ADDICTION/BEING A MOTHER
The Personal Journal of a Mother Whose Child Abuses Illegal Drugs
Excerpts that reveal a heartbreaking story
*TW: Drug abuse and addiction
JOURNAL ENTRY 1994:
Dan was sentenced to 5 years in prison. Katie will be out on the street. Could she have been doing more than smoking pot? We can’t believe any of this is happening.
Twenty-nine years ago, when my oldest daughter was 20, I realized she was abusing illegal substances. Dan was Katie’s boyfriend, whom she lived with at the time. Unbeknownst to his family and ours, he had been dealing drugs. When he went to prison, Katie was addicted to cocaine. She will soon be 50 years old.
Katie did anything she could to be the main focus of everyone’s attention all her life. She was the first grandchild in my family and the “little darling” for many years before other grandchildren came along. Then, she got pushed off her pedestal. She had loved the attention, gifts, and praise from grandparents, aunts, and uncles. The best description would be that she was “unintentionally spoiled.” She was a beloved toy that was coddled and never needed discipline. Yet, a toy that got tossed aside when new toys came along.
