Question
Kudos to you for being so concerned and supportive of your son. If I could talk to your son I would tell him there's a lot of good reasons why the folks at meetings are older - they are the ones who suffered enough to stop. There's an acronym called Y.E.T. it stands for, "You're Eligible Too." You're eligible for having a life and becoming the person you want to be before you lose more. You're also eligible for plenty more suffering and loss and pain. While it's intimidating to be surrounded by people much older, recognize that those folks have the answers you need and they would LOVE to save you years of suffering.
I would also encourage your son to check out local AA, Al-Ateen or other self help groups that have people closer to his age. Addiction is addiction is addiction. It doesn't matter if we're talking about alcohol, opiates, or any other drug - it all leads us to the same destruction.
If your son can get counseling locally that could also be beneficial. Marijuana is not a difficult drug to withdraw from - if he is dependent on other drugs his doctor needs to know this.
18 is an amazing age to get sober - he needs support and encouragement and he needs accountability above all else - NA and AA offer this.
Good luck and blessed be
About the Expert
Jim LaPierre
LCSW, CCS
Brewer, United States of America
Specialties
Anger Management, Gay Lesbian Issues, Spirituality, Divorce, Compulsive Disorders, Trauma and PTSD, Life Coaching, Addiction or Substance Abuse, OCD, Mood Disorders, Parenting, Domestic Abuse or Domestic Violence, Anxiety or Fears, ADHD, Impulse Control Disorders, Relationship Issues, Women, Loss or Grief, Eating Disorders, Depression, Finding Your Purpose in Life
License
my_license #LC9830