Missy Mullins poses for a portrait in her living room in Logan. Missy's son is addicted to heroin and meth, and she has struggled to find support for family members dealing with a loved one's addiction.
THE PARENT
Missy Mullins had no idea her son was using heroin.
She and her husband raised their children in a loving environment at their home in a rural area of Logan. Their kids played sports and were in the marching band at school. Their daughter was Miss Moonshine in 2014. They weren’t the type of people who were supposed to deal with a drug problem. “I never imagined in a million years it would happen to my family,” Missy said.
Missy had been dealing with her son’s addiction virtually alone for years, and she felt isolated and unsure of what to do. She recently discovered a support group for family members of people struggling with addiction that meets once a month at the public library. “Just talking about it finally makes me feel better,” Missy said. “It is like this really big relief, and breath of fresh air.”
Missy gets frustrated by the lack of understanding she still sees in her community. “I've seen on Facebook all that ‘those no-good drug heads, no good heroin addicts, they ought to just shoot ‘em.’ That's someone's son. That's someone's daughter,” Missy said.
Missy is still dealing with her son’s addiction, but now she’s doing it with a little more confidence and direction. “I ask a lot of questions now,” she said.
