My son left home for 6 months and I didn’t know where he was. He returned home with a broken arm due to domestic violence and had psychological trauma and addictions. My journey started from then, gaining as many resources as possible as I became his full-time carer. I cannot put into words the heartache and endless exhaustion of providing around the clock care. It has caused a dark loneliness and I don’t feel there is enough support for families helping their loved ones through detox. At times, I think is there more I can do? Am I doing enough? I think families in our situation need help and support in traumatic times like these. We are on week 7 of detox and I’m not sure really how his going.

He broke his collar bone last week and I feel that we are taking backward steps as we have had to introduce pain relief which is also highly addictive. I’m concerned for my son’s mental health, the trauma he experienced through domestic violence, the addiction. I just have to keep going keep fighting this battle with him. Do I feel alone in this? Absolutely YES.

I feel there is a lot of embarrassment and shame that my son feels. So I think a lot of families become so isolated in our situation. I just hope and pray for my son to become healthy in mind and body someday. We have a long way to go yet and I have no idea when this will end, if it ever will, because mental trauma stays with you. However ,I’m looking forward to the day that he can feel stability and is confident enough to start living his life again. I was very much in the dark about the abuse of drugs. I have learnt so much in a short time. It’s scary. It’s overwhelming. Drug addiction needs to be recognised and treated like any other illness and disease. You just don’t know when it can happen to you.