My Son , Heroin & Suicide
Today, my wife called me at work and told me my son try to commit suicide by overdosing. I am going to visiting him shortly. This isn't the 1st time, but still hurts. It's every parents nightmare. I could see days earlier he just has given up. As mentioned, he hasn't really been looking for a job etc. I sent him the following text message on his phone 2 days ago. "YOU COULD BE SO MUCH MORE IF YOU APPLIED EFFORT. IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO TRY. NEVER!!! NO MATTER WHAT THE ODDS!
Obviously, that did no good. Not sure what will work, and I know, it not dependent on what I said or do. It all must come from him, and him alone. All I can do is be there to lend a helping hand or encourage hugs or talks. But until he wants it, it does no good! It just so terrible.
Please say a prayer for my son and my whole family.
Thanks- Jack
Obviously, that did no good. Not sure what will work, and I know, it not dependent on what I said or do. It all must come from him, and him alone. All I can do is be there to lend a helping hand or encourage hugs or talks. But until he wants it, it does no good! It just so terrible.
Please say a prayer for my son and my whole family.
Thanks- Jack
Replies
I\'m so sorry to hear about your son. You are right, this is every parents nightmare so boy do I feel your pain. This has also been one of my biggest fears with my daughter too. It\'s horrible knowing that there\'s nothing that we can do for out kids. Maybe he will get some help while in the hospital. He\'s lucky to have you.
We will say a extra prayer for your son and your family!
Linn
Thanks for your reply Linn, it helps a lot, it really does. Stay strong, stay loving!!
Jack
Jack, I am so sorry to hear about your son. Yes it is every parent\'s nightmare, like Linn I truly feel and understand your pain. Your son is lucky to have his family, someday he will understand and appreciate the length\'s you have gone through for him. I will keep you in my prayers and thoughts. Let us know if we can do anything to help you.
Renee
I am so sorry for you... I found this information helpful.
One of the most detrimental long-term effects of heroin is heroin addiction itself. Addiction is a chronic problem, characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, and by neurochemical and molecular changes in the brain. Heroin also produces profound degrees of tolerance and physical dependence, which are also powerful motivating factors for compulsive use and abuse. As with abusers of any addictive drug, heroin addicts gradually spend more and more time and energy obtaining and using the drug. Once they are addicted, the heroin abusers\' primary purpose in life becomes seeking and using drugs. The drugs literally change their brains.
Physical dependence develops with higher doses of the drug. With physical dependence, the body adapts to the presence of the drug and withdrawal symptoms occur if use is reduced abruptly. Withdrawal may occur within a few hours after the last time the drug is taken. Symptoms of withdrawal include restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, cold flashes with goose bumps (\"cold turkey\"), and leg movements. Major withdrawal symptoms peak between 24 and 48 hours after the last dose of heroin and subside after about a week. However, some people have shown persistent withdrawal signs for many months. Heroin withdrawal is never fatal to otherwise healthy adults, but it can cause death to the fetus of a pregnant addict.
At some point during continuous heroin use, a person can become addicted to the drug. Sometimes addicted individuals will endure many of the withdrawal symptoms to reduce their tolerance for the drug so that they can again experience the rush.
Physical dependence and the emergence of withdrawal symptoms were once believed to be the key features of heroin addiction. We now know this may not be the case entirely, since craving and relapse can occur weeks and months after withdrawal symptoms are long gone. We also know that patients with chronic pain who need opiates to function (sometimes over extended periods) have few if any problems leaving opiates after their pain is resolved by other means. This may be because the patient in pain is simply seeking relief of pain and not the rush sought by the addict.
Q) What are the medical complications of chronic heroin addiction and use?
A) Medical consequences of chronic heroin abuse include scarred and/or collapsed veins, bacterial infections of the blood vessels and heart valves, abscesses (boils) and other soft-tissue infections, and liver or kidney disease. Lung complications (including various types of pneumonia and tuberculosis) may result from the poor health condition of the abuser as well as from heroin\'s depressing effects on respiration. Many of the additives in street heroin may include substances that do not readily dissolve and result in clogging the blood vessels that lead to the lungs, liver, kidneys, or brain. This can cause infection or even death of small patches of cells in vital organs. Immune reactions to these or other contaminants can cause arthritis or other rheumatologic problems.
One of the greatest risks of being a heroin addict is death from heroin overdose. Each year about one percent of all heroin addicts in the United States die from an overdose of heroin despite having developed a fantastic tolerance to the effects of the drug. In a non-tolerant person the estimated lethal dose of heroin may range from 200 to 500 mg, but addicts have tolerated doses as high as 1800 mg without even being sick.
It is a very dangerous drug indeed.
Thanks Renee, just to hear from you is great, and thanks for your heartfelt support & prayers. Just knowing someone out there and supportive always helps.
Jack
Thanks, he has been on it for 7-8 years and well, we been everywhere with him from treatment centers, to jails, to doctors, you name it. I well aware of heroin and the toll it takes not only on the users, but the families as we start to slowly lose our minds and emotions and sometimes our own lifes. A good handful of us have learn to enjoy the sunshine while it\'s there and not peak into the future or dig up the past. Living in the golden moment of NOW is vitally important to the parents of heroin users, but when the shit really hits the fan, we all need that helping hand. No one is that strong to pretend you don\'t hurt nor should they. So, we know the fate of our daughters & sons, that have this curse lies in their hands and God\'s. We can only be of assitance when they need it or want it. So, I do know, unfortuantely, like the back of my hand, about heroin and believe I wish it wasn\'t so.
thanks- Jack
Praying for you, your son, and your family. Thank you for sharing this.
Thanks Bab09. I really appreciate your thoughts and your prayers. Thank You!
Jack
Just saw my son. He is very tire, and down, but he is in Linden Oaks Hospital getting treatment. At least we know he is safe for now. As they will try to do what they can for him. He knows he loved, and taken care of, but he got to realize no matter what his struggles, he is worthy of having a great life. It\'s all up to him, we know all our tears, love, money, whatever, won\'t help. We thought it could, though we won\'t give up, we know it\'s got to come from within him!
Jack
How\'s everything going? Your comment before this last one was awesome, I couldn\'t of said it any better and feel that same way. I\'m still trying to enjoy the sunshine, it is just so damn hard sometimes. I hope your son and you and your family are doing good! Maybe he\'s realized that his life is worth fighting for. As always, you\'re in my prayers.
Thanks for the thoughts. He still in a very bad place. My wife is a great source of sunshine, I don\'t know how she does it, really. HE said he has nothing to look forward. He in bad shape so, I\'ll hope and pray, and thanks for your kind words & prayers. We\'ll need them. Like you said, I hope he realizes his value in the world. Some of us base this on our position, and money, which is so over rated. Your value is the value you give yourself. Not where you live, how much you have, etc. Also, too many kids and us, compare ourselves to other people, which is like compare yourself to a snapshot at a moment in time. It;\'s so wrong, stupid and counterproductive to do to oneself.
Thanks- Jack