Help and Support Needed (sensitive subject)
Jan 21, 2015 15:22:02 GMT -5
Post by theBeeMama on Jan 21, 2015 15:22:02 GMT -5
Okay, ladies... I have been debating even posting this because it's really personal and sensitive. But I can't talk to anyone who knows me IRL (yet) and I thought some of you may have gone through similar things and would therefore have advice or encouragement.
in a nutshell, my sister and I have suspicions that our mom (who we love and is amazing and wonderful) may be struggling with an addiction to or at least strong dependency on pain meds. I don't want to put too many details out on the Internet, but as vague as I can be... Basically, she has had a lot of health issues over the last ten years. Like, a lot of weird and random stuff especially for an otherwise very healthy, athletic, slender woman in her 40's-50's. I just told myself she was being a bit of a hypochondriac, especially when she would come back from the doctor with reports that they "didn't believe her", "couldn't find anything wrong" or "made her feel crazy". She would cry and get upset (she's kind of a drama queen) and be so offended, and as annoyed as I was, I naively just brushed it off. Lately she's come back from appointments crying because the doctors have suggested that she's just coming for pain killers. At first I was so offended at the notion because, I mean, this is my mom. She's a pastor's wife and grandmother to my children. But recently my sister has pointed out some other issues (too detailed to get into) that have caused me to at least entertain the possibility that perhaps she has been putting on this whole show for years just to get access to medication. The thought makes me feel overwhelmed and then the fact that I'm thinking the thought makes me feel like an awful daughter...
I just don't really know what to do. I don't want to do anything that would hurt her, especially if she is really in pain and just being misunderstood. But I don't want to be in denial. I have young siblings who are still at home and I remember her being on some serious pain meds when I was about 16 or so. It made things really difficult around the home because she wasn't herself at all.
Does anyone have any suggestions of ways we could try to find out if this is something to be worried about without drawing attention/calling her out point blank (knowing her, confronting her outright is probably the worst thing we can do.) as I said, I'm really naive and haven't had to deal with a friend or family member with a possible addiction before. I just don't know what to look for or where to begin.
Thanks in advance guys. Sorry for the Debbie Downer post. Lol.
in a nutshell, my sister and I have suspicions that our mom (who we love and is amazing and wonderful) may be struggling with an addiction to or at least strong dependency on pain meds. I don't want to put too many details out on the Internet, but as vague as I can be... Basically, she has had a lot of health issues over the last ten years. Like, a lot of weird and random stuff especially for an otherwise very healthy, athletic, slender woman in her 40's-50's. I just told myself she was being a bit of a hypochondriac, especially when she would come back from the doctor with reports that they "didn't believe her", "couldn't find anything wrong" or "made her feel crazy". She would cry and get upset (she's kind of a drama queen) and be so offended, and as annoyed as I was, I naively just brushed it off. Lately she's come back from appointments crying because the doctors have suggested that she's just coming for pain killers. At first I was so offended at the notion because, I mean, this is my mom. She's a pastor's wife and grandmother to my children. But recently my sister has pointed out some other issues (too detailed to get into) that have caused me to at least entertain the possibility that perhaps she has been putting on this whole show for years just to get access to medication. The thought makes me feel overwhelmed and then the fact that I'm thinking the thought makes me feel like an awful daughter...
I just don't really know what to do. I don't want to do anything that would hurt her, especially if she is really in pain and just being misunderstood. But I don't want to be in denial. I have young siblings who are still at home and I remember her being on some serious pain meds when I was about 16 or so. It made things really difficult around the home because she wasn't herself at all.
Does anyone have any suggestions of ways we could try to find out if this is something to be worried about without drawing attention/calling her out point blank (knowing her, confronting her outright is probably the worst thing we can do.) as I said, I'm really naive and haven't had to deal with a friend or family member with a possible addiction before. I just don't know what to look for or where to begin.
Thanks in advance guys. Sorry for the Debbie Downer post. Lol.