About me
I am a parent of a young man who is an opiate addict. At this writing he has approximately two years clean, but I have learned enough to appreciate each “one day at a time.”
I have attended multiple support groups over the past few years and took concepts away from each. The groups I attended or continue to attend offer different ideas that have molded my recovery. For those concepts and people that have help me, I am thankful. I have learned that no one methodology or group will save my child from his addiction. He is ultimately responsible for his own recovery, as I am ultimately responsible for my recovery.
I am thankful to have found other parent’s blogs. Like the Addiction Journal they share their personal story for others to learn from. They are my mentors and I thank them!
peace and strength to all
parent@addictionjournal.net
@parentof addict
Spent more time here. Sending over some of my clients. Thanks again.
An excellent blog (community really) for parents of addicts. Please check it out. And if you're an addict, this is what your parents are feeling.
Thanks for the link. Great resource!
thank you both for your kind words. @parentofaddict
I’m a new follower. Found you through twitter. I appreciate your blog. I am a recovered addict myself. I am currently a recovery life skills coach, so I work with addicts almost around the clock. We are a tough lot. Thank you, all you parents, for your continued love. It makes a difference. (I’m not speaking of enabling here, but love and sometimes that shows up in a confrontational package.) It’s what we need.
with gratitude,
Lisa Neumann
Sober Identity
Twitter @RecoveredLisa
so heartbreaking reading the sad stories and encourging seeing that some addicts are making it. I am a Nova Scotia mom who has a 26 year old daughter addict (started really bad over four years ago). However, after a detox in the USA she is doing so much better. After she finishes school course this year, we need to start her HEP C treatment. This she will now talk about, before would be in denial. She has a long road ahead of her, but am greatful i still have her and we are working forwards instead of back.
Thanks for commenting Melanie – I wish your family well. It is great to read that she is doing better!
Nice to move forward…
please feel free to comment anytime!
Great to collaborate with other parents on the continuum !
I am not sure if anyone reads this anymore, but I am a Mom who has an addict 21 year old daughter, she is hitting up oppiates and has been for 1 year. Last week she overdosed and almost died, I am at my wits end and need support.
michelle please go to LEARN2COPE.com…my thoughts are with you
I’m a young person struggling with addiction to prescription pain medication. I’ve seen the worst, and without the help of my mother and all she’s done for me, I’d be dead–body or soul.
I’m sober now, and trying my hardest.
To all the moms who care, thank you.
nice tribute to your mom…keep up the good work ..you both deserve credit…you for your recovery..her for doing the right things in her life
peace and strength!
from the posters blog : The issue at hand is too pressing and needs to be addressed now. As an educated person with English and Political Science degrees, degrees I’d earned whilst I was at the height of my addiction, needle in arm—a scholar/needle-junky/prostitute—I feel it’s my duty to express to you in words what I’ve seen and share my perspective on the societal infrastructure behind all I’ve seen. Plagued by a near decade of prescription drug addiction which began at age thirteen and as a member of the worsening Rx Generation, I believe my perspective is invaluable. I can only hope to say what your teens are afraid to tell you; or what you, as teens belonging to this bleak generation, are reluctant to tell your parents.
Connecting with other parents of addicts and family members who have an addict in the family is very important. Those who suffer the trauma of addiction, the roller coaster ride of drama and insanity and fear, often feel like no one in the entire world knows what this is like. It is important to have a place to share and ask for help and get new perspectives on the situation, how to handle it, etc. I lived it for 13 years with my daughter, Jennifer’s addiction. She died last year. Now I am an advocate for drug treatment and am founder of The Jennifer Act. You can read the bill draft for Indiana and Florida by visiting my website: http://www.TheJenniferAct.com
I have an online petition people can sign to support the bill. My goal is to get this bill passed in FL. and IND. and take it nationally so every state has a bill to intervene in a life and death crisis of substance addiction. Those gravely addicted need help and NOW. Overdosing is as close as their next fix! Death or incarceration are their only 2 choices. We can do more to reach into their world of darkness and addiction and help them. Thanks you. Sharon Blair
Hi I am new to this site. I can really relate to this post and all of your posts. My daughter is an active addict and is very close to losing this battle. She spent 2 months in hospital this past summer. I am so sorry to hear about your daughter Jennifer. My heart goes out to you. I am in Ontario,Canada so I don,t know if I could be of any help in signing your petition but if so I will do whatever I can.
I have read your recent postings and appreciate your thoughts…. They remind me of my own!
I relate to giving up the idea of “helping to control the triggers”…My son told me that any public restroom was a trigger…small town, big town, movie theater, shopping mall, east coast, west coast… Okay… I can’t fret over that. I also relate to the “lock everything up” and “check the odometer” stragegies. How about the “tear open the stuffed animals or upolstered bedroom chair-while looking for drugs strategy? Your photo comments reminded me how in a counseling session, I spread 100+ photos out on the floor of my son as a baby and child…and pondered how did it come to this? …Such a loved boy?
My 22 year old son, a recovering heroin addict, has been sober for 2+ years now. Our son has been through 3 rehabs. and a drug court. He lives 4 hours away with his girlfriend. They are coming tonight to spend a few days with us over Thanksgiving. He is going to school part-time, and is learning to manage his daily life in healthy, productive ways, yet he is fragile. It is a long journey. Thanks for connecting with me. – Deirdre
I too am new to blogging. It’s been two years since our son revealed his heroin addiction to us. He will be 21 in a couple of weeks and has been clean over a year. I look forward to reading more on your site. Thanks for sharing…