Family members of recovering addicts work to heal hurt, trauma caused by addiction
Drug and alcohol addiction not only impacts the abuser themself but their loved ones who try to get them clean.
In partnership with Montgomery County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services, three people opened up to News Center 7′s Haley Kosik about helping family members who struggled with addiction.
They say those addicted to drugs will do anything to get their fix.
“It’s a lot of lies, a lot of deceit,” Anita Kitchen, executive director of Dayton’s “Family of Addicts” services.
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“We hear stories all the time with FOA that they have robbed them, stolen to get the money to get the drugs, wiped out bank accounts,” she added.
Keitha Siler’s brother is a recovering addict and was taking its toll on her family.
“That was the hardest thing for me, looking at my brother and knowing that he’s just a shell of my brother, he’s not my brother anymore,” Siler said.
At Dayton’s FOA, Siler was able to talk about her brother’s addiction openly, without judgment.
“It’s so very hard for a family that’s struggling, to want to speak about it, they’re embarrassed, they’re ashamed, don’t be,” Siler said.
“Here, we talk about it. We’re not a secret society, so you come into FOA and you have a family member who speaks up saying, ‘hey, my son was missing for three weeks. I didn’t know if he was dead in an alley and you have this other parent going, ‘man, I was there.’” Kitchen explained.
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Sidney’s FOA was able to help Cody Odom reconnect with his mother, who struggled with addiction through his childhood.
“We’re all there to basically embrace one another and I think that’s the best thing we can have,” Odom said.
The two dedicated five years to FOA as volunteers, while making up lost time — Odom’s mother passed away in February.
“Sometimes people don’t know what to say if they’ve not been through it before,” Odom said.
Those who have been through it, those who haven’t to show empathy.
“We at FOA, we don’t have all the answers, so they’re not going to be coming to you expecting you to have the answers. A lot of times it’s just they need that listening ear,” Kitchen said.
Yearly the FOA serves nearly 4,000 people.
Their services are open to anyone, more information can be found here or by calling (937) 329-2865.
