|
|
|
EDGES MAGAZINE Issue 19
|
October 1999 |
PARENTS SUFFER WHEN THEIR KIDS TAKE DRUGS |
|
A
Mother's despair....
I know what it is to be the mother of a drug addict. All the
terrible suffering you go through because of all the deceit, seeing
your son going downhill with drugs. But I’m just so hopeful now
that he’s been in rehab, and he’s been clean for nine
months. The change in my son when he started taking drugs; he
changed from a nice looking lad into a Grey faced, hollow eyed
person, who grew very deceitful, lying. Eventually, he was stabbed
and ended up in hospital. I went to see the priest about getting him
in rehab, and I’ll always remember his words; he said, “I
know it might not look like it now, but this might be a blessing in
disguise”, and it was. That was the turning point when he got
stabbed. He realised then how low he had fallen, so we got him into
rehab. The change in him has been remarkable. After only two weeks
we saw the change. His eyes were clear, his face had got the colour
back, and now he’s the son he was years ago. He’s fit and
healthy, happy, and so understanding of everything. He looks at
things in a different way. He’s polite and well mannered, and I’m
so thankful that he did see the light. |
|
A
Father's Nightmare…
My son is still using drugs, as far as I know. He doesn’t
come near me anymore because I told him not to speak to me until he
comes to his senses. We haven’t spoken for like fifteen months
now. I know he’s still using. It just makes me feel useless, y’know?
I’ve tried everything, I’ve got him into rehab, and he
walked out of that after one day. Took him back to Ireland, he
stayed there for twelve months. Then he came back to Blackburn and
got a job and stayed off for another twelve months, so he was twelve
months drug free. Then all of a sudden, he had a few small problems
and the first thing he did was go back on heroin. I think it starts
off as a recreational thing, then you become dependant, then you
become an addict. I think it’s in some people, I do think there’s
a gene that makes some people addicts and other people don’t
become addicts, otherwise everyone would try it and everyone would
become addicts wouldn’t they? So it’s a little weakness,
and they do need help, y’know? But they’re never gonna get
help until they realise they’ve got a problem, and I think my
son thinks he can use it and get away with it. Everyday he’s
getting a bit older and becoming a bit more addicted, I think.
Hopefully, he will wake up one day and think “I need to go
and get some help”, some of his mates now, they’ve
actually gone into rehab, some of these lads that were using with
him. But he seems to think that he can just keep doing it. He tells
people that he’s not using, that he’s come off. I saw him
the other day on Johnson Street and he didn’t look so bad, but
I know he’s still using it because as soon as he saw me he
turned away. He’s ashamed of what he’s become. He’s
become a recluse, the only time you see him is when he has to come
out for these drugs y’know. So they’re like skulking
about, y’know. He doesn’t do the thinks that young people
should be doing, y’know, going to have a drink, or going to a
club, or meeting members of the opposite sex, y’know. He doesn’t
seem to want to do that. All he’s interested in is where the
next fix is coming from. |
|
|
