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evil!!!!

Thanks pleo, you said it so I didnt have to.
It's always the person, not the drug. Sorry if that offends anyone, but I'll stick to that till the day I die.
Won_Ton: you're friend wants to quit, that is the first, and hardest step. Some advice I can give is to firstly remove themselves from anything associated with the drug. This, unfortunately, may mean leaving behind good friends (and no crap about a friend who lets you be a junkie not being a true friend). For me, luckily, it was quite easy to do this as I only had one source, and the power to just remove this person from my life. It always help to find a substitute as well. Depending on the person, other drugs can be beneficial, especially weed, but not if it is just going to cause another addiction and more problems. Basically, they need a hobby, I know it sounds rediculous, but many people get trapped in a circle of addiction because there is nothing else better to do. A girl I know got herself a job, and threw herself into it. This helped her get a new social setting, new friends, and just give her no time to do the drug.
I wish your friend the best of luck, be supportive, but be hard.
 
One useful note that I felt I had to add. Heroin's primary withdrawl symptoms are over within 7-10 days, whereas the primary withdrawl from Methadone can take 4-6 WEEKS!
Also, to my knowledge, all heroin substitutes are actually more damaging to the body than a properly administered dose of pure Heroin (Diacetyl Morphine).
-plaz out-
 
PKardNuSanz said:
There is naltrexone, another methadone treatment just different drug (i think this might be tied in with the rapid detox method) but that is another bandaid treatment which is the easiest and dumbest way to tackle addictions(as i see it)
It is a completely incorrect to say naltrexone is the same as methadone. They are like chalk and cheese.
Methadone is an opiate substitute, with a long half-life (meaning you can take it once a day) that does not induce a high.
Naltrexone is an opiate antagonist, meaning it blocks the effects of opiates. If you give naltrexone to someone who has recently used, it will cause rapid withdrawl. Therefore, naltrexone treatment is usually only started after a rapid detox with naloxone (another opiate antagonist) given under sedation. Naltrexone is therefore used for people who are committed to abstinence. It does not cause dependency.
Buprenorphine is different again - it is a partial opiate agonist, which reduces cravings for opiates. Itis less physically addictive than methadone. It is given either once per day or once every two days.
Finally, there is sustained release morphine tablets (like MS Contin).
No medical treatment for opiate addiction is a magic bullet - they are all supposed to be used in conjunction with counselling.
Click to expand...
 
If nothing else, this thread proves how emotive the subject of opiate dependence is.
There is plenty of help available for your friend if he is ready to access it.
Try phoning - or better yet, get your friend to phone - ADIS (Alcohol & Drug Information Service) on (02)9361 8000 for phone support and a list of treatment services in your local area.
For information on methadone, the Methadone Advice and Complaints Service is on 1800 642 428.
Methadone is not a cure for heroin dependence. Methadone is a synthetic equivalent of heroin and so a substitute. Being on a methadone program certainly has disadvantages, such as having to turn up to a clinic or pharmacy every day for dosing and abiding by their rules. It also has huge advantages however. The dependent person has cheap and reliable access to opiates, enabling them to put the rest of their lives back together instead of spending all day working out how to get money and score heroin while hanging out most of the time. When everything else is in order, down the track, the person can then look at weaning themselves off methadone.
It's not true that methadone and heroin are dangerous to the body, except, and this is a big but, in overdose. At lower doses they are well tolerated and cause no long-term damage, unlike the brain and liver damage caused by alcohol, or the damage caused by tobacco. Overdose is often fatal, because it depresses breathing.
It's true that people like your friend can become very thin and look very unhealthy. This isn't a direct result of taking opiates but a spinoff of a whole lifestyle where health is neglected, appetite is poor and where perhaps there are a bunch of mental health issues like chronic depression and anxiety as well.
Methadone isn't the only course of action. There are detox centres all over, where treatment is free and the person can withdraw in a safe place. There's a huge amount of mythology about withdrawal from opiates. It's not life-threatening. It is uncomfortable and sometimes the worst part is the anxiety the person feels. Medications are available to relieve the symptoms of withdrawal, but not take them away completely.
Rapid detox is a very expensive procedure which pushes the body through the withdrawals in a few hours. It has a patchy success rate and the person is no better off after a rapid detox than they would be after a normal detox of approximately 5 days (for heroin). Staying off the gear once you have withdrawn is still the major challenge.
Home detox is also an option, if the person has a place to stay, a supportive nonusing friend and a supportive GP.
After withdrawal, what then?
Rehab is definitely an option. Odyssey House is just one of the many good places. The best rehab is the one that will work for your friend and finding which one that is may involve trial and error.
There is also drug counselling available all over, from hospitals, community health centres and a variety of nongovernment organisations.
To find a rehab or drug & alcohol counsellor near you, phone ADIS, phone number above.
Good luck with your friend and good on you for being so caring towards him. :)
 
^
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: Fucking excellent post!
Many thanks, BigTrancer :)
 
Just want to add one more little bit to the excellent advice already given...
There really isn't any one remedy for opiate addiction. Different people have different needs, which can be met in different ways. If your friend finds a drug and alcohol counsellor or detox/rehab service, and they aren't happy with the service, don't give up on the whole thing. All the services/detox methods listed above are very different, and will be useful for your friend in different ways. If you don't like the service/detox method you're using, find another one. It might be worthwhile finding a good D&A counsellor who can refer your mate on to detox/rehab etc. Its good to have someone who'll stick with you through the whole process. If you don't like one D&A counsellor, find yourself another one. There are quite a few out there, and some would be more suitable for your mate than others. So stick with it, stick by your mate, and good luck.
PS - Also, let your mate know that he's not the first one to go through this. Lots of people have been there, and lots of people have made it through OK.
 
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