BOUNDARY CONFLICTS / सीमा संघर्ष : Part-2

The parents of a twenty-five-year-old man came to see mewith a common request: they wanted me to “fix” their sonBill. When I asked where Bill was they answered “Oh hedidn’t want to come.”“Why?” I asked.“Well he doesn’t think he has a problem” they replied.“Maybe he’s right” I said to their surprise. “Tell me about it.”They recited a history of problems that had begun at a veryyoung age. Bill had never been “quite up to snuff ” in their eyes.In recent years he had exhibited problems with drugs and aninability to stay in school and find a career.It was apparent that they loved their son very much andwere heartbroken over the way he was living. They had triedeverything they knew to get him to change and live a responsible life but all had failed. He was still using drugs avoidingresponsibility and keeping questionable company.They told me that they had always given him everything heneeded. He had plenty of money at school so “he wouldn’t haveto work and he would have plenty of time for study and a sociallife.” When he flunked out of one school or stopped going toclasses they were more than happy to do everything they couldto get him into another school “where it might be better for him.”After they had talked for a while I responded: “I think yourson is right. He doesn’t have a problem.”