Woman Thanks Her Father For Pressing Felony Charges Against Her & Cutting Her Off
She says her parents' decision to press charges saved her life.
Instagram & TikTok A woman who found sobriety after years of drug abuse thanked her father's decision to press felony charges against her, a move she credits as pushing her toward recovery.
Abbey Fickley describes herself as a “sober millennial mom,” but she wasn’t always that way, a fact that devasted her loving family. Fickley posts about her journey as a sober co-parent on TikTok, with videos that show her vulnerability — and her strength.
She recounted a time when her parents "pressed 32 counts of felony charges" against her all because she refused to get sober.
'They saved my life,' Fickley says of her father’s decision to press felony charges against her and cut her off.
Fickley explained in the comments that her parents “enabled her for years,” and their version of tough love was the only thing to save her, once they realized how detrimental their behavior was to her health.
The United States is experiencing what can only be described as an ongoing, entirely detrimental opioid crisis. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that almost 75% of the 91,799 drug overdose deaths in 2020 involved an opioid. In addition, opioid-involved death rates increased by 38% from 2019 to 2020.
The CDC states that the rise in opioid overdose deaths can be outlined in three distinct waves. The first wave started with the increased prescribing of opioids in the 1990s. The second wave started in 2010, with rapid increases in overdose deaths that involved heroin. The third wave started in 2013, with significant increases in overdose deaths that involved synthetic opioids, particularly fentanyl.
Public health officials are fighting to rein in the high rate of opioid-related deaths with a multi-pronged approach, including conducting research, providing education, and offering resources on harm reduction to various communities.
While the opioid epidemic seems insurmountable, Fickley’s journey is a testament to how one family addressed and combated a loved one's addiction.
Fickley praised her father as “the man who cuts me off when I’m destroying my life, but is my biggest cheerleader when I’m making good decisions.” She described him as “the definition of a man and a father” for cutting her off, an act she says saved her life.
In 2018, Fickley’s father disowned her and pressed felony charges against her.
Five years later, her father is back in her life as one of her biggest supporters. Fickley shared screenshots of texts her father sent, expressing his love and pride for all she’s accomplished in sobriety.
“I think good things are coming your way,” Fickley’s father wrote in one such text. “Success is a lock, and often we don’t know we already have the key… hard work usually pays off in the end.”
Fickley claims that her father “had the strength to cut me off and press felony charges against me when I refused to get sober.”
“My dad is the reason I’m alive today,” Fickley wrote in the caption of her post. “Boundaries save lives.”
“He chose putting me in jail over picking out my tombstone,” she wrote in the comments.
Many of Fickley’s followers commented that they were in similarly challenging situations with family members who struggled with the disease of addiction, including one follower who pressed charges against her own daughter.
Fickley offered her support to the followers, stating, “I’m sorry for what you’re going through. I pray for a positive outcome for everyone involved.”
Another person wrote that “as a parent, this makes me cry. I can’t imagine being in his position, but he did what he needed to do.” Someone else commented on how close Fickley and her father seem to be now, saying, “I love how you are so thankful for him now. It shows the full circle of your story.” Fickley posted on Instagram that “this disease does not discriminate, and everyone’s story looks different.”
“The bottom line is this: If you are happier, healthier, and living a productive life — it doesn’t matter what recovery looks like for you. No one else walks in your shoes, therefore, they don’t dictate what sobriety looks like for you,” Fickley states.
As Fickley continues her sobriety journey, she has the support and love of her family, standing right beside her.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers celebrity gossip, pop culture analysis and all things to do with the entertainment industry.