A lengthy email from a distraught mother is full of fear and anguish. So much so that instead of responding by email I call her.
She thanks me for calling and tells a familiar story about her 26 year old son who’s in the grips of a heroin addiction.
He was in a religious program for over a year and stayed clean for about three months after leaving. Then he picked up again.
Like many parents she’s full of guilt and anxiety. What’s the right thing to do? She’s afraid he might take his own life if things get much tougher. A friend of his died of an overdose a few weeks back. They have no money, nor do they have insurance. Fear has her mind working overtime.
She says the family probably enabled him to some degree. And I tell her that happens a lot because most parents don’t know what to do when they find out their child is a sick addict. The instruction manual that came with the baby didn't say anything about drug addiction. So how could she know what to do?
On top of his addiction the boy has no training or job skills. I tell her that fits right into the TLC client profile.
I encourage her to send him to detox. And then if he still wants help, send him to our halfway house. If he’s truly willing we can teach him the basics of recovery, help him find a job, maybe even get him into school after a while.
She’s going to tell him about us.
