this is what I posted. rereading it now, it seems a little harsh but I truly feel that this video should not have been even recorded, much less put online. this was likely the worst moment of his son's young life.
a bunch of people are commenting like "this is great! it shows what addicts really do to their loved ones! maybe it will make an addict reconsider their actions and get clean, or make a kid decide not to ever do drugs" but like I said in my comment, even if it DID do that, I really think that the kid's privacy and peace of mind is way more important than attempting to inspire people on facebook. anyway here's what I wrote:
this should not have been done. I feel bad for this young kid, obviously his father doesn't have his best interests in mind so I hope he has other adults in his life who are more mature and less selfish.
to everyone saying "he posted this to wake people up! people need to see that this is what addiction does!" ...save it. WHO exactly is this video supposed to be for?
a) addicts still using? I'm sorry but when you're in the grips of active heroin addiction, a video of a kid you don't even know isn't going to get you to jump up and go to rehab or the methadone clinic and live right. it's just the truth. addicts need to find the power within themselves to change their lives for the better. people watch their best friends die, watch their families agonize over their addiction, watch their own bodies and minds waste away and cannot stop.
b) kids/teenagers so they don't use drugs? a teenager, whether they're going down the wrong path or a straight A student goody two shoes, is of the mindset that they are invincible and not many of them will be touched by this. if a kid is messing around with drugs and alcohol, they don't think they will turn out to be like this.
c) people who don't use? so they can see how horrible heroin addiction is? please. they can turn on the news or google it if they really care. the majority of people who have no ties to opiate addiction who watch this will be like "oh that's sad" or unfortunately it will perpetuate the idea that addiction is a moral deficiency because they'll be thinking "that's fucked up, that mom is sooo selfish and such a horrible person for choosing dope over their kid" because they don't understand addiction.
that being said, these aren't absolutes, just generalizations. this video may possibly scare a kid straight (at least temporarily) or make an addict momentarily consider getting clean. however, in this case, I truly believe that this child's privacy during this horrible time is more important than teaching a lesson or getting facebook likes.
I don't know the guy who posted this, but he reminds me of one of those annoying guys in NA meetings who get 3 months and think they know everything about sobriety. congrats on your time, seriously. it's not an easy feat. but you need to start putting your son's best interests first because this is just messed up. the kid deserves better tbh