To Break the Cycle of Addiction

REBECCA AND SAVANAH

Savanah sits stoically as she talks about growing up in the chaos of Rebecca’s addiction. “Sometimes my mother would be available to help me. That was wonderful. Then she would disappear for days, only to reappear and then take off again. It was hard. I lived with my father and grandmother a lot. It was lonely for me. The only real friend I had was my dog Gunner.” Savanah goes on, “I never knew how long my mother would be gone or if the next time our paths crossed she would be in jail again.” With such instability, Savanah had no friends and no social life. “I had a “D” average in school. And when my mother dropped me off to live with my father or grandmother, I had to take care of my older brothers. That was difficult. I was only seven or eight years old.” Savanah looks sad as she recalls, “When my mother would come back, I was almost always unsupervised and had to fend for myself.”

“I remember the day my mother left me to begin residential treatment at Inland Valley.” Tears well up in Savanah’s eyes. “I was scared. I didn’t want her to leave me again,” Savanah pauses. “But in a few days my mother found out that children can live with their mothers at the facility. My mother telephoned and invited me to come and stay with her. I was scared at first and really didn’t want to go,” Savanah remembers. “But I decided to give it a try. I was standoffish at first and spent a number of days alone in my bedroom. Before long though, my mother and I were getting into the swing of things. We even had fun.”

Her mother, Rebecca says, “For the first time in both of our lives Savanah and I were learning about things like structure, and rules and safety. Inland Valley made all my decisions for me until I learned to make good choices for myself.”

Both Savanah and Rebecca started to gain self-esteem and build consistency in all areas of their lives. Once they completed the program they moved into aftercare.

Today, the joy in their eyes is unmistakable. They glance at one another as Savanah describes the life she and her mother share today. “Instead of getting D’s, in my sixth grade year I made the honor roll,” Savanah says with a smile. Rebecca adds, “Savanah and I live in a beautiful home in Upland. And my daughter is not the only honor student in the family. Soon after leaving Inland Valley I returned to college to study for a degree in “Addiction Treatment.” When I finished my degree I was actually hired to come back and work for Inland Valley as a counselor. I am very proud of that.”

In the meantime Savanah is excited about starting high school this year. “I’m glad because all my friends are there. I have friends now,” she adds with a grin. Savanah is determined not to let addiction take over her life. ”I have been offered drugs at school, but I always say no. I have seen what they can do to people and how they destroy families.”