heroin wd's, need help

[hope08]

no it's not for myself....let me just clear that up first.

my boyfriends little brother, whom i have mentioned on here before, is doing heroin again. to give a short summary, he has been doing either crack, heroin, and pills for about 7 years now, off and on. jan 2006 he OD'ed and almost killed himself, was in a coma for about 2 weeks....had minor heart attacks while in a coma and by the grace of God came out alive, and no brain damage or anything. the doctors said it was a miracle. so of course we always try to remind him of that, and i hope that he is not the type where 'dying is them hitting rock bottom' because that scares the **** out of me.

we found out sat night....his 'girlfriend' had been staying with him at his parents house for about 4 months now....supposedly getting a job soon, etc. i kept trying to tell his mom she obviously was still shooting dope and needed to get help or my friends brother would be doing it in no time. well this girl played a good show ( of course) because his mom kept saying she just needed to save up money, etc. then a month ago we find a syringe down in the basement (where they were staying)....i brought that up and they said he was doing steriods still, that is what it was from. so his parents, God love them because they have dealt w this for so long, are somehow still in a stage of denial i think. but anyway, sat night i guess his girlfriend started nodding out after she shot up, wouldn't wake up and my friends brother was slapping her, pouring cold water on her, yelling her name....and she finally woke up. so of course NOW they kick her out....

but the deal is, he is having REALLY tough time with the wd's already. i don't know how much, how long he was doing, but from his past he doesn't mess around. he is already depressed and then you lay herion wd's on him and he is losing his mind. his mom gave him 2 xanaxs but thats it. they were afraid he would take tylenol pms, maybe too many, so they went to take him to the ER detox, but they said they don't do that anymore and he would just have to wait to get into a state rehab....SOOO i know that just off narcotic PILLS the wd's are bad, can't imagine herion wd's and i have no idea how to help him. he is stubborn, and the only time he went to rehab was because he had to, if not he would have been in jail instead....

any advice?

thanks guys :)

[hope08]

see with addicts, i hate that you have to try so many things on them. i know that he suffers from depression and could probably really benefit from talking to a counsler, but he is so stubborn that he won't. i read some of his journal from the first time he was in rehab and would write some stupid remarks about how stupid this counsler was, etc....where he just thinks that he can really kick this thing all on his own. no methadone, in house rehab, counslers...etc....he needs long term help. since his dope supplier was living with them i have not talked to him. so for me to just go up and start talking about this is not realistic. i wrote him a letter around sept about all of this, pouring my heart out, and i got nothing. he needs to hear something from his mother i think. i don't know.
i have searched free clinics in our area and have found nothing yet. i told his brother to call and tell him to take a hot bath but he is telling me that doesn't help when you are wd'ing off heroin...???

[teacher569]

have to go post later

[teacher569]

yes

[cheryl27]

I HAVE HAD SIMILAR EXPERIENCE WITH HEROIN ADDICTION...NOT ME  MYBROTHER IN LAW.NO ONE KNEW THAT HE HAD  A REAL PROBLEM UNTIL I FOUND A DIRTY NEEDLE IN HIS POCKET. HE WAS STAYING WITH US IN OURHOME BECAUSE HE NEEDED A FRESH START AND DIDNT WANT TO BE  AROUND ALL OF HIS OLD BUDDIESSO HERE IN MY HOME WITH MYSELF MY HUSBAND AND 3 CHILDREN HE WAS USING HEROIN. AND THIS STILL WAS AFTER HOW MANY TIMES OF HIM BEING IN REHAB AND GETTING ARRESTED FOR POSSESION.HE ACTUALLY KNOW IS A CONVICTED FELON...GRAND LARCONY...TO GET $TO GET HIGH.THIS HAD BEEN GOING ON WITH HIM FOR ABOUT7-8 YEARS UNTIL IT ALL CAME TO A HEAD.
WE ALL TRIED TO HELP AT ONE POINT OR ANOTHER BUT AN ADDICTS GONNA DO WHAT AN ADDICT WANTS TO DO.SO WE WENT THE TOUGH LOVE ROUTE.AND BELEIVE IT OR NOT IT WORKED...FOR NOW AT LEAST. HE WAS NOT ALLOWED TO COME TO OUR HOUSE OR SEE OUR KIDS...NOT JUST US BUT HIS BROTHERS AND SISTER TOO.BECAUSE HE PRETTY MUCH BURNED ALL OF HIS BRIDGES. HE SEEMS TO BE SOMEWHAT OK NOW.HE WAS GOING TO A METHODONE CLINIC AND IS NOW TAKING SOBOXAN.THERE IS ALOT MORE TO THIS STORY...LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT TO HEAR MORE:)

[teacher569]

that sucks, I a couple of months he could be gone. Wont take methadone? Maybe after a day of wd he will feel diferent. The er turns people away.nice. Yes drug seekers, but a kid with his family, shame.

[hope08]

well the last time he got into that part of detox in the hospital was only because he almost killed himself. so after he was out of the coma and more aware of his surroundings they just took him to detox.

out here, waiting for an actual bed in rehab to open, is awhile. the last time my friend had tried to it was like 2 or 3 months...ridiculous. the only thing that he wouldn't have to wait that long on is going to the local crisis care, where they would just give him methadone, but he says he will not take that stuff. so i don't know.

he has been given chances, a lot. i always remind him of that, but i think sometimes the depression succumbs him and he doesn't even think about the positive things in his life, which is sad.

the hospital turned him away last night when they took him...not many of them around here have sympathy for junkies. they are all the time hanging out around the ER, trying to get in to get some pills or whatever if they are out....

[teacher569]

Can he go to the e.r ? Maybe they can put him on the Psy ward for Detox A huge hospital bill, is better than a funeral bill. I feel bad for this kid. He keeps getting chances! I am not an expert dont even know where to start!  Your a good person to care. How long for state to get a bed. Would a hospital turn someone like this away?