For those parents who need a place to turn

Hello and welcome to A Safe Harbor,

Now what do you do? You think your child is using Drugs or Alcohol or maybe you already know they are? You find yourself scared that it’s going to get out of control, and maybe it already is. You have found that your life as a Parent and or Family has become unmanageable, full of turmoil, fear, anxiety and uncertainty. You have cried many tears in frustration, sadness and hurt. You’ve tried long talks, arguing, grounding, yelling, everything you can think of and nothing seems to work at getting to your child, who you feel is slowly slipping away from you, your family and the dreams you once had for them. You find that every aspect of your family is being infected with these issues. Your relationship with your spouse and or other children is suffering and you want a way out but you don’t know where to start digging. These were some of my own feelings and experiences as I watched my wife and I and our family get consumed by the insanity of Drugs, Alcohol and Addiction. It can be a very slow process for some as the drugs and or alcohol slowly slip into your family’s lives, but for others, can be so quick that you never even had a chance to try to stop it before it become a serious problem for all involved.

I have been married since 1981 and have three beautiful daughters. We raised them in church and provided a loving home environment. We had many family outings and have shared many memorable moments together captured in many pictures and videos, some of which included some crazy family dance contests. I have attended many school events where my kids were winning awards, singing at graduations or speaking in front of their school presenting a speech in hopes of moving on in the competition. I thought we seemed like a pretty normal family until the drugs and alcohol came along. Drugs and Alcohol are like a Cancer that has no boundaries or rules, it is willing to infect and devour anyone in its path. It is usually there before we are aware of it. And once it’s found it can be really hard to deal with. But, as with Cancer the sooner you find out about it and take aggressive action to stop it, the better chance there is to defeat it.

As my family had become unmanageable we reached out for help. We found a great counselor and support groups that helped us in the process of dealing with this Drug and Alcohol Cancer. They provided Guidance, Love, Acceptance and a Non-Condemning atmosphere that created a Safe Place for me and my Family to find Support, Hope, Healing and Freedom. They don’t just talk about Recovery there; they live it and have guided our family along in the process. I would like to let you know where you can find that same help for you and your family it’s called “A SAFE HARBOR”. A Safe Harbor is a 12 Step based nonprofit organization that provides support services, education and guidance for those in need. A Safe Harbor is about bringing Healing to the whole Family, not just those involved with the Drugs and or Alcohol. Please give them a call or visit them when they have their Support Groups and you too can find Support, Hope, Healing and Freedom for You and you’re Family.
Your Partner on the Journey,
A Fellow Parent