methadone
 

My stepson (still in the hospital) is being set up on a methadone program. The only one available is going to be over an hour and a half away from his mom's (where he is supposed to go when he is released in 8 days.) Ins. will be providing him transportation for this 3 hour a day legal drug run. Everyday.
He's addicted to heroin, any opoids really and also meth. Part (most or all ) of the reason he is in the hospital is from using dirty needles.
The meth makes him psychotic and and the methadone isn't going to help with that or craving the meth.
IF he sticks with the regiment, it can eliminate the dirty needle problems.
His tolerance is so high I do not have much hope that he will stick with the regiment. Well that and he doesn't believe that he needs to give up his "friends"
I WANT to believe that somehow he'll become more functional. But I don't really believe that I guess. Not much time to look for work with that 3 hour a day fieldtrip. Just more fodder for excuses.
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He's been out of our house for over 6 months now. This week, his dad found a stash of paraphernalia . 6 MONTHS later. In a room where grandbabies go unattended. I packed up all his stuff months ago and thought I had found it all. So so mad. So tired of it all. It feels like it has been going on forever even though it has really only been a few years.

I personally do not believe in the methadone program. I personally believe it is just another “easy” way out and a way for them to become dependent on something else.

I cannot for the life of me figure out why methadone is free to addicts because they have a disease but chemo is not free for cancer patients. Big profits, I know is that answer.

I am sure that there are actually some people who do benefit from methadone, follow the program to a T and eventually ween off of it, but I feel those cases are on the rare side.

I think sometimes the treatment for drug addiction becomes just as twisted, baffling and powerful as the addiction itself where it often makes little sense.

I share your frustration and yes just more fodder for excuses.

I so agree atalose! IT's just replacing one addiction with another. Sigh.

Sending you many hugs Sephra. I would say you would be correct to prepare for the worst, hope and pray for the best.

Hi Sephra,

My ex has been on methadone for years but still takes heroin, crack, Valium, anything he can get his hands on. I've said on other threads that the methadone saves him money, end of. I know that some people who are sincere about getting clean go on a methadone programme and that's not to take anything away from them but my ex and the addicts I know of through him still take as many drugs as they can get. I don't know what the rules for your methadone programmes are but over here if they miss three days they're kicked off it and that can last for months before they're put back on. My ex was thrown off the programme last May and it wasn't until October he got back on. With your stepson having to travel so far, I just hope he manages it but, in my opinion, if he wants to keep using, he will despite the methadone.

Well, he is supposed to get out tomorrow and I am dreading it.
It has been so nice, that he has been gone somewhere safe for the past few months. I don't want to deal with all that comes with him getting out.
I don't believe that he will stick only with the methadone. I think he will be back using street stuff within a month. I hope I am wrong. I doubt he will be any more functional than before. (Which is a huge problem)
I think that he will continue to use people as much as he can and not do any of the things he needs to do to be a happy healthy member of the human race.
It was nice for him to be gone for these few months and to pretend that life was normal.

So sorry. I hope you have formed boundaries for yourself in dealing with him?

Boundaries.... well, pretty much the only conclusion I've come to, is I can't go down this road again. Meaning... I can not, and will not, live with him under the same roof again. Period. Even if that means he and his father move elsewhere, or I do.
I hope that it doesn't come to that, but unfortunately, that's where I am at.
Already, things have shifted, it seems he will be going to his sisters rather than his mothers. If that happens, I don't think it will even take a month before everything crashes. We have been fighting to get HER daughter out of state foster care and one of the reasons the court denies us is we have housed drug addicts, My stepson. So she's gonna take him in and expect to get her daughter back???
The insanity does not end. just circles and more circles. A mess for sure.

So I saw stepson over the weekend.
I was hoping he would look better than he did.
And, with that statement, I guess that says it all.

Ah, to add to the fun, my oldest stepdaughter is now using meth and its a problem too. 3 out of 4 stepchildren have SERIOUS drug problems. Sadly, husband is in denial of the oldest stepdaughter. But from my experience with the other two, it will be hard to remain so, because it gets so out of control so quick. Funny, I told him she was using meth and it was a problem MONTHS ago, but he didn't believe me, This weekend her stepdad told him, and what do you know? he is now entertaining the idea that I may have been on to something... still defending her, but at least a little acknowledgement. Heh, he's still giving her money, so maybe not. (Let me also add, she's 30 and NOT a kid)