Introduction
Hello all,
I just wanted to introduce myself and join the group. I'm sure my story is similar to many here. But, it might be different in the early years. Substance abuse was not a part of my world until I was in my 40's. No family history, pretty normal life until I got divorced from my first husband and fell in love with a wonderful man. Two years into our marriage an ugly truth was revealed. He was addicted to crack cocaine. Around the time that this came to light, my then 17 year old son was in jail on drug charges.
The agony that followed is what you all know, so I won't go into details. After trying everything I knew, I left my husband and moved to be closer to my children. It was the hardest time of my life. NarAnon was a huge help to me as I went through these times.
Today, my life has taken some interesting turns. i am now an addictions counselor. Seems I am pretty good at helping everyone except the ones I love. Irony is great, don't ya think?
My son is in prison due to actions taken during active addiction. My now ex is still chasing the high, the last I heard. I still miss and love them both.
No matter how much I learn about this disease and detachment (which I have mastered in the physical sense) the pain creeps up on me at the most unexpected times. Yes, I can remove myself and move on with my life to a certain extent, but in some areas I'm stuck and may always be.
I'm here to share what I have learned if anyone needs it, and to gain support to deal with the pain that goes on.
Thanks for listening/reading. I look forward to hearing from fellow travelers on this path.
40 Thieves