Editor’s Note: Last week’s Finding a Fix by Ellsworth-area prevention educator Jessica Naylor drew heartfelt responses from readers. We encourage people to share their personal stories in this space, where they may provide information and support to others affected by substance abuse and addiction.

You never stop loving them

I am the parent of an OxyContin addict. My son, now in his early 20s, went through the usual D.A.R.E. program in school. His father and I shared dialogue with him about the dangers of drugs and we have always tried to be good examples. However, after 10 years of dangerous rebellion, hospital and substance abuse treatments and countless visits with doctors and counselors, he has now dropped out of college and moved out of state. I am almost at my wits’ end. He is no longer on our family medical coverage and has relapsed once again after six months of sobriety. It is putting us in dire financial straits.

You never stop loving them and you constantly keep up the hope that maybe he has turned the corner and you keep trying, but at what point should you “throw in the towel” ? Then you ask yourself, if they can’t turn to you, who can they go to? I cry every day and then turn to the Lord and ask him to take care of my son and look over him and keep him from harm because I can’t. I’m so tired.

I know I must seek counseling right away. I should have done it years ago. When one has never been addicted to a substance, it is incomprehensible that an addict cannot walk away once and for all.

Soccer Mom, Down East

In memory of Eddie Bisch

My family vacationed on Branch Lake near Ellsworth for many years. It saddens me to hear how much OxyContin has affected this beautiful place. I lost my only son when he was 18, due to this dangerous drug that should not be so easily available for experimenting teens to buy on the street.

Please see my Web site’s guestbook, www.oxyabusekills.com. Also see my memorial page, again. … Many patients are listed. There are thousands of stories in there and many of these death and addiction stories start as a legitimate patient who was prescribed OxyContin for moderate pain.

People are dying needlessly. Please help us save lives by reporting the truth and not the spin that Purdue Pharma puts out that it is only so-called abusers who are dying or addicted. The trail of addiction and death due to the OxyContin epidemic was fueled by the overprescribing and easy street access to this powerful narcotic. Instead of acknowledging the problem, Purdue denied it while aggressively marketing this powerful narcotic to general practitioners for moderate pain. They downplayed the risks and exaggerated the benefits – however, they were not selling widgets, but a powerful drug that sometimes causes death and addiction.

You never get over the loss of a child, but somehow you learn to live with it.

Ed Bisch, Philadelphia

Hearts of Hope

My son and only child is a recovering heroin addict. He has been clean more than two years now and will turn 23 in November and become a father in January. I devote a lot of my time to a nonprofit group here [in Illinois] that in conjunction with our county rehabilitation drug court helped me save my son’s life. Our group is Hearts of Hope / “The Mom Squad.” We have a Web site at www.themomsquad.org.

Please feel free to visit and correspond with us, and keep up the good work.

Jim Lingle, Kane County, Ill.

Send e-mails to findingafix@bangordailynews.net. Letters may be mailed to Finding a Fix, Bangor Daily News. P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, ME 04401. Comments may be phoned to the column response line: (207) 990-8111.