When I came home from serving my country in Iraq, I also brought home a lot of war wounds inside of me. Over time, my symptoms ofpost-traumatic stress disorder grew harder and harder to handle, and made it harder and harder for me to take care of my daughter.
Eventually I was found guilty of neglecting my daughter and I ended up separated from her for six months. During those six months, … Read More
It is Wednesday, May 3rd, the day before my 21st birthday. I wake upfeeling sad. Something is telling me this is the day—the last morning I will spend with my kids.
It is a typical Florida day, clear blue skies and hot. It seems as if the world around us is moving so fast and we are standing still. I can’t let me kids see how sad I am. I make my … Read More
Domestic violence and addiction often go hand in hand. According tothe National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, a 2002 Department of Justice report found that 1/3 of victims in domestic violence programs also had substance abuse problems and almost 2/3 of batterers also abused alcohol or drugs.
To better understand the connection between domestic violence and substance abuse, we interviewed Tracey Little, an MSW social worker and substance abuse counselor who has worked … Read More
What does addiction look like? In my life it looked like birthday parties, PTA involvement, regular pediatrician visits, church going, school attendance, and then Mommy’s boyfriend is abusive and Mommy is getting high some nights of the week—that’s what my addiction looked like.
For 15 years I lived a double life. One side of me: The almost perfect mother, daughter and friend. I had a 20-year work history and I owned my own home. … Read More
A year ago, New York City Children’s Services (ACS) asked my husband and me to come to their office with our children. At that point, myfamily already had been through a 60-day investigation. Now we had to attend a Child Safety Conference.
The goal of these conferences is to reach an agreement about a plan that protects your children, whether that means that your children enter foster care, stay with kin, or … Read More
