Most of my childhood memories are of my mother drinking. Both my mother and father were alcoholics. After being placed in foster care around the age of 2, my mother divorced my father and was then able to get me back. I can only remember a few visits with my father on Christmas and birthdays. When I was in the 4th grade, he died of bone cancer.
My mother married for the 3rd time when 1 was around 5 years old. My stepdad would drink in the mornings and my mother would drink in the evenings after work. On many occasions, I remember begging and pleading with my mother not to drink. I was constantly fighting with my stepfather. As a child, I thought I hated my mother but it was the alcohol that I hated and the person she became as soon as she would put one in her. At an early age I had already made up my mind, I would never drink alcohol or allow it in my home.
I grew up basically as an only child. I had 4 half brothers and 2 half sisters from my parents' previous marriages. My mother lost her other children when they were young due to alcohol and never raised them. Once a year we would drive to Clay, KY to visit them and the only other family I have ever known, an aunt and step-grandmother.
As far back as I can remember my dream in life was to get married and have a family. At age 19, 1 became pregnant with my high school sweetheart. When I was 5 months pregnant, I learned my mother was dying of lung cancer. Less than 24 hours of giving birth to my daughter Erica, my mother died. A few months later, I married Eric. His family became my family-the family I always wanted. At age 22, I had our second daughter Lauren. Life was perfect-until Eric's addiction to prescription pills began. This is when I was first introduced to AA and Alanon. After 7 years of marriage, I had enough. The divorce was hard, but the separation from his family was even harder. This is where my addiction began.
One year after the divorce, I started drinking alcohol, then using Xanax and later a drug that would take everything that I ever loved away from me, "Meth". Although I'd been married to an addict, I was very naive about drugs. My new husband was both mentally and physically abusive. Using Meth gave me a false reality. In the summer o
"Most of all, I like who I am today."
f 2004, my son Landon was born and 3 months later i was using Meth again daily. I had kept my addiction secret for nearly a year and a half, but in December 2005, I went to treatment at Cumberland Heights. With 60 days clean and sober, I filed for divorce. The judge granted me primary custody of my son. So my children and I moved and life was great. I honestly thought I would never use Meth again. However, I didn't use the 12 Steps of recovery or a sponsor and returned to drug use after four months. A suicide attempt landed me in CCU and i lost custody of my son. I tried to stay sober without success. In May 2007, my other two children were taken and the next three years I lived a life I never knew existed until I was finally arrested in 2009 for Manufacturing Methamphetamine.
I came to Haven4Change in December 2009. They taught me how to apply what I'd learned in treatment. I learned accountability and responsibility in a structured, loving environment. My daughters came back into my life and we have great relationships. Most of all, I like who I am today. I've been clean and sober for 13 months now. I'm still trying to regain contact with my son. I work and take care of my girls. Thanks to Haven4Change and AA, I have a life again. My name is Vandy Moore.