Carol was no stranger to addiction. Although she did not personally struggle with addiction, her father did, and it took an emotional toll on the whole family. When Carol saw her own son, Sam, dealing with addiction, she had no time to waste. Denying the issue would only make it worse and ultimately delay recovery. Carol held an intervention for her son. He was told that he needed treatment, and if he did not, he would face dire consequences.
Carol began noticing her son’s addiction about six months ago when he started skipping school, not coming home at night, and showing changes in his personality. Sam had always been a social butterfly, and Carol knew he was a regular party goer. But it was not until she started going through old home movies that she realized how difficult it was living with a father who had an addiction and how many times her mother made excuses. Carol knew that she was creating history all over again. She looked through her son’s bedroom and found empty alcohol bottles and marijuana paraphernalia.
Carol confronted Sam, but he laughed it off, saying that it was normal teenage stuff. She felt compelled to believe him and actually did for a few weeks, watching carefully over what her son did. Sam was more careful during this time too, but eventually slipped back into his same ways and started sneaking out and not coming home. It was at this point that Carol began her research, identifying what inpatient facilities were available for her son.
Fortunately, Carol has insurance that helps her with some inpatient care, but it is limited. Carol’s insurance company provides low-cost inpatient care where her son will be sharing his room and is expected to do some chores around the facility to keep it clean and operational. At first, Carol is disappointed; she thought her son would be able to stay in a lavish facility with his own room and living quarters. Yet after speaking with the facility, Carol is impressed with the quality of care and their commitment to helping others through recovery. Sam will be with others his age, and the facility assures Carol that he will have a number of teen activities to promote healthy relationships.
Carol’s journey to seek addiction treatment for her son is similar to what other parents go through. It can be difficult to admit a child has a problem, and it may feel easier to deny it is severity at first. Many parents report that they feel as if they are betraying their children by sending them to a treatment center. However, inpatient care is the single most important thing a parent can do when their child has an addiction.
Carol takes comfort in the fact that the rehab center will help her son through detox and provide him with the full support he needs. Carol knows that her son’s journey to sobriety will not be easy, and she has already started planning for an outpatient program that can provide continued care for her son. Carol has mustered her strength to say goodbye to her son, and she is anxiously awaiting his return when he is sober.
