Families & Friends Of Addicts Support Group
Addiction affects more than just the individual. This community is dedicated to the families and friends of individuals suffering from any form of addiction. Mental health professionals are increasingly considering alcoholism and addiction as diseases that flourish in and are enabled by family systems. Family members react to the addicted person with particular behavioral...
I'm a mother of an addict. Many years of heartbreak. I've been using tools of alanon for years; but now despair that I've been barking up the wrong tree. My son has been active with AA for years but, once again has hit the rock bottom. This man has been homeless with rotting infection on the streets of the badlands of Philadelphia. Now, he's facing more jail time, loss of sober living house (again) loss again of everything. He says he can't -can't- go back to jail. He will die. He's gotten himself in so much debt that he'll try once more to dig out if he does remain drug free. He won't use methadone or suboxone because his AA group won't condone or allow it. I really feel he needs pharmacological help & feel like I'm cheating on my program to think so. Please send thoughts & advice.
My son is on methadone. He will tell anyone that it saved his life. I have several friends whose adult children have their lives back because of methadone. I've also heard good things about Suboxone. Yes, it's possible to abuse both, but that depends on how the program is administered. Methadone is very tightly controlled by law, so it's more difficult to abuse. Used correctly it is not a mind altering substance. Suboxone is also not mind altering when used as directed.
There is one other option. Vivitrol is a monthly shot, which makes it impossible to abuse.
That said, I would not recommend starting methadone before going to jail because that will mean having to go through withdrawal in jail. Methadone stays in a person's system longer than heroin, so withdrawal lasts longer. If the jail term is short, then Vivitrol would be an option. Or, there may be jail diversion programs that would allow him to go to a methadone clinic daily or to take Suboxone at home. My son was on a bracelet and they allowed daily trips to the clinic for his 35 day sentence.
I recommend the book The Addicted Brain. The author makes an excellent point. When a person is in active addiction or has only been clean for a matter of months, then they are not thinking with the part of the brain that is able to accept the concepts being taught in therapy or AA or even in rehab. The brain needs to heal first. The author, an addiction specialists, recommends methadone, Suboxone or Vivitrol for persons with opiate addictions while the brain heals. Then the counseling and AA programs can work better. Then the person gets in a better position to wean themselves off the opiate replacements with much lower likelihood of relapse.
It's a mystery why some people can just dance through life without a care and others struggle with addiction.
It's hard for us parents to watch our kids battle this ugly thing, but there is nothing we can do, though we try and try.
Research all the options available for him and then give him that info and let him help himself.
You and your son are in my prayers. Big hugs
80% of those who are addicted to a substance also have a neurobiological disorder. Does depression run on either side of your sons family? If so you might need look at this from another point of view. I have been there with two adult sons and it is heart wrentching.
look at this Facebook page. There is a lot here please scroll all of it because it is set up for family members as a coping resource.
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If you need more help or someone to chat with private message me through Daily Strength please anytime.