Drug Addiction Stories

I have been in bands for years. Music is my life. I love it. Even now, I have band equipment set up in my guest room. Might as well. Sure don’t have any guests. I have lots of great memories, playing with different bands and seeing different places. Met several of the old greats in my time: Johnny Cash, Willie, Conway Twitty just to name a few. Women flocked around me. 

Yeah, those memories are great but they don’t do me a lot of good now. I have two grown sons who live four states over and want nothing to do with me. It’s my fault. All I wanted was the music and the beer.

I am an alcoholic. Even now, I drink. My buddies and I get together and play music and once in a blue moon one of them crashes on the couch. The rest, well, they make it home somehow. Not my problem.

Till Scotty had his stroke. Now, being as I’m in my 60s, my friends having a stroke shouldn’t be a surprise. Only Scotty isn’t in his 60s. Scotty is only 34. He likes that old time country and loves to play with us. He parties hard, drinking and probably indulging in a couple of other recreational drugs but still, his stroke hit me hard. He is 34 and I am 64. The doctors say he will never recover. He had a bad one.

I see him at the hospital and he can’t talk, he can’t hardly move, he just lies there and tries to smile, saying something indecipherable. He’s being moved to a rehab center soon and we hear he will be moved to a long term facility because his mother can’t take care of him at her age.

I am 64 and my sons won’t see me because I chose alcohol over them and their mothers years ago. I should be grateful they at least know each other since they came from different mothers. Still, I look around my small house and wonder what I really have? A rented place and friends who come to have a place to play music and get drunk.

Why not me?  Scotty has his whole life ahead of him.  Or he did. 

I realize I was luckier than Scotty. That could just as easily been me which would not have been a surprise at my age. Scotty has a mother who can’t take care of him. We both made bad choices, Scotty and I. But maybe, just maybe, miracles can happen. I put my beer down and pick up the phone to make a call.

“Son, it’s Dad. How are you?”

When she moved back to town I was so excited.   I had been crazy about Chelsea all through high school.  She ended up marrying a boy who was training at the Air Force base close to town, though, the summer after high school.  Now here she was, seven years later, divorced and back home. 

We ran into each other at the mall and made plans to go to the park a couple of days later.  As we walked around the lake next to the park, we caught up on each other’s lives.  I told her I had always had a crush on her.  She told me she had always liked me, too.

Chelsea and I started dating after that day at the park.  It was not long however, before I realized that Chelsea was drinking heavily.  She finally admitted it was the reason behind her divorce.  On top of the drinking, she had another secret just as serious.  Chelsea was a cutter. 

I knew Chelsea’s brother and called him.  I told him what was going on with his little sister.  He called his parents and their mother got in touch with a  local crisis center.  She explained what was going on and arrangements were made for a counselor to help us with an intervention.   Due to Chelsea’s cutting, it was assumed and then confirmed later that she had what was called a dual diagnosis with the alcoholism and some emotional problems. 

Chelsea was upset that I told her family at first.  During her treatment, though, she called me and said thank you.  The counseling helped Chelsea and her entire family went into family counseling as well so that Chelsea would have continued understanding and support. 

That was six years ago.  Today, Chelsea and I are the proud parents of a beatiful little girl who looks just like her mommy.  Chelsea has been sober all this time and has also declared victory over the issues that led to her becoming a cutter.  Chelsea is even a sponsor herself down at Alcoholics Anonymous and I completely support her need to help others just as she was helped.

My dream of marrying Chelsea came true and the only regret I have is not speaking up when I had the chance in high school.  What I do not regret is going to her familyabout her drinking and her cutting secret so that they could help Chelsea when she needed it the most.  Every time I look into my young daughter’s eyes, I know I made the right decision for Chelsea and for all of us.

About a year ago I lost the lady I realized, too late, that I loved.  I was an alcoholic who was also addicted to painkillers.  Sally stayed with me through some rough times but I got mean and took it out on her verbally.  One day, when I came home from work, she was gone.

I called her but she would not answer her phone.  I went to see her but her mother said she had moved to another town.  Finally, she answered one night.  She told me that she had loved me, but that she could not spend her life being put down and belittled, for having a stroke while I was the one killing myself by mixing alcohol and drugs.  She asked me not to call her cell phone again.

I ended up getting help when my brother heard what had happened.  I got clean, got sober and luckily, my job was still there when I got out of rehab.  One day I went downtown to the flea market and I thought I heard a beautiful and familiar voice.  I looked over and sure enough, it was Sally.  She was with another man.

As I walked up to them, she had a worried look in her eyes.  Still, she introduced us and I could tell by the look in his eyes that he knew who I was.  He was a gentleman, though, and did not say anything rude.  I asked Sally how she was doing and she said fine.  She asked how I was and I told her I was doing good and had been clean for about six months.  A look of real happiness washed over her face at that.  She hugged me and said she was glad.

Still, she was walking away with that guy and I was jealous.  I asked how her health had been with her stroke and all.  It was partly out of meanness.  That was when I got the biggest lesson of my life.  The guy she was with took her hand as she said she was doing good and had not had any problems.  Then her boyfriend said “Even if she did, I would be here for her; she’s been the best thing to ever happen to me.”

I realized then that I had hurt Sally with my attitude while on drugs and alcohol but that she had helped me as much as she could till she could not take the abuse any more.  I was clean and sober now, but I had still lost out on love where she was concerned. A girl who had a stroke due to stress had ended up richer and healthier and able to build a life full of energy and love and adventure.  As she walked off with him, I whispered, “Good for you, Sally” and let her go peacefully and with my best wishes.