Drug Addiction Stories & Info

Whenever I see a young woman acting a little off, I think back to Marci. I was in college and she was in the dorm across from me. Every time I went out to grab a smoke, she was there. She was watching me from her window. 

Marci was beautiful. I admit, I was into her. However, Marci had a bipolar disorder and when she drank at parties, it was even worse. As beautiful as she was, I could not see her for very long. After just a few weeks, it was getting well, sort of creepy.

I met her at a party one Friday night. We ended up hanging out all weekend together. She was beautiful and honestly, I could have found myself falling in love with her if given the chance. But her mood swings became apparent in just a couple of weeks. Her watching me seemed almost, well, as my mom said, like a stalking situation.

One night, Marci called me. I started not to answer but something made me. Her voice was slurred and I thought she was drunk. She was but there was something more going on. I could sense it. Marci mumbled something about her brother dying. She said she had no family left now and she wanted to die, too. She had taken all of her bipolar medication, a half bottle of sleep sedative and was on her fourth drink. She wanted to die.

I raced over but her dorm was locked. I called 911 while my roommate called Campus security. The paramedics got there and tried to revive her but they were too late. Her neighbor in the dorm said Marci had been notified earlier in the afternoon that her brother had died in a car accident. Marci did not have a roommate because she was hard to live with according to the girls in her dorm.

I think about Marci from time to time. She was so beautiful and had everything to live for. She was in college and wanted to be a journalist. She was always writing in a spiral. She could have gone places.

I was studying psychology and became more and more interested in bipolar disorder after Marci’s death. I did some research and saw that people with bipolar disorder who have a drug or alcohol problem have more episodes than those who don’t. Today I am a mental health counselor. When I see a patient with bipolar disorder, my mind goes back to Marci. When I see one with a drug or alcohol problem, I make sure they are part of a dual diagnosis program. Maybe, just maybe, if someone had done that for Marci, she would still be alive.  I feel like every time I help a patient, I’m doing it for Marci, too.

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.