Aa
fighting crack addiction
My 26yr old son has had a drug problem for many years starting with marijuana. He is smoking crack daily whether he panhandles for the money or steals to get money, doesnt matter. Cant hold a job, is very angry, irritable, no one can talk to him. He smashes thing around him daily, throwing cordless phones, punches holes in the walls and etc. He has been in several treatment facilities, but leaves early or gets kicked out for his behavior. We think his behavior problems are caused from his addictions, but where do we go to get help? Should he seek mental help or substance abuse help? He is living with his 80yr old aunt and she is living pacific heights. He thinks he owns the house. Its getting worse.
you say you quit cold turkey...but did you just trade one addiction for another...or were you using while you were drinking? just wondering...quitting is easy...but learning to LIVE SOBER is another ballgame...as i'm sure you know.
i left that path of deadly destruction crack goes hand-in-hand with my alcoholism,i quit cold turkey ! i will pray for him-drifter0213
my 22 year old son has been clean from crack for over 3 years now...but it was quite a battle to get to this place in his life. first it was wilderness camp (7 weeks)...followed by 5 months in their aftercare program. came home...was using within a month or two...breaking in cars and stealing anything he could get his hands on to support his habit.
it wasnt until he hit his bottom that things began to turn around. he came to us and asked for long term treatment...something most 18 year olds wouldnt do...give up a year of their life and move away. since he was already on probation...i went to his probation officer and asked for help. we got the judge to make it mandatory that he complete the full 12 months or be in violation of his probation. 13 months there...and he's never picked up crack again ! ! ! ! i wont post the treatment center he went to...but if you want any information on it, please feel free to pm me. i HIGHLY recommend this place.
i totally agree...100%...that your son needs long term treatment.
being the mother of a crack addict...i ask that you get your son out of his aunt's house. it is not fair for her to be having to deal with his addiction. IT'S UGLY ! ! !
it wasnt until he hit his bottom that things began to turn around. he came to us and asked for long term treatment...something most 18 year olds wouldnt do...give up a year of their life and move away. since he was already on probation...i went to his probation officer and asked for help. we got the judge to make it mandatory that he complete the full 12 months or be in violation of his probation. 13 months there...and he's never picked up crack again ! ! ! ! i wont post the treatment center he went to...but if you want any information on it, please feel free to pm me. i HIGHLY recommend this place.
i totally agree...100%...that your son needs long term treatment.
being the mother of a crack addict...i ask that you get your son out of his aunt's house. it is not fair for her to be having to deal with his addiction. IT'S UGLY ! ! !
I agree with all the above.. You have to be willing to do this for it to work.. I'm very sorry for your family that your son is on this path.. I can tell you my sisters son was just sentenced to 10 years federal prison.. He was much like your son.. he used a lot of crack.. lived on the streets as he would punch holes in walls kick stereos and threaten my sister.. has even hurt her.. He will not listen is a thief is violent.. Kick him out of your poor Aunts house before she looses more then she can afford.. Right now he is making the choices and they are not good.. exposing your other family members to his mood swings is asking for trouble at this time.. I wish you and your family well.. I hope he gets help for himself before he ends up like my Nephew.. lesa
3 words: Long Term Treatment
I went through a standard, 28-day program at a very good facility. I came out looking and feeling like a new man. I really did: I gained 30 much-needed pounds, i got color in my skin again, my eyes looked alive again . . . everything got so much better.
The problem was that after just 28 days, the first thing that the "new me" wanted (needed) was just one "one more" hit of crack. I really thought it would be only one more - I truly didn't want to return to the way I was. I really didn't. But that need for just one more time was with me like the need to scratch a constant itch on your nose.
of course, my one-more-time turned into constant use immediately. I quickly blew past the "bottom" that had taken me to that first rehab - it got really bad and to this day I am amazed that I didn't die or end up in prison. Somehow I made it through some VERY scary and dangerous things.
Less than 5 months after I got home from rehab-one, I was off to rehab-two. That time I stayed for exactly 4 months . . . June 7 to October 7 . . . and it was what I needed. It was a safe place where my mind and soul could take the time that was needed to heal.
TIME did a story in 2007 (http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1640436,00.html) called "How We Get Addicted." One point in that piece that really jumped out at me was: "One important discovery: evidence is building to support the 90-day rehabilitation model, which was stumbled upon by AA (new members are advised to attend a meeting a day for the first 90 days) and is the duration of a typical stint in a drug-treatment program. It turns out that this is just about how long it takes for the brain to reset itself and shake off the immediate influence of a drug. Researchers at Yale University have documented what they call the sleeper effect--a gradual re-engaging of proper decision making and analytical functions in the brain's prefrontal cortex--after an addict has abstained for at least 90 days."
I remember that reset happening to me. I suddenly felt that my mind was working differently. Everything was just the same, but it was all different . . . it was like shifting into 5th gear when driving down the highway after forgetting I'd been in 4th for a great distance.
I had no idea what had happened, I had heard nothing about a reset, but I immediately knew I was where I needed to be. I whispered to myself: "oh my God, THIS is how I need to be if I'm going to saty clean."
I stayed at that rehab for another 30 days to make sure I got used to and could stay in that new "place." With a rigorous program after rehab, I have stayed in that place for the last 1,328 days.
One thing I feel strongly about is that no one should listen to the all-to-frequent advice that the addict "has to want to get/stay clean." By the time I showed up for treatment I was in no shape (emotionally, mentally, physically or spiritualy) to know what I wanted.
What I really wanted was to keep doing exactly what I was doing until I was dead. It turns out that there is little correlation between willingness to enter treatment and reaching sustained recovery. There is, however, a very high correlation between length of treatment and reaching sustained recovery. The bottom line is LONG TERM TREATMENHT WORKS.
CATUF
1328
I went through a standard, 28-day program at a very good facility. I came out looking and feeling like a new man. I really did: I gained 30 much-needed pounds, i got color in my skin again, my eyes looked alive again . . . everything got so much better.
The problem was that after just 28 days, the first thing that the "new me" wanted (needed) was just one "one more" hit of crack. I really thought it would be only one more - I truly didn't want to return to the way I was. I really didn't. But that need for just one more time was with me like the need to scratch a constant itch on your nose.
of course, my one-more-time turned into constant use immediately. I quickly blew past the "bottom" that had taken me to that first rehab - it got really bad and to this day I am amazed that I didn't die or end up in prison. Somehow I made it through some VERY scary and dangerous things.
Less than 5 months after I got home from rehab-one, I was off to rehab-two. That time I stayed for exactly 4 months . . . June 7 to October 7 . . . and it was what I needed. It was a safe place where my mind and soul could take the time that was needed to heal.
TIME did a story in 2007 (http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1640436,00.html) called "How We Get Addicted." One point in that piece that really jumped out at me was: "One important discovery: evidence is building to support the 90-day rehabilitation model, which was stumbled upon by AA (new members are advised to attend a meeting a day for the first 90 days) and is the duration of a typical stint in a drug-treatment program. It turns out that this is just about how long it takes for the brain to reset itself and shake off the immediate influence of a drug. Researchers at Yale University have documented what they call the sleeper effect--a gradual re-engaging of proper decision making and analytical functions in the brain's prefrontal cortex--after an addict has abstained for at least 90 days."
I remember that reset happening to me. I suddenly felt that my mind was working differently. Everything was just the same, but it was all different . . . it was like shifting into 5th gear when driving down the highway after forgetting I'd been in 4th for a great distance.
I had no idea what had happened, I had heard nothing about a reset, but I immediately knew I was where I needed to be. I whispered to myself: "oh my God, THIS is how I need to be if I'm going to saty clean."
I stayed at that rehab for another 30 days to make sure I got used to and could stay in that new "place." With a rigorous program after rehab, I have stayed in that place for the last 1,328 days.
One thing I feel strongly about is that no one should listen to the all-to-frequent advice that the addict "has to want to get/stay clean." By the time I showed up for treatment I was in no shape (emotionally, mentally, physically or spiritualy) to know what I wanted.
What I really wanted was to keep doing exactly what I was doing until I was dead. It turns out that there is little correlation between willingness to enter treatment and reaching sustained recovery. There is, however, a very high correlation between length of treatment and reaching sustained recovery. The bottom line is LONG TERM TREATMENHT WORKS.
CATUF
1328
Sway is right, it sounds like he will need long term treatment, not 30 days in some fun place. How to get him there, well that is the tough part. It`s time for tough love.
when it comes to crack, there are no pretty pearls of wisdom. the desire for the drug overrides everything else. it's the one drug i beat. for me it was watching other people do it and go to insane and immoral lengths to get it. i had a kind of AHA! moment. is that how i have been acting? is this how people see me? crawling on the floor looking for crumbs like some sort of brainless beast? you give it all you've got and it takes it all and wants more. i would suggest a long term rehab, like 6-18 months. not one that is run like a country club either. one with work therapy that keeps you until you are gainfully employed. i really wish i could be of more help. you are in my prayers. sway
This behaviour is almost certain from using drugs (crack) Once addicted to this drug, you will stop at nothing to keep feeding this addiction. The problem is we have to want to quit ourselves and even then quitting crack is still next to impossible. I hate to say this, but if something is not done it is almost certain he will continue using as crack is a monster to beat without any help. I was around this drug a lot. I did not smoke it (just once), but did a lot of cocaine. It`s time for tough love now cause 2 things will happen. you will be burying him or visiting him in jail. crack is not something to mess around with.
I would be booting his *** out of his aunts house and if that means him living in a box, then so be it cause if that doesen`t help him stop, then nothing will. This is much more complicated than just quitting, trust me on that one, your son NEEDS some help. Since he don`t want it, you could always try an intervention as a last resort. His 80 year aunt does not deserve this, no not at all. He don`t own the house and i would be worrying about his aunts safety, not fair at all. This is so tough cause he don`t want help so either he is forced to get some or create a big bottom so it`s impossible to use. His aunt is enabling his addiction by giving him a home which is helping him use. Please stick around, we are also here to support you and give any advice we can. Addiction is ugly and unfortunately he found one of the toughes of all drugs. Sorry this is negative but im giving you facts here. Best of luck and you can send me a message anytime if you need to talk.
I would be booting his *** out of his aunts house and if that means him living in a box, then so be it cause if that doesen`t help him stop, then nothing will. This is much more complicated than just quitting, trust me on that one, your son NEEDS some help. Since he don`t want it, you could always try an intervention as a last resort. His 80 year aunt does not deserve this, no not at all. He don`t own the house and i would be worrying about his aunts safety, not fair at all. This is so tough cause he don`t want help so either he is forced to get some or create a big bottom so it`s impossible to use. His aunt is enabling his addiction by giving him a home which is helping him use. Please stick around, we are also here to support you and give any advice we can. Addiction is ugly and unfortunately he found one of the toughes of all drugs. Sorry this is negative but im giving you facts here. Best of luck and you can send me a message anytime if you need to talk.
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