Morphy,
first of all, I also have had experiences with drug addicts, since my cousing was an addict. Plus 3 friends of mine died of overdose. So I know what I'm talking about.
Second, I'm sorry you feel frustrated by my post, but as long as your Institutions (and similar ones) are allowed to promote themselves, I am allowed to disagree with their methods, and try to promote my ideas as well.
Now, to your answers:
- 1: again, I had a wild teen in my family. My uncle was unable to control him because he was often at sea, while my aunt was often drunk. More, I didn't talk about "forcing my control" on a wild teen. You said that. Actually, we gave our cousin more love than ever, and with help from a psychologist we've found that he had problems with his father. We had not to force my cousin to go under therapy, he was willing to cooperate because we explained him very clearly where eroine was leading him to.
- 2: and how often are these solutions found? What if someone can't pay? Better leave this matter because it may lead to a discussion about granting free health services, which is something we're used to since the Middle Ages, here in Europe.
- 3, 4: by "force", I didn't mean corporal punishment. The idea that such a punishment could be allowed in these Institutions is simply so insane I didn't think about that. By the term "force", I actually meant that you (parents) "force" your kids to join these rehabilitations. Why don't you pick up a cigarette smoker in the middle of the night and force it to follow a rehabilitation as well?
And, the fact that there's not a 100% successfully rehabilitation does not justify the possibility that a guy can be sent to Jamaica.
About what you write here
Quote:Drug abuse only stops when the addict wants to stop badly enough. The point of the place I was in was to get them at least a period of time where they could be sober and learn therapeutic tools to stop self-medicating. Some of these kids start hardcore drugs when they're really young. They have no clue what they are getting into, and pretty soon they are so far gone it's almost impossible to stop.
I totally agree, and am actually quite happy that you specified this.
- on wasting therapist's mouth: I was ironical and I meant that 2 years are too few to rehabilitate someone. My cousin is 39 now, he begun smoking pots when he was 11 and using heroin when he was 14. He finally gave up at 21, and gave up drinking only 5 years later. Rehabilitation is a very long journey.
- others: I'm glad you specified some of the things that you forgot to clear in your previous post. I was very sorry to read these things from you, because I always had a good impression of you. Perhaps you was ironical and I misunderstood your writing, but at last we tried to clarify things.
Even if I still have my doubts about your Institutions (and still don't agree with many of the methods adopted there), perhaps it is due to our different culture and backgrounds. I therefore will stop writing here and will greedily read what you Americans of "both sides" have to write about this topic, and will try to comment on it only once I'll have a clearer view.
Greetings,
Mauro.