Help Dealing with your drug addicted child

Sometimes its hard to know where to turn when your child is addicted to drugs. Its hard to tell the signs. I am the mother of two teen sons. Now we all know that raising children in this day and age can be more than difficult. Seven years ago I realized my son was on the wrong track. I tried talking to him, counseling with and without him. I tried exausting all avenues. I found out I was not alone. This is a much larger problem in this country than anyone wants to admit. Getting help and sometimes admitting there is a problem is the hardest part. My eyes were opened in an instant.

On a beautiful summer day in August, we were celebrating my daughters wedding. After the ceremony and the reception my family decided to carry on the festivities at our house. We were having a huge party with all the kids and all my brothers and there wives and a few freinds. The kitchen table was full of alcohol, after all this was a celebration. The adults were busy outside taking pictures while we were all together and the smaller children were running around playing while the older kids were downstairs in the office playing on the computer. This was where the nightmare began. Intermitently adults would go down to check on the kids to make sure they werent on any sites they shouldnt be on. After a while it was my turn to check on them. I walked down the stairs into my office only to find my son and my nephew sitting at the desk, in front of the computer where they have been so many times before, but this time something was different. As I walked closer, I could see there eyes were glassy and bloodshot. I was horrified. I yelled to my husband and took the boys upstairs. I told my husband to not let them move and I went back down to the office. To my horror I found a bottle of booze hidden next to the desk. I took it back upstairs and confronted the boys. My nephew, who is four years younger than my son was very forthcoming. He explained that my son had told him to grab the bottle off the table and they would have their own party. Noone would ever notice. I went and got my brother and his wife and explained what had happened. They took there son home to deal with him. I was left to deal with mine.

I asked my son what he was thinking. Why would he do this. Not only was he drinking, he was serving it to my nephew. I was so angry. I started yelling and so did my son. He was completly intoxicated. I sent him to his room so we could all calm down and I could try to figure this out. My son didnt want to go to his room. Before I knew it he started swinging at me. At that moment I knew I had a bigger problem on my hands. I threatened to call the police, child services, nothing I threatened him with seemed to matter.

The next day my son called his birthfather and screamed at me he was going to live with his dad. He ran out of the house and started walking. I tried to talk to his father and explain the situation but his father is an alcoholic so I didnt get far. A few days later I recieved a call saying my son was found beside the road in a ditch and he wouldnt wake up. I asked where and asked if someone called 911. Of course they didnt for fear of getting in trouble. I called his father who hadnt seen him in several days. I told them to take my son to the hospital and I would meet them there. My son had alcohol poisoning. I called child services and begged them for help. Not only was my son intoxicated, he was using cocaine, marijuanna and god knows what else. They turned me away and said he was too old to place in a foster home and I couldnt put him in a rehab unless he signed himself in. Well we all know that wasnt going to happen. He was released back to his father. After all he was old enough to decide where he wanted to live.

I spent the next few weeks sleepless. I called his father and tried to make him understand how severe this situation was. I called the police, child services, counselors, even his teachers at school. All with no avail. Half the time his father didnt know where he was or what he was doing. Noone would help me. Finally one day my older son called me and said my son was at a local crack house. I imediately got my husband, my older son, and my sons father and drove to the house. Inside I found my son. He had definately been using drugs. After threatening to call the police and have them arrest everyone my son came outside. There we all tried reasoning with him. All this did was enrage him. Before I knew it he was fist fighting with his older brother. Then there father tried breaking it up and they started fighting. Before someone got hurt i called the police. I had my own son arrested. He was then put into the states custody and was ordered to juvenile hall. He was forced to undergo counseling, and anger management.

I find it sad that the only way to get your child help in this day and age is to have them arrested. I was left no choice. Everyone I reached out to for help turned there backs. I am not sorry for what I did. I feel it was the only way to save my sons life. Now seven years later I hear from alot of parents that they are going through the same difficulties that I went through. My advice to you is to never give up. Fight for your childs life. The system may not always work but there are ways to get your child the help they need. Always remember your not alone.