Hi Marie,
My name is Mary Ann, I lost my children, my business, and my home to a 6 year heroin addiction.
I came to a point in my life where there was nothing left to hope for. I had a beautiful family, a beautiful home, a husband who I loved dearly, we both owned and operated our own businesses so there was abundance of material things. But I was dead inside, there was a huge void, that I could not fill, so I turned to drugs in my search for happiness.
Marie, looking back I thank God for the experience, as strange as that sounds... it is what I needed to bring me to my knees. I now enjoy a peace, joy, and love that I never knew existed, it was worth all that I went through to know what I now know.
I want you to understand that this is something that can be overcome, when she is ready. She is the one that has to come to terms with it and make that decision. One thing I am sure of is she hates what she is doing. When I finally decided to do some research, to see what I was up against, the information available seemed hopeless.
Society will have you believe that chances of recovery are slim to none.
I came across a book that warned, society will say there is little chance for recovery. It talked about the fact that 90% of the Vietnam vets that came home addicted to heroin easily recovered. It made me aware that, what we are exposed to is a stereo type, mainly using the statistics of inner-city ghetto type addicts and their failure rate. We don't have a lot of infomation about middle, uppermiddle, and the wealthy, who become victims to heroin addiction.There are many addicts who choose to stop and do, but we don't have their testimony, because they never sought professional help. People with money don't go around broadcasting thier addiction, so there is little information available about thier success stories. The book stated that smoking was just as difficult and perhaps even harder to overcome than a heroin addiction. The world speaks as if it is impossible. I wish I had the book or new the name of it but I do not.
There is no easy formula for you to follow to help your family, but it is important for you to know that many do overcome this. When she is ready to recover be there to help her don't let your heart become bitter and angry.
I can not speak for your family members, but all that I know, who became involved with drugs at some point hated what was happening.
You should not enable her in anyway, she will lie, cheat and steal to support her habit. If you can make her feel safe, able to confide in you in weak moments, it will be a great starting point, to be able to influence her in a positive way, when she needs you the most. If she can not share with you moments of failure, weakness, and doubt because she is afraid to disappoint you or upset you, how can she be honest. For me recovery was a process. There were times when I would slip and fall. Those where the moments I needed encouragement, those where the moments I needed support, those were the moments when I needed someone reminding me there was hope. Most of the time these are the moments the recovering addict has no one because they are not allowed to share the truth, doing so will cause them to be cut off. They are only loved and accepted if they are staying clean. The last thing one needs after giving in to drugs, is to be lectured, condemned, made to feel guilty,and worthless. They can do that themselves. She needs love.
Marie, I will keep you in my prayers. If you need anything I am hear for you.
God bless,
Mary Ann
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Topic: My sister, a drug addict (Read 7644 times)