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substance abuse in your family > children and teens > special stuff for teens > having fun

MARISSA SAYS: HAVING FUN

For the longest time, I worried about my parents and my brothers Andy and Sam. But I finally realized that if I don’t take care of myself, I’m going to end up just like my mom – depressed, with a bottle by my side and some pills in my hand, spaced out and ignoring my kids. So I decided to get on with my life. Now I’m involved in the drama club, and I’m hoping to try out for basketball for the winter. It doesn’t solve anything at home, but it gets me away from the chaos. I’ve even decided that I’m not going to waste my time expecting my mom to show up for the performance – it’s not like I have the lead, or anything. (Okay – I admit it. It would be nice if she came. But only if she didn’t nod out during the performance. I don’t think I could handle having to explain that. It’s easier to say she is out of town that night.)

I feel bad that I pulled away like that. But deep down, I know I did the right thing. Up until last spring, I spent all my time taking care of the house and everything. But after I got into that support group at school, I started taking some chances. Now I know what I’ve been missing, and I’m not so miserable anymore. I know I sound like some kid from a "how to get better pamphlet" but it’s true. I just hope everything doesn’t fall apart without me.