I never thought I would write these words. My son was the captain of his college cricket team. He had a scholarship. He had a future. Then he met the wrong friends. First it was hashish. Then prescription pills. Then heroin. He dropped out of college. He stole my watch, my wife's jewelry, his younger brother's savings. I wanted to kill him. Then I wanted to kill myself. Then we found a rehabilitation center in Lahore that gave us hope.

The Hardest Decision We Ever Made

For two years, we tried to help him at home. We hid his shoes so he could not go out. We locked his room. We begged him. We shouted at him. Nothing worked. Addiction is stronger than love. It is stronger than fear. It is stronger than logic.

A friend told us about a rehab center in Lahore that had medical detox. We called them. They said, "Bring him in even if he does not want to come." We did. We lied to him. We said we were going to a restaurant. We drove him to the rehabilitation center in Lahore. He screamed at us when he realized where he was. He called us traitors. We cried all the way home.

What Happened Inside

The first week, he refused to eat. He threatened the staff. He tried to break the window. The staff did not give up. They gave him medicines to ease his withdrawal. They sat with him when he was shaking and sweating. By day ten, the poison started leaving his body. By day twenty, he agreed to join group therapy. By day forty, he wrote us a letter apologizing.

We visited every Sunday. The first few visits, he would not look at us. Then he started crying. Then we started crying together. The counselors taught us that addiction is a disease, not a moral failure. They taught us that enabling him was not helping him. They taught us to set boundaries.

My Son Today

My son has been clean for two years. He works at a small call center. He lives in a hostel for recovering addicts. He calls us every day. He is not the same boy who played cricket. He is quieter. He has scars on his arms. He looks older than his age. But he is alive. He is clean. He told me last week, "Abba, thank you for not giving up on me."

If your child is suffering from addiction, do not give up. But do not try to fix them at home. Find a rehabilitation center in Lahore with medical staff. Look for a rehab center in Lahore that has doctors, counselors, and an aftercare program. Visit the place before you admit anyone. Ask questions. It will be expensive. It will be painful. But it is the only way.

My son is my hero. Not because he is perfect. Because he chose to fight. And a good rehabilitation center in Lahore helped him win.