Anyone got experience of synthetic cannabis addiction?

[AJB75]

Over the last 2 and a half years, someone very close to me has been using synthetic cannabis. Now he's added added a new legal high to the mix, synthetic speed. His usage has escalated, apparently until 11 weeks ago, he was using every day, including at work and even when at home alone in charge of his two year old son. His wife has now taken away his cash cards, passport and photo ID, so he can't get money. He has still relapsed three times, most recently when looking after his son. This is when he was able to get money, so he goes to the head shop 15 mins down the road. I've tried to get him to seek help on several occasions. He saw a mindfulness counsellor last year - useless as far as I can tell. He's not seeing anyone at the moment and seems resistant to getting help or accepting how serious things have got.

Here's some of the things that he's done under the influence of synthetic cannabis in particular:
Assaulted a public transport worker - he was held in the cells, no charges
Passed out in the street, was taken to hospital. Refused to give blood, was threatened with being detained under the Mental Health act, eventually agreed.
Walked round the local park singing to himself then collapsed (this was in the last month)
Gone onto public trains and recited poetry to the train carriage on his own.
Gone onto public trains in a wolf mask and barked at people

There's also a general pattern of weird behaviour, saying the wants to do plans to leave a legacy that lasts for a 1,000 years, thinking that some wildlife photos he took are the greatest photos ever taken (they're good amateur shots, not world class). He claims his stunts on the trains are some kind of performance art and are really creative. He'll go off on strange obsessional tangents in conversation (not sure if he's high or not at the time).Wife is considering divorcing him, but wants to make it work for the child and is worried that he will descend into total meltdown if she does. Think he's unhappy at work, unhappy in his marriage and is depressed.

The really strange thing is that he's a devoted father, but still thinks it's okay to get high when he's alone in charge of a two year old. This guy has a well-paid job in the City, comes from top university and school - so lots to lose basically.

So I'm trying to help, seeing if he will consider checking himself in, if not for rehab but as a psychiatric admission for a week - to give his wife a break and him a chance to get his head right. I know you can't force anyone if they won't admit there's a problem and I don't want to drive him away.

I'm posting to see if anyone else out there has seen synthetic cannabis screw people up this way or had issues themselves. Maybe the legal speed is just as bad, I think the synthetic cannabis is worse. SWIM tried it, never again, never said that about any other substance. Really strong, not in a good way.

Suppose all addictions are the same in the end, but worried that the drug has altered his thinking and induced some kind of partial psychosis. SWIM likes to get high and has indulged in all sorts of silliness. SWIM went a little crazy with mephedrone back when it was legal, came out the other side. Nothing like this guy is behaving. Never encountered something like this before, seen people lose it with coke, booze etc. This is new.

This site is one of the few places where there's no judgement, I've checked it out before, more for recreational tips. Anyway, any advice much appreciated, this is really f**ked situation. I want to do the right thing, help someone who is in a bad place. Or maybe people who've been there and are better now.

 

[silverwheel]

Synthetics can do some really strange things to people, and are especially dangerous from a behavioral health perspective. What was his personality like before synthetics entered the picture? Was he always prone to delusions of grandeur and oddball behavior? I've read stories on Erowid of people who have routinely done GHB over a long period that sound very similar to this, particularly the bits about passing out in public places and accosting people on a train with "performance art."

How well do you know his wife? I would encourage her to intervene and get him some mental health help fast, involuntarily if necessary. It sounds like there's enough to warrant a forced hospital stay. He certainly shouldn't be caring for a toddler while acting like this.

 

[Drench]

There are loads of different Cannabinoids, all best avoided. Some give a strong hangover, some are really fiendish, some make you really weird and you probably won't even realise it.

 

[Listening]

When you say "synthetic speed", do you know what he's taking and how much/often? I think you're underestimating how much of a role this is playing in his behavior. In any case, as you already know, he has to see that there's a problem before he does anything about it.

If he is really putting the safety of his kids at risk (sounds like it, but not certain from your account), then obviously authorities could easily intervene. If that matters to him (losing his kids) then that would be a motivation to shape up...

 

[AJB75]

Thanks for the replies, guys. Should mention that this is my brother we are talking about, so I have to try to help somehow, understood about he has to want to first. But can't give up. I think the pattern of use was synthetic cannabis first, then he was busted by his wife (this was about year ago). I think now he uses the powders at home, less easy to detect, then smokes when out and about or opportunity arises. The strange behaviour started with the cannabinoid.

Getting the authorities involved is the last resort. His career might be over if it came out and his child hasn't been injured or any harm happened that I'm aware of. But I think the wife is in denial as well. So who knows what to believe.

There's a pattern here, where he's been on binges, she takes all the ability to get money away. I try to get him to seek help, then they both shut down pretend it's all fine. We play happy families, until the whole cycle starts again.

Going to do what I can the next few weeks to get him to seek help.

 

[silverwheel]

I hope he comes around soon. My worry is that, given his behavior in public, the authorities may be getting involved before long anyway. He'll stand a much better chance of keeping his life together if he gets himself some help before this happens. Good luck and don't give up on him.

 

[cj]

It sounds like his experiencing psychosis. Could be from the drugs. Or he could be using the drugs to medicate the psychosis.

 

[oxymoron310]

Synthetics can do some really strange things to people, and are especially dangerous from a behavioral health perspective. What was his personality like before synthetics entered the picture? Was he always prone to delusions of grandeur and oddball behavior? I've read stories on Erowid of people who have routinely done GHB over a long period that sound very similar to this, particularly the bits about passing out in public places and accosting people on a train with "performance art."

How well do you know his wife? I would encourage her to intervene and get him some mental health help fast, involuntarily if necessary. It sounds like there's enough to warrant a forced hospital stay. He certainly shouldn't be caring for a toddler while acting like this.

When I was addicted to Ketamine, PCP and DXM, I would do things like convince people working in Walgreens I was homeless and that my parents were abusing me and they would give me free coffee and I convinced myself that I was making them feel good or something helping me. It was strange. I would drink a bottle of Delsym and take on different identities. I now have Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) and I dissociate and become someone completely different. It can now happen at anytime.
My advice is to get this person medical attention immediately before it's too late, before damage is done permanently.

 

[AJB75]

Yes I think he needs in-patient care, either as a voluntary psychiatric admission or rehab. Needs to get his head clean of the junk thinking not just the drugs.