Some people who are/have been addicted to heavy drugs who could help me?

You have to try to stay strong, and you have to immerse yourself in the facts about heroin addiction! You have to learn to be patient and you have to learn to be able to detach. I am right now thanking God that my granddaughter is at this minute detoxing in the spare bedroom. Life has slapped her upside the head too many times. She is the light in my life and the apple of my eye and I also believe that I am all that she really has.
Get the facts my young friend and as much education as you can, but also keep track of your own needs and your own life- if you aren't healthy you can't help her as much as it sounds like you want to.
And you have to be realistic and you have to be prepared for the worst and hope for the best for your friend.
Only because I am an old grandma and know this I will suggest that you pray for her and also pray for yourself to be the best friend that you can be.
She knows you care for her- it is obvious here... take care and if you need to chat I can listen. Best wishes for your friend...

that is the current assumption about persons who are addicted to heroin and or any other substance ( except money I guess) but I am feeling that this is a cop-out that results from pure frustration and not enough persistence and effort on the part of medicine and our society. I do not believe that these poor souls are throw-away people- even if they may think that themselves... where there is life- there is hope... and as a parent like Carrol O'Connor said, You have to get between your child and the drugs...
So , in keeping thisngs in a healthy perspective... don't give up ...

I tend to agree with this . NA is a place where addicts tend to find each other and go get high- but I may be generalizing and have limited information about this... but ANYTHING is better than nothing...

I think I will disagree with that- any addict in use is not in their right mind and is by definition "insane" and incapable of making a rational decision. I think it is time to call drug addiction a true mental illness and to have it treated with accordingly- by the medical community NOT the criminal justice system. Criminals prey on the addicted persons, and as their "drug of choice" is a controlled substance they can only obtain it by criminal means... put the crime out of drug addiction and address it as a medical epidemic... too hard for our pious and judgemental as well as money-profit driven society to really consider.

here is a question for you then and maybe it can shed some light on the subject for the rest of us..why would you try it in the first place? What brings a person to that point?

I wish you and your friend nothing but the very best! Unfortunately there are two factors here to consider. The reality of this matter is heroin is by far the best and most addicting drug there is and here in the States at least is dirt cheap. The other factor here is your friends age, 18. She is still very young, and heroin addicts can remain addicted longer then any other drug. Some for decades! But it only takes one over dose to end that run. And I agree with others who have said she can only stop if she wants to. Treatment is useless unless the person is actually committed to breaking the addiction. She will want to stop, and the hard fact is most simply do not want to stop. My suggestion is to continue to be her friend but accept that you are powerless to change her out come. She is in control of that. So do not get dragged in to this too deeply. All you can do is be there as a friend when she needs one. Continue to tell her how you feel, just remember this could be a very long ride. Good Luck!

To the OP- most of this you know. But it can be helpful information that you did not know about suboxone. To others who are not as familiar with drug addiction.

One of my dear child hood friends became an addict when she went thru a bad divorce. She was well off. And started using pain killers. Then one day. When she ran out. She started snorting heroin. Her divorce money went up her nose and she lost almost everything before she learned how to save her life. Suboxone - in her opinion, as well as mine- saved her life.


There's a difference between drug dependence and drug addiction. It's a term created pharmaceutical companies to lie to the world. However there are many instances in which I agree it's for the better.

Drug dependence- as opposed to addiction - is where the patient uses it as a treatment and is dependent on it. This can be anything and everything. Medication for anxiety, depression, pain. The dependence for the drug can be psychological, physical of both. Some- might even be placebo. For those that have physical dependence. They can experience no to very severe withdrawal. This is when weaning down is necessary should the paying want to stop.

There is a fine line between dependence and addiction. And it is crossed when it is abused. This can be done by either the street user, a patient, or doctor who prescribes too much/too often either thru negligence or directly knowingly being unethical.

Methadone and suboxone are drugs used to treat drug addiction. Yes. It's patients are physically dependent on it. And are usually put on one of two plans. The most common- is weaning down to become ultimately drug free. The second is often for those who have had decades of drug addiction and being drug free can cause death or severe life threatening withdrawal. Those will be on a maintenance program for life.

Methadone is not w very good candidate for drug treatment bc it provides euphoria. It is the lesser of two evils and not by very much. It's clinics are often meeting grounds for people to find new drug connections. The relapse rates for those on methadone is far higher. You can use opiates on top of methadone- and they will intensify the euphoria.

Suboxone is a much different story. Most often it's offered in a doctor office setting. This does not mean it's better. However suboxone prevents opiates from binding to the receptors. Meaning if the abuser uses on top of suboxone. They will either feel nothing or they have to use a much greater amount of opiates to even achieve any mild sensation. And to be on suboxone the patient must be in withdrawal for at least 36 hours before the drug can work. There is a certain amount of "painful work" that must be done to switch from one drug to suboxone. Make it relatively less easy for the user to jump back and forth. There is also no feelings of euphoria reported for those that use the amount prescribed. There is a term called ceiling effect. Euphoria occurs when suboxone is used owes this mg amount. However most doctors do not find the need to ever prescribe that much. Bc if they do. They usually have the patient go to methadone and wean down on methadone before going to suboxone.

Imagine the daily life of a user. It often involves finding the money to pay for the habit. What kind of bad behaviors become developed when their habit exceeds their living expenses and income and they must generate revenue thru stealing, lying, borrowing, bartering, drug dealing, prostituting? Assuming they have a job or have not gotten fired. What kind of environments are drug addicts that use on w daily basis - hanging out in and networks that they mingle in? Now imagine they're life revolves around this daily for 5-30 years.

Methadone and more so- suboxone- takes them out of their environment. Eliminates the bad behavior. Methadone treatment is cheaper than suboxone. But both of them are generally far cheaper than drug addictions. They no longer have to interact with drug dealers. Find ways to come up with money. Find or be able to hold their job. Not worry about running out of supply. And stopping the action that they look forward to and associate with in regards to euphoria.

This action I speak of is more related to snorting, smoking or using a needle.

I saw a person that I had no desire to be around bc she always looked sleepy and seemingly lazy- to being an alert, productive and spunky person. She's been off of suboxone for two years now. She was on it for one year- during which her doctor kept lower her dosage until it was down to the decimal dosage- before having her stop completely.

OP- best of luck to you and your gf. Hope some of this information helps.

And ps. It's fact. Not fiction- that people who go from a drug addiction to stopping cold turkey- are at huge risks for a relapse. Why? Because even if they are- or has completely fooled you into thinking they're in the clear (physical addiction)- they are still psychologically addicted. They still crave the drug, the chasing of supply and money, and the people that came along with it. It's easy to only have to worry about one thing in life- drugs. It's harder- to worry about life and figure out how to tell yourself that you DO deserve better.

My advice to keeping peace - my heart goes out to you. I hope your grand daughter gets thru withdrawal successfully. Anything less than a week and I would be suspicious of her motives if she wanted to leave the house. Depending on how long she was addicted. Severe physical Withdrawal lasts between 5 days to 2 weeks. And for those who have been on it for more than a decade. Withdrawal can last for 3-4 weeks.

It will work this time. But if it doesn't- you should consider suboxone. It will buy her time to fight the psychological dependence. Because the psychological is far stronger than the grasp of physical.

I totally understand where you're coming from. Loving your friend is not a bad thing. Don't ever stop loving her.

I am a heroin addict myself. Sometimes drug-free and sometimes in full blown addiction. Heroin is a monkey on her back. If she could get clean she'd be 1,000 X happier.

She's is lucky that you care. I wish I had the same type of friend. My friends do wish I'd change but they only give me very tough love. They feed me, take me to Narcotics Anonymous meetings, and tell me the truth about my addiction. They tell me how bad I look. They don't feel sorry for me when I'm arrested for drug offenses or prostitution. They tell me about how to change. They tell me what it takes to get my life back. When I'm using they distance themselves because they're afraid I'll die. But they are there for me if I need them. That is love.

If your friend continues abusing Heroin all of her "not yets" will become her reality. I had to sell my body because the heroin habit got to be so expensive ($120-$150/day). That's when she'll begin to wish she were dead. Especially if she's arrested for doing sex work and it's on her arrest record.

The nature of addiction is progressive and fatal. Heroin is the King of illicit drug Addictions and it is the most progressive and the most fatal (Except alcohol and prescription pain killers).

Progressive means it only get worse and takes more heroin to get high. Fatal is self-explanatory. She will probably die from heroin addiction unless she stops. Either as a direct result, like overdosing, or as an indirect result, like contracting hepatitis B/C or even HIV. She may be killed by a heroin dealer. She may be raped like so many of friends have been.

Do her the biggest favor you could possibly do for anyone, get her some help.

Lovingly,
Lauren Ann

You know that's a VERY BROAD GENERALIZATION. Narcotics Anonymous has saved many young people's lives!

I hope your friend gets the help she needs. Drugs are not they way to deal with problems and the user must want to stop. I have been in and out of many rehabs but it did not help. I have been using drugs for 40 years I have dabbled in a little of everything but I would say heroin and opiate pain pills are the worst thing to try and get off of but if you put your mind to it and say I have had enough you will most likely need medical assistance to get off of it and be able to stay of. Take it from me I did heroin for 5years tried many times to stop on my own it didn't work I had to go in the hospital for 2weeks and then follow up with after care. I have done just about any kind of drugs I could get an heroin was the worst thing to stop.if I would have known how hard it is to stop I would never ever tried it.Please go to a medical facility and get help the longer you stay on it the harder it is to stop. Good luck��