ElektrykEye

My younger brother (he's 25) is an alcoholic (at least I think he is) and a marijuana user. In the past, he has been prescribed xanax which he loves and will take any time he can get it... although he hasn't been using it frequently because he hasn't been able to get it frequently. He has admitted to using cocaine "a few times" and was on Adderall (which is similar to speed) for 10+ years and is now trying to get back on that.

The thing that confuses me is that he seems to think he can get high off of most any drug and is willing and eager to pop any pill that comes along... no matter what it is. He'll take someone else's anti-depressants... and he's not worried about taking them while drinking. He swears he can feel their effects immediately even though every doctor I've been to says that it takes some time for anti-depressants to build up in your system. He even thinks he can get high on ibuprofen (and I'm not talking about taking the entire bottle... he takes a few pills and says it makes him feel "geeked up"?). I don't get that. Is this kind of behavior common? For someone to want to take pretty much any prescription or over-the-counter pill he can get even if it's not supposed to create any kind of high?

Hopefully some of you can help me understand... not sure if this should have been posted in the section for people who are in recovery from actually using substances, but I thought it might be bad to put it there... just not sure.

justanothrdrunk

I don't even have an older brother, but if I did he would be saying the same thing about me.

I've tried abusing everything I could get my hands on. Really any drug that has any sort of physical side effect can be used recreationally.

Take alcohol. All it is is a toxin with what many consider to be pleasant/desireable side effects. It would be no different than if one could take a shot of drain-o and catch a buzz. The side effects of small amounts of alcohol are essetially your body dealing with a toxin.

There's a ton of information on the web where people experiment with anything and everything and report results. I would frequent these sites looking for new and unique ways to get high. And even drugs where the manufacturers claim there may be no abuse potential... Take enough of anything (and maybe mix it with something else) and one can catch a buzz off pretty much anything.

I know I did it. And it's definitely addict behavior if you ask me.

Nikki221

My XABF was the exact same way...he would take anything and everything. Alcohol, pills, cocaine...whatever...he mixed it all. He was never concerned about what could happen if he mixed this with that...all he wanted was to get wasted. It's such a scary thought for me and I'm sure for you as well...I'm sorry you have to deal with this.

ElektrykEye

Thanks for the feedback. I'm really worried about him. He doesn't think he will OD because he thinks you have to take far more than he takes to OD. I tell him that it's not necessarily the amount but it could be the combination that kills him... he doesn't see it. I really hope he gets help soon. Right now he doesn't think it's a problem at all.

Nikki221

Well my XABF almost killed himself from taking too many Adderall...went to the ER and the doctor told him he almost had a heart attck. Do you think this was a wake up call for him...absolutely not. He's still taking oxy's, xanex, hydro's, and any other pill he can get his hands on. Just remember that you can't rationalize with someone who is irrational!!! Good luck!

Newcomer...

My ex was the same way. Even when he was in "recovery" - he managed to find a psychiatrist who was a total idiot and prescribed him xanax and adderall. Then he'd "lose" the prescription once a week or so, or it would be "stolen" - call the doctor and have a new one called in. I caught him a few times online, researching the best ways to get high on these medications.
He'd also abuse whatever he could get his hands on. At one point, he stole a handful of my dad's meds, who had had recent back surgery, without knowing even what they were. Turned out he took a bunch of blood pressure and heartburn medications. He didn't care. He'd take 4 or 5 benadryl's a night - saying he couldn't sleep. Or whatever else he could find...

ElektrykEye

That's part of what frustrates me... he's got a doctor wrapped around his little finger. She'll give him whatever he wants. It's highly unethical, but he's an adult so I suppose his family has no say in it. Still, it seems that a general practitioner should not be prescribing drugs like Adderall and Xanax... a psychiatrist should since they are trained in diagnosing and treating those disorders. I guess he could trick a psychiatrist too though. He's able to rationalize his Adderall and Xanax use by saying that it was prescribed to him so it can't possibly be a problem. Sometimes it's even confusing to me... sometimes I believe he doesn't have a problem.

But then I remember that I have never done the drug-seeking behavior he is exhibiting.

Newcomer...

There are websites out there that tell you how to trick the doctor. My ex read up on what to say, how to act, even how to dress.... It's sick. He knew not to ask for the drug, just to describe certain symptoms to get what he wanted. Drives me insane too...