My Stolen Years: Drug Court - Can It Work for My Drug Addicted Daughter?

If there is anyone out there who can recommend a solution, please share it. My 19 1/2 yr old daughter is pending a court date for possession of oxy codone, better known as roxies or blues.

She spent 6 wks in an adolescent rehab center and was released on her 18t birthday. She has relapsed a few times in the last year and a half. This last relapse came as a surprise to us because she seemed to have it under control. She loves money for her hair, nails and cosmetic purposes. It seems odd that an addict would put so much emphasis on her appearance. She performs well in school.

I would love more than anything for her to go in-patient somewhere for a long time but she obviously is in denial. She is going to have a public defender represent her in court because we can't afford a private attorney. The public defender is going to try to get her into drug court; a program that monitors the individual and asks that the individual complies with all rules. She will randomly be drug tested.

Does anyone know about drug court and its effect. It is 12 days sine her jail release and she has used yesterday. I honest to God can't do this anymore.

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Answer

Drug courts are not something we have heard a lot about. But they do seem to be gaining in popularity and seem a worthwhile initiative to try and break the cycle of addiction in repeat non-violent drug and criminal offenders.

Wikipedia describes drug court as such: "Drug Courts operate under a very specific model that combines intensive judicial supervision, mandatory drug testing, escalating sanctions and treatment to help substance abusing offenders break the cycle of addiction and the crime that accompanies it."

So for your daughter to have that ongoing monitoring and supervision is definitely a good thing. Whether it will work for her in the long-run no one can predict, because ultimately it's up to her to embrace the opportunity for change she has been given. But with the threat of heavier 'punishment' if she doesn't stick with the program - hopefully it will motivate her to take this seriously.

Let this whole process unfold as its meant to and find ways to find your own inner balance again, because your daughter has to start taking responsibility for the choices she makes, and if they continue to be bad one's then she has to live with the consequences. And that's not something you can control.

Control the 'controllables' - your well-being and state of mind and trust that in the end everything will work out as its meant to. Take care and all the best.

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