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...

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lainca 04/07/2015

I could use some input here. My daughter who is a heroin addict has checked in to detox. I missed her call so I was unable to talk to her directly. Her dad did talk to her but I have not had a chance to really talk to him. Her friend told me about the detox (that was the number she called me from) and said she really needed it and she is trying to talk her in to at least outpatient treatment when she gets out. She (the friend) said she gave a thumbs up as she went in and she will call her in a week when she gets out. The friend says she is clean I point blank asked her. This is the first time she has ever (as far as I know) reached out for any type of help. I live 10 hours away, he Dad is there. I am wondering if I should get on a flight and be there when she gets out for support and if she want to come home with me great. She is 31 years old. UGH Suggestions would be wonderful since I know I cannot do what I want to do and be there, bring her here and keep her safe.

jainlor 04/07/2015

her best place to go is sober living house or an in house rehab for at least 3 months in my opinion. support her but she needs to do this for herself to get well

donna7455 04/08/2015

I agree. Support her, but she does need to do this on her own.

Heroin addicts are highly likely to relapse if all they do is detox. The cravings will be back as soon as they get out and can last up to 3 years. She's going to need a plan to acquire the tools to stay clean.

In patient rehab or intensive outpatient and sober living are the best ideas if she's following a 12 step program to stay sober. Many opiate addicts are not able to stay clean with just a 12 step program. If that's the case for her, then Suboxone methadone or Vivitrol are options.

lainca 04/08/2015

Thanks so much for your input. I am of the feeling if she stays in her current town it will be super easy to relapse if she was 10 hours away and knows only me then maybe not as easy to get her hands on Heroin. I do think she needs a clean and sober house and environment not to mention Rehab. No question about that. Maybe I live in lala land and no matter where she is it will be easy to relapse.

susan55 04/08/2015

My 27 year old son is an opiate addict that I am going to pick up from rehab on Monday (he needs more but is not willing at this time). I took him for a drug and alcohol evaluation and they immediately got him into detox. After 2 weeks he was able to get into rehab and has been there almost a month. He point blank told me (2 weeks into rehab) that he can find what he wants/needs anywhere within a very short amount of time. I don't believe there is any "keeping them safe". He did very well on a Suboxone program for 2-3 years and then the wheels fell off and here we are. I am grateful he is alive. I hope your daughter is able to get into a rehab program, because like others, I believe that just detox is not going to be enough.

jainlor 04/09/2015

can you get her into rehab near where you live. getting away from the old friends will help her to get clean in my opinion

hopingforsunnydays 04/09/2015

Lainca, that is a great 1st step. I agree with others, she really needs to seek a full rehab. At LEASt a 3 month inpatient treatment. That gives her the skills she will need to learn how to live with the addiction and get to the source of why and how to deal with that as well. Sadly we can't 'keep them safe'. They need to learn how to stop the addiction, learn to live a sober life etc. It isn't an easy battle for them by far.

I wish you the best for your daughter. This addiction SUCKS to say the least! Prayers and hugs to you.

lainca 04/22/2015

Not sure what to think. We are now 17 days of her supposed being in detox. I have seen that her message aka chat online has been on since she checked in. I am not sure if she had used someones phone or if she is online and if that's the case she is not in detox. I called the detox center and of course got the we cannot help you or tell you anything. so I am at a complete lost what to do or what to think.

donna7455 04/22/2015

Detox from heroin takes 3 days. There's no way that she would be in a detox center for 17 days.

She is either not telling the truth or she is in inpatient rehab (hard to believe).

donna7455 04/22/2015

I apologize for the abrupt response. I'm on my way out the door and just realized how that sounded.

A detox center has the purpose of getting a person through withdrawal. They do not work on sobriety at all. Withdrawal from heroin lasts 3 days. So, it would not make sense for her to be in a detox center for 17 days.

Often people go from a detox center to inpatient or outpatient rehab. That's where the work of recovery begins. It's possible that she is in an inpatient center and is using the term "detox", but that would be a different place than the detox center. Inpatient rehab centers often have waiting lists and can be expensive, so it might not make sense for her to be there. (If she is, that's great news!)

If she's in outpatient treatment, that would mean that she is living at home or with a friend and going to group therapy and/or counseling appointments. That's very different from detox.

lainca 04/22/2015

According to her Dad and other people. The Detox facility she supposedly went to keeps you for 7 days and then some no matter what you are on. And then you have to be willing to go straight to a Rehab they have set up after that. My ex her Dad is very familiar with this center due to support he provides with addict's. He has chosen to not visit this location at this time so she is on her own to figure it out if she is willing. We will be right there with open loving arms when she is ready

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