- AUTHOR  and MEMOIRIST -

 Stephanie Hammond 

 A MEMOIR

 

“Turn your back and run,” they told her.“ Addicts are all the same.” But how does a mother turn her back on her son?

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Early October 2019, Stephanie Hammond received the call she’d dreaded for years. Her son, Charlie, had been arrested. He been addicted to one substance or another since he was 14-years-old. It became his response to emotional trauma, and Charlie had had more than his share of trauma.

When his habit escalated into dealing, her worst nightmare became a reality: prison visits, bail, parole, and much, much more.

An Addict in the Family is an intimate memoir of a mother's love as she endeavours to reconnect with her son and navigate the maze of justice and drug rehabilitation services.

In this heart-breaking example of how addiction affects not just the addict but also their families, there is a reminder that you are not alone, and that there is the hope for finding peace once again.

 

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A three-year roller-coaster ride begins with a phone call for help. My son is arrested for dealing and using methamphetamine. What follows is a harrowing struggle of court appearances, struggles with the incongruities within the justice system, and fruitless attempts to help my son find a drug rehabilitation facility that can help him.

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For the next two years I seek help and healing for my son, at the expense of my own health and relationships. Finally, I find a support group for people like me and, through kindness and sharing, I find the strength and resilience to carry on. I find out that the healing I seek is really for myself. Through the kindness, sharing and love of this group I learn to differentiate between my son and the addictive substances and actions. 

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I eventually find the resilience to affirm my unconditional love for my son even though, in the end, he chooses the world of his addiction over the love and support of his family. 

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