Comment by gavinray

  > I'm curious how many with similar stories think they would have or could have taken a different path with better or different parental support?

I'm sorry to hear about your kid. I'll be honest with you: it depends almost wholly on their disposition when it comes to reinforcement style.

I only respond to extreme, repeated negative reinforcement. Positive reinforcement never did anything for me.

If your child responds to positive reinforcement in any way, there's a good chance you can support them through it. But if they're like me, they may "only learn the hard way."

And I don't mean negative reinforcement as in physical punishment or being talked down to, but having to live through direct negative consequences of your action.

Sometimes I think "what if I could go back in time, and tell myself not to do XYZ", but I know myself well enough that I'm sure I would not listen.

I sincerely hope that things pan out for your family.

If you want the nuclear option, can you move away from the current environment? If they're young enough not to have a car, that's one way to at least guarantee a "fresh start" where they can't actively go down the current path. They'd need to find a new way into trouble, which is still wholly possible but requires more effort at least.