DRUG PROBLEMS

The story on organised drugs (The Examiner, Oct. 21) hit home to me as I
read it. My 15-year-old daughter has become alcohol dependent and I feel
she has also become substance dependent in the past three months. This
dependency has led her to becoming abusive, violent and destructive.

I was forced into putting an interim restraint order on her after she
started to attack her younger sister and destroy my home.

I received a letter from her lawyer saying that she realised she had a
problem and would be prepared to attend Hassles Conflict Resources if I
lifted the restraint order.

The order has been lifted for about a month now and she still has not been
there, but persists in returning to the place where she is being supplied
with drugs and alcohol.

My home has become a drop-in centre for her to get food, cleaned up, wash
clothes and just for time out. I have tried time and time again to explain
to her that she has a problem but, of course, she denies this all the time.

She became so violent last week that she trashed the place where she was
staying, punched her father and threatened him with a knife, tried to cut
her wrists with a bread knife and even rang the police wanting to charge
herself. They could not believe her.

I have been everywhere I can possibly think of to get help for her, even
the drug and alcohol abuse service. No one can help her until she asks for
help herself. I am so worried this dependency has made her a threat to
herself.

Her father is going to Victoria for a couple of months and we both feel she
should go as well to get away from the people who are influencing her.

I put an ultimatum on her for her sake. If she does not go with her father
then I will be forced into making her a Ward of the State. Her response to
this was that she wants to come home to me and says she will get help.

I feel I cannot trust her decision on this because of her addiction. I have
told her to get help first.

All I can do now is wait and, like Scotty said, denial is such a major
issue. I am still not convinced that she is willing to accept that she has
a problem.

- - HELPLESS.