[carolcarter]

I have been helping my son for 17yrs through every kind of addiction and anger, he is my wonderful boy but the demons have only got worse, we have had good periods obviously and he has a fantastic family now but I am exhausted and so truly sad

[dnanon]

Hi Carol, sorry to hear about your long standing battle with your son and his addictions. It’s good that you say he has a fantastic family now and I hope they are helping and taking some of the pressure off you. Stay strong and keep the love for your son flowing xx

[alanc]

Hi Carol,

I can empathise with your struggle although not to the degree you’ve suffered. 17 years is a long time to keep bouncing back following set backs ,you must be drained emotionally and physically, every time my son lets me down its like a punch in the guts. I’ve only had issues with him for 18 months and I sometimes feel I’ve reached the end of the road, so you deserve enormous credit for your resilience. But that’s what we as parents do, we love and care for our children. I would never turn my back on my son even when he stole my bank card and stole hundreds of pounds. When I’ve felt empty I have turned to other agencies. There is a huge support network out there that offer support. It’s knowing where to look. Once your foot is in the door agencies will know of others that can help and should point you in the correct direction. It sounds like respite for yourself is essential. Can a family member support your son or an agency offer respite cover ? You need to recover and care for yourself. I live in Scotland and work in the support sector, I could help you find support if you want?

[Author]

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