listerinebeauty

I'm new to this board and all I'm looking for is someone who can help me.

I'm 17 and so is my recovering cocaine addict girlfriend. We both started doing it as a social thing, but she got into a lot more than I did and eventually became addicted. There came a point where I learned she was taking it to school with her. Back in July of 07, her parents found out from my girlfriend's therapist that she had been abusing cocaine. As part of her punishment she has been completely cut off from all her money so she won't be tempted to buy anymore. She was forced to detox by herself. A few months later she was having a really awful time and became suicidal (found out she had other pill addictions alongside her coke addiction). She has a long history of depression and anxiety, self mutilation and, most importantly, OCD. A month after, a good friend of ours managed to talk my gf into getting professional help. She checked into a rehab/psych ward for a few weeks and I assume that helped her a lot. She says she conquered a lot of stuff while she was there.

It's been a few months later again and she's still clean. By now it is not lack of money but lack of will. I ask her every so often if she had the ability to use again, would she? She says no, she doesn't think so. But lately she's been making so many comments about how much she wants it again and how she's even having fantasies about it. She's also telling me she's having really intense craving episodes more and more.

I desperately want to help her any way I can, but this is a sore issue for her. It's difficult to talk about because I'm afraid of bringing up the subject and risk putting more vivid thoughts in her head. Right now I give her a lot of support and I tell her how much we're all proud of her.

I guess what I'm hunting for is some magic trick to make everything better. She seems to be doing very well, but lately she's been confronted with images of cocaine all over the place (in her classes and even a book she's reading) and it's making everything worse. What can I do to help her cravings? I'm not there when she has them (or at least I don't think I am). And also, how long is this supposed to last? Is this a lifetime thing? Her abuse problem didn't last for more than 6 months (I'm pretty sure) and she cut off cold turkey.

She refuses to go to a help group. She's way too independent for that. I want to recommend it to her, but she gets mad when I do. So I want to know how I can help her without having to send her away to another rehab center or support groups ('cause she won't go).

Thank you all for reading this and any advice would be so wholly appreciated.