Robertson County Stories

Kecia 

My son has been an addict close to 10 years. I never imagined a little “pill” could turn my life or my son’s life upside down, but that is exactly what happened. I was the mother who was involved in her child’s life. We lived a happy middle class life with church being our center.

My husband labeled me the “stoop sitter” because I would sit out on the porch and every time I heard a siren my heart would stop. I just knew my son had been in a wreck. This was before I found Al-Anon, and I am so thankful for this organization.

I work in the field of addiction but when it’s your own child it’s a totally different story. I had to learn how to be a parent of an addict. The only way I could describe my life was like an amusement park. The only ride in the park was a roller coaster. The ride would start out smooth and then suddenly go spiraling down.

For a long time, I stayed on this ride with my son, but one day I knew I had to get off and let him ride alone. This day was one of the worst days of my life. They call addiction a family disease because it makes all the family sick. I didn’t hear from my son for six months, and the next thing I knew he had gotten in trouble with the law and ultimately served a prison term.

People ask me how I can stand him being locked up. I tell them at least he is alive. Jail saved my son. One thing I have learned is trauma and addiction goes hand-in-hand. I don’t wish this on anyone. When people ask me how I’m doing, I tell them “we take it one day at a time.”  

Because of how opioids impacted my life, I now work in the field of addiction with The Next Door as a Family Recovery Specialist.