People do desperate things when they are living with an active drug addiction, and one mother in Florida did the unthinkable in order to get $2000, potentially to feed her prescription drug addiction: sell the parental rights to her 5-year-old son.

According to reports, Pinellas County sheriff’s deputies arrested Jessica Marie Beers for allegedly attempting to sell her 5 year old child for $2000 to a couple who had been helping her with childcare and giving her money. It was the couple who tipped off police, telling them that the woman had offered them the money in return for parental rights of her child. The couple said that they had been helping Beers with childcare and money for months and had noticed that she had a prescription drug addiction. Over time, they said they watched her child more and more often. When Beers made them the offer, they were concerned that she would spend the money on drugs and contacted police.

The arrest happened when Beers met with the couple in order to make the exchange: the boy for the money. Beers was arrested and charged with sale of parental rights and violation of probation for grand theft, and her son was taken into custody by child protection services.

Desperation and Drug Addiction

It’s a story that flew across the country when it first broke and while many were shocked by the nature of the crime, others see it as more proof of how desperate an addiction to drugs can make anyone. Children are often the first victims when a parent is living with drug abuse. Though the incidence is more often neglect, it’s not uncommon for kids to be hurt when their parents are addicted to drugs. The only benefit of this story is the fact that it brought to light the addiction that the boy’s mother was living with and provided him with an exit to safer home while also putting her in a position to recognize the need for and to accept treatment. Many mothers live for years covering up their drug addiction to the detriment of their child. In this case, at least there is hope for the future.

Drug Addiction Treatment for Mothers

Many mothers avoid enrolling in drug rehab because their children need their care. The fact is that childcare provided from someone under the influence of drugs is not acceptable. The child will always be much better off staying with a relative until the mother is well again, then coming home to a place that is truly home where the child can feel safe and learn to respect their parents because their parents are behaving in a manner worthy of that respect.

If you would like to learn more about our drug addiction treatment program here at The Orchid, contact us today. We can help you determine the best place for your child while you get the help you need to be the mother you want to be.

Women who abuse drugs and alcohol or live a life that focuses on the maintenance of an addiction are more likely than their sober counterparts to be victims of assault, rape, or other violent act. Recently, one woman in San Francisco experienced this phenomenon firsthand: a 23-year-old woman was using drugs with a 46-year-old male when he hit her with the butt of a gun then stuck the barrel of the gun in her mouth. He did not shoot her, but before leaving, he slashed her face and her hands with a knife. She is in stable condition but as of yet, her attacker has not been caught.

Is this a rare occurrence? Hardly. Women in recovery routinely report that they were raped, attacked or abused during their active addiction and usually by people they knew and were using drugs with.

Dealing with Assault and Abuse During Drug Rehab

It’s not just an option for women who have experienced trauma during active addiction; it’s practically a necessity for recovery. Dealing with the feelings that come along with being a victim of assault and abuse are a crucial part of recovery. Women who are not active alcoholics or drug addicts often lean heavily upon illicit substances as they attempt to heal from serious violence and sexual trauma – when addiction is already an issue, it can cement the addiction and postpone treatment even further. Psychotherapeutic treatment and exploratory or experiential therapies are one of the best ways to start healing and leave addiction behind.

Being Safe and Feeling Safe in Drug Rehab and Recovery

When violence and trauma are a part of your past, it can be difficult to open up and trust during drug addiction treatment. Choosing a woman-centered drug rehab can help you feel safer and enable you to speak up during group therapies. Knowing that you are surrounded by women, many of whom have experienced the same things you have, can help you to feel more comfortable sharing the details of your experience and beginning the process of healing.

Rehab for Women at The Orchid

Would you like to learn more about our drug and alcohol addiction treatment program for women? At The Orchid, we offer treatment by women, for women – only. We offer specialized therapies and treatments that address the experience of women during active addiction. Contact us today and learn more about how we can help you or a woman you love come back from drug and alcohol addiction.

One mother, Julia Saker, was so intent on stopping her daughter, Tabitha, from buying drugs
that she physically restrained her. Unfortunately for her, this led to charges and, ultimately, a jail sentence of 12 months for false imprisonment of her daughter.

The mother wasn’t alone in her cause, determination and crime. The daughter’s boyfriend also admitted to false imprisonment of the daughter and he received 18 months in jail as a result.

It seems that the Julia and Tabitha’s boyfriend were trying to stop Tabitha from climbing out of a window at home with the intention of going to meet a drug dealer who was waiting for her outside. To keep her in the house, they tied her up with tape and pushed a sock in her mouth. What they didn’t know is that Tabitha had already called for emergency help and the whole incident was heard by the operator and caught on tape. Police were sent to the scene and the two were arrested immediately.

When the word spread about Julia’s arrest and jailing, people were outraged. Here was a mother doing everything she could to help her daughter fight drug addiction and stop getting high and while the specifics of her methods may seem a little harsh, it’s a life or death situation. What’s a mother supposed to do?

Julia’s lawyers may be appealing the decision. It’s clear that her motive was not malicious even if the judge finds fault in her actions, and the hope is that the sentence will be lessened as a result.

What do you think? Should Julia have gotten such a stiff sentence for trying to help her daughter? Do you think she should have had to suffer a harsher penalty for binding her daughter as she did?

It’s a difficult spot for a parent to be in: you see your child making life threatening choices and you know that he or she is about to leave to go get more drugs and potentially get into an accident or overdose as a result. Do you stand by and let it happen? Do you step in and take a stand? What if your child denies you, blows you off and walks out? In general, the best way to handle this situation is an intervention and an offer of drug rehab. If your child is over the age of 18 and still refuses to get help, it’s time to cut ties. You can’t stay and enable them. It’s far better for them to go out into the world and suffer the consequences of their addiction. It’s the only way that they’ll get the treatment they need.

If you would like to speak to someone about drug rehab for a woman you care about, contact us at The Orchid today. We can help.

There are a number of forums for the personal stories of those who have lived through cocaine addiction, heroin addiction, alcoholism, prescription drug addiction and other issues. There are even forums for loved ones to share the stories of family members who did not live through their addiction but died as a result of overdose, disease related to drug addiction, or accident while under the influence. What is the purpose of shared stories? Who benefits? And where can you get involved and/ or share your story?

The Purpose of Shared Stories of Drug Addiction

There are a number of reasons why sharing stories of drug addiction are helpful. Parents, for example, can benefit from hearing the stories that other parents share about their children’s drug addiction. By hearing the details, parents can learn how to identify the signs of drug abuse and addiction in their own children and help them before the situation becomes serious.

For those who share the stories of loved ones who have passed due to an untreated drug and/ or alcohol addiction, the purpose is to make sure that the person did not die in vain. Sharing their story of tragedy may inspire others to get the help they need before it’s too late or help other family members recognize when it’s time to help addicted loved ones get the treatment they need.

When addicts share stories in group therapy sessions or at 12-step meetings,  it serves a purpose for both the teller and the listener. Listeners are reassured that they are not alone in their struggle with drug and alcohol addiction. Those who share their stories have the opportunity to work through some of the issues that developed during addiction and let those issues go.

The benefits in each of these scenarios go to those who have the opportunity to be heard and have their experience validated as well as to those who can learn from the stories of others.

Where You Can Share Your Story of Addiction

If you are a recovering addict or if you are the parent of a child who has struggled with drug addiction, you have a valuable story to share with the community. You can create your own venue by writing a blog or a book or you can attend conferences for family members, 12-step meetings, and/ or therapy sessions to share your experiences.

How did you share your personal story about addiction? How did it help you? How did it help others?

Rihanna recently did an interview in which she discussed the issues that plagued her childhood, among other things. Growing up with a father who was allegedly a crack addict gave her a fair share of emotional baggage, but she works hard to keep an eye on the positive and remain focused on that as much as possible.

Parents with drug and alcohol addiction issues have a profound effect on their children: either for the positive or for the negative. Some develop their own drug addiction issues as a result, while others go to the opposite extreme, working hard to make sure that they never repeat the mistakes of their parents.

Parental Influence in the Face of Drug Addiction Issues

Rihanna says: “I have a lot of great memories, actually. Somehow, the negativity holds a very small space in my mind and memory. I usually just think about the great things, like the beach [in Barbados where she grew up], learning how to swim and write, and catching fish. And most of those things I did with my father. So I seem to just focus on that.”

Her mother affected her deeply as well, and it’s these memories that also serve to motivate Rihanna in her adult life: “My mother’s definitely had the most influence on me as a woman throughout my life. She raised me in a way that I could be responsible and fearless. She taught me a lot of things about life. She’s made me realize that it comes with consequences.”

Focusing on Hope for the Future Rather than Negativity from the Past

Rihanna works hard to stay focused on her own goals for herself rather than any negative issues that resulted from her childhood.

She says: “I never focus on who or what is at the top, because when people become better at what they do individually, it’s noticed. And that’s all I want to be: an artist who was known for growing constantly and becoming bigger and better. It’s not about who’s better between Rihanna, Katy Perry and Lady Gaga. I’m more in competition with myself. I always challenge myself to do better next time. It doesn’t matter who’s at the top as long as I’m getting closer to that point every time. That’s all I care about.”

And it’s more than just about music: “I have a lot more I want to do before I’m 30. I want to venture off as an entrepreneur and have my own fashion and make-up lines — just experiment with the things that I love. I’m a rebel. A rebel flower. And that’s girlie, but tough, too — there’s always that strength and vulnerability. There’s always something beautiful, but there’s still an edge.”

Fighting Drug Addiction with Treatment Despite Genetic Predisposition

If your father or mother experienced drug and alcohol addiction, you have a higher chance of developing the same problem, even if you start out only casually abusing addictive substances. Sometimes addiction can take over and, before you realize it, you are doing the things to your own children that remind you of the addictive behavior of your parents.

Help is only a phone call away. Contact us today at The Orchid to discover what you can do to create a life for yourself that will make your parents proud.