Alcoholic Son Getting Help -- Finally!

I am so thankful on this Thanksgiving Day that my 26-yr-old alcoholic son is in a men’s Christ-centered recovery center!  I took him on Monday to start a 6-12 month program at The Way Inc.

My son had been living with me for the past year.  We even moved to another apt in Sept so he could continue to stay with me.  After he quit his 3rd job in that year due to drinking, I told him he had until Jan 14 to get some help or find another place to live.  He found The Way on the internet and sent in an application.  They had openings, so we met with the director and he was accepted.  The fee for the first 30 days is $1000, which I didn’t have.  I put out a plea with all of my son’s immediate family members for them to invest in his recovery and they came through with flying colors.  I am very thankful for caring, generous family.  Where God guides, He also provides!

I know the process of recovery is going to be hard for my son.  He has never been one to talk about his feelings and will have to learn to open up and share the things that are keeping him from being able to “do life” successfully.  Hopefully, he will learn to fill his God-shaped hole with God instead of with alcohol and drugs.  I will have no contact with him for 30 days, but get to see him again right before Christmas.  I can’t wait to meet the man that God created him to be without the influence of alcohol.

He started drinking in high school, flunked out of college his first semester, and has quit numerous jobs since then.  I have had to watch my handsome, intelligent, funny son totally waste his life because of alcoholism.  He is not what people call a “functioning” alcoholic.  That is good in a way because it has forced him to seek help earlier in life.  My main prayer the past few months has been “God, please don’t force me to put my only child on the streets.  I don’t think I could bear that.  Please don’t let his bottom be jails, institutions or death.  Please make a way for him to get Christian help!”

Thankfully, God opened a door for my son at The Way Inc.  My son chose to walk through that door.  Whatever happens from here is in God’s hands.  I’ve not been taking his being gone as well as I thought I would.  I seem to be on edge… fears trying to get the best of me.  Fear that my son will walk away from this when the going gets real tough.  He has always been a quitter… he has quit everything he ever started… college, jobs, walked away from Army basic training (twice) and ended up with an Other Than Honorable Discharge, recovery program at the Downtown Rescue Mission 2 years ago.  I made sure he understood before going through this door that if he left or was asked to leave before he graduated the program, that my door was not open to him… that he was on his own.  He said he understood.  But he has loser friends that would come get him, if he called and asked them to.  So I’ve got to turn these fears over to God daily and trust that He’s got everything under control.

Now that I am alone again with my 2 cats, it’s time to work on me and the issues in my life that keep me from progressing in my own Christian walk.  Maybe I can work up the courage to attend Al-Anon meetings and Celebrate Recovery meetings, so that I too can grow and be better support for my son when he graduates from The Way.

Happy Thanksgiving from The Anonymous Alcoholic!