Heroin Addicted Son

[2tired621]

How do I continue dealing with my heroin addicted son without losing my sanity? My son is 24, and has been addicted to heroin for 6 yrs. He has been through rehab, detox, the whole nine yards. It did not work. He's overdosed 4 times, had 2 trips to the ER, and did actually die once, thankfully, the emergency medics were able to get him breathing again. Yet, despite all this, he still continues to use heroin. He readily admits he loves the way it makes him feel, and in his words, "is like seeing God." He has a good job, and makes about $50,000 a year. His job requires him to be away all week, and he comes home on the weekends. He's been on suboxone for 2 yrs. He stays clean during the week, then uses heroin Fri. evening, and Saturday, and leaves on Sunday. I have repeatedly told him I don't want him here when he is using. He turns into a totally different person when he is high, one I have come to hate. I am just so tired and weary of it all. I don't know what to do or where to turn.

[Helpinghand2016]

Rough no matter what you do... A lot of time it takes more than one treatment episode and they need to have an addictionologist and a therapist. I would also always have a naltrexone shot from the doctor near by. And while he gets to have his cake and eat it too, sorry to say, He will not change behaviors until the drugs stop 'working' for him. He has to find motivators for himself to look at his medical needs for his wellbeing versus avoiding consequences. I agree with everyone with the Alanon... Love him... Sets your ground and stick with it. Good luck... May you all find serenity.

[motye51]

Just wondering if you've ever considered ala-non?  This group will teach you how to stand your ground and help you to make better decisions...for him and you. It sounds like you need some reinforcement...,.google ala-non in your area!!!!!

[ceegarman]

Thank you for your info.  Seems daunting.  Did prayer have anything to do in his recovery?  

[ceegarman]

thank you Cissy.  My son's name is Michael.  I will pray for you right now.  

[Mybabybrea]

My son is 23 and has been addicted to heroin for over two years and to Oxycontin 2 years before that - I to much understand how frustrated you feel and the pain to see your loved one self destruct - I recently asked my son to move from my house, his addiction and my craziness towards the addiction was making in unmanageable for us to live a"normal" life and relationship. I have been attending Al-Anon for 4 months and it has been the greatest thing I could have done for myself and my addict loved one. I recommend it to anyone struggling with the addiction of someone in your life....God is the only one that can help my son. I love him, but I can't control his addiction, I didn't cause it and I cannot change it.

[sprite58]

My son has been a heroin addict for 12 years. Its such a painful experience to watch him slide then pick himself up again. I hate the lies and deceit that come with it. To make things more complicated he now looks after his 2 year old daughter as the mother who is also a drug addict could not cope. I look after them and  keep a watchful eye on what is going on. His daughter has been the making of him and he really is a good dad. He takes subutex and he really is making an effort but despite all this he still uses at least once a week. I sometimes wonder where this will all end as he has overdosed twice and I worry it will happen again. It helps to know that there are other people living this kind of hell and I am not alone.

[windowsca]

Boy, I've lived here.  My son, now 20, has been clean for over 9 months from high doses of shooting Oxy as his first choice, heroin as a second, any other opiates he could get his hands on when those two weren't available and also got addicted to Suboxone through his attempts to get clean, for over two years.  He also was very close to death twice and suicidal at the end.  The big difference, may be that my kid desperately wanted off the ride but failed miserably through tapering or trading drugs.  He still had the mentality of needing drugs.  The good news is research has proven, even if they don't want help, if it's a good long term program it can still work.  In an effort to get control of my kids' problem, I canceled his health ins., because he was getting the oxy from a Dr.  All that did is turned him into a full blown drug dealer so he could afford his drugs (still got it from Dr.'s) and from my side, made it unaffordable to put him into treatment - not that it matters that much looking back on it, cause they don't cover **** compared to what's needed here.  If I'd had the money, I would go with a Narconon program. Period.  All rehabs are not the same, that's for sure and I guess,no matter which one you think is right for you, time is the important factor.  This will not go away, esp for a very young person, with 30 or 60 days.  Try for all holistic and at least 6 months.  We "borrowed" as many of the Narconon concepts as we could and he's doing great.  I did put him through several sessions of drug addiction specialized hypnotherapy to begin, to help him not want to use while the other stuff - acupuncture, dry heat sauna, massage therapy, chiropractic adjustments, supplement infusions and such could work.  They don''t do hypnosis in a Narc program, but I didn't have all the advantages of him being far away and in a 24/7 supervised program.  Bottom line it worked.  He's just finishing up a school program to become a personal trainer and exercise, I believe has been THE KEY to him staying clean so far.  It releases the dopamine his brain is craving.  After he graduates, next month, we are planning for him to go to a 42 day wilderness camp in AZ, just to get the therapeutic value of life-style change more imbedded.  It's also very important to study how the drug affects the brain and the vitamins/nutrients that opiates deplete so they can be replaced.  In my opinion, especially with opiates it's paramount to get off all drugs rather than replace them with something else, that is most likely also addictive.  It's hard for a drug addict to imagine getting through this without another drug.  It's also important to get him out of his using environment.  Hope this helps.  Let me know if  you have any questions

[Cissy373]

I sure wish I had the answer's for you, being the fact I am addicted to pain pills and trying so hard to get off them. I sure understand where your Son is coming from, but thank the Lord I haven't gone to hard stuff.

I am sure someone here can help you to understand addiction better, its harder in some ways I think on the loved ones of an Addict.........but then again I am not sure.

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would be addicted to pain pills but here I am.............

Please know your in my prayers as well as your Son.

Cissy