Teenage sister is an addict - where should she go now? (treat, effects)

[Huckleberry3911948]

by now she knows she has issues. living at home is not working.
when it gets to be a problem for her then she will do something.
i am powerless over others, i can only work on my own defects of character.
encourage counseling and 12 step. locking her up wont work that is temporary.
next stop will be incarceration. its always just b4 this they take a few with them like sisters
riding in the car with the dope trying to help.

[bubba001]

Originally Posted by bubba001

Hi,
I live in South Florida, and a recovering herion addict. I haven't used in over ten years. You can send a message to me and I will try to give you suggestions that I learned. It would be much easier to talk on the phone then to write out the many ways to stay clean in South Florida.
hope to hear from you.
Good Luck.....

...

[JanuaryGirl]

For many people, Methadone is an effective way of relieving cravings. A close relative of mine has been on Methadone for about a decade. Some people take it long term, others more short-term. It doesn't get you high, but it chemically simulates the effects of opiates. A few things to note:

1. It is not easy to be on; she will probably have to visit a clinic almost everyday; she will need to be committed
2. Should also go through counseling at same time
3. There is debate about whether methadone is simply substituting one drug for another; all I know is that it helps many people stabilize and get their lives together and I am indebted to it
4. It can be expensive, and there are often wait-lists
5. Find a good clinic with doctors you trust to get the dosage right
6. Even if she does not stop using, please get her educated about hygiene and safety, especially if she is injecting; find a needle exchange; HAVE HER GET TESTED FOR HIV AND HEPATITIS C; my mother died of the later, many people aren't aware of HCV

Good luck to her and your family. And she should know she is not alone. My relative has been shocked at noticing more and more young, affluent, successful teenagers at the clinic. Not at all your "typical" addicts.

[midge2914]

Wait a minute, your sister is using dope and your sending her on a resort vacation? If I tell you I'm using drugs too, will you send me? Why is she being "gifted" for using drugs? Is this how you have dealt with her disease. You need to look up some Narcotics Anonymous meetings in your area and ask if there is someone who can come out to talk to you and your family, and also have your sister start with the meetings. After she used before, was she keeping up with her NA meetings? This will be a lifelong event for her -- fighting the everyday urges not to use. Do you have a family doctor -- you could phone him/her and ask for their help. Many hospitals have in-patient detox programs and then they set-up after-care programs. Your sister is not crazy she is a drug abuser, so why are you thinking about a psychiatric hospital? Working in a medical facility for a drug abuser is not the greatest idea either. They are around "medications" and "samples" all the time, and can even have access to phoning and writing prescriptions or forging prescriptions. It is a known fact that many drug abusers work in a doctor's office or a medical center to have access to prescriptions and samples. It sounds like your sister has always been taken care of by your family. Sometimes you have to step back and let your sister hit rock-bottom. What does your sister want? Is she happy living in her car? Would she be happy living in her car if she had access to drugs? Does she want to stop using?

I would start with the Narcotics Anonymous. Call them. They are just like AA for alcoholics. Secondly, I would contact a family doctor. Either yours, your mother's, your wife's -- just to ask if he/she can help and what to do. Physicians can help and can give referrals. If she has a medical condition right now, she may need to be admitted for that and then have a consultation brought in by Social Services of that hospital to get help for the drug abuse. Call a hospital near your home and ask for the Social Work Department. Tell them your story and ask how they can help.

Your sister is only going to get help if she wants it. SHE HAS TO WANT IT.

Do your watch INTERVENTION on t.v.? People have to hit rock bottom, and I mean rock bottom, before they want help. Intervention 911 Drug Alcohol Intervention Family Executive Crisis Interventionist

This web site lists names of Interventionalists and also has an area on the web site to see if your "loved one" is in need of an intervention.

Jeff VanVonderen - Family Interventions, Intervention Training, Workshops

You can also contact/email the Interventionalists and maybe they can give you advice on what to do and your first step in helping your sister. Most of all, I would not give her a vacation. Your the one who needs a vacation from dealing with the effects of drug abuse which your sister has imposed on your family. No vacation for her -- let her earn it and pay for it herself or her vacation could be 30 days in a rehabilitation center which will benefit her for the rest of her life.

[dadshome1987]

im so sorry to hear what your going throw my cuz leah is on it to homeless now and has lost her baby she lost her mother aged 11 then her dad at 15 im at my wits end i dont no what to do how can you help someone that dont want to help them selfs iv tryed and feal like giveing up but i cant today i spotted her in town freezing cold starving hungry crying it broke my hart iv bin thinking about locking her in a room bording the windows up with mettle so she cant see out and makeing a little hole in the door just to fit a plate throw i no someones mother that dun it to them for 6months that was 3years ago and she has not tuched it since i no i can get in truble but i think it might be for her own good i live in the sticks so no one will hear her i feal so nast i must sound it to but i dont think theres any thing elce to try i cant give up on her and she nos dam well she cant hide from me because im a police officer and to get her drugs she is going to have to steal at some point and she will get nicked and i will find out and i will just bring her right back iv not locked her up befor but i tell you this im getting close . whats that saying crule to be kind i would like to hear back from peoiple befor i realy think about doing this thank you leanne england

[SLCPUNK]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

Hi all. I don't post on the Health and Wellness forum too often and I'm not sure if what I'm posting belongs here, but I'll continue on anyway...

I'll get right to the point - my younger sister is addicted to dope. She's only 19, and we've been battling this for quite awhile (since she was 15). It's difficult because prior to her 'experimental phase,' she was a straight A student, a cheerleader and set local records for track & field. Now she's way past her experimental phase and it seems as if she's hit rock bottom.

She has been in and out of detox and drug treatment facilities in the Northeast including Silver Hills (CT) and the Caron Foundation (PA), and entered halfway houses with kids who face similar addictions. Both places "cured" her for the short term, but when she moved back home she hooked back up with locals, and found herself in the same situation. It's not pretty.

Since her "using" episode in the Spring, my parents decided to send her to a treatment facility in Florida hoping the sun and palm trees might give her a little hope. She landed a decent job (in the medical field) in Boca Raton last month because she managed to fight addiction hard enough to earn an associates from a decent university. She used again this past weekend, got kicked out of her halfway house (understandably) and is currently in her car near West Palm Beach with nowhere to go.

I spoke to her this morning and gave her information on where she could check-in to a detox facility, so she went and they told her she needed to be using for at least 7 days in order for them to admit her - so they turned her away. I am absolutely appalled, but I did some research and found that most detox facilities operate this way. I feel that it's encouraging use for the next few days, and that a detox facility should help someone rather than force them back on the street. At the very least, a recommendation of where to go would be suitable for someone so young who came to them in desperation. I can always let her stay with my wife and I, or get her a hotel room in FL, but I'm not so sure that's the best thing for her right now. I thought about flying down so she isnt sitting around alone until something comes along, but again, I don't know if that's the best thing for her.

I went to an Al-Anon meeting this afternoon and someone recommended the Covenant House in Fort Lauderdale - I guess it's a place that will take someone in with no questions asked. My only concern is the type of people who will be there, and whether the environment is controlled enough to asisst someone with a serious drug addiction.

She has insurance, and money isn't much of an issue at this point.

Does anyone know of a place in South Florida that I can direct her to? Are there any detox facilities within a couple hours drive from Boca Raton that will accept someone who has "only" been using for four days? In addition, does anyone have any out of state recommendations, away from the Northeast? At this point, we would prefer not to send her anywhere out of FL because of her job, which I think can help keep her mind off of her disease once she gains stability. She is incredibly depressed and that worries me.

I also ask for advice and opinions. Apologies for the long post, but I felt giving a history of the situation can better assist people in making recommendations.

Thanks for reading.

Does she want to get sober, or does the family want her to get sober?

She has to want it.

[harleysue1957]

iam a addict i stayed clean for 3 yrs and it happed again my husband and sister hit me because of it and call me names my husband found some of my stuff and he socked me in the face many times and kicked me this makes me want to run to the drug what do i do

[jaijai10v]

my big sister is 15 she is on cocaine and marijuana and she smokes i was with and she says i shoulden't follow her steps in smoking but I'm already addicted to second-hand smoke but I'm also allergic to smoke i puke and get something like the flu for like a half hour and i get really bad rashes from marijuana since i was 5 there was some hidden in my old house in the walls and i cant stand it my parents are thinking about sending her to rehab but if they do i will have no help with my life. what should i do??

[Motion]

kidyankee764,

Check out this article. It touches on some of the latest findings with addictions.

Low-Tech Treatment May Be Best for Addiction - Sharon Begley - Newsweek.com

[creative36]

A running program seems to have amazing effects after drug treatment. Also some people say cannabis is excellent for drug treatment. It seem to make sense.