Hi! I am fairly new to this game. Two years ago my child overdosed on a mixture of drugs which included heroin, pot, valium, and morphine . He had been shooting up for over a year and I thought it was just teenage stuff. After a short stint in a rehab he was turned loose without methadone or any kinda of back up plan. Last month he relapsed and he was thankfully put into the Suboxone program in our area. It is goverment regulated and he is only supposed to be on it for 2 months. Is that long enough? Whats going to happen when he goes off of it so soon? I feel safe when he takes it so, why won't they just lower his doseage and leave him on it? I would appreciate any feedback!
mamabear I'm sorry I don't know anything about sub's.
Other people here do and you can look at old threads.
Your best bet would be to go over to the families section. Many people on there are in your position or have been. Sorry I can't help with that. I'm thinking of you though, and your son.
Other people here do and you can look at old threads.
Your best bet would be to go over to the families section. Many people on there are in your position or have been. Sorry I can't help with that. I'm thinking of you though, and your son.
Thanks bryn! I kept checking to see if anyone would reply and I was glad to see your message. This message board is great and I've been reading it since my friend told me about it. I knew I wasn't alone on this nightmare train ride called life but its wonderful to talk to people that are going through it too. This is epidemic in our area and living in the country doesn't make our children safe. I am going through some difficult feelings this past week as I found out that the dealer that hooked my son has overdosed and is in critical condition. I thank God I'm not the nurse taking care of him! Is anyone having the same thoughts? God will take care of him when the time comes! Well got that off my chest!
Dear Mamabear,
I think it is natural to have a LOT of anger towards anyone with any responsibility for getting our loved ones involved with these horrible drugs. Yes, ultimately the decision to use is up to them, but often their boyfriend/girlfriend/ friend romanticize about the drugs and get them interested. There was a poll here that stated (at one point when I checked it) that 50% of them got started on drugs because their boyfriend/girlfriend was using. My son was exposed to a lot during his high school and college years but he never chose to try heroin until his girlfriend made it sound so wonderful. I still curse the day she came into his life and I got very angry when I learned that she recently contacted him again. I wish she would just stay away! She has done enough damage for a lifetime! He will have to fight his addiction for the rest of his life!
Please feel free to join us on the Families/Partners forum. There are wonderful people there too.
God bless!
Susan
I think it is natural to have a LOT of anger towards anyone with any responsibility for getting our loved ones involved with these horrible drugs. Yes, ultimately the decision to use is up to them, but often their boyfriend/girlfriend/ friend romanticize about the drugs and get them interested. There was a poll here that stated (at one point when I checked it) that 50% of them got started on drugs because their boyfriend/girlfriend was using. My son was exposed to a lot during his high school and college years but he never chose to try heroin until his girlfriend made it sound so wonderful. I still curse the day she came into his life and I got very angry when I learned that she recently contacted him again. I wish she would just stay away! She has done enough damage for a lifetime! He will have to fight his addiction for the rest of his life!
Please feel free to join us on the Families/Partners forum. There are wonderful people there too.
God bless!
Susan
Nice to hear from you Susan! I think it's hard when this is my youngest. And some monster helped him turn his life into this mess. I'll never know why he did this coz he isn't ready to fess up to the past 3 years. This latest episode all I asked him was to tell me that he slipped and he kept saying the marks were from the first time. He isn't ready to be truthful but I will be there to pick him up each time he falls. I haven't been exposed to this long enough to use the tough love tactics I'm still just picking up the pieces. He's in his early teens but he's breaking my heart and my bank account. We do anything for our kids.
The creep I mentioned is still in critical condition. Maybe he'll have a little brain damage and not be able to do what he was around our town. We've had too many KIDS die around us. Another I is being buried tommorrow. Thats 1 too many in my book. Hopin to hear from u again. I'll check that family section out too.
The creep I mentioned is still in critical condition. Maybe he'll have a little brain damage and not be able to do what he was around our town. We've had too many KIDS die around us. Another I is being buried tommorrow. Thats 1 too many in my book. Hopin to hear from u again. I'll check that family section out too.
Dear Mamabear,
Being there with your loving arms is a good thing. They need to know that we will always love them. Being there with your bank account isn't. I learned that lesson the HARD way. By providing for them financially in any way we are freeing up whatever money they might have for them to buy drugs if they aren't showing by their actions that they are in recovery.
My son was living in an apartment and we only saw him occasionally when we found out about the addiction problem. He convinced us that he had stopped but was left with a lot of unpaid bills. Being VERY naive, we believed him and we weren't around him enough to judge if he was being honest. We had no idea what lies and manipulation a once responsible and loving son was capable of while being controlled by drugs! He wasn't being honest. He was still using and our financial help was helping him use. We thought we were helping by keeping his financial problems from growing (his lease was iron-clad and had provisions for huge surcharges for late payments) and keeping him out of legal trouble. He kept using and got into more financial problems (fines) and arrests for driving under the influence and for retail theft. Of course, if we had known what we know now we would have left him get into trouble over breaking the apartment lease. Our biggest mistake was not realizing that we couldn't believe him...not until his actions showed he was in recovery. Thank God our mistakes didn't cause him to be taken from us!
I will keep you in my prayers.
Love,
Susan
Being there with your loving arms is a good thing. They need to know that we will always love them. Being there with your bank account isn't. I learned that lesson the HARD way. By providing for them financially in any way we are freeing up whatever money they might have for them to buy drugs if they aren't showing by their actions that they are in recovery.
My son was living in an apartment and we only saw him occasionally when we found out about the addiction problem. He convinced us that he had stopped but was left with a lot of unpaid bills. Being VERY naive, we believed him and we weren't around him enough to judge if he was being honest. We had no idea what lies and manipulation a once responsible and loving son was capable of while being controlled by drugs! He wasn't being honest. He was still using and our financial help was helping him use. We thought we were helping by keeping his financial problems from growing (his lease was iron-clad and had provisions for huge surcharges for late payments) and keeping him out of legal trouble. He kept using and got into more financial problems (fines) and arrests for driving under the influence and for retail theft. Of course, if we had known what we know now we would have left him get into trouble over breaking the apartment lease. Our biggest mistake was not realizing that we couldn't believe him...not until his actions showed he was in recovery. Thank God our mistakes didn't cause him to be taken from us!
I will keep you in my prayers.
Love,
Susan
hi am sorry to hear about Ur son am 21 and a x heroin addict my self and was on methadone for a year it worked for me but they only took me off when a was ready and don't think a could have coped otherwise it was a place called turning point i went to in Ayrshire Scotland. He will do it if he wants! if they do take him off the meth try DFs there prescribed but u can buy them off the streets really cheap and have helped me a few times when a relapsed and aren't addictive. if u need any thing just ask now am clean and working a just want to help others and know its not easy. x
mamabear, hope you find some solace and more education from other mom's.
Susan, that was interesting I never saw that poll. Even though I was a full blown adult and never didi drugs in my young years and I mean actually I was almost middle aged. Sort of. It was a boyfriend got me just one little bag of dope. I was having mirgaines and nothing was helping. POOF!!!! Bag of dope. He didn't use. Recovering crack addict clean seven years,and knew the streets.
When I hear about kids though OH THAT BURNS ME UP. Well, mambear a dealer that uses never makes it far. They are the worse kind of addict and dealer. So, that could be a blessing in diguise. Seriously. If he was the main connection that's helpful. Other ways around it and no doubt any "good" addict has many connections, but your main guy goes you are in luck. You get a chance.
Your in my prayers. Oh, Susan I'd be fuming. I'd conk that chick right in the noggin. No kidding.
Hey, allison welcome and that was sweet of you. I'm Bryn resident freak, and psycho chickie. Clean too for two and a half years. Great people here.
Susan, that was interesting I never saw that poll. Even though I was a full blown adult and never didi drugs in my young years and I mean actually I was almost middle aged. Sort of. It was a boyfriend got me just one little bag of dope. I was having mirgaines and nothing was helping. POOF!!!! Bag of dope. He didn't use. Recovering crack addict clean seven years,and knew the streets.
When I hear about kids though OH THAT BURNS ME UP. Well, mambear a dealer that uses never makes it far. They are the worse kind of addict and dealer. So, that could be a blessing in diguise. Seriously. If he was the main connection that's helpful. Other ways around it and no doubt any "good" addict has many connections, but your main guy goes you are in luck. You get a chance.
Your in my prayers. Oh, Susan I'd be fuming. I'd conk that chick right in the noggin. No kidding.
Hey, allison welcome and that was sweet of you. I'm Bryn resident freak, and psycho chickie. Clean too for two and a half years. Great people here.
thanks bryn i just want to help other kids cause a was only 12 when a started and ma big bro died with it and a know what ma mum and dad went through its hard i know so anyone needs to talk al listen x
Hi MB
I also cant give you the information on sub that you need. I,ve been on mdone for a long time but it sounds like your kid is young(if he is still living with you) & should probably stay away from that treatment .
If he has a chance to work it out with subs (something that wasnt avaiable when I was using heroin) she should.
Methadone for heroin addiction can be very successful or lead to a lifestyle that keeps him around a clinic ,which could keep him around illicit drugs.
Best of luck-& be supportive>
Oh- By the way ,I know your very angry but wishing brain damage on the guy is rough- maybe you were just venting your fustration- Your right,he,ll have to answer for his actions later down the line.
peace,
jack
I also cant give you the information on sub that you need. I,ve been on mdone for a long time but it sounds like your kid is young(if he is still living with you) & should probably stay away from that treatment .
If he has a chance to work it out with subs (something that wasnt avaiable when I was using heroin) she should.
Methadone for heroin addiction can be very successful or lead to a lifestyle that keeps him around a clinic ,which could keep him around illicit drugs.
Best of luck-& be supportive>
Oh- By the way ,I know your very angry but wishing brain damage on the guy is rough- maybe you were just venting your fustration- Your right,he,ll have to answer for his actions later down the line.
peace,
jack
Thank you everybody for posting! I was off over the weekend and was excited to see that there were messages! The first thing I want to answer is to Susan (Thank you so much) I never hand him any kind of money, after the first episode when he cleaned me out. He had one of my ATM cards and robbed me blind! All in 1 month I lost everything I had in my account. The first thing I did was close that account! Now, if he needs groceries or anything I go buy them because if I handed him the money I have a good idea what he would do. He isn't living with me but, he is still my responsibility cause his father isn't willing to deal with this. My problem was paying to get him into this Suboxone program and the weekly prescription. It's expensive but, it's my baby and it's saving his life. My anger toward the dealer was just venting! I'm not a horrible person but, we tend to have horrible thoughts toward people that affect our children this way. He's out of the hospital ( the dealer) so you all can breathe!! Thanks to all for your help and kind words!!
Dear Mamabear,
Even providing his groceries is freeing up money he has for drugs. As long as he is giving you signs that he's in recovery, it's not that big of a deal unless he's truly taking advantage of your generosity, but it's easy for them to hide their use when they're not living with you. Heck, my son was even out stealing without my knowledge! He told me he was going to put apply for jobs.
Also, my son appeased me by saying he wanted to go on the suboxone. It gave me a false sense that he was in recovery or headed in that direction. Here he was spitting them out. I found them in the pockets of his pants when I checked the pockets to wash them. Then I started looking more and found them in empty cigarette packs, etc. They can be very smart and very manipulative in order to keep using. I do think that when he went on them he intended to get clean, but his girlfriend came off her methadone cold turkey and called him crying and begging him to get her "something" because she was hurting so bad. Then of course he wanted it for himself too.
The hold this hellish drug has on our children is unbelievable. Just keep praying and praying for him to find the strength to overcome it! I will too. Please keep my son Harry in your prayers as well. It's a day to day battle for them!
Love,
Susan
Even providing his groceries is freeing up money he has for drugs. As long as he is giving you signs that he's in recovery, it's not that big of a deal unless he's truly taking advantage of your generosity, but it's easy for them to hide their use when they're not living with you. Heck, my son was even out stealing without my knowledge! He told me he was going to put apply for jobs.
Also, my son appeased me by saying he wanted to go on the suboxone. It gave me a false sense that he was in recovery or headed in that direction. Here he was spitting them out. I found them in the pockets of his pants when I checked the pockets to wash them. Then I started looking more and found them in empty cigarette packs, etc. They can be very smart and very manipulative in order to keep using. I do think that when he went on them he intended to get clean, but his girlfriend came off her methadone cold turkey and called him crying and begging him to get her "something" because she was hurting so bad. Then of course he wanted it for himself too.
The hold this hellish drug has on our children is unbelievable. Just keep praying and praying for him to find the strength to overcome it! I will too. Please keep my son Harry in your prayers as well. It's a day to day battle for them!
Love,
Susan
Went to the doctors last nightand he will be on 8mg (Suboxone) till after the holidays. I am nervous about taking him off it at all. I expressed my feelings about keeping him on it and he is going to take 3/4 of a pill after the new year and thats for 3 to 4 weeks then cut back to 1/2 and on down. I had hoped that he would be on them longer but the government regulates this drug and thats how it goes. How long before he uses again when he is off these pills? I asked if he could stay on the 2mg pill for longer but that won't be happening. I feel like it's my safety net.... as long as he is on them he won't use and I pray that he doesn't go right back to using. He made it almost 2 years from the first time when he overdosed. The hold is unbelieveable and no chance of staying away from it. We live in a fairly small town and it is awful how many of our kids are on it. Everyone just has to keep praying that our children can maybe someday have a normal life.
