only the mother of an addict can

[everywoman]

appreciate this story:

difficult child has found his anti-drug: no its not a job--much to my chagrin--it's skateboarding. Like with everything else in his life it has become an obssession. Last night we were all in the yard after Tripp got home from his NA meeting. He was fooling around on the skateboard. Well, he and his old/new best friend have built a mini-ramp of plywood and scrap lumber. They put angle iron bed railings on the edges to "grind" on. He was not really showing off, skating slowly, he goes up the ramp, the skateboard flies, and he lands on his back on the angle iron. His anxiety kicks in and he has a panic attack. He is lying on the ground and "can't move/can't breath" husband calls 911. Firetrucks and EMS show up (and half the neighborhood) and examine him. He is fine. He has an indent in his back from the iron and a bruise the size of a dessert plate. Refuses to go to the hospital. "All they will do is give me pain medicine, which I don't need to take anyway," says my little addict in recovery. "By the way, T and I are going to this really cool skatepark in ______________ tomorrow, and if I go the hospital, they might keep me!" Oh, the logic of a difficult child, but any obsession but drugs will do.

 

[KFld]

:hammer:

Well, addicts have addictive personalities, and I know my difficult child gets on something and he's the same way as yours. My difficult child was into roller blading and had all kinds of ramps in our yard, and now he's on to gas remote control trucks. He works at a hobby shop and most of his "extra" money goes towards his trucks. At first I used to get on him about saving money and what he should be using his extra money for, but then my girlfriend reminded me that he could be still spending it on drugs instead of something healthy that keeps him busy and out of trouble. Boredom is an addcits worst enemy, so I'm glad to hear your son is keeping himself busy and even better then that, I'm glad to hear he didn't jump at the chance to get some pain killers :bravo:

 

[tracya]

Ahhhh, the logic of a difficult child. LOL

T

 

[Sunlight]

ant was an expert skateboarder in his teens. he had the elbows and knees to show for it. he could do some daring stuff with it. he also had a trick bike and did a good job with that. Tony Hawk was his idol and he had the clothes to go with it all.

he can only do simple stuff on it now and has lost the knack. kaleb always wants to sit on the board and go down the driveway now.

 

[Hound dog]

On a positive note, difficult child realizes pain medications could start him down that path again.

It's good he has something to focus on. But there is good reason you don't see many 30 yr old skateboarders around. After you reach a certain age those bang ups are hard to take. lol

 

[rejectedmom]

It is the rush. That is what gets them every time. Obviously scateboarding isn't harmless but it is better than drugs. Hopefully he will find another hobbie with less risk in the future but for now maybe you can just make him use protective gear. -RM

 

[DDD]

easy child/difficult child has begun to work out "a little" and I am hoping and praying that he gets addicted to it! He, too, needs to be doing
something with intensity to be happy. DDD

 

[saving grace]

Kat, I have found with my addict/difficult child that his health obsessions are short lived, he goes full force into something then it goes away just as fast.
Unfortunately his new obsession is tattoos, it used to be rollerblading, drawing, cooking, you name it. :hammer:

Your post reminded me of something I could have written myself. LOL

I noticed in your signature your difficult child is trialing a drug, what is that?

Grace

 

[everywoman]

It's a combo of a anti-depressant/prozac and a anti-pyschoitc/geodon. I don't know if he's been taking it or not. He's supposed to see the doctor again this month to let him know if it is working.

 

[CAmom]

Katmom, I know this is completely and TOTALLY off the subject, but I noticed you have a Yorkie, and I'm really interested in one. We've always had large Australian Shepherds, and they're great dogs, but our current one has an...er...MAJOR gas problem and is making my life H-LL! I love him to death, but it's becoming difficult to be in the same room with him! NEXT time, I want a much smaller dog who won't pollute my environment so much. Any advice about choosing a Yorkie?

 

[RobinLaurain]

What a sweet story!

 

[CAmom]

PS My son also has always gotten totally consumed by whatever new interest has caught his attention including skateboarding.

In his case, he couldn't be satisfied by JUST the skateboard (football, hockey stick, etc.) but simply HAD to be outfitted in all the "necessary" clothing and gear as well. We went along with all of it in the hopes of keeping him motivated to continue with whatever his interest happened to be at the time.

Sadly, although he was always very good at whatever that was, he would always get distracted by his peers and then give up when they, who were paying attention to instructions, would eventually pass him by.

As his football coach told us when he took up THAT sport in high school, (referring to huddle time when the players would be focused on the coach to review strategies, and our son would be chatting and socializing with anyone who would listen...) "G could be a good football player if I ever saw anything of him besides the back of his helmet."