Dear Dr. Meg,
My depression got out of control leading to me relapsing after 10 years of sobriety. I made bad choices like having an affair because my husband wouldn’t annul his previous marriage in the Catholic Church. I lost my husband and my 12-year-old daughter had to go live with her biological father. I was evicted by my husband from our home and lost my finances.
My daughter says I ruined her life and that her father and Grandfather tell her I chose drugs and alcohol over her. She is 13 now. I have almost 10 months of sobriety now. My daughter won’t talk to me or see me and her father lets her have her way despite the judge telling him to encourage her to visit me and provisions are made for him to make her available for phone visitation in our court order but I only get voice mail.
Both he and his father have alienated her from me. I feel so much guilt and shame and am very sorry for what I have done and have tried to correct my errors.
I feel like my daughter hates me and is out of my life forever. Is there any hope for me? How can I fix this situation? Will my daughter come around? I struggle with suicidal thoughts thinking her and her father and Grandfather will be happy if I was gone.
Her father is engaged to a woman and she already calls her step momma and he calls her kids, her siblings. Thank you for any help you can offer.
Sincerely,
Now Sober Mom