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Parents test drug-taking son

By Amy Dickinson, Tribune Content Agency on

Dear Amy: My husband and I recently found out that our 28-year-old son has been using OxyContin.

He is a college grad, lives on his own and has a home and a good job. We suspected something when, in January, he was in a lot of debt, but although he told us he was doing "something recreationally," he convinced us that he was stopping. We bailed him out, and he paid most of it back.

By Easter, though, it was clear that he had a problem. We confronted him and he admitted to using OxyContin.

We insisted that he get help and stop using. We started testing him, and he started half-heartedly going to AA with a friend.

The first two times we tested him, he did not test clean. My husband was ready to cut him off completely, and since we don't support him financially or in any other way, that means that we would cut him off emotionally.

I've struggled with this tremendously.

 

My husband has come around, as our son seems to be working hard to make changes. He tested clean on the last test and so far he is being honest with us. Today he will be 13 days clean.

He's managed to detox. I guess what I want to know is, is it possible for him to do this himself, and to stay sober through going to meetings?

He is again behind in his bills.

Would it be wrong for us to help him?

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