He said the son was with us for a while. Then he started using and we threw him out of the program.
His son had excuses for his relapse. For example he said his roommates were using and that got him started.
The son is homeless on the hot streets of Phoenix. But the father told him he would no longer help. All he's willing to give him is moral support while he recovers.
The father said it was one of the toughest calls he had to make, telling his son he could no longer help until he got into recovery.
The father did exactly what I recommend all parents of addicts do. Withhold financial help until they make the commitment to clean up.
As the parent of an addict, I understand how parents become torn. When my son was strung out on heroin I helped him get into a program. But that was it. While he was using he was on his own. And now he's been clean for a few years, and is working a program.
Life sometimes requires us to make tough choices. We love our children, but we don't want to love them to death. And if they get clean they'll understand why we were tough on them.
