Mum's heartbreaking letter begging people not to give homeless son clothes or money
The mother of a young homeless drug user has written a heartbreaking letter, urging people not to give her son money or clothes.
The Cardiff mother said she has tried everything to help her 22-year-old son since he began spiralling into a life of drug abuse that left him homeless and isolated.
Collecting him from the streets, contacting youth workers, offering to pay for his rent if he gets clean, offering to pay for rehab, the heartbroken mother said she has begged him to change but admits she is resigned that “drugs will probably kill” her son.
“My son is a drug addict. Addicts need their fixes by the hour and day. They can not think long term. They can not face reality. They take drugs to make them feel better,” the mother wrote.
“Things went really wrong during his teenage years but he refused counselling, wouldn’t engage fully with CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service), nor would he engage with school, volunteering or training.
“Over the years I have had him call me to say he is going to end his life, tell me on Christmas day that he is a heroin user.”
Feeling as if all other avenues have been well and truly exhausted, his emotional mum has taken the advice of drug support agencies and stopped giving him money altogether.
She is now urging the kind-hearted people on the street, who think they are helping her son, to stop giving directly but instead go through the charities that assist them.
“When you give my son clothes you are keeping him warm for that day and the next. When you give my son food you are feeding him for that day and the next. When you give my son money you are feeding his drug habit for that day and the next,” she added.
“So whilst you are all kindly meeting his short term fixes you are actually enabling my son to continue using drugs. You are keeping the heat in his body and fuel in his tummy. This makes him feel good which then means that he can then go and take his drugs.
“Drug addicts have to hit rock bottom.”
While she is desperate to have her son home for Christmas, she says she’s aware his crippling drug addiction means that is not possible this year.
“Please make it possible for my son to be with me next Christmas and not in his grave.”
If you are concerned about the mental health of yourself or a loved one, seek support and information by calling Lifeline 13 11 14, Mensline 1300 789 978, or Kids Helpline 1800 551 800
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