For all those who choose to judge this parent, or his decisions, I can only say you must never have gone through addiction of a child. May you never have to. I have and am, and can only say that this parent at least had the resources to pay for multiple times of inpatient rehab - most don't. While our government puts energy into gun control, mental illness and addiction receive virtually no emphasis. For those who have to rely on insurance to pay for addiction help, 5 day treatment programs are all they can get - basically, detox. This is the sorry state of our response to mental illness and addiction.That said, the author finally came to the realization that he couldn't cure the son - the journey to this place is different for everyone. And the journey, no matter who takes it, is long and painful beyond words. So please stop judging and criticizing - it is not helpful.