Addiction doesn’t discriminate, it can affect people of any gender, age, shape or size. Although, people often associate substance abuse with men, women are just as likely as men to develop a substance use disorder.

This is something I realized at a young age. Growing up in a family with two parents addicted to drugs wasn’t always easy. There were days when I didn’t know what I was coming home from school to. Would my mom be high or would my dad even be home? I remember weeks would go by with no word from my dad. I knew this wasn’t the norm for my friends and I wished every night that it wasn’t for me, but it was and I dealt the best way I knew how, by throwing myself into my schoolwork and sports.

I was around 14 when my mom finally decided to turn her life around. After relapsing multiple times, this was finally the time my mom got sober and still is ’til this day. Sometimes I talk to my mom about those times and I think she truly regrets everything, but addiction is a disease and not an easy one to fight. I imagine my mom must’ve felt like someone on a diet and my dad was the one eating cake right in front of her asking if she wanted a bite. But she was strong and never gave in.

My mom says the reason she gave up drugs was because of me. She wanted a better life for me. She wanted me to see that you can do anything you set your mind to. It turns out that 47 percent of women say their children are the main motivator for them to stop using drugs. I am so grateful to have my mom around and I couldn’t be more proud of all that she has overcome.

My dad on the other hand, never got clean. He ended up passing away from an overdose when I was only 18. My dad became part of the statistic. He became one of the over 700,000 people who have died from an Opioid overdose between the years of 1999 and 2017. This was probably the hardest thing I had to go through. Although my dad and I had a strained relationship, he was still my dad and he raised me to the best of his ability.

Thinking back now I still can’t believe this is my life. Living through the stresses of addicted parents and losing a father at such a young age has taught me that addiction can affect anyone, even the people you least expect. It has taught me not to judge people for their mistakes, but to accept them for who they are. If you think someone you know is struggling, reach out because you could be the motivation they need to save their life.