A mom from Florida is sharing her firsthand experience of parenting a child with a fentanyl addiction. Brandi Mac, a 41-year-old nurse from Tampa Bay, discovered her daughter Brooke’s extensive drug use beyond recreational drugs in December 2019. Brooke, who was 20 at the time, was using IV drugs such as crack, crystal meth, opioids, and amphetamines. Despite Brandi’s background in nursing and experience in the Intensive Therapy Unit, she realized she knew very little about addiction from a personal perspective.
Although Brandi knew her daughter used drugs recreationally, it wasn’t until 2019 that she learned about Brooke’s IV drug use. During this time, Brooke had just given birth and Brandi was trying to visit her and her grandson every three months. On a visit, Brandi noticed a change in Brooke’s mood and increased irritability. Instead of confiding in her own mother, Brooke told Brandi’s mother about her fentanyl use along with her partner. Upon learning this information, Brandi realized that her daughter had found opioids in her medicine cabinet when she was 13 or 14, which was her first experience with opioids.
Brandi noticed signs of trouble during Brooke’s middle school years when she discovered she was self-harming. In high school, Brooke started lying more frequently, sneaking out at night, and experimenting with drugs. She even admitted to using methamphetamine, which deeply concerned Brandi. Apart from drug use, Brooke had also been diagnosed with depression and PTSD.
In 2016, Brandi and Brooke moved to Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, primarily for better medical insurance and mental health services. While living there, Brandi provided her daughter with a drug counselor, psychologist, and psychiatrist. However, once Brooke turned 18, there was little Brandi could do as a parent. After high school, Brooke decided to move to Florida and live with Brandi’s mother.
Brandi turned to TikTok as an outlet to share her experiences and raise awareness of the challenges faced by parents of children with Addiction. She now has over 271,000 followers and has connected with others going through similar situations. The recovery community on TikTok has provided invaluable advice, surpassing what Brandi learned from conventional resources.
Brandi highlighted that reported deaths from drug overdoses reached nearly 110,000 in 2022. Relapse rates remain alarmingly high, with 40 to 60 percent of individuals in addiction treatment experiencing a relapse. Brooke sought help from seven different treatment centers in just three and a half years, with suboxone offering the most extended period of respite. However, relapses continue, and Brooke is still struggling with addiction while Brandi is primarily responsible for raising her grandson.
Brandi acknowledges that the journey is far from easy, with repeated relapses taking a toll on hope and causing heartbreak. She emphasizes the need to eliminate the stigma surrounding addiction through her TikTok platform. Brandi does not seek to shame anyone but rather aims to create a positive and understanding space. She invites questions and discussion to make the topic more accessible and to build a supportive community for those affected. Brandi is also critical of the addiction treatment industry, expressing disgust at its lack of ethics and profit-oriented mentality.
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