Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Daughter’s addiction worrying parents

Kathy Mitchell

Dear Annie: Our daughter is going down a bad road, and our 13-year-old granddaughter, “Lana,” is in the driver’s seat.

Lana has been diagnosed with ADHD, but since we live in another state, we have no way of knowing whether she’s staying on her meds. I’ve heard from my wife that Lana has been destroying furniture and is physically and verbally abusing her mother. At one point, she snatched her mom’s cellphone out of her hand while she was calling for help.

Here’s another layer of trouble: We know our daughter has had drug abuse issues in the past, and we suspect she’s on some harder stuff now. She is losing weight at an alarming rate, her teeth are going bad, and she’s just been kicked out of her apartment – for the fourth time in less than two years.

This is stressing the entire family, even though we’re hundreds of miles away. What can we do? How do we cope with this? – Worried and Wondering

Dear Worried: Is Lana’s father in the picture? Is he reliable? Would he be willing to ask for custody? Would you be willing to take the girl in if her mother is on drugs? We know Lana is a handful, but part of the reason is because her mother may not be a competent parent. We urge you to make a trip to see your daughter and assess the situation. You also might want to alert Lana’s school to the home issues. There is support for friends and relatives of addicted children. Contact Nar-Anon (nar-anon.org) at 800-477-6291.

Annie’s Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please email your questions to anniesmailbox@ comcast.net, or write to: Annie’s Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254.