a plan for each individual child of His.
Annette
I recently received a call from a friend....these are the hardest. Her daughter who has never given them a moments trouble, is in so very deep. I won't go into details, but it is so out of character and so horrifying, the depths that she has dropped to. I was speechless and kept asking, "How can this be? How on earth did she find her way to this place?" I can only compare it to if someone called and told me little one was out doing this stuff. Its beyond what our brains can comprehend.
I referred them to some free clinics, gave them info on detoxing if they couldn't get a bed, advice to go straight to the ER if they feel like its more than they can handle, NA's hotline number, and told her to call if she needed anything. Then I spent a couple days crying. I have known this girl since she was a preschooler. She and my girl were little girl friends. She is so gifted, beautiful, everything you want a daughter to be. All I can think of is they have just begun this long journey and they have no idea what they are in for.
To top off my ebbing mood I found an old picture of my girl on Facebook. It was taken in 2008. I think she was in treatment at that time for alcoholism...so her trouble had begun already, but not the intense drug addictions. Her eyes literally twinkled in the picture, her cheeks are full and round, her hair is straightened and kept up, she had makeup on. I looked at it next to one that I took yesterday. 5 years have taken their toll on my own beautiful brilliant girl.
Today, I HATE addiction. I hate that its taking the lives of our kids....figuratively and literally. I hate it. I hate it I hate it I hate it.
I will keep praying though, because even when I feel discouraged and tired, God is still in charge. God still has a plan for each individual child of His.
Annette
Comments
My daughter and I were at an AA retreat a couple of years ago. One of my old friends, who also happens to be very old, came by when we were at dinner and said "Your daughter looks like she could be your mother." Meth does terrible things to a woman's face (and teeth). And I don't care how old you are, you shouldn't go around saying things like that!