Addicted to Prescription Drugs; NDFW featured on The Dr. Oz Show
New Directions for Women had the privilege of working with a woman named Stacy who was interviewed on the Dr. Oz show. She suffered from an addiction to prescription drugs and was the primary caretaker of two young children. The family was struggling with this family disease. Stacy knew the disease of addiction was hurting her family, but addiction doesn’t simply “go away,” especially if a woman has been using drugs or alcohol for many years, as Stacy had. It can take professional drug and alcohol treatment, involvement in self-help fellowships and communities, and daily participation in one’s own wellness over a lifetime to get and stay sober. This feature on the Dr. Oz show also included our Board Member, Becky Flood, who is a mom of six children herself and in long-term recovery. As Becky said, women need to be able to heal from the relationships in their lives that have been hurt by addiction. Relationships with our children can be stuck, stymied, or totally lost when we are in our active addiction. What better way to heal than to enter treatment alongside your son or daughter? We are grateful that Stacy was willing to get help, and enter treatment at New Directions for Women.
Below is a complete transcription of this video.
Dr. Oz:
What caught me the most, as I heard your story, was the thought of your two kids. Your children will copy what you do. Why shouldn’t they?
Stacy:
Exactly. Exactly.
Dr. Oz:
All of our kids copy what we do.
Stacy:
Yeah.
Dr. Oz:
Which is one of the most compelling reasons for us to do the right thing. So, I need to have you look to people that you love, who have been your support. And apathy is a word I heard. Given up.. I’m hearing these words and they scare me.
Stacy:
Yeah.
Dr. Oz:
Because when people give up on themselves, when they don’t – when the heart doesn’t have a reason to keep beating, it stops.
Stacy:
Yeah. Yeah. It’s – you know, the hardest thing to hear about is how I’ve hurt those people.
Dr. Oz:
Tell Luanne. And tell your mom. Tell Todd.
Stacy:
I feel – like I’ve said, I’m sorry, too many times. And I want to say it, but I know that the best way that I can show you that I’m truly sorry is by building a history of success longer than my history of failure.
Dr. Oz:
For someone who’s been addicted as long as Stacy has, she needs inpatient treatment at a facility that’s gifted at this. But, we also recognize that with the extra challenge of kids, we’ve gotta create a program that’s customized to that. So, Stacy, you’re the prime caretaker for two young children. And I want you to meet Rebecca Flood, who is joining us today.
Rebecca is a mom of six, so she knows what being a mom is about. But, she’s also been in recovery for 34 years. She’s executive director of New Directions for Women, a treatment center that rehabilitates mothers with their children. Rebecca, you’ve been listening to Stacy’s story, and I would love to hear you offer thoughts on what the greatest challenge that Stacy will face as she tries to beat this.
Rebecca:
I think one of the greatest challenges that all women entering recovery face are the relationships that need to heal. And one of the greatest reasons why we bring children into treatment with their moms is so that relationship can begin to heal. And that relationship that begins to heal can continue healing as they leave treatment and rejoin their loved ones.
Dr. Oz:
And Rebecca’s program will take the kids with you. So, there’s a van outside waiting for you right now. You’re gonna take your kids with you and go to the airport, and you’re gonna enter this treatment program. But, you gotta be willing to do it. You’ve gotta be willing to say, “I’m there. This is the last time. We’re gonna make this happen.”
Stacy:
I’m there. This is the last time. I – I’m there. I’m there.
Dr. Oz:
All right. You can say goodbye to your family and we’ll walk you out. We’ll be right back.
