Addiction Treatment Blog by Addiction Experts » Author - Jackie
The Addict Wore A Wig
Put a using addict at a funeral surrounded by family and friends who know all about the trips to treatment and current state of substance abuse and what do you get? You get a woman wearing a wig. Okay, that’s not obvious to anyone but if you’ve ever been an active addict in the middle of a raging addiction and under severe emotional stress-it might start to make sense. Such is the circumstances behind my Grandmother’s funeral two weeks ago and the addict I love, my sister. Here’s how it went. God love my angel and best friend of a Grandma. She was 94 and was an integral part of our lives growing up. To say I loved her deeply is an understatement. Losing a Grandma is awful-no matter what … Read entire article »
Filed under: Drugs
The Power of Service Work
In the beginning of my recovery it was all I could do to share at a meeting. In fact, the first time I went to a dreaded women’s meeting I was so petrified I just watched. Service work was far from my mind but something I’d been told would be invaluable to my recovery. For me, the value of service work was mystifying in a way that rivaled my murky understanding of step three. Today, service is one of the clear markers of my personal progress in recovery and something I know has rounded my recovery in a way that is incalculable. It started with making coffee. I loved being “coffee girl” as everyone loves coffee and the person who brings it. Someone said to me once, “making coffee will keep you clean” … Read entire article »
Filed under: Recovery
All In The Family
There are four children in my family of origin. I am the youngest of the four. My eldest brother turned out to be a “normie” but not for a lack of effort…he at one time was no angel. However, it turns out the three remaining siblings are the addicts and alcoholics in the family. I’ll put my own addiction and subsequent recovery aside today because it is my siblings, the middle children, who weigh heavily on my mind these days. Most recently, I’m sick about my sister-the last of us to reach the chronic stages of this disease. I can’t continue without mention of the second eldest brother in my family, who died of his disease five years ago in July. His was a struggle of lengthy and torturous proportions that culminated with his death … Read entire article »
Filed under: Addiction
Full Circle
When I share about how I lost my nursing license I almost don’t know where to begin. Thinking about how far I’ve come since, I suddenly find the words. I won’t tell my whole story…I’ll save that for another entry. This September will mark the end of five years of state regulated probation of my license to practice nursing. Oh-What a five years it has been. In 1998 I was stealing opiates from the drug dispensing machine (yes…they exist) at the hospital. Believe it or not-this went on for years undiscovered. I was caught and reported to the state for diversion of narcotics and my license was put on probation. While on probation I found another job and although I never wanted to do IV dilaudid again-I was still using cocaine and alcohol. The only … Read entire article »
Filed under: Recovery
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