my son is addicted to oxy

[lovemyson]

my son is addicted to oxy and is currently in a detox treatment of 60 mg of methadone a day. He has gone 5 days and is already trying to make excuses to not go tomorrow. I work 2 jobs and have limited time to take him. I will not give him money for gas as I fear he will use it on drugs(he has in the past) I saw a sore on his arm and suspect he may be shooting up,I am not sure as I have no experience with drugs. he has a boil like bump on his upper arn and a bruise above that. It really isnt by a vein it is under the sleeve of his shirt. Is it possible to shoot up with out a vein?? Please if anyone can help it would be appreciated. He is living out of his car with his girlfriend and making really bad choices. I love him,however I am not sure how to help him. I am paying for his methadone only a few days at a time so he has to be accountable and check in with me every couple of days.

[lovemyson]

it is 4 am and i am headed off to work, i will post later, i willpray for you and hope to talk with you later

[lovemyson]

Thanks, im sure before this is all over he will be hating me,but i am okay with that as long as he gets the help he needs. good luck to you on our journey as well,love yourself and know that you are not alone as your heavenly father loves you and is your biggest fan,he wants you to suceed. try reaching out to a church community you will find a lot of support if you can get yourself there.

[kzme]

You are a wonderful parent.  Stay on top of this.  I wish someone would have taken the intrest to intervene when they saw track marks on my arms as a young girl.  Everyone chose to look the other way and to this day at 50 years old I am still in the same place.  Do whatever you can to get him in treatment.

[lovemyson]

absolutly, i want him to be ready to make a choice that is good for him. I also want him to be sucessful and be rid of this drug and everything that goes with it. I just dont want him to think it will be easy,as i have read from others you still have withdral symptoms with the sub. He is always welcome in my home as long as he is clean,in treatment trying to better himself. I just dont want to enable him to continue a life style that is destructive. His g/f is not welcome to live here,i feel she is bringing him down and not encouraging him to be clean. actions speak louder than words and i feel if she really loved my son she would insist he go into inpatient rehab. she is too selfish and sick herself and would rather live out of a car with my son than seek the help they both so desperatly need.Did i mention she has family that can help her?? I helped her last time when i was fooled into believing she had no family that cared about her,thats how she got in the first time for about 6 months.  its not all her he is too week to make a good choice for himself at this time. They both have honesty problems, its really hard to believe them.

[slideshow]

If you let him go the suboxone route, as he wants, you will be letting him make the decision, which in the long run, will turn out "much" better

[slideshow]

Well, methinks you are a good mom.  I still think the suboxone is a better idea than the meth.  Its your call, but if were to agree to a detox and suboxone was the substitute mehod, would you let him come home afterward?...A safe place would be important for protection agaist relapse after treatment.  Coming off weirdly is the easy part?  Others here gave given you good advice.  Beach is right, at this point inpatient detox is called for and you could "perhaps" request suboxone.  Savas always makes good sense.  IBKleen, NoName, literally everyone.  

I thinkthere are some state programs that will push to get folks in if they think that they show good potential for success and desire to improve themselves....I went that route in SC a long time ago....by finding a good social worker counselor, taking some basis skills tests and got pushed to the front of the line, 100% free.  For me at the time it was alcohol, but the rehab center was for all drugs.  

[lovemyson]

the answer to that question is two fold. Part him as he doesnt want to experience withdrawl. the sweats and pain are unbearable. part for me,what kid doesnt want moms approval? we all seek it even crave it at all ages. and I am the bank. He knows he can come home if certian conditions are met.(he not there yet) He seems very sure that suboxone will cure him. I do feel he is getting closer he no longer seems to be romancing the oxy. the first bout of detox he was for sure talking about oxy and how it made him feel alot. Thanks for the welcome

[slideshow]

It sounds like your situation is hard.....Ga Guy asked you a GREAT question is he doing the meth for you or for himself.  Whomever he is going it for its HARD maybe harder to kick then the oxy.  Welcome to the forun, truly. It spounds like he has half a brain if he can think of the suboxone, MUCH better route that the meth. Might have been invented by Hitler, not sure if thats true, but stranger things have happened.  Hitler was evil but he wasn't stupid so perhaps so I would not let that stop me from condering it.   I better stop now before I say somethng stupid.....Good luck......Later.

[lovemyson]

Thank you for your advice, I will look into the assistance office,assuming it is the welfare office. I thought they only helped women and children? I am actually looking into a program that offers suboxone along with a outpatient program. I feel this is better than the methadone clinic,as I feel this is just a bandaid. I pray that my insurance will pay for it. The dr office said I needed a referral from his primary care physician. I can get that no problem. He is not interested in an inpatient program at this time and refuses to go to one. so.... outpatient,counseling and suboxone will be the next best thing. Pray that my insurance will pay for it or part at least.I will see if the program has any county funds available. I know someone whos daughter is in a program,its free for girls. I was told that it would be 2500.00 for my son unless he was a parolee or on probation. I thought how sad my son would have to be arrested to get any help. I am going to keep trying untill I find a door that opens for him. I will even go broke to pay for it, however I dont want to invest unless he is 100 percent ready to do it. I will only be able to do this one time as I said the funds are limited. I would feel like a bad mom if i did not help him,even if i go in debt. Trust me i have already got there from past experience paying speeding tickets, rent, damages to apt, dog bite injury med bills all on my sons behalf. I told him no more he is on his own with these types of debts from now on. My helping probably hurt him,however I feel i need to help him one last time,to save his life.

[fishmeal]

Please check out Alanon.

[beachtowel]

Mom already mentioned the fact that funds were getting really low........

I think Suboxone is a good choice but in her sons situation would recommend inpatient detox.....

Hes in bad shape right now and to trust him to take his meds correctly and how there suppose to be taken is a long shot.......

[Sydney Smyth]

You are exactly right as I said in the forum it is very hard to get off and many people become lifers also,I just thought of suboxone,while expensive it's much better than methadone.Remember methadone WAS invented by Hitler!!!It is crazy the clinics brainwash you into beleaving it is a way the only way of life.They just care about all the money they make.I just got a bright light somewhere through the crazyness and said "I am goin to die and soon!" Someone heard my cry and I had the rapid detox.Thank God I am still alive although not being perfect but i will NEVER go back on methadone.I will go through the few days to a week of withdrawl anyday over methadone!!!

[beachtowel]

I agree that Methadone is better than sticking a packed syringe full of Heroin into your veins but Sydney Smyth said something that is so common with people who use Methadone......
"I was on Methadone for four years" and that is so common with Methadone users years of use......

[Sydney Smyth]

Another thing,during my active addiction and part of the methadone I was married to an addict as well,it is very toxic.They will only pull eachother down.Until they are apart he will not get better.I got a divorce and still when around my ex I get anxiety and flashbacks.Sometimes I associate the good times with drugs but now I see where it had led me.All of the past has to be let go for him to get better.Sad but true.

[Sydney Smyth]

First,I feel soo awful for you.I was addicted for 5yrs to these pills and they are the devil,I did the same thing,started on heroin.This is because it is soo much cheaper with the same effect.It is sad but it always starts with snorting but once you shoot it up you never go back.It gives you a "rush feeling".I definately beleave he is shooting the "boil" is an abcess caused by shooting up in the same spot over and over  and it gets infected.I read you are paying for methadone,which is also something I did.He needs to go to the assistance office because they will pay for it because it is considered a life substaining medication.This will save you four hundred dollars a month.Many people still use street drugs when first on methadone because it takes time to get up to the right dose and they feel sick until they are at the substaining dose.So,give it a chance,although I am now strongly against methadone but its better than his current situation.I was on methadone for 4yrs also and after a while did well and was clean from other substances.But just like any drug you build a tolerance and at the time I finally got off methaDONE i WAS AT 125MG!!!! along with five xanax bars,which is a deadly combination.Methadone clinics make it sound easy to get off it but it is harder than any other drugs and does not make u unable to get high like they say;instead you just have to do more of the street drugs and you can get high from methadone at a high enuf dose,but again it is better than the current situation.Methadone is for those who are not ready to quit,some are on it for life.I got lucky and had rapid detox surgery.(You can read about it at MRODS.com) that was the only way I'd ever of gotten off methadone,with the xanax,I was walking dead.All I did was pass out all day and do more drugs and alcohol.So,I hope you look into the assistance office thing and keep me posted.If you have any questions about what I have written let me know.Best of luck and Ill pray 4 your son.He needs all the prayers he can get.

[No name22]

Please try and look into suboxone it's at least much better than the methadone..Good luck

[beachtowel]

If I may leave you with one thing Addiction is not your sons fault but recovery is 100% his responsibility.......

[lovemyson]

God bless all of you and your own journey that you are on. My Husband who is a very kind and wise man has said," It doesnt matter how you start,it matters how you finish." I however am learning how to be patient as lifes journeys can be seem an eternity and I wish for the Happy Ending. I know through trials we all grow and progress,sometimes the growing pains are painful. If i could spare my son this pain in his journey I surely would,however then it truely wouldnt be his journey and lifes lesson. To all of you I wish that your journey is safe continue to grow and become who you were destined to be. Thank you for reaching out to me and helping me to better understand what my son is going through.

[beachtowel]

Mental Health through certain agencies and social services pay for people who cannot afford detox and inpatient rehab which he desperatly needs both.......

You may have to get in a wait for a bed but he is in the Methadone treatment until he is ready to go.......insured people and people with $$$ go first but I waited 4 weeks and then got in.....

[lovemyson]

God bless you and the Mother he gave you. Thank to all who have taken the time to write me,your perspective is very helpful.  The bank account is already broke,however I am willing to pay for his detox treatment. And counseling is a must if he plans to come back home anytime soon. I feel a bit guilty as I rember the words to one of my favorite church songs, My glowing fire,my loaf of bread, my roofs safe shelter overhead,so that he may too be comforted. All I can offer is the loaf of bread. As I can not see anyone go hungry. My roof has already been abused. He can come home,she however is not welcome to ever live here again. She needs to go home as well. Thanks again..

[No name22]

I agree 100% once agian,LOL

Lovemyson...You will get alot of good advice here that won't judge and have been where you're son is or close and it sux big time!

The g/f has got to go even though me and my b/f are doing it together we're also wanting to do it and are still living our lives...If he didn't want to quit I would have kicked him out I have B4. We also have a 3 yr old together also...

[beachtowel]

this you probably won't like hearing and for sure he won't you have to get her away from him.....two addicts trying to recover is very hard.......

He has to get away from all his friends that use!

[GA Guy]

You will find a lot of sympathy here, because we have all done to others what your son is doing to you. Post here whenever you need support. If you just need to vent, go ahead. There are a lot of people on here with much better perspectives on this that will help you.

[beachtowel]

First of all welcome to the forum,,,,
as far as his arm is he tried to shoot the Methadone it will coagulate upon impact with blood........

your son is in bad shape and needs help......
Just to let you know I was an active addict for 37 years and have now been in recovery for 21 months........
Please be advised your choice to get your son off an opiate and on Methadone is suspect......Methadone is highly addictive and the W/Ds symtoms are worse than his original opiate W/Ds...his problem is has now been compounded for his addiction to Methadone is much stronger than the Oxycotins.......
Can you get him into a professional detox? and then straight to an inpatient drug rehab?
Quitting to use believe it or not will be the easy part even though right now you might not agree it will be the after care to prevent relapse.....the mental addiction will be very difficult to overcome......

It is at this point where your support will do him his greatest benefit.......he will fight you all the way here but if you want your son back I encourage you to try my advice.......

I know the mental anguish your going through I put my Mother through H E L L!
It was her love that helped me once I made it to recovery that helped me the most...good luck....