My mom is addicted to Norco?

[RyanRed]

My mother is addicted to many pills. I would have to say Norco is the one she freaks out about when she doesnt have it.help. Heres the story and maybe some of you can help with the matter.

I was 8 Years old.I lived in California with a drug addicted mother. Her drug of choice was diet pills. We moved up to nothern california when I was 8. She told my sister and myself she was addicted to alcohol. So as far as I could tell she was just that. Remember I was a little kid. As I grew older she was in A.A.. AA is a good thing for sure but not when your main problem is pills. To this say, I believe my mothers addiction in LA was speed. Anyways... So I here I am. It doesnt matter why I am her, nor why I am trying to help my mom. Just understand I I am tired of trying to help her with no results.

My mother is 55. About 6 years ago I found out she was a pill addict. I found this out by my drug addict sister at the time because my sister was selling her pills for money. My Mom never worked. She has lived off the government her entire life. But regardless of that, I am her son. Eventhough she hasent helped me with college or any of that, I found a way to help myself. (Its called personal motoivation). But anyways. these people are still my family. I love them all.

About 2 years ago, myself and my ex broke up. I had to come back home. My beautiful mother made that happen. I lost everything, and my mom was there to at least give me a nice pat on the back.

Since ive been living here, Im scared. She takes crazy amounts of Norco. There has been times when I find her running arounf naked and very confused. I dont believe its the Norco, but Seroquel? She seems to use Seroquil when she is out of Norco.

After her naked run around, I knew I had to step in. I cryed to her and explained I cantdeal with your addiction! You are my mother! and you are.... Im sure you understand.... So anyways.

What do I do? I have seen her run around on her pills, ive seen her all tweeked out, ive seen her drive 150 miles to get to docters, and Ive seen here order pills from people from another state. She says she wants to see me have kids with a girl. but how can I when I cant stop worrying about her!!!!! (Sorry for the spelling).

Should I... Heck... I dont know... She's not..I just dont know what to do.

[moonshyne777]

I am a strong believer that everything happens for a reason. Maybe God saw that you were gettin ansy and needed you to see WHY you need to stay clean. Ryan and I are among some that have witnessed and lived through the extreme of addiction, the darkest side of addiction.

Like you, I never want my kids going through it and I am bound and determined to break this cycle and stop the pattern that has travelled through many generations of my family and has left many casualtys NOW. It has to end with me. If there is to be hope for future generations - not just my kids but their kids and their kids I hold the key to breaking the chain of living a life with addiction. It's a tall order but I'm up to it. As I said, I believe everything happens for a reason and maybe the hell I went through that nearly ruined me will be the hell that gave me the strength needed to be the one who says enough is enough and breaks this cycle.

Thank you Ryan..your post reminded me yet again of why I need to beat this. I tried to ''forget'' all the awful crap I lived through. Thought I could just sweep it under the carpet but that doesn't work. I know I need to deal with the pain that caused me to over-medicate and become addicted in the first place. I'm standing at the bottom of a huge mountain to climb..it almost seems too much to face but I know I have to do it. My mom always said to me that I'd be the one to break the chain. She saw something I didn't. I used to laugh at her and say yeah ok but now I am determined to do it for her and for me and for my children. God help me, I'm gonna do it.

[troubleinohio]

PS this helps me in my recovery--keepin things real--  Oh dear God how I dont want my two young sons to be sitting here one day typing out similar stories about me. I am so glad Im clean still and my near relapse a couple weeks ago didnt happen.

[troubleinohio]

these stories from both the original poster and repliers is just heartbreaking to read... Ryan, Moonshyne has given you some good insight and advice which comes from the most direct experience and empathy a human could ever have..prayers for you, please keep us posted

[moonshyne777]

Reading your post brought back a lot of memories. My mom was an alcoholic and pill addict my whole life. She was only 47 when she died almost 4 years ago. Her liver gave out and her body shut down. I'll never forget those days spent in ICU praying that she'd make it. But the damage was massive and she slipped away. The pain haunts me to this day.

I spent my childhood being my moms caregiver. She was an addict to the extreme. I'll never forget being on my way to work one day and drove past a bus stop and saw my mom passed out beside it!! But that's nothing compared to the insanity I witnessed all the years growing up and into my adult years. I tried fir years to save her. I cried, begged, pleaded to no avail.

Like your mom my mom did have times of sobriety. Those were happy moments in time that I cherish. But addiction is a real ***** and my mom would relapse and fall back into the downward spiral. But she tried, God she tried. She wanted so badly to get clean and like I said she did quite a few times. But the addiction got her.

I spent my life in a crazy world. I know firsthand what it's like and I feel so bad that your going through this. Unfortunately the only person that can make your mom stop is her. You can help her as much ad you can but realize you are not responsible for her addiction and you cannot solve it. I know the insanity your feeling right now . The desperation and thinking "God please help her. Make her stop".

You can only be there to support her, she's the one who needs to seize her life ba k and I pray for your sake and for hers that she does. I used to always think why can't she just stop? She sees the pain I'm in over it. The hell I've been through, doesn't she love me enough to stop? But I now know that she was powerless to the addiction. As much as she loved me (and she did love us a lot) she just had too much. Shed been brougt up in a home of alcoholism, abuse and all the insanity that goes with it. It left deep scars and drugs and alcohol masked that awful pain.

Now here I am, 34 years old and now battling my own war with pills. The pain I tried to mask with pills was never dealt with. I went all these years and because I never dealt with the pain from all I went through it came back to bite me in the ***. I am determined to break this cycle and get clean and finally adress the root of my problems. I'm determined to never let my two beautful babies go through what I did. You can help your mom as much as you can but you should really get some help for yourself as well. Left to fester, the pain that's accumulated over the years will slowly eat away at you unless you get help. I never did and how I wish I did. Instead I was the hero, the rescuer and convinced myself I was strong and could take anything. For a long time that was the case but again, slowly the hell I endured my whole life crept up and bit me. Suddenly I didn't feel so strong anymore and suddenly I needed to deal with all that garbage and didn't know how.

So I turned to drugs, never liked alcohol and still don't but a bad back and a prescription for oxycontin paved the road to hell for me. Please listen to me. I've walked in your shoes and although you should definitely do all you can to help your mom you need to take care of YOU. Please get into some therapy and maybe attend al-anon meetings. Your dealing with some heavy **** and you don't want all the turmoil left undealt with because it can and will hurt you right to your soul.

God bless you and your mom. I don't even know you but I know what it's like and although you have to be prepared for the possibilty that she might not change you need to take care of you and not become a casualty of the living hell your no doubt in. Please get help for her AND you.  

[melinda147]

Hi Ryan
this has got t be one of the hardest things there is, I'm 50 years old and I was addicted to pain pills for about three years and it was my daughter that pretty much slapped me in the face and said how many pills are you going to take mom...
That really hit me hard....it was a year long process but I got clean...the hardest thing I think your going to face is your mom has got to want to quit before she will..try to sit down with her when she is not to high and see where she is at...try to talk to her to she how she feels about it...
you have a tough road ahead if I can be of any support please let me know...
talk to you soon, Melinda