Our Mission.
For each of the 48,700,000 people battling substance use disorder, four family members are estimated to have been affected. That means 194,800,000 or OVER HALF THE ENTIRE POPULATION OF THE US has been touched by a loved one’s substance use.*
You are not alone.
The facts behind the mission
86%
of the US population is age 12 or older
17.3%
of those age 12 or older are battling an addiction
48,700,000 of those age 12 or older had a substance use disorder in the past year. That equates to 17.3% battling an addiction to at least one substance.
4 family members
for each of the 48,700,000 are impacted by a loved one's use.
Roughly each of those 48,700,000 people with a substance use disorder have 4 family members who have been affected. That means 194,800,000 or OVER HALF THE ENTIRE POPULATION OF THE US has been touched by a loved one’s substance use.
Our Impact
Each fall, we survey our meeting attendees to gauge the effectiveness of our curriculum and meetings. Some results from fall 2023 tell us that since attending our meetings, the following percentages of respondents report a better understanding of:
Over 66.7%
Over 66.7% have a better understanding of codependency.
Over 72.7%
Over 77.7% have a better understanding of what happens in the brain of someone who has substance use disorder.
Over 72.7%
Over 72.7% have a better understanding of the stages of change, recovery and relapse.
Over 75.8%
Over 75.8% have a better understanding of the important of self-care.
Over 66.7%
Over 66.7% have a better understanding of the stigma that surrounds substance use disorders.
Over 69.7%
Over 69.7% have a better understanding on how trauma can affect health.
Over 69.7%
Over 69.7% have a better understanding of treatment resourses available.
Over 75.8%
Over 75.8% have a better understanding of enabling and setting healthy boundaries.
Over 66.7%
Over 66.7% have a better understanding of detachment with love.
Over 78.8%
Over 78.8% have a better understanding of how many families are affected by substance use disorders.
Over 81.8%
Over 81.8% have a better understanding of what we can and can not control.
Our Story.
Hear from our
Founder & Director
Get to know about us and about founder/director Jennifer Hope.
The journey began...
Meet the 4 women who connected through shared pain and the desire to help others.
Prior to beginning to speak out about her son Jake’s battle with addiction, Jennifer Hope and her family spent several years silent, scared, and alone.
MARCH 2015, Jennifer read the book "Beautiful Boy" by David Sheff and realized that her family was not an anomaly - that there were actually thousands of other families who had been affected by their child's addiction. Slowly, Jennifer started opening up with friends about her son's disease and the battle they were fighting as a family.
While her incredible group of friends loved her through it, they simply did not understand. They didn't know what it was like...
...to go days or weeks without knowing where your child was, or if he was alive or dead.
...to watch their child turn into someone they barely knew.
...to take their child to rehab, or drop him off at several different sober living homes, each time praying it was the one that would help him.
...to visit their child in jail.
...to spend holidays sobbing because their family isn't all together, or because their child is in the basement coming down from a high and starting to detox on Christmas Eve.
...to spend countless sleepless nights wondering what they had done wrong.
They didn't understand the feelings associated with any of those things because they hadn't lived it. While she was truly thankful that they weren’t able to relate, she still felt isolated and alone.
SPRING 2017, after struggling for 7 years, Jennifer’s son sought treatment on his own for the first time at a long-term residential program out-of-state.
When asked how Jake was doing Jennifer used to answer with “he’s figuring out life”. That changed when Jake went to treatment in West Virginia, and she began answering questions differently and speaking out. When asked why Jake was in West Virginia, and if it was for a job or school, she would confidently reply with “he is at a long-term addiction rehab farm.”
With her reply, she could see people physically relax, and nearly every person would then tell her about someone in their family who had the same struggle.
During the summer of 2018, Jennifer got a text from a friend asking if she would reach out to someone who had a son walking a rough path. The next morning, Jennifer and her husband met Julia Kerr and her husband for coffee. They shared their struggles, and listened to the others' hurt...they"clicked".
A bond was formed.
Knowing she wanted to do something to help others, Jennifer enrolled in a course to become a certified recovery coach in the fall 2018. There she met Jeni Streeter and her son Tommy. Their stories were similar, and they could connect without shame or the fear of being misunderstood...they "clicked".
A bond was formed.
Donna Wray lost her daughter to addiction in January 2019. Just two months later, a mutual friend connected Donna and Jennifer. While their stories weren’t the same, their feelings were...they "clicked". In the wake of the biggest tragedy of her life, Donna wanted to help others.
A bond was formed.
Things came together quickly and the first support group meeting was held June 18, 2019.
At The Mom of an Addict, Inc. we understand what you are going through because we have lived it.
This organization was created to bring together all of us family members who are in a club in which we didn't ask to be a member - the mom, dad, grandparent, spouse, sibling or loved one of an addict.
We are here for you.
Come to a meeting where you will find someone with whom you will "click" & form a bond.