I just finished watching Intervention In-Depth: Heroin Hits Home, an A&E show that documented an epidemic of OxyContin and heroin use among teens in some white-collar Boston suburbs. I was especially affected by something the mother of one of the addicts said. She said a lot of her friends lost respect for her when they heard about her son's addiction. They automatically assumed that she and her husband had done something wrong as parents. That's a shame. A child's addiction is not the parents' fault.
I hope that if you know me personally, you don't blame me or my wife for our son's addiction. And I hope you don't think less of us as parents or human beings because our son is battling this horrible disease. We are no different than you. We've just been dealt a difficult set of circumstances that we wouldn't wish on our worst enemy. But, even so, there is one thing we know for sure: it's not our fault.
It seems that it is too easy to just point the finger at the parents and/or the supporting community around an addict. For me personally, it took a great deal of strength to know that it was not my fault, for my loved ones addictions. You and your wife are amazing people, even in the limited times we have spent together. Stay strong, stay positive and supportive...not just for your sons but also for each other. You are both truly amazing parents. Much love and light Miranda
ReplyDelete