post replypost new topic
Question About Rehab For 18 Year Old Son


Posts: 1
Joined: July 23, 2014


Posted: July 23, 2014, 7:47 PM
My son is 18 years old now, he has been in rehab twice but that's when he was 17 and I was able to force him to go... I know now that since he is 18 I as a parent have no "control" of him! I know he is doing Heroin again and I feel helpless and I don't know what to do anymore. My question is at this point I know I can have him sectioned BUT should I? The reason I ask this way is well if he isn't ready or willing to get help or quit is having him sectioned worth doing?? He has to want it .... right???
Your thoughts would be GREATLY appreciated ....


Posts: 408
Joined: August 8, 2005


Posted: July 24, 2014, 8:14 AM
Rehabs are full of addicts forced into treatment. Initially, they do the treatment because of family pressure or court orders, but their heart is not really in it. They do their time, and then relapse again. Families get frustrated because it seems like a revolving door, plus a lot of money is spent paying for repeated rehabs stays which are not cheap.

My daughter was addicted to heroin. I spent much time and money trying to help her, only to see her relapse again and again. It was only when she got sick and tired of the rat-race of drugs, did she decide to get sober. No amount of pressure from me did any good. In fact, my pressure probably gave her an excuse to use...."my mom is always on my back, my mom is trying to control me." Like your son, she eventually became a legal adult and could tell me to get lost.

I feel for you during this difficult time with your son. There is so much worry about using heroin. It was torture seeing my daughter wreck her life. I got counseling to learn how to deal with the sense of powerlessness I constantly felt, not being able to do anything to help her. You need some support during this ordeal. Thrashing around on your own is really tough.
post replypost new topic