WHEN Sharon Barrett's son Simon came home exhausted from his job every night, she proudly assumed it was because he was working hard.

Then she noticed the 18-year-old's eyes were glazed over and he had lost weight.

Nothing, however, could prepare her for the moment she found out he was hooked on heroin.

Sharon said: "I was absolutely hysterical - devastated.

"Nobody could console me. I was so scared. I didn't know what to do.

"I thought I had psychologically damaged my son in some way. Kids with problems took drugs, not my kids."

Stunned by her son's admission and at a loss what else to do, Sharon drove Simon straight to the nearest hospital and asked the doctors for help.

"Looking back it was ridiculous," she admits. "I'd always told my children not to take drugs, but I was ignorant about addiction and clueless about what to do.

"I'd always been able to protect my children but this was out of my control.

"The doctors at the hospital, in East London, didn't really want to know about Simon's problems.

"My brother-in-law drove down from Lincolnshire and took him back to my sister's house for two weeks.

"When he returned, he was the Simon I knew again, a lovely, handsome boy. He'd gained weight, his skin had cleared up and his eyes were bright blue.

"I thought that was it. Problem solved."

Sadly, however, 12 years on, heroin still dogs Sharon's life. It quickly became clear Simon had not kicked the habit.

At the age of 30 he still has the problem and tragically, Sharon eventually learned her second son, David, was an addict, too.

David, now 28, started using the drug around the same time as his big brother. However, realising the devastating effect Simon's admission had on his parents, David chose to keep his addiction secret for seven years.

He held down a job and made sure whenever he saw his parents, he was well-dressed and coherent.

But the charade could not last and eventually he could no longer hide the problem.

He is now on the heroin substitute, methadone and is being supported by local services.

The family has drawn strength and comfort from the the creation of a new support group for the families of addicts.

When Sharon heard about the Families Relate, group, her immediate urge was to call founder Grace Watson and thank her.

She said: "I was so pleased when I heard about the group, because addiction has a ripple effect, on the family of addicts and the wider community.

"I've been through so many different emotions over the past 12 years - anger, shame, guilt and more recently, sadness.

"The parents of drug addicts need help too to let them know it's okay to talk about it and ask for help.

Families Relate next meets at the Paddocks, in Long Road, Canvey on Thursday, August 30 at 7.30pm.

To find out more, call Grace Watson on 01268 692019.

'HELPING USERS HELPS SOCIETY,TOO'
 DAVID Barrett's experiences speak volumes about the range of reasons addicts get hooked - and how they deal with it.

He explained: "Some people start taking drugs to escape pain in their lives. but Simon and I both come from a good, loving family.

"The only reason I tried heroin was because it was available.

"The first time, it was euphoric, unlike anything I'd ever tried before. The second time, it wasn't like that, so I had to have more to try and get the original effect. That's how I became addicted."

Now on a rehab programme, he feels the help on offer in south Essex is inadequate.

David visits the Community Drug and Alcohol Service in Southend, which is a 40-minute bus ride from his Canvey home and has no detox facilities of its own.

He tried going into Runwell Hospital for detox but found it hard being with patients with mental health problems.

He explained: "You can't put someone going through cold turkey in with mental health care patients.

"Their needs are completely different. A recovering addict needs a quiet, calm place to come down."

David estimated Canvey alone had between 50 and 60 heroin addicts.

"We could improve the lives of the whole community by examining drug rehab programmes," he suggested.

"We should invest in people who need help. It would cut crime, as well as helping addicts and their families, who are suffering."

Victoria Coss of South Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust defended NHS provision, explaining: "The trust provides comprehensive services for drug and alcohol problems. Detox is available as part of a comprehensive, individual care plan."