My Kid is Fine

By M. Alexander

When I had a drug problem, my parents were begging me to check into rehab. They saw that I was dying and wanted to do whatever they could to save my life.  But I have noticed that there is another trend—the kid wants to check in, but it is the parent who is terrified. 

Kids want to free themselves of the parents who have always taken care of their every need—they are no longer content to stagnate.  But parents are afraid—they view rehabs as places that contain people from the bottom sect of society.  They worry what family and friends will think.  Parents think, or hope, that their child is just going through a phase and that they will grow out of it.  They believe that their child will go to rehab and come out with a tattoo of Kurt Cobain on their forearm.

These parents think that their child’s addiction is a reflection of their ability to be decent parents.  They see addiction as a disease from which their children are exempt.  But nobody is exempt from addiction—whether young or old, rich or poor, Jewish or Muslim, gay or straight, smart or dumb—it does not matter. 

So, instead of worrying about what other people think, start thinking about what is best for your child.