Jeannie, the mother of Jonathan H., a current resident in phase 3, talks about the fear, heartache and profound moments of being a mother of an addict. “The call from the hospital late at night was the absolute darkest moment,” said Jeannie.  “Walking through the ER that night and hearing that Jonathan was okay, I was overwhelmed with gratitude. I think fear and denial are two really powerful things that had me making excuses for Jonathan. I was definitely in denial and prior to the overdose it was clear that something was going on. I as a mom denied a lot of that and wasn’t sure how to handle it.”

Jonathan had a condition that caused chronic pain and needed pain management. “I saw the doctors controlling the prescriptions and he wasn’t Doctor shopping,” said Jeannie.  “I knew he was in pain and that he needed to be medicated, so who am I to say differently? Then I began noticing bizarre behaviors, signs of depression and a roller coaster of emotions.”

After the overdose Jeannie called for help. “As a mother I couldn’t deny this anymore,” Jeannie said.  “I knew I had to make some really difficult decisions. I called an interventionist and began getting educated in preparation for our next step. I developed a plan of action and was then prepared to present Jonathan the only option that I was willing to support. I was no longer willing to enable my son.”

Jonathan started his journey at La Hacienda in Texas and was subsequently introduced to Turnbridge’s long term drug rehab program. “Turnbridge has helped Jonathan work his program,” Jeannie said.  “I’ve taken advice from the experts and stepped back. I work my program and Jonathan works his. He is learning skills to do things for himself and learning how to manage life. I no longer am the person to do it for him. I go to my AlAnon meetings, which Turnbridge suggested I do in order to take care of myself. We now have these amazing talks.”

“He has totally changed,” said Jeannie.  “He’s healthy, he’s gained weight, he smiles and he talks about the relationships he’s developed with the people at Turnbridge, from staff to other residents.  He has now developed a confidence and self-worth that he is proud of. He has totally changed.”