AHS Views

Have you ever heard someone say that drug addiction is ‘just a phase?’ Working in the treatment field, I’ve heard this from families of addicts more times than I can count. In many cases, even after drug rehab, the family will still refer to the addiction as a ‘bad phase’ in their child’s life. And, even worse, some families will put drug rehab on hold waiting until their child ‘grows out of this phase.’

I recently read an article about a methamphetamine dealer who got three years in prison. He told the judge that he started selling meth because of his own drug addiction.  The man tried meth when he was younger, completed a drug rehab program and eventually relapsed, leading to him manufacturing and then selling the drug to fund his habit. There are people that will tell you that this man is ‘going through a phase’ right now. He is 50 years old and has been using meth on and off since he was a young adult.

I also have some close friends who are suffering from this ‘just a phase’ syndrome. They have a daughter who drinks heavily three to four times per week, smokes marijuana at least once a week and takes other drugs like cocaine, LSD and even pain pills every so often. The last time I saw her she was walking out of the house with a full bottle of vodka to drink that night. But when you ask her parents if they thing something is wrong, their responses invariably include: “it’s just a phase all kids go through” and “she’ll grow out of it soon.”

I’d like to tell them that was the same thing my parents said until they realized my drug addiction had gotten so bad that I was doing $100.00 of heroin every day, had lost my job and dropped out of college. Thankfully, they were aware enough to realize that I needed help and they got me into a successful drug rehab program where I was able to get off drugs permanently.

If anyone else out there is hanging their hat on the fact that drug addiction is ‘just a phase,’ please read over this again and then get your loved one into a drug rehab for help with his addiction.