Trauma affects every age, race, gender, social class, and income level. Trauma is not selective.
Jacob came from a well-off family with no history of trauma or neglect. But drug abuse does not discriminate�it can happen to any family. In 8th grade, he started experimenting with street drugs and soon spiraled into full-blown dependency on oxytocin. Jacob�s parents didn�t realize how bad it was until he got caught stealing. They tried counseling and outpatient treatment, but even though Jacob loved his family and did not want to hurt them, he couldn�t stop using. Drug addiction can be hard to break, no matter how much you try. When all other efforts had failed, his probation officer and counselor recommended Anchor House. Anchor House is IYR's long term housing facility in northern Idaho.
Once admitted, it became obvious that Jacob was struggling with severe depression in addition to substance abuse. He had major mood swings and was even on suicide watch at times compounding his challenges. While at Anchor House, Jacob and his family also went to IYR�s Family Counseling program with wonderful results; family trust and communication were restored by the time he completed services. When children deal with these problems, parents also often need support to understand how they can help their child. This is where family Counseling comes in. Jacob was able to leave Anchor House clean and sober.
When Jacob�s mom came to pick him up, he had a hard time leaving and saying good-bye. Before driving away, his mother left us this note:
