• The Dark Side 💕 Welcome Guest 💕
    Posting Rules Bluelight Rules
    Notable Threads Urgent Hotlines
    Bereavement Mindfulness
    Suicide Support Anger Management
  • TDS Moderators: AlphaMethylPhenyl | paranoid android

What do you do with a heroin-addicted brother?

If you give him any drugs to open up his mind to what he is doing I suggest tripping with your bro. Eat some LSD or mushrooms with him. I used to take those to put my own self in line and to tale a hard look at my life. When I take hallucinagins they make me feel dirty for using heroin. It has helped me quit multiple times, I just haven't had a loving caring sister to follow it up afterwards and be there for me. Show him you can get fucked up and have fun without doing drugs that turn you into a fiend. No drug will ever be as good as H to him ever again. He will never get as high as dope gets him. However, with a little bit of pushing and support from his sibling, he could have some major realizations and remember other things can be just as fun if taken with the right attitude. Pychadelics and weed are also totally different than most hard drugs and will have strong effects still compared to coke, pills, and drugs like that.

You could give him some mdma on top of one of those(mushies or acid) and it could work out even better. I do not suggest excstacy what so ever. Only pure mdma. Exctacy could completely ruin the trip and make him feel worse. It does to me now(didnt before I did dope), the mixture of dirty drugs in it isn't good for someone who's been doing heroin.

The only person that he can quit for is himself, but a family member such as yourself who isn't a total drug Nazi, can have some good effects and some strong motivation for him to quit. Definitely talk to him about it, you have a better chance than anyone else. Make sure he knows to quit for himself though and that your just very worried and sad about the whole situation.

Great job on taking initiative and asking questions. You couldn't have done it better. Heroin is not something to mess around with, it is a very serious and sad disease and not to be taken lightly. This is all coming from an addict and I hope this helps.
 
It sounds to me like you have good intentions but lack the understanding of heroin addiction which isnt me knocking you cause the only way to understand it is to live it. My famiy tried everything to get me clean from rehab to detox to tough love trying to make me bottom all that did was make me want to die. You gotta realize he prolly doesnt care if he lives or dies if hes already lost everything then hes probably has the attitude that he is just going to play this out to its natural conclusion which is death. The only thing that changed my mindset was time and suboxone at first I just used the sub when I couldnt get dope but gradually I took it more often then dope and now i take sub everyday and shoot dope once every few months. The odds of him getting completely opiate free are small your goal should be to help him try to find some stability in his life nothing else can be accomplished until then. BTW some unsolicited advice stay away from those 12 step places they often cause more harm then good I have seen it first hand.

Goodluck and like someone else said try to keep some emotional distance in all this otherwise it will tear you apart.
 
i personally think any tripping is bad. LSD or mushrooms? hes gonna have a bad trip when he thinks of his addiction. its a given. and the bad trip with you there could hurt your relationship.

really though, he may think about and be enlightened, but a few days later or even later that day hes gonna do heroin. hes not gonna forget about it and probably will think "i was just high" to justify it to himself or make himself feel better
 
thanks alot for the replies, i guess im going to drop the idea of psychedelics and just look after him, i am keeping my emotional distance but it just pisses me of to see that condition right infront of me and be helpless about it. he's taking detox meds but im 100% sure he's still using. what are the signs of taking dope compared to taking detox meds?. he's always justifying that his nods are due to the effect of his meds which might be true but i just need to know so i keep my self in the loop. im sorry guys i might be asking naive questions but try to understand my position as i am a psychonaut not a junk feind.

thanks again <3
 
what are the detox meds? valium? he probably isn't stupid and knows he can get a stronger nod if he takes a valium or 3 with his shots. chance of an OD or respiratory depression is greatly increased when benzos are mixed with painkillers, esp IV heroin.

we all wanted to quit and told everyone were sick of it. ain't that easy though especially when he can still get it so easily and feels those first feelings of sickness. i had to get rid of everyone who even reminded me of painkillers.
 
cosmicjoke said:
thanks alot for the replies, i guess im going to drop the idea of psychedelics and just look after him, i am keeping my emotional distance but it just pisses me of to see that condition right infront of me and be helpless about it. he's taking detox meds but im 100% sure he's still using. what are the signs of taking dope compared to taking detox meds?. he's always justifying that his nods are due to the effect of his meds which might be true but i just need to know so i keep my self in the loop. im sorry guys i might be asking naive questions but try to understand my position as i am a psychonaut not a junk feind.

thanks again <3
Click to expand...


Addiction is a very multifaceted thing and people all around the world deal with it differently. There are people who might feel they "accidentally" got addicted and a lot of the time can maintain a low dose. Then there are others that let the drug take over their lives and you have to question in some of those cases whether thats what the person wanted. And in that respect, maybe the downward spiral of their life would have happened w/out the drugs.

My shrink always said drugs were like a car or a gun, and that it was the person controlling the object not the object itself that made it dangerous or not. Just to say to think about nothing more. About the detox meds if they are making him nod I say thats because thats what he wants. Right now I do not want to nod I am taking sub and reducing it everyday. I want to quit. Your brother obviously hasn't reached that point all the way. Sometimes I don't understand why tapering is so hard for some people. And then when I look at myself I realize it was just because I didn't really want to stop.

When your brother really wants to stop, its my belief he will absolutely find a way. I don't always view addiction like a weakness a lot of times I do view it like a choice. Thats just my opinion of course. You can get addicted accidentally but you keep using the drug on purpose. Wds can be an excuse to not stop but dropping your dose 5-10% rarely causes wds. So I don't know I tend to be bias about addiction sometimes.
 
yes, it really is true he has to want it. and there will probably be times he stops for a week or 2 but then relapses cause he didn't really want it. i did it like 8 or 9 times then always hopped back on it.

but thats a good thing. it prepared me for what was to come. it also let me do it a few times and fail, which taught me some stuff. mainly ways to deal with it while its happening and what to avoid doing. you also have a bit of clarity in that miserable state.
 
I was like you years ago with all the pyschs, the festivals, the shows, than I got hooked on opiates. Still went to lots of festivals and shows, but pills, booze and coke were what I sought than. Anyways, just want to point out that could happen to you, so be careful. With me, it got to the point that I had to get on Suboxone and stop using all other substances to get my shit together. I was never a herion user, but I was a heavy drinker who binged on opiates and coke semi-regularly.

Giving your brother MDMA is not going to make him want to stop using, only a strong desire from inside him can stop it. Sure, when he is rolling he might think and tell others that he is going to stop, but the cravings will come with the comedown. Want to know how I really started to get heavy with my pharm usage? It was when the MDMA comedowns started getting rougher.

Best of luck to you, just be there to support him. Do not enable him (No money, no rides to cop, no place to crash when he is high, tell him to leave if he is high). It would be really cool of you if you stop using for a little while so you can show him it is possible. I am a strong proponent of Suboxone, as I am on it now and in the process of tapering off. It lets you get your shit together and gives you a chance to develop good habits.... speaking of which, that reminds me, I haven't meditated in a few days.
 
Larson0 said:
yes, it really is true he has to want it. and there will probably be times he stops for a week or 2 but then relapses cause he didn't really want it. i did it like 8 or 9 times then always hopped back on it.

but thats a good thing. it prepared me for what was to come. it also let me do it a few times and fail, which taught me some stuff. mainly ways to deal with it while its happening and what to avoid doing. you also have a bit of clarity in that miserable state.
Click to expand...

I was in the process of "quitting" for at least 3 years. During that time, my usage slowed down and became a binge cycle. I got caught in this for a long time (on and off, on and off) but it still prepared me for what was too come. Plus it taught me how to taper. I became very very good at getting myself off of opiates, I just couldn't stay off. Thing is, this last time I knew it was for real. I had wanted to stop before, but I knew it was the time.

I cannot promise I will never use opiates again, I wish I could. I have vowed to myself to never use them again, I know it is not in my best interests and I am going to try my hardest to never touch them again. I cannot afford to use again, and it would devastate me. I think I am more committed to this than I ever have been. Its been over a year and things are going well for me for the most part. I don't enjoy using opiates, and really didn't enjoy using them for quite some time. But, I would be a fool to think that I have somehow "cured" myself. I don't think addiction is a disease, but it is a very tricky thing.
 
Last edited:
cosmicjoke said:
thanks, do you think its ok to make him dose some molly?
Click to expand...

No. I am just posting this in general. Psychedelic drugs are highly highly unlikely to stop someone from using. For awhile, when my opiate and psychedelic use overlapped, I always told myself I was going to stop when I was tripping, but then a few hours I was walking around trying to find benzos or opiates. Soon after that, Psychedelics became too difficult for me to handle. I wasn't looking for that kind of high. I think I've done MDMA maybe 3 times, 2C-B twice and LSD once in the past 5 years. I was always surrounded by the stuff because of the large of people I know from going to shows and festivals for so long. I was able to find whatever I wanted. Before that I was much more regular with the psychedelics, it just phased out. Also, I do not think its my opiate use that stopped me, as lots of my friends stopped tripping and now just smoke weed and drink, with the occasional pharm or line of coke.

In my experience, I forgot lots of the "lessons" I learned in my psychedelic experience. I actually enjoyed them more when I stopped trying to find the "true meaning".

The only person that should be giving the chemically dependent drugs to help them is a qualified doctor.

Also, are you older or younger than your brother?
 
Last edited:
My advice to you as one that has been on the outside of a loved one's addiction is to understand exactly what you can and cannot do.
You cannot deter them.
You cannot save them.

You can accept them.
You can see their strengths as well as their weakness.
You can refuse to be used by them.
You can do whatever you have to do to take care of the deep well of sadness their addiction brings up in you.
You can let them know that you will never abandon your faith in them, and that you will carry hope for them when they can't.
You can let them know that you love the person they have always been.
You can work hard to achieve any or all of the above and not beat yourself up when you don't.
You can take the love and concern and compassion you have for your brother and let it extend your deepened understanding and empathy to every person in the world that suffer from addiction.
My heart goes out to you, your family and your brother.<3
 
cosmicjoke said:
thanks alot for the replies, i guess im going to drop the idea of psychedelics and just look after him, i am keeping my emotional distance but it just pisses me of to see that condition right infront of me and be helpless about it. he's taking detox meds but im 100% sure he's still using. what are the signs of taking dope compared to taking detox meds?. he's always justifying that his nods are due to the effect of his meds which might be true but i just need to know so i keep my self in the loop. im sorry guys i might be asking naive questions but try to understand my position as i am a psychonaut not a junk feind.

thanks again <3
Click to expand...

From my exp. When I did herion I nodded. I was a heavy user of drugs too I have a lot of exp. I used a lot of pain meds. Herion nodded me every time. However val never made me nod. You would have to use a lot of val to make your self sleep esp with a tolerance. So to answer that question im sure he is using still.

I really think tripping could help him my self. I have learned a lot. However from friends of mine who were into herion I can tell you this. Nothing can break herions lock on a person. Except for them. Unless he really wants to quit, a trip may open his mind but not to quiting herion.

Don't waste your time. When he is ready to quit do everything to help him, in fact even while using try to help him do positive things don't support his habit though. Don't enable him. Herion is a bad one. Most never come back.

I really hope for the best. Sounds like your a good brother.
 
phactor said:
No. I am just posting this in general. Psychedelic drugs are highly highly unlikely to stop someone from using. For awhile, when my opiate and psychedelic use overlapped, I always told myself I was going to stop when I was tripping, but then a few hours I was walking around trying to find benzos or opiates. Soon after that, Psychedelics became too difficult for me to handle. I wasn't looking for that kind of high. I think I've done MDMA maybe 3 times, 2C-B twice and LSD once in the past 5 years. I was always surrounded by the stuff because of the large of people I know from going to shows and festivals for so long. I was able to find whatever I wanted. Before that I was much more regular with the psychedelics, it just phased out. Also, I do not think its my opiate use that stopped me, as lots of my friends stopped tripping and now just smoke weed and drink, with the occasional pharm or line of coke.

In my experience, I forgot lots of the "lessons" I learned in my psychedelic experience. I actually enjoyed them more when I stopped trying to find the "true meaning".

The only person that should be giving the chemically dependent drugs to help them is a qualified doctor.

Also, are you older or younger than your brother?
Click to expand...

i am older, i actually produce music and set up events so im surrounded by people who are into drugs.. which doesn't help with my image towards him. i hate opiates, i prefer to be out and about rather than noding with my self. i have been tripping for 4 years and stopped all the stimulants except the occassional candy flips (i consider molly a stimulant). there is no chance in hell for me to start using opiates.

what do you mean by enabling him?? can you be more specific.
 
herbavore said:
My advice to you as one that has been on the outside of a loved one's addiction is to understand exactly what you can and cannot do.
You cannot deter them.
You cannot save them.

You can accept them.
You can see their strengths as well as their weakness.
You can refuse to be used by them.
You can do whatever you have to do to take care of the deep well of sadness their addiction brings up in you.
You can let them know that you will never abandon your faith in them, and that you will carry hope for them when they can't.
You can let them know that you love the person they have always been.
You can work hard to achieve any or all of the above and not beat yourself up when you don't.
You can take the love and concern and compassion you have for your brother and let it extend your deepened understanding and empathy to every person in the world that suffer from addiction.
My heart goes out to you, your family and your brother.<3
Click to expand...

very sound advice thanks :)
 
Don't give him money. If he needs food buy him food, if he is late on a bill and needs cash pay the bill. Don't enable him don't give him money. If he needs a ride to get a job or to go to school do it but if he needs a ride to get to his dealer don't drive him. Don't enable him in any way shape or form to do his drugs. Sometimes its hard. My brother would break into houses to get drug money so I would give him cash trying to keep him from doing that. I was enabling him making it for easy for him to do his drugs. I wanted him safe I would give him help all the time. I didn't want him to get shot or go to jail but in the end I did more harm then good.
Do positive things for him for sure, but don't support his habit. If that means leaving if you know he is high or not giving him a ride or not helping him do something fine.

The thing you need to remember is this. Herion is .. its so hard to quit. I mean im telling you its bliss. However if it gets to the point where its to hard for him to use, to much pain and trouble and costly. If he can't keep it up. He may decided he wants to quit thats when you can be there for him. Or hopefully he gets locked up and cleans up in jail. Problem with herion is the WD is so bad you keep using it. So long as your under its influence its very hard to break away. Once you get clear headed for a bit its much more easy to Not go back then it is to quit of your own accord.

Do you best bro. Sorry. I saw this drug kill friends, and destroy my brother. It was so hard to watch. It took away his soul. He came back thank god as Did I but its hard. IT took us both hitting rock bottom and having know other choices but to clean up or do serious time in prison. We both decided it was time to clean up.
 
xxsicknessxx said:
Don't give him money. If he needs food buy him food, if he is late on a bill and needs cash pay the bill. Don't enable him don't give him money. If he needs a ride to get a job or to go to school do it but if he needs a ride to get to his dealer don't drive him. Don't enable him in any way shape or form to do his drugs. Sometimes its hard. My brother would break into houses to get drug money so I would give him cash trying to keep him from doing that. I was enabling him making it for easy for him to do his drugs. I wanted him safe I would give him help all the time. I didn't want him to get shot or go to jail but in the end I did more harm then good.
Do positive things for him for sure, but don't support his habit. If that means leaving if you know he is high or not giving him a ride or not helping him do something fine.

The thing you need to remember is this. Herion is .. its so hard to quit. I mean im telling you its bliss. However if it gets to the point where its to hard for him to use, to much pain and trouble and costly. If he can't keep it up. He may decided he wants to quit thats when you can be there for him. Or hopefully he gets locked up and cleans up in jail. Problem with herion is the WD is so bad you keep using it. So long as your under its influence its very hard to break away. Once you get clear headed for a bit its much more easy to Not go back then it is to quit of your own accord.

Do you best bro. Sorry. I saw this drug kill friends, and destroy my brother. It was so hard to watch. It took away his soul. He came back thank god as Did I but its hard. IT took us both hitting rock bottom and having know other choices but to clean up or do serious time in prison. We both decided it was time to clean up.
Click to expand...

im glad you guys managed to get out of it. im definately not enabling him. i feel sorry for him as well as for others who are suffering.<3
 
I was deep into heroin for awhile. Been clean for almost 6 months now.

@cosmicjoke

Is there anything your brother really loved to do before his addiction that he doesn't do anymore because of his addiction? For me one of the major reasons why I decided to quit was because I consider myself a writer. And when I was strung out, I couldn't write up to my pre -addiction standards anymore. My mind was so muddled with junk and so consumed by the need for more junk that when I actually did sit down and try and write it came out horrible. I know some writers have no problem with it. William S Burroughs for example. But for me heroin put me in a place were I could access my creativity but not do anything about it. Almost everything I have ever written while I was on junk I look back on now and think fuck I'm glad I'm clean now. Because for me writing is and has always been the only thing that I've ever truly cared to do and I have a passion for it. And when I saw that passion dying in front of me I realized I couldn't let it die by my own hands.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is if your brother had a hobby or something that he really loved to do before he developed his heroin addiction. Remind him of it. Maybe bring it up in conversation (like hey remember when you use to do ____ and how much fun it was?) and if its something you can do together maybe find an occasion to do it. It could remind him of the fun he use to have without heroin. Remind him of the passion he once had for life, and how heroin has taken that passion away.

I obviously don't know your brother. But I'm willing to bet that at some point he was passionate about something. Find out what that passion is if you don't already know. Its no guarantee it will get him to quit but hey if your willing to try dosing him with LSD or MDMA you might as well try and do this.
 
Heroin addiction is a horrible thing to go through. Not only for the individual involved, but also for those around them

I know, having gone through the addiction and putting my family and friends through a lot of stress that the best thing you can do is to support him. Don't attack him about it, as this leads to him hiding it and things can get a whole lot more dangerous. Please stick by him through his time of trouble.

I can only think how I would have gotten through my addiction a lot easier with my family on my side. I was dosing in unhygienic places like public toilets to hide my use. If you are addicted you will do anything.

Hope for the best in your difficult time <3
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top