To Whom It May Concern,

 

As I sit here filling out my form to renew my subscription to FDS, I find myself thinking of the wonderful support that I have received over the last 2 to 3 years since becoming a member. Your telephone service/help line in particular has been such a fantastic support to me when I have needed encouragement or just someone to talk to.

 

My husband & I have been together for nearly 6 years and he is a user of speed/ice. He is a little bit like a good bottle of wine, with time he is getting better, but it's an addiction & he will always have urges. I've never used drugs or had the desire for them and FDS is the only service that I have found to support loved ones of the addicted. So many other services that I have contacted in the time that I have been in a relationship with John have told me to leave the relationship, to protect our children. We have our 4 yr old daughter & are now 3 months away from having our second. These are the last things that I have wanted to hear, simply because I love him. If I was John's parent, John's sister would I also be told to exit myself from his life? It should be no different for a wife.

 

John is a wonderful father and husband. Just because he has an addiction doesn't mean he should be taken away from these roles. John always puts his family first and I know in his heart we mean everything to him. Over my time with him I've learnt a lot about addiction. His whole personality changes completely when he is on speed & he is not proud of his behaviour when he is on it. He would never mean to hurt my daughter or myself and he has never put us in any danger. His drug use with each year that I'm with him becomes less and less & I hope one day that he never has to feel the urge for it. But it is something with time that I have learnt to accept. It's not easy, but it doesn't change how I feel about my husband.

 

There are only few people I can talk to open & honestly about John's drug use. It's quite a lonely world, something that you can't talk to many people about. I can't talk to my family or many of my friends about it. They just don't understand and most of all would not understand why I would stay with him. There is such a lack of understanding in the community about drug use. It's always portrayed so badly in the media, that it makes the person a bad person. My husband is not a bad person, he just has an addiction. One that has been in his life for nearly 20 years. No different to addiction to gambling, cigarettes or alcohol. These are just more socially accepted.

 

I enjoy your newsletters very much. It has educated me about drug use & the drug user, as well as helping me to feel not alone in my situation. I hope one day in the future the "Stepping Stones" course is run in Perth where I live. I admire all of the work that the volunteers do for FDS. You may not realise it, but you have a profound effect on someone like me. I also hope in the future that much more is done to support partners & children of drug users. There seems to be a gap in the support out there in the community in terms of partners. I certainly feel this is just as important as the support for parents and siblings of drug users.

 

Thank you very much FDS.