I have a 19 year old AS. WHen he was 16 we sent him to a therapeutic school for troubled teens for 7 months. He had been drinking, dealing, and using marijuana, and was generally out of control. At the end of the program he was a different person- happy, self-assure, goal oriented. The program STRONGLY advised us not to let him come home.
I wanted my child back, and was sure they were wrong. Two months later he was using percoset and XANAX. spiraled down, was hospitalized for suicidal threats. The hospital wanted to commit him for treatment. We knew better, and decided he good do outpatient. Two months later went back to the original program for 30 days in to avoid arrest, came back and started stealing from us. Drug use continued to escalate. Was hospitalized again for suicidal threats- released after 72 hours. Finally, two years and 10 days after we sent him away the first time, we did an intervention and he went to rehab. He wanted to come home after 30 days- we said no, and told him he needed to be clean for 12 months before he could live with us again. He stayed at the rehab for 45 days, then moved into an extended care program.
He will never live with us again- its not good for him, and not good for us.