Houghton Mifflin Discussion Forums

Replies: 7

Indymom1

Posts: 8
Registered: 3/11/10

Wonderful and Harrowing Book!
Posted: Mar 11, 2010 4:30 PM

I'm just about halfway through and like many other people this is our story also. My beautiful daughter is a heroin addict. She is now 18 and we have been dealing with this (other drugs,heroin has been for aobut a year and a half) since she was 13. First smoking,then pot,then oxycontin,2ce,crack and heroin. She will take anything given to her. She just got out of jail 2 days ago (we had her arrested for charging 10.00 on my credit card, so we could get her in to treatment) She is now on house arrest and waiting for an opening at the hospital where she will be for 90 days.Our daughter was raped when she was 13 while we were on vacation. We also moved to Indiana that year. It has been a downward spiral ever since.We totally empathize and wish your family the best in the future.

Molly

Posts: 163
Registered: 1/12/10

Re: Wonderful and Harrowing Book!
Posted: Mar 11, 2010 5:23 PM

Welcome, IndyMom1. We all understand. There are mothers in this forum whose daughters' rape preceded addiction. My son, now 19, has been in an abusive relationship for two years. You'll find a lot of support and good suggestions here. Keep reading and posting. This forum really does help. Best wishes to you and yours.

Indymom1

Posts: 8
Registered: 3/11/10

Re: Wonderful and Harrowing Book!
Posted: Mar 12, 2010 1:18 PM

Thanks Molly,

The best to you also. Sometimes I just don't know where to turn and this makes me feel not so alone.

cindykay

Posts: 284
Registered: 6/5/09

Re: Wonderful and Harrowing Book!
Posted: Mar 13, 2010 12:49 AM

Indymom,Your post struck home with me. Our daughter was also raped when she was 15, ended up a heroin addict and now at the age of 22 has just celebrated 14 months clean and sober. The journey is one few can understand. My heart goes to you and your daughter. I do not know what words to say other than I truly have walked in your shoes.If I can be of any assistance to you, let me know. Dual diagnosis is so hard to treat, especially when one is rape/ PTSD and the other, heroin. My words seem so inadequate right now. Cindy

Indymom1

Posts: 8
Registered: 3/11/10

Re: Wonderful and Harrowing Book!
Posted: Sep 7, 2010 11:48 AM

thank you so much Cindy! I haven't been on here in a while. My daughter just got home from rehabe about a month ago and now just entered the Drug Court program for a year. She has been sober since January 15th and is now 19. She is my youngest and after raising 3 other children with no drug problems (1 who is Bipolar as well) I never dreamed we would have to go through this with her. Another thing that happened when she was 13 is that we moved from Cincinnati to Indiana right before the rape. I caution parents about moving to the country where there is little for them to do except drink, get high and have sex. Drug use is rampant in out part of the country. Keep your children busy. Idle hands are truly the Devils workshop. Best of luck Cindy with your daughter. I hope she is still clean and sober as of this posting. Please keep in touch. It was so good to hear from you.

kiah

Posts: 168
Registered: 8/18/09

Re: Wonderful and Harrowing Book!
Posted: Sep 7, 2010 4:26 PM

This is a little diferent angle. But PTSD is what I see in my son after being in prison for almost two years total. That experiance forever changed him and only triggered more addiction side effects. It destryed all of our lives. He went for driving on a susprended liscence due to a plea bargain. Long story- short. His drug dealer attacted him and tried pulling him out his car window at an intersection. My son drove off in fear and later was arrested for failure to preform duties of a driver by calling it in to police or such. He later drove on his revoked liscence and then later on drove will suspended. In our state , they sent him to prison both times for just over a year each. No treatment for addiction in prison. So now he not only fights addiction but all of the terrable after effects of prison life. He has such bad axiety attacks. His doctor says post traumatic stress is a huge factor.

Message was edited by: kiah

Indymom1

Posts: 8
Registered: 3/11/10

Re: Wonderful and Harrowing Book!
Posted: Jan 19, 2011 9:31 AM

Kiah,

I thought of PTSD for my daughter also. It seems to me in all the time she's been in treatment, they have never really adressed the "elepahnt in the room" of the rape. We have never really gotten to the heart of why she uses.

Winnie

Posts: 105
Registered: 9/26/09

Re: Wonderful and Harrowing Book!
Posted: Jan 19, 2011 8:38 PM

My son was also sexually abused at age 13. It was his third treatment centre that they finally addressed as a previous writter wrote "elephant in the room" Now he is 7 months clean - just like anything else you have to get to the root of the problem. You can give addicts all the tools and meetings to cope but i think you need to address what woke up the monster of addiction. That is a very big secret to keep. I remember the evening my son told me what his secret was - it appeared to me it was a huge relief for him. He did tell me it does not give him the right to use. As long as he stays clean i always have money to pay for his therapy. One day at a time.