Saturday, April 19, 2008

I Woke up with a Drug Addict in My House

It isn't bad enough that teens are like demons to raise. Demons that will suck the blood out of your body and eat you raw. It isn't enough that there were all the normal (?? what is that??) issues that go with raising 5 kids,4 of them being teenage girls from the ages of 13 to 17. You now, the usual problems like zits that crop up just before the big date, hair that doesn't go just right, hoodies and shoes that go missing because someone wore them to a friend's house, boyfriend trouble, homework that doesn't get done until I do it the night before it's due, skipping school, wrecking cars, beer parties, prom dresses out the ying yang, mood swings, PMS and keeping Kotex in business for the past 10 years. No, that just wasn't enough. I had to wake up one morning and realize I had a drug addict in the house. You do everything right. Or you think you do, but there it is anyway, slapping you in the face for the rest of your life, because if you didn't know, once and addict always an addict. Well, the addiction led to behavior very unbecoming to an upstanding young woman, in a very small town where EVERYONE knows what's going on and if they don't, they make up there own version. Needless to say, the child that used to entertain herself for hours with Barbies in the playroom and never caused a lick of trouble ended up in jail. I never wanted any part of this, I never wanted to visit a jail, but I did...3 days a week every week for over a year. I never thought I could stand up in front of a judge and a room full of lawyers and other defendants and speak on behalf of my kid. I never wanted to spout off to a Probation Officer on a power trip and tell him that being on probation doesn't cure addiction. I never wanted to cry as much as I did those many, many months. I didn't want to know drug lingo and distrust my kids or their friends or continually ask myself what I did wrong. It's been an interesting lesson, an undesirable place to be when you should be buying more prom dresses, making graduation plans and going through college brochures. Instead I have a handbook from the local County Jail. But here's the deal. My daughter didn't use heroin, crack, cocaine or even weed, at least not at first. Her addiction started with prescription pain pills. So take my advice, LOCK UP ALL PRESCRIPTION MEDS. The drug dealer on the corner isn't the only threat. The problem is in your medicine cabinet, or your purse, or your night stand. Another bit of advice...Don't trust your kids. Question their every move, where they are, who they're with, when they'll be home, how much money they spend, who's calling on the house phone or cell, why they are losing weight or look so pale. Don't put up a wall, don't try to be cool with your kids, because they'll screw you if they have a chance, and so will their friends. And don't let up, they'll thank you for it later.

http://www.drugfree.org/Portal/

Myspace Graphics

It just fits

Blue October - Hate Me

When my daughter was first in jail a few years ago, she sent me the lyrics to this song and told me to watch the video on YouTube. I cried for an hour afterwards. It really hit home and I knew then she was sorry.