Mother Knows Her Addict Kid Best

Yesterday I had the pleasure and honor of talking to one of my readers, Carol, who is a 4th stage breast cancer survivor herself, and has great concern for her 28 year old son who is an alcoholic and has been drinking on and off since age 19. He also uses crack, ecstasy, and whatever pills may be on the scene at the time- a poly drug user. She described him as a binge drinker/user, who can go 6 months clean on his own, but relapses somewhere along the line. Although he used to be ‘functional’ it seems that everything is getting ready to crash and burn- DUI’s and loss of job. He just came out of a 7 year relationship and I’m not sure if the split up was because of addiction, or if the split up triggered a relapse. At any rate, Carol and I discussed his history as well as the options before him now. I never got to the point of recommending homeopathy or anything alternative because I do believe in his case he should start with addiction treatment, and then supplement with natural remedies as time goes on, and I’m sure I’ll be talking to Carol again.  If I got this right, he’s only had 1 rehab experience in his 10 years of addiction- a 30 day stay, which in today’s terms is only a drop in the bucket compared to what an addict needs in recovery time. Binge drinking or drug using can be dangerous because after many months of clean time, an addict can relapse and go back to using the same amount he did before he stopped, an amount that may be way too toxic for that clean body. But on the up side I see a man who can go 6 months on his own without drinking or using, a very promising candidate for long term recovery. I think it was largely lack of treatment that accounts for his years of abuse. His is truely blessed to have a loving concerned parent like Carol in his corner. So many have totally burned their bridges and destroyed all hope of family unity. She has chosen, wisely, a lengthy inpatient program for her son, about 3 hours drive from her. Good girl Carol- keep him away from the scene of the crime, in a lengthy program that offers a home-like and non-institutional setting.  The best part of all is he is voluntarily going to treatment and says that he does not need to be detoxed!  Carol says he’s packing his place up now, and preparing to enter rehab. I hope she will keep in touch with me on her son’s progress and wish both her and her son all the best.