FanStory.com - The Worst Nightmareby Brigitte Elko
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Addiction is a nightmare for everyone involved.
The Worst Nightmare by Brigitte Elko
Worst Nightmare writing prompt entry

During the day, I often thought about the chaos addiction had brought to our family. Our daughter, a beautiful, smart, and loving young woman, became addicted to painkillers but it wasn't enough for her.

Her habit caused turmoil, tears, fights, police intervention, and most of all heartache for us. She became a different person, one who would lie and steal to support her habit. These things she did.

Little did we know; we were blindsided when denial was no longer an option. Left were unanswered questions: When? How? Why? What now?

Rehab centers became familiar territory. After each release for our daughter, the problem was not eased but sky rocketed. She was skilled at manipulating herself out of these helpful places because of her nursing background.

She had been a caring and wonderful Emergency Room nurse at one time. This success was part of her undoing. The stress of the job turned her to mind easing prescription drugs. These regulated drugs were easily available to a nurse.

Her desperation for substances became our nightmare! Every day brought new drama with frightful consequences for everyone concerned. Help was enabling and trust a commodity that yet to be earned by her.

Daytime often brought these thoughts down like hammer blows. As a family, we seemed doomed; brothers not talking to their sister and a mom that had become ill because of all the drama. Yes, I withdrew after many months of manipulation and guilt trips.

Her dad was still trusting and she relied on him. His help enabled her to continue to use drugs. By now, she was shooting up, heroin her drug of choice.

This was a nightmare every day! Dreams brought a nightmare of her losing the struggle with drugs by overdosing or getting a "bad batch." We were frightened because statistics stated that addicts come to harm at some point.
Our nightmare came to a yet to be accepted conclusion. Our daughter became a statistic. Her Dad found her on the floor with a needle and drug paraphanalia beside her. I screamed in denial! The emotion felt can not be described adequately. She was gone and hopefully at peace sitting by God's side.

She left two beautiful daughters, ages 5 and 18, and parents who keep questioning themselves with what ifs. We are grieving and not at peace even though the day to day nightmare ended. Our loss can not be reconciled by a nightmare coming true.

The loss of a child is the worst nightmare any parent can have. Pray for us, please.















































































































Writing Prompt
Write a poem or story about your worst nightmare. If submitting a poem change the type to poem on the submission page.

Author Notes
We lost our beautiful 43 year old daughter May 26th. Ignorance about this disease is abundant and there is little help within the system. She left behind two daughters who will forever be without a mom. We will be without our sweet daughter and are reminded of her by every little thing around us. We cherish her memory and one day we will be reunited in a better place.

     

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