"Um, that is a difficult question to ask because he started when he was about i'm going to say 18, 20 years old."

Description

Matthew: I’m a student at Stockton University and my name’s Matthew Kobierowski. So how long did it take for your family to realize your son had a substance abuse problem?
Matthew: Mr. Armato’s son is still struggling with addiction.
Mr. Armato: Um, that a difficult question to ask because he started when he was about I’m going to say 18, 20 years old.
Matthew: Oh.
Mr. Armato: And it was difficult to notice back then uh, he was uh going to college. Ended up dropping out of college um, and the reason he did was because um, he was in a band and everyone wanted to be a rock star, so he got hooked up with this woman from uh, south jersey um, and they moved to um, Myrtle beach, South Carolina.
Matthew: Mhm.
Mr. Armato: um, so, as time went on um, she started telling us that he was doing this, and he was doing that. I was in complete denial, um she got pregnant so we went down and we helped him get a trailer. He liked Myrtle beach, he was going to stay in Myrtle beach. We got him a trailer and uh, we got pretty much to where you know he could afford that. We moved on.
Matthew: My second question was do you know why your son started using?
Mr. Armato: Um, as crazy as this sounds, uh he was born in 1970.
Matthew: Mhm.
Mr. Armato: So and in the late 70’s, early 80’s the rock bands of the time, they were all, had to expand their minds to music. Um, that was part of it.
Matthew: Oh.
Mr. Armato: The other part I believe is it was a normal progression.
Matthew: And you said your son has been struggling with addiction since he was a teenager, so around my age at 18?
Mr. Armato: Um, I’m thinking yes it might have been a couple years older but that’s probably what it was.
Matthew: Did your sons addiction ever prevent him from getting a job that he wanted to have?
Mr. Armato: No, because the job that he wanted was you know, help wanted pick up the sign. He was uh, he’s been a cook his whole life uh, he likes to be in the kitchen. He doesn’t like to be on the floor. I can’t get him to get a job at Applebee’s or anywhere like that which would be a year round job. You know, and make some benefits. He doesn’t like that kind of a structure.
Matthew: Because of his addiction, did anyone in your family find out about him being like an addict or anything, and stop talking to him, and like cut him off from everything or is everyone still talking to him and it’s like they kind of put that aside?
Mr. Armato: Um, yeah everybody talks to him.

Participants

• John Armato
  
• kobierom
  

Interview By

• kobierom