MY ADOPTED SON IS AN ADDICT

I read the magazine Edges with great interest and sympathy and I am heartened to read the many success stories of those young people you and your helpers have supported in their battle to beat their addiction.

I am writing to ask your prayers for my son Adam, who is now 27.

Adam was adopted when he was a baby and he had a difficult childhood. Over the years his relationship with his father deteriorated and when he was 14 he started to run away from home. At 15 he felt he could no longer bear the situation at home and, at his own request, was taken into care until he was 16. During these years he started to take soft drugs and got into trouble wit the police. He met a young girl who had also been at the children’s home, they were homeless and lived in a squat. She became pregnant and when their little girl was born they were re-housed and stayed together for another year.

When the relationship ended Adam was told to leave the flat and moved out of the area, down to the coast and started mixing with people who were involved in heavy drugs, though he did not use them himself.

He later moved back to Croydon and got to know a nice girl with whom he shared a home but eventually she couldn’t stand anymore of his behaviour and moved out. A year later, through an accident, his flat was burnt down and Adam managed to stay with us for a few months until the council re-housed him. It was a difficult time and he was still using heavily but outside the home. As his drug habit increased he became more involved in crime and three years ago was sent to prison for burglary. He served 15 months and was released last June. As he had nowhere to go he came back home but he was thrown out as he started to inject heroin again, though at a lesser level than before. My daughter took him in until a room became available in a supervised hostel.

Thank God he has a very understanding and helpful key worker and Adam is making great progress. Since October he has been on a methadone script with the occasional use of heroin and pills(valium etc).

This morning he has been admitted to Wickham Park House for a 4 week detox program and he is being very positive about it. It will be a difficult time for him(previously he has only stayed 3 days before giving up) and needs all the support he can get – hence my request for prayers.

Although I do know there are going to be relapses I feel great things are happening and Adam is turning his life around.

Christine, Croydon, Surrey.