How Can I Tell If Someone Is Using Crack Cocaine

I am living with someone who I believe is using crack cocaine. He has admitted to using it but swears that he is not doing it anymore. I don't believe him because too many things have changed. He's drinking more than ever and I also found a beer can with a hole in it and he tells me that he was using weed. Can someone please tell me what I should be looking for. I'm very naive when it comes to drug addictions. Thanks
Dear Maggie,

I havent got the best of knowledge of crack though my b/f uses it from time to time.

It smells awful, so if he has been smoking it in the bathroom, you will know for sure.

They normally use a bottle or can, where they put some foil on the top, where they have made small wholes in it, and there are a small amount of ash from a cigarett on top, normally another whole on the side or something to make it look like a pipe where they smoke from.

The crack itself is normally white and hard like a crystal, not like the normal form of cocaine.

The behavier my b/f gets, he gets a bit sweaty, hyper and sometimes seems like he have some kind of hick ups, the effect doesnt last very long thats why they tend to want to smoke more and more all the time.
They can become aggressive as well.

My b/f have said that it makes him paranoid as well.

Hope this helps.

Angel
Thanks Angel. Yes I found a beer can in his bag this morning with a hole in it with ashes on top of it. I confronted him and he says he was smoking pot because he has not papers (I really don't believe that). He's been drinking alot of beer 12 beers in one night. I think that's allot. He can't sleep and then when he does fall asleep he can't get up in the morning. I really don't think he's been to work in the last couple of weeks either. He use to take off for a couple of days and not call or anything. Didn't know where he was and when he came back he looked like hell. Do they have a real bad cough when they smoke this stuff? Because he's been coughing like crazy. He is a smoker but this is a different kind of cough. He also was suppose to be going to counselling which I'm not sure he is. He's lied so much I don't know what to believe anymore. I'm at my wits end right now and don't know how to handle this. He's a real nice guy but this stuff is killing our relationship. thanks for feedback
Hi Maggie,

You are right, for sure you are not smoking pot in a beer can... Never heard of that? You normally smoke in roll ups, and if you havent got any you cant smoke it, if its hashish then you can use a cigarett, after emptying it from the tobacco and use what you need. Looks to me he is smoking crack too..

Now that you are saying that he drinks alot of beers, its probably because he is trying to come down from the crack, thats why he has difficulty sleeping, as crack and cocaine is a stimulant. My b/s use heroin on top of the crack so that takes him down, they call it a snowball when they mix both substances, some people like the buzz as its a high then a downer but others dont.


What you can do? Hm. Not easy if he denies it for you as you might end up arguing. Just tell him calmly that you know he is smoking crack, and when he insist that its pot, then just tell him that you know the way its smoked and that there isnt any point in him lying to you. Then let it be - I know this is hard but sometimes when you push to much that just makes them use more..

It really depends how he is like? Can you talk about things normally?

We also had times when he didnt wanted to talk at all, he just kept going and avoided any discussions.. At one point one day I just packed a few things and left... I stayed away for 5 days at a friends house and agreed to meet him to talk, we met in a coffee shop and talked, and I told him exactly how I felt.

This was the time he decided to go into rehab, not saying he has stoped using but he isnt lying that often anymore as we both know he is using so whats the point in lying? He admitts he has a problem which i guess is one step forward, but he hasnt decided what to do about it...

So its up to me to decide as well if I want to stay..

Perhaps you could do something that you neveer had? Just to get a reaction?
If he disappears for days, then perhaps he should wonder where you are?

They always think that we are here, waiting for them...

But they shouldnt all the time. Sometimes you have to shake them up as during their use nothing else matters so they are not reflecting like us...

Let me know what you think?

Thanks

Angel
Ups, forgot about the cough.

Yes my b/f tend to cough at times when he smokes that stuff...

Guess it must be strong..
Angel: thanks again for your feedback. You're right the more I say the more agitated he gets and he just wants to run away from it. When I started dating him I had no idea what he was doing. He would make up stories when I asked him where he was. He even went as far as saying that his mother died. I felt terrible and felt so bad for him. It wasn't until almost 6 months later did I find out what he was really doing. Of course, he made light of it and of course I fell for it. But as time has gone on I can't make lite of it anymore. He has his own business and we've been living together about 1 1/2 now. He's a very talented guy but he's going to mess up his business drasticaly if he doesn't stop what he is doing. You're right I should probably take off and get lost for a couple of days, however it's my house and I have 3 dogs that I have to care for. I do have another place in NH that I could go to, but he would probably figure out that's where I am. That sad part of all this is that I've told him not to insult my intellence figuring out that he didn't smoke pot in a can. We had a big fight earlier today so he's gone and probably will be gone for a day or two. However, he knows that if he does take off again, he should just keep going. I never thought that I would be engaged in something like this at all. I can't talk to my friends because I don't want them to know ;. I know exactly what my family would say, so I can't really talk with them either. Glad I found this site because I can get alot of my chest right now. thanks for listening
Maggie,

I do fully understand how you feel, I have been there and still are.

I have been with my b/f for 10 years now and he didnt use when we first met,
if I would have know at that time I would have left and never looked back but unfortunatly that didnt happened.. After 2 years t slowley came into our lives, I never understood the gravity of his problems, until after a while.
He would use for 2 months and then been clean for another 8 months so it was on and off for a while. And then almost 8 years ago he started and have hardly stoped since. He has been to 3 rehabs but never completed any stay.
I have gone through detox with him at home. We have been on several holidays so he could clean up but everytime we get back home he is back on it again.

For the past year I have been trying to make him understand that we are better of ending this relationship as it is not getting anywhere. But I cant get him to leave.... So I would have to leave, but the flat is mine and its not fair.

I do love him but it isnt enough, his addiction is far much more stronger and I cant do anything for him. I have detached myself a lot as I did loose myself years ago and i wont let that happen again, It is still hard to live with him under these conditions, but I am taking care of myself and are living my life as much as I can. I have tried it all but nothing works unless they are willing to do it themsleves and for them. Its like a lost battle, the more you argue about drugs the more you are loosing your energy on someting that you cant control or beat.

I dont want to be to negative but sometimes it feels like I am staring death in the face every day, I am also scared that the phone call will come or I will find him dead at home. It isnt a pleasant feeling.

I know what you are saying with your home and pets, I have a pet as well now and couldnt stay away too long unless somebody looks after him.

Perhaps there is someting else you could do?

Maggie, I know its hard, you just have to try to look after yourself and try to stay calm and serene. Why dont you go out with your girlfriends?

Sometimes its good to have your own life, shhow him that you arent depending on what he is doing, if he is gone for 2 days then comes back,the same evening just go out for awhile, just get on with your things.. They think we dont have a life without them, you need to make him understand that you have your life and are fully capable to live it without him if needed.

My father and sister knows he had a problem, but they dont know he is activley using now, I cant tell them as my mother died and it has been a long healoing process for my father and i dont want to worry him.
A couple of my friends knows about his problem but they dont understand as they have never been in the same situation. So i tned not to talk about it with anybody either.. Thats why chatrooms like this are good, we can all get some support and get things out of our chest.

Angel
Angel: Yes, you're right I need to live my life and do the best that I can. I do have one friend that I confine in because her ex-husband died from an overdose when he was very young. She was left with a young child so she knows how this all plays out. The interesting thing is that I'm very independent and he knows I don't depend on him. I really haven't been able to depend on him that much because I'm not sure if he;ll be around. I've had to go out of town and out of the country for business and the whole time I'm away I'm so afraid that he would take off, which he did when I was in London. I had my girlfriend stay at my house for that simple reason, could not depend on him. When I call his cell phone he won't answer it. Then he makes up stories that he left his phone somewhere and couldn't find it. I think I need to make a stance with him and tell him he needs to move out and find another place to stay. As long as I lef him stay her I guess I'm enabling him all of the time. He often gets upset that I own my house and I also have another place and he feels he has nothing. The last thing I would ever think of doing is marrying him or putting his name on my properties. He would like nothing better. Like I said he's a very talented guy and has done alot of work in my house but I've paid for everything that he has done. I pay for all materials. Because it's been unstable for sometime now, I don't every want him to come back at me saying that he did all kinds of work in my house for nothing. He pays me rent but believe me he's got best of both worlds. Sorry for rambling on and on but you're right you just wait for that phone call. I just got to know him family in the last couple of months. He hadn't see his family for 5 years and it was because of this stuff. I made him phone her. THe poor woman didn't know whether or not he was dead or alive. I felt so bad for her. She thinks he's getting help and I hate to tell her that he's back and forth even though he says he's not using. I have him on my insurance at work and he's supposely seeing a doctor, but now I really don't believe he really is. Maybe a couple of times but that's about it. I've asked him to go in a rehab but he said it doesn't work for him and that he doesn't need it (ha). thanks for listening and again sorry for rambling on and on.
Maggie,

Dont worry about it, we all need to get things out of our chest and the best thing we can do is to talk about it, it does help....
Plus we are getting a possibility to exhange thoughts and life experiences...

I think its very good that you are indenpendant, so am I, he depends on me and i dont really depend on him.

Its the first time i am on this website as well and i have been reading alot of the other posts, and there are so many i can relate to, specially in the beginning of this roller coster.. I am still worried about his where abouts but i dont get too worked up about it as it doesnt make any difference. In the past i used to sit up during the night until he came home, but if it happens these days i normally sleep a bit lighter, thats all. I get more angry now, before I used to cry, which i hardly do anymore... I guess it has hardened me emotinally as well..

I go out with my girlfriends or work colleagues, I also travel with with work, so i get time away, plus i tend to go back home to visit on my own which gives me time to re charge my batteries. I go to the gym and do my own stuff.

And perhaps one day soon i have the courage to leave and get on with the rest of my life, not that i want to, but as he continue to use there arent any future for us.. Time goes and we arent getting any younger..

He has the same bad relationship with his family, he hasnt spoken to his father for the past 2 years and his mother since last summer, he only talks to his sister, he didnt have any contact with his brother for 5 years, and this is all sown to his addiction. But i must say they are a bit strange as well as they wanted to be involved last time he went to rehab and then when he wasnt calling them during the weeks he was there, his mother gave him hard time, which i dont think he needed at that time. As there are alot of issue involving his family from the past. And when he left rehab after the last time his father never callde again..His mother doesnt call, she doesnt even have our new phone number. In a way its better as they arent particulary good for him.

I have to go now as I live in Europe and its getting late and I have to get up for work tomorrow morning. I might not be online during the week unless the evening if i have time otherwise i will talk to you again next weekend, but will try to logg on during the week.
Until then take care of yourself and stay strong.

All the best
Angel
Angel: sounds like you're going through allot of pain. Thanks for listening and I'm sure we'll talk again. This is my first time on this website as well. I needed to do something after I found the beer can with the hole in it. Then I knew for sure this was it and that he got caught red handed. Have a good week and take care of yourself as well. I'm in the states on the east coast.

Maggie
hi maggie i am a "professional" on detecting crackheads sorry to put so bluntly but that sh** is the devil himself to me all the other drugs are his demons. i can tell u sure ways u know he's using. the can was a dead giveaway.potsmokers put a bigger hole than the top one at the other side of the can so if your can only had holes on the top he was smoking. his drinking is to come down from the high of the coke. it relaxes them. if it gets real bad u will find things missing. i use to find my dvd movies gone along with many others but if he has connections like my man did he will know where to go to get rid of them or just make an even trade for the drug. does he hide in any certain room or go to the bathroom with the runs all the time? then he's somking. if he walks around and looking out of windows or acting like the lowest volume on the tv is too loud, he's getting high. i hope some of this helps you and god bless its a rough battle when the craving hits them.
Hi thanks for the information. I should have gone with my gut feeling right along. I knew something wasn't right but I really thought he was telling the truth. Yes the can had a hole in the side so does that mean he was smoking crack? He also uses the bathroom alot. He tells me his stomach is upset. What makes me so upset is that he's been doing this right in front of me and I didn't know it but I knew something was not right. What also made me suspecious is that his drinking has become steady. He never drank as much as he has been lately. He drinks a 12 pack of beer a night. He says it relaxes him (I guess so). I mentioned to him several times that I felt something was wrong because he was drinking too much. He agreed and said he would stop. However that never happened it just continued. I also don't think he's been in work for a couple of weeks even though he says he has been. He's lied so much lately I can't believe anything anymore. Again, thanks for the feedback. I also mentioned that he has this wicked cough which also indicated to me that this was not right. Even though he's a smoker it's worst than a smokers cough. It's very different. Thanks again
My boyfriend uses a can too, with cigarette ashes on top and usually puts a straw in the hole in the side of the can.
He also coughs alot and it has a disgusting smell. He is very paranoid, he will peek through windows, close the curtains and blinds a lot, and one dead giveaway with him is his jaw moves from side to side a lot! Also he sweats a lot! When we first started going out I thought that amount of sweating was weird and he'd wake up in the middle of the night screaming things!
His heart beat is very quick as well.
He'll be in the bathroom with either the water or shower running to try to mask the sounds and the smell. But I can always smell it.
Hi, just a thought after reading this thread, My late bf's choice was H, Though he was using coke as well. He was never a big drinker, at all. Though the times he was on coke, he'd go through whatever alcohol was there within minutes, literally. I never realized that this was to calm down, though just something I thought I'd add.
I share what I have seen with my fiancee. I didn't believe people at first, but if you suspect it, its probably true. Money goes missing, or they're borrowing money from you. ATM receipts at 3AM for over $40. Contradicting stories about the most mundane things. NO EATING, even if you cook them a wonderful meal. They stay up very late 5-6 am on week days and don't go to work the next morning. They will lie about paying the bills, so if you are living with this person check the statements!! Also, my fiancee wouldn't spend time with me, he'd be downstairs or in the garage. They are also very confrontational and get angry easily.

But about the beer can, I've seen people smoke pot off a beer can. But either way... Do they really need drugs of any kind ??

Oh, "J" also smoked alot more pot when he was using. He says that he isn't now, but I really can't trust him. (it's only been 30 days)