Pain Pill Addiction: Methadone Detox Facts

Question: Please advice on how to help someone get over pain pill addiction?

(Posted by: healin.hands on 2009-04-30 21:30:22)

My friend/ boyfriend I've known for many years is one of the most amazing sweet people I've ever met and it kills me that the past few years hes been addicted to pain pills. He has a friend that constantly supplies his addiction and makes it incredibly easy for him to keep getting them for nearly nothing. On top of that he's bipolar and HAS to take medicine just to live "normally " but I already care for him too much to walk away. Everyone else in his family has pretty much given up and they don't know what to do, and I don't know what to do. He's not working and doesn't have a car and yes sometimes I feel crazy for even considering being with him but something just keeps telling me maybe if I take the right steps to help him he will get help. He and I have had so many long talks and we are so right for each other and he even has cried to me about his problems and the way he feels and how he feels lost. (The house he lives in is REALLY bad off, I won't even get into that) He knows he has a problem but some days he says everything's fine and I'm so worried about him ;( Please anyone who has been addicted to pills or knows someone who recovered, how should I talk to him and maybe convince him to go to counceling or a meeting without freaking him out? I know he has to be the one to do it, but I want to make sure I say the right things and take the right steps so I help him see that he doesn't have to live this way. On top of that I want to be able to at least reccomend affordable places he can go for counceling or meetings so any advice on the best places to go would mean a lot to me. Please help me ;(

Posted by: Lindsey on 2009-05-01, 12:56:21

I totally feel your pain, and I know how much of a difficult situation you are in, I've been there. Although not a boyfriend of mine, but a very close friend, was severely addicted to oxycontin, and no matter how many talks I had with her, she just didn't totally understand where I was coming from, and the pain she was causing those around her, who really loved and cared for her. Finally, I think it took her almost a year to finally decide that she in fact did need help. She went to rehab, and she has been clean ever since. She says all the time how thankful she is that she finally went because it changed her as a person, in a good way, and made her stronger. A site that I think you should take a look at, drugabuse.com/ drug-abuse-treatment.html?utm_source= ans &utm_medium= pv &utm_content= ld &utm_campaign= rcx, on there you will find a lot of helpful and useful information about drug addictions, their symptoms and causes, the treatment options that are available and more. This is the rehab my friend went to, and the staff there is great and extremely accommodating. Also, there is a toll-free helpline, 1-800-714-8354, which you can call and speak to a trained professional. You can explain your situation, and ask any questions you have, and they will be happy to help you. They can advise you on what to say and how to say it, etc. Good Luck, stay strong, stick in there, and be supportive. Hope this is helpful.

Posted by: sugabug001 on 2009-04-30, 21:41:43

No one can make him get clean he has to decide to do that for himself.Most of the time they wont decide to get clean until they hit rock bottom and have nothing and there is no where left for them to get the pills.You can maybe start by calling the police and start turning in the people that you know are selling him the pills.Also if you can find out the names of the pill pushers doctor or the drug store they use you can call them to and it will be looked into.Do everything you can to make it hard for your boyfriend to get the pills.It wont solve all the problems but it is a place to start..