A mothers story.........

When I found out my daughter Carol was a junkie my whole world collapsed. I was physically sick with the shock then I nearly had a nervous breakdown with the worry and devastation. I suppose, Like all mothers, you never imagine it will happen to you.

Then I was desperate to know what to do….there was no-one I could confide in with this awful news. I dragged Carol to the GP and he gave her a prescription to wean her off drugs. I hoped and prayed she was over the worst and that our family life would return to normal.

But the next six weeks were a living nightmare. I must have cried a million tears and sometimes thought I would never make it though the night but I knew I had to survive for my daughter's sake. If anything happened to her I wouldn't have been able to forgive myself. I had to stay strong for both of us.

But watching her as she took drugs every day was terrible and I could only hope that slowly weaning her off would work. By the sixth week she was in a terrible state and looked a physical and metal wreck. She told me she was “out of her head” and that was just what I felt like too.

I had heard of Calton Athletic and phoned to ask for an appointment to speak to someone. I was told to bring Carol along for an assessment. When she agreed to go I was so relieved for I felt that maybe we could both get some real help. After the meeting I was to “Leave it to us and she should be OK.” I marvelled at how calmly the staff treated this crisis in my life. She was told to stop taking any drugs and invited onto the day recovery programme that lasted for 3 months.

Within a fortnight I noticed an amazing difference in her. She came home from the programme excited and chattering on about her day like she always used to. Then sometimes she would drift back to being sullen and silent and I started worrying again. But a phone call to Calton convinced me this was par for the course and all part of the recovery process.

After three months Carol was given the customary Calton T-shirt for her successful drug free completion of the day programme. It was the proudest moment of my life as she stepped forward to receive it while everybody loudly applauded. And she looked so well that I cried with happiness and joy.

After that it was marvellous. Carol stayed at the club and got involved in all the activities. There was no stopping her and she was volunteered to go into a school and give a talk on drugs to prevent kids from becoming involved.

Its now a year since she went to Calton and she is still doing well. In my weaker moments I sometimes worry that she might drift back to drugs again but I don't really think she will. She's so strong and confident and enjoying life again that I think, and pray, she has finished with that nightmare period of her life forever.