what can exspect

my on inlaw is smoking crack and we want to help him he has not used for 24 hrs and i know that itself is a big step but what can exspect as far as withdrawl (withdrawal) abd how can we help him not relapse or have a slip should we keep at him im regards to his addiction and what its doing to him and his family he has a beutiful 6year old and a wife who love him very much and want hu=im to be normal again plz help us

[newmanagment]

wow, guess now i know y i been watchin the site the last hour. I have been smoking crack for 25+ years, i have a 5 yr old son and a 3 yr old daughter. I have been fightin to stay clean for the last 5 years, only making a year solid.
first there are NO physical withdraws from cocaine. he will be sleepy for a bit, he needs to not lay round tho, excercise will build endorphines that will release to help him feel a little normal. did he use long  i e how many years and how steady? does he want to quit for real, or is he coming down n feeling sorry for hiself?
where is your daughter and grandbaby, and does he use around them?
crack will tear families apart, it kills wonderfull people everyday. sometimes it doestn kill them until it takes everything they have first! Ya gotta love him n help him, but in no way can you enable or allow him to use dope. dont keep forgiving him unless he shows improvement. If he stays clean 6 months and relapses, stick by him and keep encouraging him. if he smokes dope every nite for the next 2 months then ya gotta distance.. ultimately it is all up to him. so wut does he think about not smokin dope ever again? if you are still on the site please reply back, i would like to help if i can!

[SilverSoul]

Crack is a tough one to beat simply because the addiction is so strong psychologically. Cocaine and crack tend to call the addict back relentlessly, especially in the beginning of recovery, and there are many triggers such as certain smells, or being in a certain place. The crack addicts worst enemy is his or her own mind, so they have to be strong enough to stop themselves from using.
When I was cleaning up I learned that my relapses always began as a thought about using. Usually the thought would hit me when I least expected it, and the more you entertain these thoughts, the more likely you will relapse. I found that when the thought of using popped into my head, I would think to myself , "STOP!!', and force myself to think about something else. Sometimes I had to say it out loud, but the thing is that if you can stop the thoughts as soon as they arrive, you can cut yourself off from the pattern of relapse.

I hope this helps, good luck to you and know that it can be beaten. I have been clean from crack for many years and I don't even think about using anymore

[Shelwoy]

I have been clean off of crack for four years.I am so glad to be able to say that.Quitting is hard at the beginning, and if he wants to end his use, you can expect some slips, just as another poster said.Relapse is often the glue of recovery working in the future.However, no one can force him to quit.Nothing can stop an addict, but themselves.
Giving ultimatums will only work if you stick to them.Otherwise, it becomes part of his disease.Keeping busy is a key and so is attending NA or couseling.Most detox facilities won't even accept crack users because relapse rates are so high, but do not give up hope.If he really gets sick of the life, he can make it.
I stopped on my own, it took time, but I did quit, and it feels amazing.Even after four years, I still have cravings sometimes, but atleast I do not have to use for today.Keep it simple- focus on the one day at a time aspect to recovery- it makes life allot easier for an addict!!

[gizzy32]

Hi and welcome. Crack is a MONSTER drug to beat and requires some work to do so.  There are no physical w/d's from crack or cocaine, but the crash is pure hell and the mental pull to this drug is well beyond most other drugs. Im not sure how long he has been using, but the truth is, if he is hooked, which obviously he is he needs help to quit, and he wants to get the help to quit. An inpatient rehab is by far his best chance at first, but im assuming he does not went help yet, i d k. N A meetings or a counsellor would be of great benefit, but he has to want to get clean. i could not quit using coke no matter how bad things got. i chose this drug over everything and everyone and it`was and is the toughest thing i have ever had to do, but with help support and some commitment on getting clean, he can do this. Do you have any info on how often or how long he has used. Is he willing to get some help.