my 17 year old is addicted to percocett

My daughter just recinitley came to me and told me she has been taking percocetts 30mgs there blue never seen one.
I feel greatful that she came to me but she wants to stop thank god!!!  How do i do this without loosing control I'm her mother so i want to be sucsessful in helping her and i don't want to fail her?  I despartley need help w/ this.  please if anyone is listening please give me some feedback I'm so afraid for her.

[notgoingdown]

1st is that if she is only taking opiate without any benzos (nerve pills) it is perfectly safe to detox from this at home... you can not die from opiate wd but she will sure feel like she is about to. Read the health pages on the right side of the pages toward the bottom, the thomas recipe and the amino acid protocol are a good help. Do you know how many she is taking. The 30 mg roxy's are pretty strong stuff and she will suffer worse wd's than someone getting off of vicodin or such. The level of depression after will also be worse for her because of this so the 5 HTP will be a huge help for her as she battles the mental part of the wd. She also needs to realize that she could be battling this mental part for a few months before her brain starts going back to normal. A lot of people give up cuz they dont realize how long the mental part can take cuz they think they will never be better... but they can. I think her knowing how long it can take could help her to keep from relapsing for that reason. If she can or if you could help her to taper down it could make some of the wd's easier but it will not keep her from having any as well as prolonging the whole process... some swear by a taper others say just rip the bandaid off and going cold turkey is easiest way. I am not an addict, I am the wife of a man who takes vicodin. There will be others who have been where she is on here soon with more advice and better insight than I can give you. You and she are in my prayers.

[wendy111]

I am sure there are others out there that can help.  what a great relationship you have with her for her to ask you for help.  She is strong and brave to admit it.  There are programs out there and I am sure someone else will have suggestions.  hang in there.

[shadow740]

Take her to a doctor.  Opiates are terrible things to come off of and she will need medical assistance.  I started shortly after turning 20 and kept it up for 2 years, the amount changing and growing until I was on heroin.  I was a straight A student, too.  She needs medical attention right away, and then she needs a whole new class of friends.  Paint her room a new color that she picks out.  Change the look of the entire thing.  Throw out her CDs and iPod.  Change everything and then give her positive motivations.

She loves you, you love her.  You will both be okay.

[chronicmistake]

I agree that it is an amazing thing that she trusted you enough to come to you and ask for help.  At her age she does need to go to your family doctor and tell him what is going on.  He can help by giving her some medications to help ease the WD.  At her age it is important that the doctor monitor her progress and also help with an after care plan such as meetings or an IOP program for teens.  It seems like the end of the world right now but she is alive and this can be fixed and things will get better.  Good luck and keep us posted.  

[vicki595]

You say she's taking these...you don't say she's addicted.  

Support her and ask why she's taken them. Just for fun?   Educate yourself and please explain the horrible effects from taking opiates.  Also,if she's not getting them from a doctor...what she's doing is illegal.  Point that out.

She needs to stop this practice and you need to be strong about it. She's still underage,so you have the control here.

Good luck~

[chronicmistake]

vic is right but on the flip side she is still a child and needs her mother right now.  She needs to know all those things Vic said and she also needs to know that you love her unconditionally and we all make mistakes and you hope this is a lesson she can use to better her life.  there is so much peer pressure out there for kids these days.  Maybe she is not addicted but you will find out either when she hits WD or hopefully not, or give her privacy time with her doctor or a counselor so she can explain why she takes the pills.  Does she want the high?  is she numbing some awful feelings, did something happen to her that you do not know about?

tihis story reminds me all too well of a situation that happened when I was 17.  I won't go into much detail but I left home and came back to my mother and told her I was addicted to GHB.  Back in the early 90's doctors did not know what that was (similar feeling of being high/drunk with one cap full of stuff).  I put bottle of GHB on counter and told her I needed it or else I would get very sick.  She brought me to the doctor and by then I was in full blown WD.  This is different because what I was taking was poisen.  I ended up in ICU and stopped breathing.  I almost lost my life.  When I came back home and recovered I sat with her and cried.  I was sorry and I just wanted the day to come when I could be happy again.  Life got better but I repressed a lot of trauma and ended up with chronic pain issues and have been on opiates for 5 years.  Last week I decided to change my life and I am now 3 days clean.  

my point, take care of yourself and your daughter.  tough love is good but  she needs you badly right now.  you will know when it is the right time to be tough with her and when it is time to just hold her and tell her you love her and everything is going to be ok.  best wishes. :)