Chasing the Sleeping Dragon

By Carmen Maples

Addiction is rampant in our society, yet so many people don't feel comfortable talking about it because of the stigma attached to drug use. For six years, my family lived through addiction, the chaos it brings, and the grief of how much it changed my family. Those six years were nothing short of pure hell. However, the last year was the worst of all. That was the year my son overdosed on heroin. Life since then has been difficult and lonely. The grief has been overwhelming and all-consuming. The pain was so unbearable, that I turned to writing as therapy for my soul. My writing began as journal entries which, in turn, led to creating a blog. The blog allowed me to voice my pain and frustrations openly, but I felt the need to do more. Because addiction is so prevalent, I felt the need to share my journey with others...to let them know that they aren't alone, that addiction is no respecter of persons, and that there are many people out there that understand their journey. In sharing my story, I hope to make other parents aware that it can happen to your family. Regardless of your place in society, your degree hanging on the wall, or the faith you hold dear, addiction can destroy your family.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Carmen Maples
• Release date: Jun 28, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463726037

Carmen Maples

I am a 51-year-old mother and grandmother. My husband and I have 4 children between us and we share 6 grandchildren. Four years ago, I lost my son, Aaron to a drug overdose. I started writing to help me deal with the grief of losing him. My journey has been a hard one, but writing has helped me express my feelings in a healthy way.

Book preview

Chasing the Sleeping Dragon

Copyright 2020 Carmen Maples

Published by Carmen Maples at Smashwords

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Prologue

Chapter 1 - Troubled Waters

Chapter 2 - Dragons

Chapter 3 - If Only

Chapter 4 - When I Grow Up

Chapter 5 - The Beginning

Chapter 6 - War

Chapter 7 - The Agony of Relapse

Chapter 8 - False Promises

Chapter 9 - The Answer

Chapter 10 - Things are Looking Up

Chapter 11 - The Cycle Repeats

Chapter 12 - This Can’t Be Happening

Chapter 13 - The Nightmare Begins

Chapter 14 - The Ultimate Thief

References

About the Author

Connect with Carmen Maples

Acknowledgements

Watching a family member spiral down the path of addiction is often a lonely journey. There were times that I felt so alone on the journey our family took, but there were so many people around me that were very supportive. I relied heavily on many of those people as I watched Aaron’s addiction progress. My mom and dad, Barbara and Richard Brown, have always been my rock throughout life. This part of my life was no different. They supported me and Aaron when no one else did. To my mom and dad, I am forever grateful for all that you have done for me and both of my kids throughout our lives.

I, however, was not the only person who suffered the pain addiction inflicts upon loved ones. Taylor Langford, Aaron’s sister, was a sibling who suffered in silence. She often sat in the background while her needs and desires were put on the back burner. To Taylor, I know that you suffered as you watched Aaron head down that destructive path and as you watched your mom struggle with taking care of you while trying to keep Aaron on the right path. I know that you felt overlooked at times, and for that I am so very sorry. Thank you, however, for supporting me through all of that even though you were still just a kid yourself.

My brother, Steve (who passed away in 2015 from lung cancer) and his wife Susan, also supported me throughout this horrific journey. I thank you both for listening to me and for all of your words of encouragement over the years.

And finally, my husband Tom was also encouraging and emotionally supportive over the years.

To all of you, I am forever indebted for the love you have given me.

Prologue

It sounds cliché to say…but life IS a journey. The voyage begins at an early age with a myriad of small trips that make up the long, continuous journey. My journey, at times, has been smooth sailing with a sea of experiences before me that were as smooth as glass; comforting. At other points in my life, the journey has taken me to an abyss of loneliness and hopelessness...A place so dark with not even a glimmer of light to guide my way. It was at this stage in the journey that I lost my way with no visible way out. So, I just sat and spun in circles, unsure of my direction and unsure if I was making any progress. Although I was lost, I was completely aware of what had brought me to this point…my son’s addiction.

If you had told me when my kids were young, that one of them would someday battle drug addiction, I would have thought you were crazy. I would have said, No….not my family. Not my son or daughter. See, I felt like my family was immune to the ravages of drugs and addiction. I didn’t even think that it was a possibility for either one of my kids. I never imagined that my journey would take me down this destructive path. I thought I had done everything right. I didn't expose my kids to those kinds of situations…I thought. I talked with them about drugs and how BAD they were...I thought. I tried to make sure that they were hanging around good people….I thought. All of the efforts I took to ensure that either of my children did not go down this path were well intentioned and sometimes they work…for some families. For mine, it did not.

How many of you that have walked this path ever thought that drugs couldn’t touch your family? I would guess that quite a few of you probably thought the same thing I did. I felt that my family was invincible. That was a tragic way of thinking, because what I now know is that NO ONE is above the allure of drugs. You see, drugs bewitch their clients by offering them counterfeit acceptance, love, and belonging. They woo their users by helping them escape their reality or by helping them become someone they aren’t…they flood their senses with a rush of dopamine that produces a euphoric existence. Once the brain becomes accustomed to this drug induced rush, it halts the natural production of dopamine. As