GreenChair

Really, I hope this is allowed, but I just have to say, who in our government is profiting ? I cannot believe that the influx of drugs cannot be controlled. This has to be a conspiracy of huge proportions. I absolutely believe that somewhere in our government there is complicity. Whether they're getting money, covert support or information, whatever.

I just found out that another classmate of my kids' from elementary school died a couple of weeks ago (29 yo). And that two of their high school friends were recently arrested. One was rumored to be a narc... that didn't work out so well for him, did it? The other is a close friend of one of my kids and I know he's been in and out of rehabs.

My husband's cousin lost her 25 yo son to an overdose, one of my sons lost a very close friend to an overdose - I don't even think he'd reached his 20th birthday when he passed. Our lawyer's secretary just lost her 22 yo son. I know of at least three others from our town approximately my kids' ages who have passed.

Who has decided that these young people are expendable? What are they getting in return? I don't know how they sleep at night.

Hechosedrugs

I've wondered the same thing. My AXH is a veteran, and I've been appalled at how the VA throws painkillers at him like candy. It really seemed they wanted him to become addicted, and the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Get them addicted to painkillers, and they'll eventually turn to illegal drugs and crime. Then they lose their benefits. That's one less veteran to have to pay out.

That's my theory, as far as the VA goes.

As far as the general population, I don't know. But I definitely believe out government has a hand in it all.

GreenChair

Thank you for responding. Some people who don't have personal experience in this realm act like I'm crazy for suggesting this. The person I refer to as my son's "so-called friend" in some posts, well, he's an Army veteran. I have learned to believe almost nothing that he's ever said to me, but I did see the photos of him looking several years younger and apparently in Iraq, so I believe he served. He too became addicted because of painkillers. He was injured by and IED, and as you said, they just pump them full of pain killers and get them back to active as soon as possible. He once referred to oxis as "ranger candy" (I think that was the nickname). He claimed the VA failed him, but I've recently learned that he had a bad conduct discharge, so I don't know if the VA failed him by providing inadequate care, or if he's ineligible for care? I don't know. However, I asked around and found a therapist with a fantastic reputation (I work in the medical field) who agreed to see him pro-bono as a "thank you for your service" and he refused to go to therapy. It's so sad, but the addiction became worse and he ended up stealing thousands of dollars worth of property and forged checks from us.

OpheliaKatz

I don't think you're crazy for suggesting anything. In my experience, I don't think governments know what to do with addiction or mental illness and often both of those things come together. There's a lot of buck-passing going on. It's not the job of the police, it's the job of the rehabs, and then the rehabs say it's the job of the hospitals, who say it's the job of the police. Round and round it goes. Meanwhile people suffer because services are underfunded or shut down and their addicted, ill, and/or violent partners and relatives come home to them... and of course domestic violence is a "family issue" or a "private matter", because there's no "candy" you can hand out for that... unless it's prozac or lexapro.

As long as the system works for the people who made it, the people who suffer from it don't seem to be a high priority, sadly.

hopeful4

My XAH had a cousin who died last week. He was an Army vet, come home after two tours w/PTSD, began abusing H. Died because when he reached out for help, the VA chose to put him in a half way house instead of a medically supervised detox. He died the next day. It's awful and tragic.