Publisher's Synopsis
Never Give Up....A mothers journey down her addict daughter's life and almost death. Her and so many others, young, old, single, married, wealthy, poor, from the inner city and the outer suburbs, the drug does not discriminate. I will attempt to share my journey as my own daughter became an alcoholic first at age 16 and a heroin addict by age 19 and recount my experiences through countless rehabs and detoxes.....in hopes that I will help others through their journey. I am a medical professional and had no idea my now 20 year old was using heroin until of course her addiction became out of control. I was injured on the job and decided that while lying on my back for literally months that I could do something to help. So I began writing this story, a memoir of sorts of my days and nights living with a teenage alcoholic turned heroin addict, in hopes that others could identify with me, what I felt, the mistakes I made along the way and what ultimately worked at least for the short term. It may not be the right answer for everyone but I truly believe that just as the addict hits rock bottom and says enough, so do the parents and loved ones, the enablers, we too hit our rock bottom and say that's it, enough, I can't take anymore! As a member and facilitator at Learn to Cope, a support group for loved ones dealing with opiate addiction in their families, I find comfort in knowing I am not alone yet horrified at the number of new people attending. It has become an epidemic and knowing how many lives have been lost to overdoses in the past couple of years is extremely alarming! We all must take a stand and educate ourselves and others because knowledge is powerful. And yes it is happening all around us, there isn't one person that I speak to that doesn't know someone fighting addiction. It is a lifelong struggle for the addict and their families. What I have learned is to love unconditionally, set boundaries and adhere to them, remember that addict