- Drugs
- Friends & Family
submitted by: Susanne Johnson
“We create memories all of our lives, all of our children’s lives. We take pictures of all the happy moments to keep those memories alive. We choose not to remember the dark days, but they have ways to surface.” This is how Sarah’s mother begins telling her story while showing pictures of a happy child: Sarah.
Sarah admits that she made a mess out of her life, made very bad choices. To escape the shame and the pain she was feeling she hid behind drugs. The drugs gave her the illusion that they would take all her problems away, but instead they got worse, and new ones developed.
Sarah’s mom says that they supported her as much as they could financially, physically and emotionally while urging her to get professional help and get her life back together. Sarah just felt that the world was against her, her friends were against her and her family was against her.
She ended up living on the streets, in laundromats and in storage units because she lost her home and her family. Anywhere where she could lay down that night was a place to stay. In the meantime her mother described feeling frustration, inadequacy, anger, stomach twisting, sickness and an overwhelming sadness that they lost their baby.
Sarah was left alone, pregnant and without money when her boyfriend got arrested. She started using drugs again, but after so many years of lying to herself and to her parents, she could finally admit that she had a problem. She made the decision to not lose her child. She met with a lady from a treatment center and moved in. Within three weeks her baby was returned to her care. She went through treatment and a transitional living home to stabilize her new life.
Sarah has been free of drugs for four years and for the first time in eighteen years. Her daughter is her higher power. She was the reason why she got clean and why she stays clean. Her parents are grateful to have their baby back and to have a grand-baby as well