Drugs addiction

[ewetwo]

I hope this is ok to place here. If not, delete it. But it's a story to let people know that drug abuse is everywhere. Not just the rich. And not just the poor. It affects everyone. In fact I found a small black box in our front yard last year that had little square pieces of paper. A syringe. A spoon. A piece of brass screening. Someone's drug box. The sheriff said someone most likely thought they were being followed and tossed it. The college is 2 mile for my house. 

We have known this couple for years. Charlie ands wife Loni. I actually helped build their beautiful log cabin. Just Charlie and I. It is located next to Loni's mother's small log cabin. Small as in maybe 20 by 20 feet.  Charlie has a wonderful son from his first marriage. Then Charlie and Loni had 3 lovely children. 2 boys and a then a girl. These people had a wonderful life. Beautiful house. Boat. New cars. Then drugs hit them. They went from having it all to loosing everything and living in the basement of Loni's mom cabin. Imagine walking out your door and looking at what you once had. They lost everything trying to save their youngest son, Tyler,  from drugs. He's 26 now and this all started at 25 years of age. They lived in the country and the kids went to a school in a small rural town. So the story...

Last night the door bell rang and it was Charlie. His son was at a meeting (court most likely)  in our town because he totaled his mom's car in our county. The meeting was suppose to last until 7. So seeing we haven't seen each other a while. Charlie figured he'd stop by. Great. I was just making dinner so he joined us.  Just before 7.  Loni called and said  Tyler is walking down the highway because he had been waiting to get picked up and Charlie wasn't there. He knew Charlie was coming to our house. But he got out at 6:30. Not 7 like Charlie was told. So Charlie left immediately. Then Loni calls back and said Tyler saw Charlie go back towards town. I got in my car and found Tyler and picked him up. He wanted to go to Amsterdam which I knew was not a good idea because that's where he can get drugs. So I head to his house. To shorten this story. I have never experienced a drug addict having, oh I don't k now. a melt down? He was calling his mom all these awful four letter words over the cell phone. Threatening to jump out of the car. Loni and I finally met up at a local Stewarts convenient mart. Tyler went into the bath room. She started to cry and said he'll most likely hit her. That was all I had to hear. Tyler came back out and started screaming at his mom. Right then I lost it and gave him some tough love. I told him if I hear he's ever hit his mom again. I would be a force he would not want to deal with. That it was not his parents fault his life sucks. That his addiction was his choice and he had no one to blame but himself. And for him to treat his parent, who lost everything trying to save him, was wrong. And I looked at Loni and said. It might be time to let go. This is not your son anymore. There is nothing you and Charlie can do that will change what will be the inevitable.

This whole family ruined because or drug addiction. Sad.

 

[89AKurt]

My town got the reputation as the drug rehab capital of the country.  People were taking advantage of lax zoning regulations, buying homes and then packing a dozen guys into it, calling it rehab homes.  They would shuttle all these guys (might have been some women) somewhere for rehabbing.  The success rate sucked, maybe 10% success rate at best.   So many would blow it off, get kicked out, then end up on our streets.  People with these houses were making bank, didn't care if it was helping the addicts.  Been told that most of the sirens we hear, are going to drug overdose calls.   It got so bad, citizens forced the City to do something, and our Representatives had to pass a law to restrict this.  Meanwhile, the (fill in the blank, you know who I mean) rights activists, using the Fair Housing laws, have been fighting to keep allowing this BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH to happen.

Also watched an old man who took advantage of my wife's dad, lived for free in the basement for 22 months, didn't believe her after her dad died, that he was going to get evicted.  The Constable showed up, he didn't have anything packed, this after two Court hearings.  He was hippie druggie, smoked pot all the time.  It's all about them, being the victim.

Sorry to hear about this.  You can help, but don't expect it to work out.  Sad state of affairs.  And I thought being a model stash hoarder was an addiction.

[Tom Geiger]

The opioid  epidemic in our country is awful.  The drugs are available everywhere and people are dying every day.  I do not know anyone with this problem, thank God!  

I once had a friend I hadn't seen in a while because he had moved to Florida.  He was back in NJ and we got together at another friend's house.  I picked him up at his father's house and we stopped for beer on the way there.  He bought a full quart of Jack Daniels.  He was filling a 12 ounce glass with straight Jack and drinking it.  By evening's end he had finished the bottle and was yelling at us.  I had never seen an alcoholic in action before that time, never saw someone drink that much in one sitting.   Back when I knew him he was an industrious guy who started his own painting business and was winning contracts to paint entire hotels.  I don't know where he went wrong! I had never seen him that way before.   He never did recover from that. He is dead now.  

Edited November 14, 2018 by Tom Geiger

[Mark]

Nobody in my family has been afflicted, but in prior employment I became aware that the problem is bigger than many want to admit.  I used to do payroll and HR for a construction-related company, and we always had a hard time finding people who could pass a drug test.  The aggravation was compounded because the owner tended to hire people he knew couldn't pass, because he could get them a buck or two an hour cheaper.  (Never mind that the absenteeism cost him more than that, with other guys in the crew standing around waiting for them to show up.)  The place became a magnet for those guys, because "---- doesn't ask any questions".  Often he'd have to play mix-and-match with two-man repair crews, to get one guy in each truck who had a driver's license.  Sometimes a crew was sent out, knowingly, with two non-drivers in the truck.

My mom always told us that getting drunk or stoned didn't make sense, because in her words she always wanted to be aware of her surroundings and what was happening, even if it wasn't always good.  And, plenty happened to her that wasn't good: two bouts with cancer, and a couple of nasty car accidents, either of which could have killed her.  I don't mind a beer every so often, but keep the other stuff away from me.  I never got the point of burning something (tobacco or whatever) and inhaling the smoke...maybe I equated it with sniffing glue, which one kid in my class did do... 

[OldTrucker]

1 hour ago, Tom Geiger said:

The opioid  epidemic in our country is awful.  The drugs are available everywhere and people are dying every day.  I do not know anyone with this problem, thank God!  

I once had a friend I hadn't seen in a while because he had moved to Florida.  He was back in NJ and we got together at another friend's house.  I picked him up at his father's house and we stopped for beer on the way there.  He bought a full quart of Jack Daniels.  He was filling a 12 ounce glass with straight Jack and drinking it.  By evening's end he had finished the bottle and was yelling at us.  I had never seen an alcoholic in action before that time, never saw someone drink that much in one sitting.   Back when I knew him he was an industrious guy who started his own painting business and was winning contracts to paint entire hotels.  I don't know where he went wrong! I had never seen him that way before.   He never did recover from that. He is dead now.  

Tom, for about 2 years I fought with Jack about every night and guess what? He always won.

It is a very easy bridge to cross as I have crossed it myself and for the life of me cannot remember why, but had enough sense left to get back over to the other (safe) side and have never looked back!

We have a daughter that is fighting demons of her own right now (pot, opiods & crack according to her daughter) and is always calling for money from us, her brothers, her kids and uncles and aunts and I have told them all DO NOT support her habit for her (and her husband who got her started).

Hard to hear her claim she is starving when we know what she really wants money for but we just keep telling her when she proves to us she had gotten straight then and only then will we try and help.

It is tough to tell your kid no even when it's something like this but important to when it is something like this!

 

[Tom Geiger]

Johnny, my most sincere hopes for your family!   I pray that you work through all of this.

I feel fortunate that I have not had any addictions and my two daughters kept on the straight and narrow! 

[1930fordpickup]

An old friend that I had not seen in years had a daughter start using heroin. She was a nurse and from the first admitted time using until she passed was a little over 6 months. She came from a good family with support from Aunts and Uncles. After she passed her father told everyone never believe an addict even your own daughter.  I would have never thought in a million years it would have happened to that family. We all use the term, they had it all going for them. She did or so we thought. I feel bad for her parents and her siblings.  

The inner demons that start the use and then the addiction are stronger than we know. I believe it is the same drive that successful people have but it is wired wrong in many people and leads to anxiety and fear. . 

[ewetwo]

My wife has a cousin who's son was addicted to drugs. Great kid. Named Ryan. His Uncle on his mother's side was a priest and when Ryan was young. He would go with his uncle and help decorate the churches in town for Christmas. He was loved by everyone. A good kid. But the drugs caught him. At age 25. He was let out of rehab on a Wednesday to a half way house. The half way house called his dad the following Saturday saying they haven't been able to reach Ryan. So his dad went to the halfway house. Went up to his room and found him dead inside. An over dose. In the halfway house. There were hundreds of people at his funeral. That's how well liked he was. But his parents tried everything to help him. Got to a point where they did the tough love. And they were criticized by family for doing it. But it had to be done. His sister goes to schools now to tell her brother's story to young teenagers. His parent go to town meeting all across the state telling their story. So sad. And it's true. Never trust them. Because they will do anything to get that fix. Just like an alcoholic. 

My mom was an alcoholic. So was my dad. My dad left my mom with 6 kids when I was in 3rd grade. It was hard because you never knew what drink was going to instantly change her from laughing and joking to screaming and swearing at you. You walked on eggshells all the time. My mom died at 52 years old. I was 32. Second oldest. The drinking and smoking got here. Those were the additions then. They are 10 times worse now. Half my family would rather stay home and get smashed rather than getting together with family. I call. But they never answer. And if they do. It's back to walking on eggshells. Sad

[mikemodeler]

So sad to read these stories and I thank my lucky stars that my two kids (21 & 25) have not gone down that road that is so dark. It is so easy for kids to follow the wrong path and the devastation caused is tremendous. I guess I was lucky, never tried hard drugs and never liked smoking anything so other than a few hangovers, was able to come thru my younger years pretty much intact.

I have known a few people over the years who had kids addicted to heroin, crack and meth and sadly most of them are gone. Yes, some are able to break free but for many the high is too strong of an urge to get over. I have a cousin who tries to help addicts in Florida and for everyone she is able to help, there are usually 2 or 3 that she can't.

Hope your friend can get their child back, but if it is as bad as you say, it might be too late. Prayers to you all.

[High octane]

My neighbor lost his 23 year old son to drug addiction and so did one of my cousins lose her son also. This drug addiction is a very sad thing.

[Deuces]

Sad.... ?

[Jim N]

My kids are 27 and 21 and fortunately neither went down this path.  The eye opener for me and my wife was when they were in middle school and they informed us that drug use was moving down to this age group of kids.  This is not a popular opinion in this time, but there is no punishment too strong for the people who push this poison.