Mama June's drug battle: How 15-year-old Honey Boo Boo cried to sleep every night and took therapy

For the last few years, Honey Boo Boo craved Mama June's attention but she was away battling drug addiction

PUBLISHED APR 3, 2021

Alana Thompson, June Shannon from 'Mama June: Road to Redemption' (Getty Images)

"You don’t know how many nights I’ve cried myself to sleep," when a 15-year-old says this, you cannot help but empathize with her because somewhere it worries you. Alana 'Honey Boo Boo' Thompson's elder sister Lauryn 'Pumpkin' Efird, however, has got everything under control.

The last few years have been traumatizing for the little one. With mother June 'Mama June' Shannon absconding and them being homeless, Honey Boo Boo has had a lot on her plate. The stress had reached a point where she had to take therapy. More on that in a bit.

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"She’s definitely in a better place than she was a year ago. We’ve started working on ourselves attending therapy and being more conversational as a family all together," she told The Sun and added that she has been constantly encouraging Honey Boo Boo to score well in school and then opt for college. "There aren’t a lot of people in our family who have done that. I know Alana is very much capable of it," Pumpkin concluded.

Even though the kids miss their mother, Pumpkin reckoned it was best she was away and healing. She confirmed that Honey Boo Boo will remain in her care. "I’m not really sure if Alana would want to go back to that situation only because for so long Mama did lie about what was going on and how things were going on there."

Mama June has battled drug addiction for the longest time, which impacted her relationships and family life. However, she recently marked one year of her sobriety journey alongside her boyfriend Geno Doak. But, that is not enough. If she wishes to see her children again and be a part of their lives, Mama June will have to go above and beyond regular forgiveness.

Fortunately, she realizes that it will be tough to go back to her past and fix what she broke. Once, she sold her home without so much as leaving the kids a note. This drastic move left Honey Boo Boo, Pumpkin, and her family on the streets. After this, it's tough not to see where Pumpkin and Honey Boo Boo are coming from.

Catch all the new episodes of 'Mama June: Road to Redemption' on WE tv every Friday at 9/8c. For more information, check your local listings.