It was one of those days where panic and chaos ruled. Everyone I know was having a rough time and my phone had not stopped ringing since morning. Neither had the chairs at my table had a chance to cool down before the next body had plunked down into them for a talk with Aunt Susa.

One friend who had stopped by, a young man, seemingly without any problems, watched and listened as I wrangled a phone call from another hysterical friend.
"Wow" he gasped, "she was really upset". I nodded, saying I got a lot of that and that my friends really trusted me. The next thing I knew my young friend was unraveling his story before me in such a matter of fact manner, that it took me a minute to catch up with what he was saying. When I finally grasped the weight of his words, my heart began to sink into the floor. The inordinately bright and socially adept kid I'd been conversing with for the past few months was telling me he was a hard core addict for the past seven years. He showed me the fentynol patches on his stomach while he told me how much better he was doing now that he wasn't eating them any more. I asked him how old he was and he said without even understanding how hard it was for me to hear, that he was 19. 19!!! and he's been addicted to drugs for 7 years...that means since he was 12. I'd cry my eyes out if I wasn't in such a state of shock, and I'm sure I will later when I'm lying in bed just thinking. Where are his parents?? How can they not know their child is addicted to drugs worse than heroin and has been since he was in grade school for crying out loud? I don't get it. Nice family...divorced...dad owns his own business..remarried with two little kids, million dollar home; the mom is a real estate agent who has struggled with serious health issues for the past ten years..but they aren't bad people. And their son, whom I shall call Tim, is as bright as they come. A real self starter...has studied things that interest him to the point of understanding them on a college level. Plus he has such a way with people..he can talk to anyone and is pleasant and kind and sweet. He worries about his mom and always says he won't move away because he wants to take care of her...my heart is just breaking.

So he tells me his problem, and that he wants to get better. He wants to be done with the drugs, but he does not know how. He has tried more than once to get off of them and has succeeded physically, but not mentally. I suggested rehab, but he refuses saying he has no insurance and he is adamant about his parents not knowing he has a problem! He needs to be taken off the fentynol gradually, under a doctor's supervision...but will a doctor do this? Will a doctor work with him confidentially to overcome his addiction? Does anyone out there know the answers to these questions? I do not. I know nothing about drug rehab. I've known of people who have undergone it, but never had the opportunity to talk with them at any great length about it. "Tim" says in rehab they will put him on methadone and he doesn't want to be addicted to that instead. Is this the regular treatment? Do they just substitute one drug for another? What's the skinny on all this...I have to know, because I have to help Tim. I absolutely will not stand by and watch this kid get flushed. And I will not turn him over to a system that I know will not fix him either. I've been through enough of the "system" myself to know that all they do is give you a bunch of drugs and put you back out on the street. That's no solution. Tim asked for my help..and I know he really wants it. Can anyone suggest how I might go about doing that?

I would appreciate any suggestions any of you might have. Thanks so much!

Pye