Being willing to go for help and make changes (and talking about it!!) is a great step. :)

that is huge, that he knows he can no longer hang out with the same friends. i will pray! that is good news ....hope he will find new friends at his meetings

he would have to work on things outside eventually anyway, so it really doesn't matter, as long as he is working on going in the right direction.

It was really hard for my son to be around old friends for a long time when he got sober. He came back to our town a year later, spent a couple of days seeing them (sometimes overnight at their place, and of course they threw him a party)...he had afew people come up to him and ask him how he stopped, and he said he couldn't be with them all for too long....and he hasn't seen them since...2 years. Still calls them his friends, and will be in a wedding for one next year ...but he had to leave them behind. The good times were good, but the bad times were awful. Like Jailtime awful.

I continue to pray for you and your family and I know that Matt is seeing he does not want to stay the way he was. He is in God's hands.

He's taken a very important first step! Good for him! I hope God will keep him safe and strong!

Just want to say Thank You for the support as always i don't know what I would do without this fine group of caring friends! Things are starting to head in the right direction and even though we are at the beginning of the race I'm grateful he finally got into the starting block. Yesterday during a casual talk with him I told him I know it can't be easy to leave his friends behind but if he is ever going to go forward in life it is a step that he must take. His response was " i know I have to do this and it may not be forever but for now i have to cut ties ." I told him hopefully he will serve as inspiration to his friends and that one by one they all open their eyes and see drugs are the fastest way to nowhere.. Oh by the way a kid that he was friends with in school ( never really hung out with him other than in school) was just involved in a murder the other night. Apparently according to the news and talk around town , This 19 year old kid was hanging out in a strip mall with a 28 year old and a few other teens they were drinking ( and God knows what else) and they tryed entering a bar and were turned away because they were already drunk long story short a fight ensued with another group of people and this 19 year old stabbed a 29 year old veteran and father of a little baby to death. Then the troublemakers group fled the scene . Thank God they caught him and all involved. I actually was driving to pick my neice up from school 2 days after this occured and the crime scene detectives in all their jumpsuits were searching an adjacant lot probably for the murder weapon I'm guessing and all the while all i could think was my God what a shame for all involved. The poor man killed was trying to help another disabled person get into their car when this took place. the kid that did the stabbing is no angel according to reports on the news etc,,, but here is the thing that bothered me This kid was involved with drugs alcohol for awhile his parents dad a cop, and his mom is an assistant principal at our local middle school had tryed in vain to get this kid help. No one did anything this was probably something that did not have to happen but unfortunately it has. I pray for the family of this poor murder victim and I also pray for the family of the suspect because two families are destroyed . I just think to myself my son has gotten out of control when he was drunk at least twice that I know of in the last 7 or 8 months he was involved in a fistfight it goes hand in hand with drunken behavior.Thank God my son was never involved in anything like this,I feel so bad that they are especially bashing this kid's mom the assist principal. As we all know especially on here she had no control over his actions. The woman is truly devestated who wouldn't be. Anyway i can't help but think MAYBE my son realized through this how fast life can change in an instant for anyone that lives a lifestyle of abusing drugs and alcohol, Sad SadSad ! Peaceful day to all ! Dee

We are a finger-pointing society. Somebody always has to take the blame for society's ills. And when it comes to teenage anti-social behavior, the parents are always the accused. I must admit that I was one of those who said "How could the parents not know?" Not anymore. I now know that often, the people closest are the last to know.

Dee, sounds like Matt is ready to move forward! Good job Matt... I will continue to pray daily for him... K

Dee your post about the murder really touched a nerve with me. My son has never been violent but he is constantly surrounded by drugs and alcohol and violence happens in that type of situation... I am so scared he will one day be involved in some sort of horrific accident .. Right now he is in jail and safe. I have not heard one word from him. He tried to call me collect on my cell phone but you can't do that. I am waiting for a letter from him with his prisoner number so I can set up an account so he can call me. I'm pretty sure he is very down on himself and not too sure of what to say. He relapsed a week befores sisters wedding and I know he never intended to do that. I am happy to hear that your son is willing to treatment, small steps will help him in the long run.
Hang in there!

Thanks Marge, I felt so bad for you when the relapse occured right before your daughter's wedding( especially sad,) and believe me when I tell you that I am not living in fantasyland when it comes to Matt;s recovery, I know all too often even when they really really want to change it is a major struggle, as like what happened to your son Justin . The thing that gives me hope is that he is definetley realizing his life was out of control and that his friends did have a large part in that. Before this tragedy with the murder took place i think he just saw everything as a joke but now sees that there are REAL consequences in life.Still and all I think there is hope for Matt and Justin and hopefully not too far down the road we can both rest a little easier. Hang in there Marge Hugs Dee

Sweet Kim, you said something so important this is Matt's journey and congratulations to him for taking the first step on the path to recovery. He will do this, I know he will! On my facebook wall is the lesson I believe I was intended to learn from Seans addiction:

Don't compare your life to others you have no idea what their journey is all about. So I no longer judge anyone or their journey...... God bless you my dear friend, and I will continue to pray that god guides Matt of his journey toward recovery. Hugs.

Dee I am pretty sure I speak for alot of us that USED to be judgemental towards others I was guilty not proud of it but it's true. I have learned SOOOOO many lessons throughout this tough journey that I can say I am a better person because of what i have been through alot grayer and a few more wrinkles but thats ok because inside ( where it really counts) I am much more attractive than i used to be! Love you all !!!!!!!!!! Dee

LIKE

I am so glad to hear that he is moving in the right direction. Prayers for you and your son. Stay positive!!!