When those who make bad choices continue to do so, those of us who love and care for substance abusers have a responsibility to try and bring them back. We may fail with many and we may succeed in saving a few. It's fine to say, "they made their choices" but so do we when we give up on those who are suffering.

I recently gave up on someone I had tried to help for about 5 years. She has succumbed to their alcoholism and its sad. She played in our band for 3 years on bass, would show up drunk and stoned for practice but still played, hands shaking, breath stinking of beer. Her 14 year old daughter would come and play tambourine but doesn't come at all now. She made her choice, gave up on us and healthy living and kept the booze. She loses and so does her daughter.

Others have come through and made it out of a drug hell and now live clean lives. Trouble is, we have to try until we see there is no hope... choosing to see something better for them that they themselves cannot see because of the haze. That is the heartbeat of rehabilitation.

-kellyj

Let's just hope he hits rock bottom before it rises up and hits him.

Well said. This is something I've been thinking about quite a bit since my daughter was born last spring: what do I want to take into our home, and what do I want to surround her with as she grows? So far, she's been surrounded with nothing but love, music, books, and the odd toy. We're blessed to have a happy little girl who sees the world as a warm, inviting place full of new friends to be made.

But we're lucky. I come from a happy family, and it makes all the difference. In my line of work, I see plenty of people who didn't have the loving upbringing that I had and that we're passing on to our daughter. Too often the deck is stacked against you when you start out in life, and it makes it so much easier to end up where this young man did. There but for the grace of God go I.