Herion addiction

jisduit

New Member
I used to posthere all the time about my "difficult child". I had him madated and placed in a Wilderness program for 19 months - thats when he was still a teen.

He is now 23 - I have let him come back to live with me and 2 days ago he was so sick and finally admitted that he was addicted to Herion - I cant tell you how heart breaking that was. I took him to the ER but they wouldnt keep him - he doesnt have health insurance or a job. So that night I layed in bed with him and rubed his back while he cried because of the withdraws. The next day - Thursday - I got him into a place - but I havent heard anything and I am a nervious wreck. Here I am thinking he is doing "better" and then he tells me he has been using herion for a year - every day - 3 times a day - guess it explains all my unexplained ATM withdraws - yes he was stealing from me and I still didnt see it

Any Suggestions

Jessie
 

gottaloveem

Active Member
Oh jessie, I know first hand what you are going through. I don't have any suggestions. If he agrees to rehab, do what you can to keep him there, sadly it will come down to his choice. I will keep my fingers crossed that he will choose to quit.

I sat with Alex for over 24 hours of heroin withdrawls, like you I rubbed back his legs, whatever he needed. It only got worse, so I took him to the ER and they sent him to a drug treatment program which got him started on suboxone.

If they haven't given your son suboxone, or subutex to help with the cravings, then he needs to be on either one. It works like a charm.

Go to narcanon meetings so you can get help in dealing with this blow.

Alex was doing heroin many times a day, for how long I'm not sure, he admitted to 4-6 months, but I believe it was longer. He was impossible and we didn't know what was going on with him till I overheard a conservation he had with a friend on the phone, that is when I found out about the heroin. He was using many times a day everyday. He also was stealing from us, that kinda goes with the territory.

Our story does not have a happy ending. Alex chose to quit and asked for help that day he was withdrawing. He was clean for three weeks before he relapsed and used again. That time he died, we believe his heroin was mixed with fentanyl.

My heart feels for you. Other than losing your child, nothing can be harder than realizing that your child is addicted to heroin or any other hard drug.

I would be more than happy to help you any way I can, send me a private message if you would like, I will message you back, just make sure you have enabled private messaging in your control panel.

I remember the day I found out Alex had been using heroin. I cried my eyes out all the way to the store to get a drug test. My eye were bloodshot and I looked like a zombie as I found the drug test.

(((((((((HUGS)))))))

Lia
 

SONS GONE WILD

Moms goin' crazy
Jessie,

I am sorry to hear what you are going through, but I am there right now. I found my difficult child, now 18, passed out on the floor with a needle next to him. I couldn’t wake him up – threw water in his face, shook him, and he barely responded – until he heard me yell for his 14 yo brother to bring me a phone to call 911. He admitted it was heroin. We physically restrained him waiting for the ambulance. If not, he would have left and God only knows what would have happened. He was about to turn 18 when this happened. He would not agree to inpatient rehab, but we do now have him in an intensive outpatient program, and he is on Suboxone. It seems to be working very well. The only downside I see is that it only treats opiates, so he can still use other drugs. As I see it, I’d rather him be off of the really bad stuff first, the rehab tells me it will all follow in time. He is seeing a psychiatrist there and social workers, and hopefully will soon be going to group. I don’t think we are supposed to post names of treatment places here, so if you’d like some info, please pm me. The place he goes to has several locations in the US and I know of someone else who did not have insurance and they gave her a grant into the program, but did this because she WANTED HELP. That’s, of course, the only way you’ll be able to get him to go.

This is not over by a long shot – difficult child wishes he can just stay on the suboxone forever and not have to go through the rest of the program, especially the group meetings – but they just told him if he doesn’t do the whole program, they won’t give him the suboxone prescriptions – and he definitely doesn’t want to stop that.

I hope your son realizes he needs to get help. Please tell him about this medicine. I wish you and him all the best.
 

jisduit

New Member
thanks - Rob kept going on that he didnt want to replace herio with another drug - He has been in the program since Thursday - I still havent heard anything - but they advised me that it was a "non- medical" detox - I will just keep praying

thanks again

Jessie
 

SONS GONE WILD

Moms goin' crazy
It would be great if he can get off of it and not be dependent on something else in its place. Eventually, they do wean people off of the Suboxone. Keeping you in my prayers . . .
 

Ephchap

Active Member
Jessie,

I have no first-hand knowledge or experience in dealing with a difficult child with heroin, but as you can see, we do have members who are where you are, or have traveled that road. My son's drug of choice for the most part, was marijuana, although he tried crack cocaine one night, and it was a 6 week spiral downward into the depths of you know where. It literally consumed his every thought and waking moment. I don't know about the suboxone, but have heard that it helps them come off that high. Obviously the game plan is to wean them off that gradually.

Stealing does go hand in hand with a drug addict, which is why we couldn't allow our son to stay in our home anymore. He stole things from us which will never be recouped.

My heart goes out to you. I know how heartbreaking this road can be. Only he can do it. If we could love them enough to make them better, none of our difficult child's would be addicts. Unfortunately it doesn't work that way.

Hope this program helps. My fingers are crossed that it does. You need to have a game plan in the event that things don't go as you hope. You need to be prepared to draw your line in the sand, and know what you will and will not tolerate.

Sending hugs,
Deb
 

KFld

New Member
Hi and sorry you are going through this. I know first hand that suboxone is a life saver. My son has been clean for 1 1/2 years now and suboxone has allowed him to change his life. I was very against him going on it in the beginning, but he is the perfect example of what it allows you to do.

Suboxone has allowed my former difficult child to change his entire life style and he is now ready to come off the suboxone and feels he has changed his life so much to the point that he is not afraid of going back to his old life. He just turned 21 last month. He lives with a really nice girl. They both work full time, pay their bills, and are totally responsible for themselves. He does not associate with any of his old friends.

Suboxone gives them a chance to move forward if taken properly. If someone is going to take it and use other drugs, then they don't really want to change their life. My son did and has.

I feel for you and what you are going through and that is why I don't come here very often anymore. Just reading your story brings me right back to 2 years ago and my heart starts racing, my stomach turns and I feel like I'm reliving it all. I do check in once in awhile though because I know my story gives hope to others and I always hope when I do stop in to see someone else telling the same story I do.

Get yourself to alanon or narcanon. Do what you need to do for you and in the end it will help him. Believe me, I know!!!!!
 
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