During the 1993 school year my husband and I gained custody of his youngest daughter, at age 8, from a previous marraige. We currently had our own little girl that was only a few months old. My stepdaughter called me from the school she was attending because her girlfriend went to the nurses office that morning and reported the fact that Ivy was being abused by her mother. Ivy in fear that her mother was going to come to the school and beat her called for my help and I immediately called out of work, contacted my husband and went to the school. The bruises on her body were from her mother throwing her in the bathtub and hitting her with towel. Why? Because Ivy didn't want to take a bath at that moment and was throwing a fit. From this moment on we took custody of Ivy.

Well, through the times together we come to find out that Ivy, her sister and her step-brother have been left at home alone while her mother went out. When she would leave she would take the phone and only plug the answering machine in so the kids could not use the phone. They were not allowed to use the oven or microwave either. My husbands other daughter did not want to leave the house and at the time there were no signs of abuse so the state allowed her and the boy stay. It seems only Ivy was the focus of the abuse.

How does all this apply to addiction and treatment? Ivy had issues in school and fitting in with the other kids. She was one that felt that negative attention was the best attention because that is all that she ever received. Even being in our family she could not adjust to kindness and postive feelings. Ivy started hanging out with wrong type of friends. She has ran away and had to be brought home by the police. She has gotten high and drunk with her so-called friends. We received calls in the night to come pick her up when we thought she was in her room sleeping.

Ivy became verbally and physically abusive in the house. We took her in for evaluation and she exploded and the hospital had her placed in a mental facility for treatment. Here she was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Bipolar. Once on medication and therapy Ivy was better and life was getting back to normal.

Then came high school and a whole new adventure. Ivy could not stay away from problems and it seemed that trouble followed her no matter what. She refused to take her medication and one day she was gone and took my dog with her. We had the police out looking

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

---

Add your voice

Know something about Can addiction be treated??
We want to hear your view. Write now!