Update On My Son

Hi everyone

Just wanted to update you on my son. He doesn't have much energy yet, and he's very depressed. He had been on zoloft before he went to the county prison. While he was there, I tried to get them to give him his anti-depressant but he never got it. After several attempts, I stopped when a friend said he might be better off without it because it can lead to suicide, and with being taken off nicotine, caffeine, and heroin he was dealing with a LOT! He said that he felt he needed it again about 2 nights before Christmas but he hasn't been back on it long enough to help yet.

His girlfriend decided to wean herself off the methadone treatment by going every other day for a week, then cold turkey. She was in a LOT of pain and he felt so helpless because she was 2 1/2 hours away visiting family for Christmas. I am concerned for the two of them to be together because they are both so vulnerable right now, but he's almost 29 years old.....I have no choice. He told me he feels like he has no life right now without her. Please continue to pray for him and his girlfriend to stay strong and clean.

I have a picture of my family at Christmas. If you'd like a copy sent to you, send your email address to devangreb@aol.com. I'd like to see pictures of you guys too if you have them on here. Thanks again!

Love,
Susan
Susan,

Your post reminds me of the early days with David. Yes, the cravings are very strong. NO cure for the cravings. Having your son with his girlfriend is not good. They both use heroin and they are triggers to each other. But there is not much you can do about it since they are adults.

The suicide risk with zoloft is related to children. It is not an adult issue. Zoloft can be a very effective anti-depressant. Different people respond differently to anti-depressants so if zoloft is effective for your son please put him back on it. It might save his life and may prevent him from going back to heroin. He will be self medicating with heroin and you know what that can lead to. His odds of survival and keeping off heroin are much better with zoloft. It is really a matter of the lesser of two evils. But zoloft is not an evil drug.

Phil
Hi, Phil

Thanks for caring and for the information on the zoloft. He started back on it on the 23rd, so he should start to feel some affect of it soon. He did some work of unpacking and organizing his stuff as well as changing the tires for his girlfriend (the most work he's done in days), but he was hurting (achy) tonight.

No one knows more than I that him having contact with his girlfriend is not a good idea at least for now until they get stabilized. I have made my opinion known to him, but he gets even more depressed when she's not around. I wish someone special and clean would walk into his life and sweep him right off his feet!

How are you and your wife doing? I hope God is strengthening for this holiday season. One day at a time, Phil, as the song goes...."One day at a time, sweet Jesus, that's all I'm asking of you. Just give me the strength to do every day what I have to do. Yesterday's gone, sweet Jesus, and tomorrow may never be mine. So for my sake, teach me to take one day at a time." Please know that my thoughts and prayers are with you!

Love,
Susan :)
I to am very over whelmed right now.Just dont know how to help my son who is a herion addicted has used for 4years now.Talk about something hard had to put him out a week befor Christmas stole credit card put 800.00 on it took my car went to baltimore to get his fix.He is my son and no one can love like a mothers love except gods love and i trutly believe god will change him. I can only pray for my son now everything i have done has not worked.This would of been first Christmas together in three years he was in jail was so much looking forward to it with my son.Really thought the methdone program would work he was unemployed had no money to pay for his treatment was being weaned off even asked him if he would be o.k he told me he would be fine why would he not tell me he was having prombles.Ihave finally realized i can not help him he has to help his self he is now homeless again he returned to Glen Burnie.maybe i just need to turn my back on him really wish i new the right thing to do for him. He is my first born son 26 now,he too suffer from depression gave him saraquel in jail which made him sleep 19 hours out of 24 jail is not the answer for our addicts.They only learn how to be come better at what put them in their. Please pray for my son really miss him almost had him home a year in Feb.
Susan,
In my original post (desperate mom) I told of my 20 year old son who has been addicted for two years, and I sent him to live with my brother. He has now been there for one month, been entirely clean, and was extremely proud of himself to have had his first New Year's celebration sober in several years. He too is on zoloft as well as wellbutrin, and the combination seems to really be helping. He is very honest about how hard it has been to not only give up the drugs, but reconcile himself to the fact that if he can never take drugs at all, ever again, and if he chooses to take them again, he will go right back to where he was, and would even be worse. He knows this is his only hope, to stay away from friends that he knows can get him drugs. My brother is with him 24/7 and working him hard physically (retired seabee who does a lot of renovations and rehab - my son is his "slave labor"), and counseling him about his future. I really believe the zoloft and wellbutrin can be credited with helping him detox, and I will continue to encourage him to take them. You should also be aware that he cannot take zoloft and then just stop as that can send him into a depression, which could trigger the drug use again. If he is going to stop taking it, he needs to wean himself off, just as they gradually work you up to a maintenance dose. My prayers are with you and your son, and hopefully he will get strong enough to stay off the drugs. I pray that my son also can stay off. Even though he sounds so good now, I know that statistics indicate that he will go back to drugs at some point. His psychologist said she would like to see him stay away from his friends and sober for a year and she would feel more comfortable that he could stay off then. God bless, and may this be a new year and new beginning for all of our loved ones suffering from drug dependency.
Lisa
Dear Lisa I just wanted you to know my prayers are with you & your son.Take care....mj
Dear Lisa,

Thanks so much for the update on your son. I'm glad that he's doing so well. I will keep him in my prayers that this continues for him. Please keep me posted on him. :) I think it would do my son a lot of good to get away for a little, but he seems very insecure about leaving his girlfriend. My husband tries to get him to help him with jobs, but my son really isn't very motivated or energetic. I got some numbers for psychiatrists today. Should I be checking into a psychologist instead? I thought I needed a psychiatrist to prescribe medication for the depression.

Thanks for the continued interest and prayers for my son.

Love,
Susan

Susan, I'm no doctor, but probaby he will need a psychiatrist for prescriptions for depression and a psychologist for talk therapy -- although groups may serve the same purpose with limited financial resources. My son is taking Lexapro for depression and frankly, after 2 weeks now, it seems to be having a positive result. He tried Wellbutrin a few years ago after rehab, and at the time I wondered about it. Beware that some of these anti-depressants can be abused -- can't stop them from abusing if they decide to, but hate to put those kinds of pills in front of them. Some make them sleepy, drowsy, etc. Just gotta experiment. We're with you in your struggles -- hoping you find something affordable for the family.
Lisa, your post is so encouraging. It's very hard for the young ones to grasp the gravity of the situation, plus addiction, plus maturation, etc. I had the same concerns as you about relapse and whether my son had hit bottom, but figured the sooner he started acquiring knowledge about his disease, the better -- and that some of what he learned in the process may not make sense to him until years later. Sounds like your brother is a saint.