By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
HER son would never use drugs.
This was what Veronique, who is Catholic, used to tell herself two years ago when friends mentioned that her son could be using.
“As a parent I didn’t think that my own kid would be going to do drugs because for me, my religious status, our culture, he would not do that,” she said.
“In my head he would not do that, but when I saw things change for him, his character, his behaviour, his being violent – I didn’t understand.
“That’s when I came here and started to talk to these guys.”
“Here” is the Hallam Medical Group on the Princes Highway where staff from the clinic run a monthly counselling program known as Vision of Hope to help those people whose family members are in the throes of a drug or alcohol addiction.
Or in Veronique’s case, whose son has stopped using, the Vision of Hope’s doors are still open even after the addiction becomes a memory.
“Vision of Hope helped me to understand that it’s not me, it’s not my way of bringing up my kids, and it’s not the choices of mine.
“He has made his choice,” she said.
“At one time I was blaming myself, so with the help of Vision of Hope, I’ve learned to accept what I’m going through.
“It’s not me, I’m not to be blamed but it’s hard as a parent to see your own kids going through things like that.”
Part of the reason Veronique still returns to the program is to help assure other parents.
At a recent Vision of Hope session Veronique told a new participant that in her she saw herself from six months ago.
“When you discover your kid is taking drugs, sometimes you feel ashamed because of your family beliefs, and you feel like you’ve done something wrong but coming to the group helped me realise that it’s not only me,” she said.
“There was all those parents over there who are struggling to find help. They are struggling with kids.
“It’s not easy for mums to deal with these problems.”
