In a harrowing account to the Daily Mail, 24 year old Jessica Masuglia told of how her mother passed away after overdosing at the age of 43. Masuglia was raised in Melbourne, Australia by a mother who struggled with dependency to heroin.
For most of the young girl’s life, the woman struggled with trying to maintain her sobriety. Masuglia chronicled that there were times when her mother would be sober and there were times when weeks would pass and she would start using heroin again. “She was two different people.” Masuglia said.
Her mother’s struggles with sobriety didn’t bother her until she became a teenager. It was during this time in the girl’s life that the effects of her mother’s chemical dependency changed. She began to suffer from drug psychosis and concurrently became dependent to alcohol. The daughter told the Daily Mail that she suffered from mood swings where her mother would ‘snap’ at any moment. This became taxing for the young girl, who eventually went to live with relatives at the age of 16.
After not seeing one another for over four years, Masuglia found out that her mother had passed. She felt guilty because she had not seen her mother for such a long time. In her heart she always knew that her mother loved her, despite her active addiction. Given the recent talks by the Australian government over drug testing welfare recipients, Masuglia knew that she had to tell her story. Addiction is stigmatized in society, and by sharing her story she hopes that others will come to understand that addiction is a disease and not a moral failing.
New Directions for Women helps women and their families heal from the disease of addiction. Women who come to our treatment facility receive both individual and family therapy. Our multidisciplined treatment team is comprised of Master’s Level Licensed Therapists and fully certified Addiction Counselors.
We know that addiction is a family disease and we encourage and support families who make the commitment to enter into the journey of lifelong recovery. Our Family Program is grounded in the 12 Steps and we help families participate in self help meetings on a regular basis.
Our program consists of on-site group, family, and educational therapy. Our facility also accepts women and their children so that they do not have to be separated. New Directions for Women specializes in treating children through the treatment experience. Children who live at our facility receive counseling services and an array of therapies such as: art, storytelling, role playing, recreation, and journaling. We help women and children recover so that they do not have to go through the experience that Masuglia did.
New Directions for Women is a treatment facility located in California that offers help to women, pregnant women, and women with children. Founded in 1977, our courageous and visionary founders asked for the help of Newport Beach Junior League members to fulfill their vision of a tranquil home-like facility that would treat women with dignity and respect. Our caring admissions counselors are available 24/7 to take your call and answer any questions you may have on getting help. Reach us by phone at 800-93-WOMEN. We can help. Stay in the loop with New Directions for Women by connecting with us on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.
