Moms Addicted to Drugs

Motherhood is a perilous journey all on its own.  Babies take so much time and attention, toddlers fall and bump into things, preteens have a lot of attitude and opinions, then kids start driving… Worry worry worry.  You give your kids the best you can, eaking out whatever time you can to get your workday done, have a peaceful home, and having a little quiet time at the end of the day.  When you throw an addiction in the mix, these priorities take a back seat.

Motherhood and Addiction Don’t Mix Well

That “maternal instinct” that guides you gets drowned out by your drug addiction voice.  That voice tells you how badly you need your next hit, how and where you can get your next stash of drugs, and how you feel all day long.

You you you, it’s all about you.  That what the addiction voice tells you – it is so strong and you go with it.  You may have moments of clarity, understanding that this is all mixed up and so wrong.  But without the right kind of help, the addiction will win every time.

Addiction Affects Mothers and Children

Oprah had a show that featured families affected by addiction.  The title was “Children in Charge”, which is often what happens when parents (especially mothers) become addicted to drugs.  One young man is a football player for Clemson University, raising his 11 year old brother on campus.  His mother has had an ongoing struggle with crack cocaine addiction.  He and his siblings were split up when they were removed from her care, although he was old enough to get temporary custody of one of his brothers.  The future for his mother and other siblings seems more uncertain.

In another family, an eight year old girl realized it was up to her to raise her siblings and take care of herself.  Her mom had had been addicted to drugs since before the girl was born.  For the next five years, she did everything her mom should have been doing including her own school responsibilities.  Her mother said it was “hard to believe” she’d done put her children in such a terrible position.  Her mother has been clean for a few years now and is reunited with her children.

Mothers With Addiction Love is Not Enough

Few mothers intentionally put their children in harms way time and time again, taking pleasure when their children suffer.  Most mothers with serious problems love their children but have great difficulty overcoming huge barriers – mental illness, drug addiction, chronic poverty, very little suport from others, etc.  In many cases, a mother’s children are her shining rays of hope in the darkness.  They take whatever energy and hope they have and pin it on reuniting, making things right, recreating their broken family.

Getting and staying on the path of addiction recovery is much like an endurance race.  It can be discouraging, difficult, a long process, and it can be nearly impossible to do without the support of others (especially those who understand the journey).  However, addiction recovery does not have a moment when you reach the finish line.  Instead, it is a continuous process of learning and understanding.

The Orchid Can Help Moms Addicted to Drugs

If you are a mom and these descriptions sound painfully familiar, it’s time to learn more about the Orchid Recovery Center for Women.  Anyone who knows a mom struggling with addiction should do the same.  A mom needs to be healthy to give her best to her children – a mother with an addiction needs to know about the Orchid.