Below are excerpts from a poignant letter from a mother whose daughter’s now at TLC. (names and ages are deleted to protect anonymity.)
"I suppose as I email a stranger about my feelings I am feeling a bit alone in all of this. I do have family and loved ones but somehow I can't seem to imagine that any of them can understand the 24 hours a day of fear, sadness, confusion and guilt I have carried with me for so many years. My daughter just entered TLC a few weeks ago
I decided to not take her calls this past weekend because I had enough! Mentally I could not handle another phone call of me having to say "no" or hear her say things to me that were either not true or not nice. So when her calls came in I let them go to voice mail. The years of drug abuse have taken a toll on my young daughter and it's often challenging for me to see her because she simply isn't the daughter I know. She currently suffers from paranoia, hallucinations. Mood swings etc. … every night I cry myself to sleep and pray my daughter will one day be whole again or see her value in this life.
I’m not sure why I just told you all of this. I read your blog since my daughter has been there and read your story. I don't want to lose hope because at this time it’s all I have. I know there are success stories. How will my daughter get better?? What do I do as her Mother? How do others get through this?"
Addicts sometimes say things in group like “I never hurt anyone else, only myself.” Or “I never stole from my family.” But those statements are lies because we rip out the hearts of those who loves us, those who want to see us do well.
