Well, this afternoon I had to turn my daughter into the police and get her admitted to a rehab center. She has a real problem with meth and weed. We here are hoping that this will scare the crap out of her and straighten her out. Normally she is the sweetest thing, but htis stuff has turned her into a psycho. Pray for me as well, because if I ever find out who introduced this stuff to her, I am gonna go to jail for a long time too.
Greg, I know this is very difficult for you and the wife. I've been down this road twice with my children. You made the right decision, one that may save her life. Prayers are a good start. For your daughter, for your wife, and for yourself. If I might make a suggestion, try and find a support group locally that deals with this type of problem. (ie. naranon) You are not alone and are not the only one who is dealing with something like this. Some outside support is a great thing. Trust me on this, for yourself and your family. If you ever have the need to blow off - PM me. You are all in my prayers.
Greg, I'm a father of 2 sons and 2 step daughters. I think all parents have had some trying times with their childred. I am at loss for words other than you have our support that you've done the right thing. I can't imagine a more difficult decision as a parent, especially at this time of the year. You can add my name to the list with Bill if you need to chat. I'm not an overly religious person, but God be with you and your family. Harvey
Tough Love Tough Love is the best kind. Stay strong and never waver! She will love you all the more when this is through. You are in our prayers here. Jim
Greg, I am right there with the others too man. Yall are in our prayers and if there is anything we can do feel free to drop me a line. Everything will work out in the end man. Stay strong and keep your eye on the prize.......................... later................................
Greg, I'm sure it must have been very difficult to take the steps you've had to take, but it is the right decision. I sincerely hope all works out for your daughter, and all of your family.
Ouch! being a responsible parent can really hurt sometimes. I agree you did the right thing. I hope she is willing accept the things she will learn in counseling, and change for the better. She may be mad at you now, but she will thank you some day. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family Greg. Stay strong. :TU:
Thanks you guys Bill, Harvey, Jim, Dave, David and Dale Thanks for the well wishes. You are all right. It is quite possibly the hardest thing I have ever had to do. Her arraignment hearing was this afternoon and they are gonna keep her in jail until they can place her in an in-patient rehab center. Sad thing is she is only 16 and has so much potential. Bill, thanks for the support group suggestion. I am not much for that. Not the way I was brought up, ya know. Family is family, and that is as far as it should go but, I am not sleeping worth a crap the last 2 weeks, so I may have to consider it. At least I know where she is now. She ran away for the entire week last week. Talk about being beside your self. I wish we still lived in my home town of North Platte. Alot smaller and harder to disappear. Omaha is HUGE when youare trying to find a 5' 100# little girl. Must have burned about $100 worth of gas looking for that dang car I bought for her last summer. She has no idea how selfish she was by taking off. Everybody was and is worried about her and she just does not realize that her life has an affect on so many people. Spoke to her probation officer today after court. She said that after she gets out of the rehab in 6 months, it is a real possibility that the judge will revoke probation and send her to the female detention center in Geneva. Not even close to Omaha. Might not see her again for 2 1/2 years except through glass and bars. This is gonna be a crappy year. Thanks for all the thoughts. Keep praying. I know that I will be.
Re: Thanks you guys Greg, NO IT'S NOT GONNA BE A CRAPPY YEAR !!!!! Its gonna be a tough one yes, but not crappy. In fact I think its gonna be a GREAT year for you. From now on, everything that happens is gonna be PROGRESS for her, that you will SEE !!! Try not to think about now man cause I know NOW, this has got to be hurtin' BAD. Think about over the next few years when she makes it through all the rehab and counseling. And it all works like its supposed too, and she comes out and she's ok, and you have your daughter back. You have taken the biggest, hardest step of all of them. It's gonna get easier from here on. It's time for progress to be made, and this time you have some "backup" working with you. You be there for her as much as possible, and we'll be here for you whenever you need us. prayers for ya from Kansas....................
Thanks Dave Thanks for the pep talk Dave. I know it is gonna be better when she gets through the rehab, but, I've been the only parent since she was 6 months old. It's only been 2 days without her and it is really wierd around the house. It's quiet and the phone is not ringing off the hook. I guess I just miss her a little bit. This is why I love this board. Support from people I have only met once or twice and from people I don't know from Adam. You people all rock. God bless everyone.
Greg, I appreciate you thinking of others when you are experiencing difficult times your self. Trust in your daughter and in God. Dont sugar coat anything but be understanding. You know your daughter and her character let this be your search for understanding and direction. It must be very difficult for you and other family members alsodo not neglect those needs. We will pray for you. Proverbs 4:7-9 Patrick
Greg - I'll be praying for you and your daughter!! I hate seeing anyone go thru this sort of thing....addiction to 'anything' is a real tough one.ou: The 'addict' doesn't act or respond logically. Even if they agree with what you're saying...it's difficult for them to take control of the situation!! No matter what trouble we run up against....the answer is Jesus!! Look to Him in prayer. James 5 The Prayer of Faith 13 Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Try to keep a positive attitude...I know, it's easier said, than done sometimes. :TU: You can also count on us to be here for you!! :TU:
Greg, No matter how bad you feel or how angry she may be with you, it's important that you remember what you have saved her from. You have certainly made the right choice, the tough choice, that you'll never have to turn back from. Anything less would have been a compromise of your responsibility as her father. I'm with you 100% and will pray for you and your daughter to be granted the strength to get through this period of difficulty. The end result will be much better than if you had tried to overlook her problem. Thank you for being a responsible parent and doing what's right. If more parents were like you we would live in a better world.
Hi Greg, My wife and I were just talking about you. We just want to let you know that we are thinking about you and are hoping that things are getting better for you and your daughter. All the best Harvey & Brenda
Update Well, it's been a while since I posted on this, so here's the latest. Kerstin was released from jail on the 6th of January and admitted to an in-patient rehab in Lincoln. She finally was seen by a psychiatrist NOT affiliated with the State Health System and was diagnosed with anxiety and depression disorders. There is also a possibility of bipolar disorder, but the doc wanted to do a more in depth evaluation before he began to medicate for the bipolar thing. She is getting medication for the depression and anxiety disorders. I went for visits yesterday and today and she seems alot more calm and adjusted with no mood swings in the 3+ hours I was there each day. So far, so good. We have a family session on Tuesday evening. She tells me that she has to show me a timeline of her abuse of drugs and she is scared of how I am going to react. I told her that I will not be angry and that all I want is my little girl back. I am willing to do whatever is necessary to help her recover. She seems sincere of her desire to never use again and her counselors say that she is doing great and making strides every day. It may be the adults that are in the same rehab and how their lives are all messed up that is also scaring her. I hope it works. I appreciate all the thoughts and prayers. Don't worry about me too much, I am keeping my stick on the ice.:TU:
Greg, I am new to this board, and I don't know you. But I want to offer you some words of sympathy and encouragement if I may. I couldn't possibly begin to understand how this makes you feel, I was alone raising my 3 children (2 girls, 1 boy) up until 3 years ago when I met my new wife. This thing you have to deal with must be a tough one when you have no other parent to help support you. Just remember this.....God never gives us anything we can't handle. Our journey through life has a purpose that that we can't always see until much later. This all has happenned to both of you for a good reason, only God knows why. Don't lose your faith over this, it will only make both of you stronger. I will be praying. Right now where she is is a heck of a lot better than than where she could be right now if things would not have turned out the way they did. I commend you as a good father, and wish you both the best of luck throughout this ordeal. Just keep in mind that her need for drugs is VERY overpowering, and there is no limit what she will do until she gets cured of this addiction. Feel free to email or PM me if you need a shoulder. Good luck with all of this!
Greg, Sounds promising. Keep your feet firmly planted and be as loving and encouraging as you can. There will be good days and bad days, great strides forward and pitfalls. Stay the course. I'm happy to hear that you are doing alright. You are in our thoughts and prayers.:TU:
Time for an update.. Well, let me update everyone on Kerstin's status. On the 20th of Jan, we had the family session where she had to show me the timeline of her use and abuse. Wow!! I had no clue. She did admit to me when I turned her into the police that she was using weed and meth. After she sat in jail and in the rehab, where they told her to be honest with herself, it all came out. She started using weed and Booze when she was 12. In the last 4 months before it all came crashing down, she used on a daily basis, get this, weed, meth, heroin, cocaine, crack, crank, booze, other people's prescriptions, etc. Anything to alter her reality. Now the good news. She has graduated from the in-patient rehab program and has moved into a group home. She is still going to rehab every day and making great progress. All the counselors say that she is making great strides. She wants to stay clean for her and nobody else. This si what needs to happen. She can't do it if she is doing it for anyone else. She is confident in herself again and the rehab program stresses tht she is not scum, but just made some very bad decisions that can be remedied. She has admitted that she has no control over any of the substances that she was on and that she never will. She is going to change to evening rehab and get enrolled in school again in Lincoln. She is a little bit nervous about starting a new school, but she will do fine. Her self-confidence is up again and she has always been rather resilient. All in all, it is good news and I find myself not waiting for the other shoe to drop near as often. I, also, have a lot better attitude towards life than I have had in the last few weeks/months. Thanks for listening. Let's keep praying for her. It is working. Plus all the NA and AA meetings she goes to. It is going to work out!! I know it.
