Guest
Hi, My name is Sara. My wife has substance use disorder and is currently in rehab for cocaine use. She has hid her use from me and I did not know how bad it was as she didnât feel comfortable coming to me. She was sober for 4 1/2 years and then she found out something about her friend who was murdered and the detective not knowing that one of the suspects in the murder was already deceased. She lost her mom to suicide, addiction, and mental illness. She lost her best friend to murder and her dad was violent with her mom for several of her early childhood years. Her counselor and she recommended that I attend a meeting for when she returns home. I have been working 12 hour days and caring for our chi-weenie while she is away. I have shared this with a few of my friends, but have not been able to share this with my mom as my wife does not have a relationship with my family due to previous interactions with them regarding her mental illness. I have tried to educate my family, yet there is still a disconnect on the topic of trauma and even addiction.
Hi Sara, I'm also new to this site today and looking forward to meetings. Your story is similar to mine with my daughter a heroin-methadone addict who was abducted with several other young girls and sex trafficked. She suffered ptsd from it naturally, but glad she wasn't killed by the gangsters; yet the ptsd resulted in dissociative disorder so she occasionally fades into another personality (escape and relapse back to the trafficking) who doesn't know us, her child or anyone and wanders off; only to awaken in some strange place hours away. Nobody knows this other than 2 family members, my husband and myself. It is difficult, we can't ever leave her alone because of her acquired mental illness tho we just started with a good ptsd counselor and pray for improvement. Your mention of your loved one having dual diagnosis of addiction with mental illness is tragic and I feel for you. Recent national publicity with the opioid crisis has softened the attitude toward addicts but the mental illness side is altogether a horse of a different color: your difficulties in trauma induced illness is even hard for regular counselors to understand. I pray you find help in these rooms as I am looking to learn from them. Maybe they will help you as I'm hoping they will help me. Addiction seems often to go hand in hand with trauma, so hopefully we gain some ground. Good luck.
1 Guest(s)