Is my friend abusing meth or heroin? And gratefulness

[applion]

Recently recovering addict. A friend of mine seems to be on death's door. We haven't seen him in about 4-6 months, as he has completely isolated himself. Last night, his fire alarm went off, and we're on call for his security system. It was around 12:30-1 AM, and we rushed over. He looked like a skeleton, face sunk in, losing his hair, tiny limbs. He was wearing jeans and a long sleeve shirt even though it was 85 degrees out. Apparently, he had been waiting outside on the fire department so he clearly didn't want them in his house. He had a covered pot on the stove, and a bowl of what looked like burnt beans that he said was soup. There was also a can of pro control pesticide that he was acting very nervous and jumpy about. He had no idea what time it was, and jumped from topic to topic, often forgetting what he was saying halfway through a sentence. He would walk from place to place in his house with an air of hyperness, and told us about all he had gotten done that day. He asked me if I had left something in his freezer about my university, whose t shirt I was wearing. When I told him I had not, he said he thought it said something like "I love ___ university", to which I denied. When my bf hugged him, he asked him to scratch his back. When my bf asked if he could put his number on his exceptions for Do Not Disturb, which he claimed was the reason he missed our frantic calls a few minutes prior, he didn't have the sense of mind to realize he told me out loud to show him how I was doing it so he would know how to take it off. It was all very, very sad, but it made me extremely grateful for my own sobriety and even more determined to remain that way. We're considering putting him in court ordered treatment. I know from experience you have to decide to change yourself, but I met quite a few people who were taking their treatment seriously who had been court ordered, and he's definitely going to kill himself at this rate anyhow.

 

[johnnypotsmoker199]

Recently recovering addict. A friend of mine seems to be on death's door. We haven't seen him in about 4-6 months, as he has completely isolated himself. Last night, his fire alarm went off, and we're on call for his security system. It was around 12:30-1 AM, and we rushed over. He looked like a skeleton, face sunk in, losing his hair, tiny limbs. He was wearing jeans and a long sleeve shirt even though it was 85 degrees out. Apparently, he had been waiting outside on the fire department so he clearly didn't want them in his house. He had a covered pot on the stove, and a bowl of what looked like burnt beans that he said was soup. There was also a can of pro control pesticide that he was acting very nervous and jumpy about. He had no idea what time it was, and jumped from topic to topic, often forgetting what he was saying halfway through a sentence. He would walk from place to place in his house with an air of hyperness, and told us about all he had gotten done that day. He asked me if I had left something in his freezer about my university, whose t shirt I was wearing. When I told him I had not, he said he thought it said something like "I love ___ university", to which I denied. When my bf hugged him, he asked him to scratch his back. When my bf asked if he could put his number on his exceptions for Do Not Disturb, which he claimed was the reason he missed our frantic calls a few minutes prior, he didn't have the sense of mind to realize he told me out loud to show him how I was doing it so he would know how to take it off. It was all very, very sad, but it made me extremely grateful for my own sobriety and even more determined to remain that way. We're considering putting him in court ordered treatment. I know from experience you have to decide to change yourself, but I met quite a few people who were taking their treatment seriously who had been court ordered, and he's definitely going to kill himself at this rate anyhow.

No one will change unless they wish to first. The only thing I believe you can do is offer alternatives if they are really stuck in the addiction mindset. If opiates, mention the methadone clinic.

It's an easier transition for addicts as its a synthetic opiate and you do get away from any crime while you work on the addiction mindset.

One thing to remember is methadone is a replacement and you do eventually have to get off, however, the maintenance program does keep a user out of crime and on the legal side of the law.

I would suggest methadone of you are finding them struggling to make the commitment or have a fear of sobriety.

You have to keep in mind that addicts are addicted and become slaves to the drug that is deeply entrenched with fear.

Overcoming this with him way be the first step needed.

If meth, someone else may want to chime in as I have never had too much of addiction experience with that drug.

 

[rainyday107]

Congrats on your recovery!

Your friend sounds like he's in an extremely dark place.

Sending positive thoughts...