Our Journey to Recovery
For the past twenty years we as parents have struggled with addiction in the family.
For the past twenty years we, as parents, have struggled with addiction in the family.
We have five children, all in addiction. We spent the best years of our lives trying to control their unacceptable behaviour, we found ourselves very lonely and isolated. The turning point in our life was when our young daughter went for treatment for drugs to the Aislinn Centre in Ballyragget.
After spending some time at Aislinn we realised the special place we were in and for the first time in all the years of struggling we felt that someone was listening to our story and gave us hope to move on with our own lives.
We went on from there to meetings in Alanon and family support group. The support group gave us space and time to share our pain with others, two years into family support we lost our son to drugs, he died in London. We were always waiting for that phone call but only for the support of others in the family support group and the time the people in Aislinn gave us, we were able to get through this very difficult time in our lives.
At one of the meetings the facilitator asked the group would they like to spend five days in a residential family programme in Croí Nua in Ballyragget. My wife and I went, it was the most powerful experience we ever had and to this day we are so grateful and privileged for their help and compassion from all the staff that gave us the tools and peace of mind to move on with our lives and to take care of ourselves and to let our son go and rest in peace.
We would not be in this place today if it weren’t for the support we first got in Aislinn and Croí Nua in Ballyragget. We are so grateful.