One Parent's Ongoing Siege of Teen's Drug Addiction

To the Editor:

I felt the need to write this in response to your commentary ("Increasingly, Drugs Are Stealing Our Kids, Reporter, Sept. 18). I am a parent whose child is a drug addict. Just to write or say these words causes physical and emotional pain. We have been dealing with this issue (drug addiction) for a couple of years and if I had the answer to this problem I would have solved it long ago.

Unless you are going through it with a loved one you have no idea the complicated disease of addiction. I wrote a letter to the Reporter about a year ago reaching out to the community and police department to take an aggressive approach to get these kids off the street. Sometimes the only way to try to get help is for the person to be put into the legal system, where they are forced to deal with their issues. One of the things that I have heard over and over again is that we as parents didn't "cause it," we can't "control it" and we can't "cure" it. If we could only live by these words and accept it, but as a parent it is very difficult.

Are drugs stealing our kids? You better believe it. Would I have done anything differently in rearing my child as a youngster? The answer is yes, but that is in hindsight and you cannot change history. I had always believed that young people that got involved in drugs if they came from a broken home or had parents that were physical abusers, alcoholics or drug abusers themselves. But that is a myth. It can happen to anyone. Can love conquer an addict? The answer is no.

In the article there was a comment: "Where are the parents?" I can only comment on where I am. After seeing you child overdose and go into several detoxification programs and drug rehabilitations and the problem still exists, you look for answers from professionals. Their answers are to take a tough love approach. You don;t know how difficult that is, to know your child is living on the street, getting high every chance they get without regard to consequences and the fear that death with be the ultimate solution and pray that they get arrested so at least they'll be safe, for at least a little while. So please, unless you are in this situation, don't blame or ask where are the parents. It's different in every situation.

I know the police department is doing their best to handle this epidemic but as citizens of the community don't turn the other cheek if you see something. Call the police, make them aware. You may be saving a life.

-Please Help,

A Parent's Worst Nightmare

Editor's note: While it generally is the policy of the Reporter not to publish unsigned submissions, because of the sensitive and personal nature of this letter, an exception was made.