Real Stories

All names have been changed to protect confidentiality- but we are real people.

What does a family in recovery look like?

Mary is a single mother. She began using drugs at age 17, and quickly progressed to heroin. By the time she was 24, she had two beautiful children, who are now being raised by her parents. Mary went through times of trying to get clean for her children, but would soon relapse. Her children missed their mother. Mary’s mother fought her own battle with helping or not helping. It is such a fine line. Mary now is completing a recovery program, and the family is in recovery.

Scott is a young man who deals with a mood disorder. As a teen, he was exposed to various drugs and found a whole new culture there. He constantly fights his inner demons, and self- medicates by using multiple drugs. Scott’s mother has been through the wringer- one of the hardest parts of this journey is not knowing where your loved one is. Are they alive?

Sharon grew up seeing her parents drink and later become addicts. She lived a hard life. Even though it hurts, she loves her parents. How do you just let your parents go? Sharon has a young daughter now and wants to be a good mother. She feels alone and unwanted. She is on her own recovery road.

These are real stories. We are surrounded by families who are in recovery- and you may not even know it. Addiction crosses every boundary. Every social class is affected. No one is immune.

September is National Recovery Month. We want to celebrate the voices of recovery- they all sound different. Mary and her family are celebrating success. Scott and his family are still hoping for things to change. Only when he is ready. Sharon is working on her own journey. She can’t do it for her parents.

There are more…

Jason began using drugs by the time he was 14. He struggled in school, and his father left the family. Jason’s mother had her own struggles. Before entering a recovery program, Jason had overdosed multiple times. He was tired of fighting. Jason is making it- he is six months clean. They are a family in recovery.

Jean and her husband did everything they could for her son. It was so hard to admit that they couldn’t fix him. After a period of sobriety, he overdosed. He lost the fight. His family is also a family in recovery….

We are celebrating the hope for our families. And your family. We need to help each other keep going. We have lost too many lives to this beast. In 2020, the numbers keep going up. If nothing changes, my state of North Carolina is predicted to have lost 2400 lives to overdose in this crazy year. Families in Recovery are real families, real people living and working in your community. We are all the voices of recovery.

If you need help or support, reach out. You never have to do this alone.

Use the contact tab on this website – there is a real person on the other end. —- and my name is Debbie