Parents of addicts suffer, too

Dear Editor,
For all the “AMEN” people, to the ones who are struggling, recovering, etc., Guess what? We parents do as well! We didn’t ask or choose the lifestyle you chose! We didn’t make you a victim. You made us victims! We’ve fought right along beside you every day. I have fought not only for my daughter, but I’ve fought for many of you to give you a voice and a safe place.
Do you think for one minute that when I get a call about another person who has overdosed or another who needs placement, it doesn’t break my heart?
Do you think for one minute I don’t pray for all? If you know me at all you should know better! I see recovering addicts constantly high-fiving other addicts and I do too
But what about us parents? I’d like a high-five occasionally for the hell I have been through. Trust me, none of you have overcome anymore than your loved ones who have suffered with you – held your hand while you detoxed only to see you go after that next fix, buy you clothes because your clothes don’t fit to only have you sell them on yard sale sites for your next high, sit up night after night waiting for the phone to ring and pray it’s jail and not the coroner.
Yes, I’d like a high-five. I don’t know that any recovering addict understands what their parents go through, unless their parents are drug addicts or recovering addicts, too.
I always see the addicts or recovering ones liking the comments of one recovering or struggling, but what about us parents? What about our struggle? What about how much we’ve spent trying to save them. What about the time and effort put in to visiting them in jail, the physical and emotional pain from where you’ve been beaten by your addicted child and you are helpless because you love them and don’t want to hurt them any more than they are already hurting?
No one sees our side! All the “AMEN” people only see their side. There are 10 years of my life, just gone, and 10 years of her life gone.. It was her choice, not mine,  but you can guarantee every time she was high, stuck a needle in her arm, sold to another person to get them high or keep them high, I was affected. I won’t ever change my opinion on this. I’ve suffered too – maybe not with a needle hanging out of my arm – but I’ve hurt. I’m hurting now. I’m so sick of drugs. 

Amy Lu Stevens 
Stanford, Ky.