Living with Addicted Parents

In society a child is shunned or welcomed by what their parents do. My parents were divorced and addicted to drugs. I was their kid no matter where I went. People knew them no matter where I went. It never mattered if I was with my parents or not because their aura was always around me. I never knew how to shake it off and ignore the words or looks. I always wanted to because it hurt. I was not my parent's, I was me and I was trying. I have four brothers with one of my parents and 2 more brothers and a sister with the other. I lived with the parent that had my four brothers, my mom, for most of my childhood. Growing up was no fun and I didn't get to be a kid very much. I wasn't able to because I had to be Mom, Dad and sister. I am the oldest child. This is my story of growing up with addicted parents and how it effected my life and me. It wasn't an easy road and some things were quite nasty but it is better now and I have learned many things.

When I was a small child my parents divorced. By this time I had one brother. He was a year old at the time and I was two. Most of what I remember is spending a lot of time with my grandparents on my father's side. My Grandma has told me many times about how both my mother and father were in drug treatment at this time in my life. I obviously do not remember much of my life in that time but I do remember bits and pieces here and there. I remember my great-grandmother and my grandparents. I remember being dropped off at their house and not seeing my mom for a very long time or so it seems to me in my memory. I remember not wanting to go home when my mom came to get us. I don't really start to remember much until I was around 6. I was living with my mom and my step dad. We had moved to a small town and I was getting ready to start school. My life seemed normal to me because it was all that I had known. Life seemed good for a while.