BLAME GAME –
July 17, 2026 – When Diana Estep’s teenage son Drew became addicted to drugs, she spent hours researching rehabilitation methods and sent him to therapy-focused centers around the country. Looking back, however, Estep told IW Features that after Drew’s experience, she firmly believes that the rehabilitation industry was incentivized to keep her son addicted. Now, she raises awareness about the widespread impact of drug use and the misguided policies that enable it.
“People who suffer are not bad people,” she said. “Drew always struggled as a child, and we could never get the help he needed, so he tried to self-medicate.”
Estep emphasized that Drew doesn’t fit the typical narrative that society tells itself about drug addiction. He came from a loving two-parent home, and both of his sisters are married and earned master’s degrees, she said. Rather, a devastating childhood experience, combined with Drew’s need to seek approval from peers, is what put him at risk, Estep said.
