“I was taught, if you do what you’re supposed to and look how you’re supposed to look, you can and ‘deserve’ to drink, smoke, and vandalize when people aren’t looking.”
‘What do you do for love? Have a baby! I was in the middle of drug deals, poisoning myself. It was a wake-up call.’: Woman details sobriety journey, ‘Obstacles gave me opportunities’
‘My 2-week-old infant in my arms, I discovered my husband was having an affair with a close friend. All I could mutter was, ‘I’m going to die,’ over and over again.’: Woman navigates marital infidelity, addiction, ‘I am living proof it gets better’
“I told my therapist, ‘We sit on opposite sofas in the living room, but I feel like we’re on opposite planets. There’s no intimacy, no passion.’ I chalked it up to being newlyweds while he battled multiple addictions behind closed doors. When I discovered the messages, I screenshotted them, planning to present them in divorce court.”
‘If only he’d ask me to dance!’ He was addicted to drugs, and I was addicted to him.’: Woman marries after divorce, ‘Love is ALL that matters’
“I was tired of the fast lane, the parties, and the men. After holding on for dear life to a complete set of emotional baggage, I finally had to surrender it ALL.”
8 Ways To Help Your Loved One Battling Addiction, Without Hurting Yourself
“Remember, you don’t have the power to get them sober. If you did, you would have cleaned them up a long time ago.”
‘She’d take us on ‘missions’ in the night. It was her outlet for being a single mom. I was eventually placed in foster care.’: First generation college graduate and father shares journey, ‘I broke a generational barrier’’
“We experienced the trauma of being ripped away from our mom, as well as each other, and we were forced to live with families we didn’t know. I grew up sooner than I expected.”
‘A baby was born yesterday. He may have been exposed to meth.’ There was no doubt in our minds. We turned around and ran to our baby.’: Couple shares adoption journey, ‘We’re meant to be’
“Our family thought we were CRAZY.’ ’You should NEVER adopt. You never know what those kids come with.’ We already had two kids with special needs, but we knew God would provide for us. It was love at first sight.”
‘I broke out with an allergic reaction in HANDCUFFS. I spent all night lying in jail, completely defeated.’: Mom of 8 battles alcoholism, ‘I try to have unconditional love for myself’’
“I played the martyr, feeling sorry for myself raising these babies alone, instead of admitting I needed help. I was a total failure of a mom.”
‘You’re bleeding behind your eyes.’ I drank to forget the pain. Internally, I was completely dead. I’d never felt so alone.’: Man details addiction recovery journey, ‘I completely changed my life’
“I was walking to my dealer’s car when suddenly four police cars turned up. You’d be amazed at how blind when you are in full-blown addiction. I didn’t care what happened to me.”
‘I got a life-altering call. ‘Can you come pick up your nephew?’ He was born with drugs in his system. No one warned us about the toll.’: Couple adopts nephew, ‘Our house is his forever home’
“She’d been sneaking Bailey’s into her coffee cup while breastfeeding. He’d cry and bang in his crib until he formed a bump on his head. We transitioned from being ‘aunt and uncle’ to ‘mom and dad.’”
‘I knew I was going to die. That night, my phone rang. ‘You’re not alone.’ I didn’t even know him, but he saved my life.’: Paramedic shares journey with addiction, ‘You are HUMAN and SO worthy’
“My 31st birthday came. I kept all the receipts so I could return the gifts and give everyone their money back. No one knew this, but I was going to die in 4 days. I was prepared. I was the calmest I’d felt in years.”
