In the province of Pattani, Thailand, a housewife (name disclosed) who took part in a special training program that was organized by Raki Thai in collaboration with the IOGT-NTO Movement. During the first day of the training, she had an interview and shared a very important experience. When she saw a picture of methamphetamine, she suddenly realized that her 15-year-old son had been using this dangerous drug. This was a shocking discovery for her because before this, she had seen him collecting mushrooms from cow dung but didn’t understand why. Now it was clear that he was not only using methamphetamine but also taking hallucinogenic mushrooms. However, she decided not to question him about it yet.

As the training went on, she learned more about how shame and guilt can make it difficult for people to recover from addiction. These feelings can stop them from seeking help and make them believe that they can never get better. The housewife understood her son’s situation better and was determined to help him. She decided to start talking openly with him. He admitted that he felt ashamed of his addiction but didn’t think he could break free from it. Seeing her son suffer and doubt himself made her want to create a safe and supportive environment for him. She reached out to the Raks Thai officers for guidance.

When the son first started, he was taking 20 pills every day. But with his mother’s love and support, he has managed to decrease his intake to between 15 and 10 pills, depending on how he is feeling. He now spends most of his time at home, helping his mother with daily tasks. He has realized that there is a life beyond drugs that is not only possible but also desirable. He no longer wants to be influenced by his peers and their addictive behaviors. He aspires to fully recover by the following year, enabling him to resume his education.