Back in May, I shared the story about my friend’s son who was addicted to prescription painkillers. I have been talking with her every week to check on her. Today, she was frantic about her son.

Evidently, her son went through a detoxification program with a church-based program and almost died from the withdrawal symptoms. He was feeling better lately, exercising, eating better, starting to think about going back to school, and gaining weight. Then, suddenly last week, he checked himself out of drug treatment and disappeared. My friend is unable to find her son and has not seen him in over a week.

She contacted her ex-husband, but he assured her that the boy was not with him. She thinks her son is living with her ex, so that is good enough for me. I am driving down to Houston with her and see if we can find her boy. I grew up in Houston, and I have family there. If we can find the boy, we may be able to convince the boy’s father to let him go back with us or to take part in selecting a new program.

I hate getting involved, but feel that I must. Luckily, I have been researching different program options to get him help. I was not sure the church-based program was the best solution for him. Sometimes, one drug treatment program works for one person, but not for another.

1-800-NoDrugs.com is a website/information/referral portal run by a nonprofit organization. The entire purpose of this website is to find the drug rehabilitation program that is right for you and your family. There is no charge for a referral to any program. Call 1-800-NoDrugs.com, sponsor of this post, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and find the help you need.

On the website, there is information about financing a treatment program. There are articles on drug addiction, alcoholism, drug rehabilitation and alcohol rehabilitation. There are plenty of resources, even an assessment, so that you may learn about this problem that can tear your family apart.

All parents should read about the drugs that kids are using. I have heard of Cocaine, Crack, Heroin and Marijuana, but I have no idea what Club Drugs, Ecstasy or Ketamine are or do to you. Knowledge is always a good thing, but in this important area of mental and physical health of our children, we cannot learn fast enough, know enough.

Wish us luck on our treasure hunt in Houston. Pray God we find him and he is not back on drugs; or, if he is, that he will consent to treatment.

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