Remember The Victims
I was a little girl terrified of my own father
Sue explains how her early life was marked by domestic instability and disturbing violence due to her father’s drug abuse. Despite this, she still holds out hope for his recovery.
When I was really young, I remember my dad screaming at my mom for money. His addiction affected everyone. When he couldn't get his fix, he would turn physically abusive and because we never knew when he would get violent, my siblings and I we learned to slowly just tiptoe around him all the time.
There was once when I was 15, I came home late from work and he was so upset he wanted to beat me with his belt. But luckily mom was there and stopped him, but it was really scary. Like now I know he can no longer hurt me physically, but it just still haunts me in my memory. He was never around for most of my childhood.
Like even on my wedding day, he was in prison and he couldn't be there to give me away. We all hated what drugs did to my dad. He used to say that drugs were his own business, but he never realised how much it hurt all of us. I just hope that he can turn his life around.
Especially for my mom. She has suffered too much for him.