thequest

If someone has multiple addictions and/or bad habits where do you start or in the end it's all the same? Problem one is probably addicted to alcohol, PEDs or performance enhancing drugs, sports supplements, "recreational drugs", pain killers/mood drugs,gambling and lifestyle(over spending caused at least one bankruptcy).

There's probably over lap but the alcohol and PEDs seem to be the most overt problems.

Or again is simply all about changing one's life?

biminiblue

Compulsions are all similar to the brain - they are the result of dysfunctional coping and obsessive thinking.

So, yes. It isn't simple, though.

zoso77

In the end, it sounds like he's bad news. And given your join date (4 1/2 years ago), my question is what do you expect to happen after all this time.

Ann

One drug or twenty, we have to decide what is and what is not acceptable in our lives and how we plan to make our lives better.

Once they have an addictive personality, or once they are addicted to one drug, they are very vulnerable to being addicted to any narcotic or pot or alcohol.

Most alcoholics I have known, at one time believed they could smoke pot and be okay.

Most addicts I have known, at one time thought they could have the odd beer and be okay.

In every case, of those I have known, they were sadly mistaken. A drug is a drug is a drug, and the truth is that they could not handle any of them.

You will need to decide if this is how you want to live and you need to accept that if there is going to be change, it has to begin with you.

Hugs

herradura

I think this is a life changer. I used to do most of those things, but never at the same time. I would get the gambling and lifestyle under control (Financial), Alcohol and PEDs (liver), Pain killers mood drugs and recreational drugs(spiritual), or grab one each from all three categories. Good luck to you.

thequest

Since joining he has experienced evictions, bankruptcy, utility cut offs, lawsuits, at least one dui, failed jobs, business opportunities and relationships. Bill collectors are still in hot pursuit for things since bankruptcy. I'm still waiting for the bottom.

I understand a desire or compulsion to do something but it is the lying, manipulation, rationalizations and sense of entitlement that make it extremely frustrating. Along with crap treatment of others.

Since joining the enabling especially money has gone down to almost nothing and finally others are starting to see what's going on. What does it take?.

thequest

He seems to ease up on things like gambling yet never giving it completely even with severe financial hardship. When he grabs the remote to check a score in a game like it's business there's an issue. The PEDs use I think is more year round now compared to a few cycles for weekend warrior sports leagues. The use of legal but expensive sports drinks and supplements has increased. Before it was about 2 liters of diet soda a day.

The thing about pain killers is that he leaves a lot of partially filled bottles around in cabinets, bedrooms, bathrooms etc yet would frequently come back with a new script for something. Selling or using trying to disguise consumption? Maybe he just forgets what he had but at one point he had two different oxy's laying around.

Also troubling now for someone out work he seems to get many phone calls and frequently HAS to go here or there-for what??? This is at night and on weekends so what potential job is interviewing on a Sunday night? It's like he has daily rounds to make.

herradura

It seems pretty clear he is buying or selling drugs. When you say PED I assume anabolic steroids, very bad for the liver and the personality! If the PED are amino acids etc, I would not worry too much about them. You cant get anywhere financially if you are a gambler IMHO.

IRt the prescriptions, unless he wants to get off of them then there is little you can do. I certainly would not recommend the Oxy with alcohol and or recreational drugs. PEDs and pain killers don't do well together either. I don't know they guy, but he needs to do something major, eg. intervention, detox, as this list of problems is considerable.

Good luck to you, is he your son, brother, dad, husband?

zoso77

What it takes for him to wake up to reality isn't your responsibility or your problem. Your responsibility is to manage yourself. Whatever happens to him happens.

BunnyNest

It should be about where *you* start.

Alanon is a great place!

thequest

Can't specify for anonymity reasons.

The problem with the supplements is one they aren't 'real food' and yet he complains he isn't eating enough. Then I read several times over the last few years a lot of the energy or diet drinks can agitate a person because of caffeine content along with other misc vitamins(niacin flush) & herbs. Diet drinks also contain a lot of caffeine. For someone who can obsess and has a nasty temper I don't think the equivalent of 10 cups of coffee a day can help. Roid rage or outbursts mess things up more.

The big problem seems to be a constant state of agitation.

Chillly

How to you eat an elephant?
One bite at a time.

Hawkeye13

So are you tired of this yet and ready to get off his rollarcoaster?

Sounds like he's headed for an ugly bottom and going to take whoever is with him
right along for the ride.

What kind of recovery actions are you taking for yourself?
Obviously, you cannot control or cure him, but you can take
charge of your own role in this.

Sounds like you could use some peace and stability to me
after 4 1/2 years of this or more. . .

waitingforhope

An addiction is an addiction is an addiction. Being dependent on something is unhealthy, period. Our addicts might have a "primary" addiction so to speak but I'm learning with my AH about things I never really pondered before about addiction. He has other "habits" too that prevent normal functioning. Like how he drinks 4 of those Monster energy drinks in a day. 4 a day isn't normal. Even his doc in the past said they aren't good for the heart. That's on top of soda and cigarettes. So he piles caffeine. No wonder he's always been rev'ed up and impatient and easy to light up all the time. But it doesn't matter. Agitation isn't the problem though. That's just another consequence and side effect. His dependency on any type of substance that alters his mindset or manifests itself in a way that inhibits normal functioning is the real problem.
So it really doesn't matter what he uses. There are consequences no matter what physically and mentally. The consequences still effect everyone around the addict. Just because a substance is legal, doesn't make abuse of that substance okay.