The Rage, Secrecy and Pain of a Family Torn Apart by Addiction

An older woman came forward to tell the story of her daughter, Chelsey. I heard audible sobs when she revealed—partway through her story—that she spoke on behalf of her daughter only because her daughter was no longer here. Chelsey had committed suicide, never having recovered from the damage of what Larry had done.

Parents are expected to deal with an illness that doctors not only know little about but also are wary of diagnosing in the first place. Parents are set adrift inside a house that has become a war zone, dealing with feelings that alternate from extreme anger at the child to the most unbelievable yearning to help that child, from rage at the outside