I tried many times to remove crack from my life. It was hard, very hard, because it was all around. My sister got high. My neighbors got high. Yes, I lived in the projects. With all 21 floors, I could get high in at least 15 different apartments.
People would come to my house asking me to get high with them, or yell from the window, “Robin, come upstairs for a minute.” Temptation would lead me … Read More
Crack was a mind shattering experience. All my problems went away. It was like a jolt, a sensation that was unbelievable. It took me on a cloud and made real life disappear. It only lasted for about five minutes, but then I wanted to go again and again.
Soon I realized I couldn’t stop when I wanted to. I was afraid of who I was becoming. I started running out of money and couldn’t always get … Read More
Jessica Marcus, a staff attorney in the Family Law Unit at South Brooklyn Legal Services, explains the rights and responsibilities of parents seeking drug treatment.
Q: Will my kids be put in foster care if I tell someone I need treatment for a problem with drugs or alcohol?
A: If you go to a treatment program, they shouldn’t open a case. If you go to a preventive services program for help with a drug addiction (or any … Read More
One morning I woke up dope sick. I needed a bag of heroin. I said to myself, “I’m not just going to lie here sick.” So I got up and went to a dope dealer I knew and told him to help me out with a bag. He said to me, “Here, do this bag and sell these.”
I went in the bathroom and got my fix. That day the dope was very strong so I … Read More
In the months before I got my sons home from foster care, I built a bond with my boys. I picked them up every other weekend and always had some- thing planned for us to do as a family. We went out to the movies, the beach, the pool, a museum or the library. Sometimes we would just stay home and play family games. I would also make them their favorite foods. But the one … Read More
