Kicking the habit

As the numbers struggling with addictions continue to rise, stigma and funding shortages thwart efforts to stem the tide.

- BY LOTTA DANN

Irene* is waiting nervously for her son Noah’s* drug test result. He's been struggling with methamphetamine addiction for the past two years, and Irene has watched in anguish as his escalating use has cost him his farm job, his home and most of his friends. The 24-year-old has recently been allowed to live at the family home in the Bay of Plenty on the proviso he gets support and passes regular drug tests.

“I was drug testing him every three days,” Irene says. “He's been good so far, so about two weeks ago when he was sitting on about three weeks clean, I started dropping the testing back to about once a week, because I thought I could tell by his behaviour.” She looks down at the test he's just taken, sighing as the result becomes visible. “It’s come up negative, but it's a very weak negative, so that’s just a big trigger for me.”

Irene is exhausted and her nerves are shot. She has spent countless hours worrying, researching and reaching out to try to find Noah help. It has been a mentally and emotionally exhausting process, with some hit-and-miss results when interacting with various support agencies. She is grateful he is now at home, following her testing rules and attending outpatient clinics through a local addiction service.

Jocelyn, who lives in the lower North Island, is in a similar situation. Her son Michael* is a multi-substance user, "cocaine, prescription drugs, alcohol" she reports. "My son's journey with addiction has had a profound impact on our entire whānau. We've felt the pain, carried the shame and stigma, and witnessed first-hand how broken and under-resourced our current system is."