Mother and daughter talk about substance misuse and how it has affected their family.

Description

Who was the person misusing drugs in your family? The person was my brother. Did they ever lie about their addiction to any of the family members? Yes, to all of us. Yes, they did. Did you or anyone else in your family see them misuse drugs? Yes. Did they ever steal from the family to get money for their addiction? Yes. How did their addiction affect your family? Ohh boy. It caused fights, it caused health issues. It affected everybody, everybody’s life, Everybody. Their children, his daughters. How did their addiction affect your relationship with them? We lost my brother pretty much because he ended up in jail. How did you cope with the situation? Huh. We didn’t have choice. Seriously. No, that’s true. You just have to. We tried to help him, l I guess, well, write to him in the beginning. Not so much anymore but I don’t know. Did anyone try to help them with their addiction? Yes, Poppop and Nana (his adopted father and mother) and his jobs actually offered him rehab too, a couple times. For the union. The union did? Mhm. Was there anything or anyone who helped you deal with the situation? Yea, I guess. Just family and friends. We all supported each other. I feel like we had a lot more people around us too. Yea. During that time which probably made it easier. Yea to go through it with. Would you or your family ever help them again? That’s a loaded question. Yea. In certain ways yes and in certain ways no. We would help him get help if he needed it… or something like that, but that’s about it really, I guess. Is there anything you wish you could go back and change? Yea. Him not being a dumbass. I don’t know if there’s anything that could have been done differently. Yea. Unfortunately. Is there anything you wish you would have said to him? Don’t go to Texas. (share short laugh) No. Uhm just it sucks and it’s a shame he wasted his life that way. Have they regained you or your families trust at all? I don’t know how that... eh. There’s no trust to be had really. At this point. Probably not. I mean he is where he is, because of drugs and he’ll be in jail forever because of it. Was there anything that stuck with you throughout the experience? Where I don’t ever want to end up. Because of drugs or alcohol.

Participants

• Kaitlyn Paige
  

Interview By

• Kaitlyn Shive