How old is your nephew? My 16 yr. old son's behavior is similar - he's not taking credit cards, but money and has a habit of burglarizing peoples' homes. I know he's drug addicted but I don't think he's using heroin. Do you know for sure he's doing it or are you just guessing because of his behavior?

YES THIS IS VERY COMMON FOR AN ADDICT,BOTH MY PARENTS AND MY BROTHER ARE &WERE ADDICTS,THEY WILL TRY ANYTHING,TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR,IF STEALING FROM HOME & FAMILY IS NO LONGER POSSIBLE THEY START TO SHOPLIFT OR STEAL WHAT THEY CAN FROM WHERE THEY CAN,OTHER SIGNS TO LOOK FOR-MASSIVE WEIGHT LOSS,SEVERE MOOD SWINGS,INABILITY TO KEEP STILL WHEN IN NEED,SLEEPING AT UNUSUAL TIMES,ANYTHING OUT OF CHARACTER FOR THE INDIVIDUAL.IT KILLED MY DAD AND HAS PROGRESSIVLEY PUT MY MUM @55,IN A CARE HOME AS SHE IS UNABLE TO CARE FOR HERSELF,ONE GOOD THING IS THAT THEY HAVE NEVER BLAMED ANY1 OR ANYTHING ELSE FOR THE ADDICTION,BUT WHAT THEY DIDNT SEE WAS HOW IT DESTROYED MY LIFE,AS A TEEN I SUFFERED TERRIBLEBLY.MY BEST ADVICE IS =NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU OR OTHERS LOVE YOUR NEPHEW ,NEVER TRUST HIM,OR TAKE HIS WORD ON ANYTHING,DONT UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES GIVE HIM CASH BCUZ HE FEELS ILL OR NEEDS IT.YOU JUST COMPOUND HIS HABIT,TALK TO HIM,THERES ALWAYS A VALID REASON AS TO WHY THEY GO DOWN THAT ROAD.

My nephew is 17 years old. When my in laws got him out of the house I looked through his room. I found a few plastic baggies. Some had what looked to be weed residue and others had a powdery residue. I know the difference of when people are just high on pot and a few times he just looked different. He would talk very slow, couldn't keep his eyes open and he has lost alot of weight in the past year also.

My boyfriend acted just like this when he was high on OXYCONTIN... it made him "drowsy" and it was hard to understand him. Oxycontin are similar to heroin... I think. VERY BAD STUFF... I will be praying for you and your family... ((hugz))

My partner was the same. He stole from me and our children. He has been clean a year now but its still hard.

Hi aunt. My daughter is a heroin addict, but has done about any kind of drug out there. It does not matter what their DOC is (drug of choice), what this is about is the behaviors that go with addiction as this disease progresses. Sadly, they do steal, lie and do whatever they need to do to keep their habit going. They get desperate, bottom line. Without recovery, it only gets worse.

The families can only do everything possible to safeguard things like their checks and possessions, because if we turn our backs it will be gone. The drugs are in control. They do things even THEY don't think they will do to get the drugs. The drugs are in charge and I guess sadly, that is the bottom line.

Everyone here understands. I am sorry for all of us that have to go through this. We learn as we go along, and many of us have suffered many losses.

An old bf/addict of my daughter took the brand new ps2 that we bought my grandson and pawned it for drug money. Nothing is off limits.

It is terribly sad what we have to experience so that we don't get ripped off.

This could be heroin, but like I said, whatever the drug of choice is, the addict does what the addict will do to keep using.
Bless you, and you have my prayers...
EllaBlue
P.S....things to look for? ANYTHING that could be pawned for money, or traded for drugs.

I lived with a crack addict for about 4 years. He stole money from me regularly. He pawned his brothers gun, which I suppose his brother should be grateful that was the option he chose to use it for. He broke into his best friends bar and cleaned out the cash register AND the cigarette machine. He traded his shoes for crack while on the streets in Detroit in January. And finally, when it all ended, he had traded MY car for $60 worth of crack cocaine.

I had another roommate only once who relapsed and took all of my TVs, my microwave, VCR and anything else he could get in his car while I was at work.

And then (this one always makes me chuckle a little because it wasn't someone I knew and the offering was, well, you'll see) there was a drug house in my neighborhood one time and I came home after a night shift at the restaurant to find a man in a car with the trunk open. He jumped out and proceeded to try to sell me a spare tire and an end table for $6. I just shook my head and walked away. Fortunately I moved out of the neighborhood not long after that.

There was a heroin addict that worked with my father in the metal shop. One day he was high and nodded out while over a table saw. The only reason he didn't fall on it was someone else saw him and caught him.

I either am blessed or cursed but am a recovered addict and have a family of some recovered and some not.
It doesn't matter the drug lying and stealing is all a part of the curse.
Tell him he can come over anytime with YOU there AS LONG as he's willing to do a drug test on the spot before entering.....that should keep him away!!
I would also call social services in your area and get him committed by a judge.
All you have to do is tell them everything he has done and a judge will have him picked up and put in a hospitol until court and he will be committed for 90 days to a rehab.
I had to do this for my baby sis to get her off Heroin.
That is what you and your family need to do if you want to help him.
Good luck!
Brenda

My sister used Heroin and I didn't even know!!! Stealing is when it gets bad. Then you won't here anything for a day or so. All the sudden they come back for some reason or another, really just to get money or a safe place to sleep and warm meal. Do not let his grandparents do anything monetary. That is only enabling him, essentially killing him because they are helping him be an addict. Tough love is hard to give, but a neccesity to an addict. Once a victim second time the fool. No bedrooms, no house, no money no nothing but a ride to the nearest rehab clinic. I will pray for your family and especialy your nephew