My Mother is a Drug Addict, My Father an Alcoholic: My Struggle Because of My Parents

by Heather
(Bear, Delaware)

I'm 17 years old and have a brother who is almost 14. My parents got divorced when I was 7. My father immediately remarried and had two other children; my brother is 7 and my sister is 9.

My mom has been in and out of my life for so long ... she finally started coming into my life, but I have walked away from her many times because my mother is an addict to anything you can name - right now it's crack/coke.

What makes it worse is 4 years ago she disappeared from my life completely ... I know I should of been happy but I wasn't. I always jumped when the phone rang and not because I thought it was her ... I thought it might be someone telling me she was dead somewhere. She has put me and my brother through hell.

My mother has been beaten in front of me and I was the one to clean her up. After a while I got tired of it and I moved in with my dad when I was 8 but still seen my mom every other weekend.

She finally reappeared in my life again 3 months ago. After 4 years of silence. When I saw her she was acting weird and I knew she was doing something. Every 15-20 mins, if that, she had to stop and go into a bathroom. We were out and she did it right in front of me - crack.

I just stopped and froze, she said "What? You're old enough to know what this is." I said, "When is your daughter ever old enough to see her mother do any drug?"

I walked away strong - no tears. I didn't show emotion. I walked away that day. I heard two weeks ago she was in prison and won't be out until this September 3rd. She has been writing me and I have no idea what to say or do. I don't want to ignore her because that is so hard - I don't want to have to do that. I love her and want her to be apart of my life, but will she ever change her ways?

My father is an abusive alcoholic and I moved out. I now live with no family, except for my boyfriends they treat me like their own. I feel loved, but I still miss my family. My dad has punched me in the face because He got so drunk. I missed days of school and now social services are involved.

I hope parents see what they put their kids through and mother's out there who do this to their children (it takes a lot more to be a mother then just giving birth). I told my mother that. I hope this proves a point and shows other kids out there that there are other people with problems. Just try to keep it in your head that there are people who have it worse.