Heroin addict? Try seboxone it works

You've been so preoccupied with searching day in and day out for heroin that you forgot that you're family still loves you. Even though they don't trust you or sometimes they may even dislike you...it's not you they dislike...it's your behavoir...you're continuous search for heroin, your fixation on how to buy it, who to buy it from, how to pay for it. We know you can't help it. It's called a disease. It's a brain disease.

There are plenty of people out there that have made it back from heroin addiction, back to a normal life. No lies, no stealing, no more worries about heroin. Heroin is a choice, a bad one but nonetheless your choice. No one made you start using heroin and then continue making you use heroin. You're not special...you will become addicted to heroin if you use it. I hear you saying, "I'm different...I've been through so much in my life it want happen to me". Well, you're not special and if you use heroin you will become addicted to it eventually. If you've ever tried to stop before you know how horrible the withdrawals can be and that fear doesn't help.

My daughter was a heroin addict [a lying, stealing, needle-using, dirty, junkie heroin addict] for about 2 years before I found out about it. She had snorted heroin for a year and then progressed to using needles for a year. She was 17 when I found out about it. I thought the bruises on her arms were from her friends playing around with her [that's what she told me]. I remember searching online for possible reasons for her arms being bruised. I thought she might have some type of disease. I never found anything online that led me to believe that she might be an drug addict. I knew she was a troubled teen and I had been taking her to see a psychiatrist for her anger, mood swings and general depression. Not once did anyone ever say anything to me about the possibility that her severe mood swings, rages, anxiousness and suicidal tendencies had anything to do with drug addiction. Boy, was I surprised. I felt like an idiot.

I immediately took her to her psychiatrist and told him she was a heroin addict. He just looked at her, asked her if she was sick...she said yes. He left the room, and immediately came back with a tiny orange pill. He told her to put it under her tongue and let it dissolve. He wrote her a prescription for seboxone and told us to come back the next week. That was the beginning of a year of ups and downs....Today, a year later she's no longer taking seboxone...she's heroin free and says she'll never go back. Soon, she'll start college. I'm looking forward to what the future holds for her and she is too thanks to seboxone.

Heroin's Gone, For Now

My daughter is now clean and I mean really clean. She's like an angry ex-smoker on steriods. She's not on prozac and she's weaned herself off the seboxone. She reduced her dose for a couple of weeks, walked around for a couple of days with cramping legs and then she was over it. Now, she's like a bull in a china shop-everyday's a bad day. She's gained about 30 pounds and feels like everyone's looking at her because she's fat. She's not fat she's normal. She actually looks like a normal, healthy girl...not a heroin-bloated, acne, sores, bruises, skin and bones addict. I wanted to say to her "Geez, did you ever worry about people looking at you when you were nodding off, or when you didn't wash your hair or change your clothes?" But I don't...I just tell her she looks great! I don't really know what to say to her...she's miserable. Nothing makes her happy...nothing makes her laugh...I wish she was happy I really do. Can recovering addicts be happy normally? I'm going to take her back to her psychiatrist maybe he'll try something besides prozac. Any ideas?

Boyfriend's Back and He's Takin' a Beating

Well, he came back. She has been completely wild since the breakup...however, still not using heroin...but she managed to consume some mushrooms, aderal, valium and smoke alot of weed...[She tells me these things after the fact]...It drives me completely crazy that I don't know that she's high...she seems fine to me...I'm always looking at her eyes. I did notice her eyes being very dialated one night and asked her what she was taking. Of course, she said it was the light and said look at your eyes they're dialated too...and they were! They have an answer for everything.

Anyway, back to the boyfriend, he was cheating on her with a friend of hers...and she's not happy about that. Now, all she wants to do now is hurt him by calling her lesbian girlfriend. Yes, she was hanging out with a lesbian...who is very infatuated with my daughter and wants her to be her girlfriend. Since, getting back with her boyfriend she's decided she's not gay. I don't really care what she is...I just don't want her doing any drugs.

She had a drug test a couple of weeks ago and it came back clean...her psychiatrist just wanted to make sure her liver was functioning okay...The suboxone can sometimes cause elevated liver enzymes...and he also wants to make sure she's not using heroin. She sees her psychiatrist one a month and she never knows when he's going to ask her to take a blood test. He will give her a hair follicle test soon and everything she's done for the last 6 months will show up...she knows this...I guess she doesn't care.

Wellbutrin is Her Anxiety Med Choice

Well, she's changed her mind about the anti-anxiety medication. She researched the three choices [Wellbutrin, Prozac or Cymbalta] her Doctor had given her and she's decided on Wellbutrin. Why, this change of heart?...Her boyfriend. He convinced her it was what she needed to do. The reason she chose WellbutrinSR is because of the side effects. The side effects may include: Agitation, constipation, dizziness, dry mouth, insomnia, nausea, rash, sweating, weight loss. She chose Wellbutrin because of the last side effect listed...yep, its weight loss. Has anyone using Seboxone also used Wellbutrin?

Seboxone: Switching One Addiction for Another?

Some people think that taking seboxone for addiction is switching one addiction for another. My daughter has been heroin-free for almost 5 months now thanks to that little orange, stop sign- shaped pill called suboxone. Yes, it has its side effects and yes she is addicted to suboxone however, her chances of being arrested, contracting a serious disease, or worse death is worth it...don't you think? I have my daughter back...a young, free spirited teen who has her whole life ahead of her. As a mother of a now, not-addicted-to-heroin teen, I feel very lucky.

Is buprenorphine [suboxone] treatment just switching one addiction for another? According to http://www.naabt.org/faqs.cfm the answer is No– and I have to agree.

Basically, taking suboxone is just one part of the treatment plan. Counseling is another very important part of treatment. I've found this to be true. The counseling actually helps with learning why you turn to drugs in the first place. The drug-seeking behavior ends, the compulsive need to use ends, the stealing and the lying end. The anxiety and intense sense of need end...because you're not waking up in the morning wondering where and how you'll get your next fix. If you take your suboxone as directed, get enough rest, eat healthy, exercise and seek counseling you will be successful. Yes, there will be times when you feel the need to go out and use...you may want to ask your Doctor about increasing your dose for a while until those feelings subside. Or, maybe you just want to go out and use because you really love heroin...talk to someone...just to help you get through it. If you're just kicking around on the internet to get information on how to stop...there are some really great websites and some wonderful people out there who know what you're going through and how to help. Don't be afraid to stop. If you're in pain find a Doctor who prescribes suboxone...your pain will immediately be gone!

Switching a life threatening drug like heroin for a very small, orange, stop sign-shaped pill...is not switching one drug for another. I call it smart...

A Mom's Thoughts on Heroin Addiction

The day I found out my daughter was a heroin addict was the day I thought I was going to lose my mind. I'm pretty stable, I can usually make decisions pretty quickly without much thought or stress. That day, my mind was racing around out of control. I would cry and then I would just stop...and focus on the situation...then I would get anxious....they I would cry...this went on for hours. I had to talk myself out of this emotional roller coaster ride...telling myself that everything would be okay and truly believe myself...It was horrible. I didn't really know how to help her but I knew I couldn't help her until I could straighten myself out. Finally, I started making calls to addiction clinics and mental clinics. She had been seeing a psychiatrist for a couple of months to deal with her mood swings. I had no idea she was an addict I thought she just had problems dealing with life in general. Her psychiatrist was named as someone who could help her. So I immediately called and they immediately told me to bring her in. He prescribed suboxone. She seemed to do very well and I could see a change in her almost immediately. I watched her go through the daily ups and downs...the temptation to go out and use again. The everyday drama was just about to cause me to have a nervous breakdown. If she went out I would stay up. If she was home I would stay up. I was not sleeping well at all. Heroin was taking its tole on me too...I couldn't stop thinking about it. I was obsessed with its hold on my daughter. I found it very helpful to talk with her counselor but I found it the most helpful to read others posts about addiction and the problems and solutions they had found. She's been heroin-free for 4 months now. I'm sleeping now. I feel great. There are several things I learned as a parent of a heroin addict. If they want to use they will use. Just keep talking to them. Tell them the people they thought were there friends were not friends. Tell them to stay away from them because they only want you to get high with them. They want you to fall back into the clutches of heroin so you can be just like them...addicts. The more people that tell them this over and over again the more it starts to sink in and they will begin to believe what you're telling them. My daughter has told me that she knew that using was not good but she didn't care. The seboxone will take them to a place where they begin to care. When they care they have strength. So if you're reading this tell them you love them and care about them and get them into a program that prescribes suboxone and counseling. Learn everything you can about heroin. Learn everything you can about suboxone. Then start asking anyone that knows them and truly cares about them to tell them the same things you're telling them. The more people that tell them, that they care, to stay away from the friends that use, and how proud they are of them, the better. In my daughter's case it took just about 4 months for this to actually sink in. It is a very difficult road. I don't mean to sound like its a cake walk believe me its not. Just talk to them. Expect that they will become very irritated with you. Just walk away. Just keep talking to them. If you tell them, the counselors tell them and their friends tell them at some point they will believe. And one more thing- It's not your fault! You can tell your teens everyday about the dangers of drugs...many times they don't listen because they don't believe it can happen to them.

Slowing Down

My daughter is slowing down. She realizes there are some things she just can't remember or missed entirely. It worries her. She just stares off. I often look into her confused eyes and ask what she's thinking about. She responds by saying I'm trying to remember. Lately its been very insignificant things...Like the day she found out her sister had a game cube. She said, "Where was I when my sister got a game cube? I just say she bought it used last year....she just stares off. I feel really bad for her.

My Daughter Woke Up in a Different Place Today

One day she was a 17 year old heroin user...then she was tired, sick and frustrated...then she was scared, really scared. Scared of where she'd been, what she'd done, the friends she'd lost, the lies she told. She's been using seboxone for almost two months now. Today, we had a real conversation. She sat down at the bar in the kitchen looked at me and said, "Mom, I'm really scared. I've been in a dark place and I'm scared". Her eyes welled up. I asked her what she meant and she said "I'm not in that place anymore and I feel scared and sad." We talked for an hour or so about her feelings, what made her scared, where she wanted to go from here. She wants to go to college next year. She wants to continue her seboxone and counseling and she never wants to use heroin again. What bothers her the most is that she doesn't know who she is anymore. She said she felt as though she just woke up in a different place, as a different person. Someone she doesn't really know. I know that person. That person is my daughter.

Thank You For Your Help

About 6 weeks ago....I learned my 17 year old daughter was addicted to heroin. I was so upset I didn't know what to do. I started reading anything and everything on heroin addiction. Your posts helped me make the decision. She's had a few ups and downs with the suboxone treatment however, she hasn't used heroin...and that's a blessing.... exactly the results I was hoping for when she started the suboxone program. For the last 6 weeks, I've read so many posts from people who are in the same situation or very similar situation. People trying to help themselves or trying to help someone else. I can honestly say I've been given more information, hope and inspiration from the stories I've read than I ever imagined. Your stories helped me see what it really means to be addicted to a drug as powerful as heroin. In essence you helped me help my daughter. I just wanted to thank all of you for sharing your stories, experiences, and feelings.

Treatment for Heroin Addiction

There are so many treatment centers available for heroin addiction....The facilities seem to be endless...I was totally confused...I didn't really know what to do or really where to turn. The websites describe what heroin is...what it looks like...what you can do as a parent to keep your children drug-free...Where to send them...In my opinion its all a bunch of crap...I didn't find one website that actually told me what I needed to do...I'm glad I found out about Seboxone and if your an addict or someone you love is an addict just find yourself a Seboxone physician/psychiatrist...get a Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance policy and get the help you need. Seboxone works! Because once you start taking the Seboxone your mind will clear and for the first time you will know that you're on your way to beating that demon...Just make sure you have a friend that will make you take it the first couple of weeks because that demon will still be talking to you...telling you not to take it!

Too Young to Be a Heroin Addict

This is my first post...hopefully someone will read this and comment...I need help....This blog is dedicated to all those suffering and struggling with addictions….God bless all of you. When I learned that my 17 year old daughter was using heroin…I did what any other Mother would do…I maintained calm …and went into the bathroom and cried…the silent cry…you know so no one can hear you….I didn’t think I was ever going to quit…The pain I felt was similar to learning that someone you loved just died…I know about heroin addiction…Some of my closest friends died in high school from the drug and some of my friends battled the addiction their entire life until only to die from consequences associated with use of the drug…aids. I knew first hand how it could ruin a life, take a soul and dangle it around like a puppet. I talked to my kids about drugs. I told them stories about my friends and the devastating effects of heroin, crack, methadone, prescription pain killers and other various demons.

My daughter didn’t listen…she thought she could do heroin every once in a while and not become addicted. She had tried it on several occasions and really like the way it made her feel.
She used off and on for a couple of months and then stopped. She was dope sick and she told herself that if she could get through the horrible pain that she would never do it again. Finally, the sickness subsided and she found that zanac helped eased her cravings. So for a couple of months she was using valium, zanac, and colatapins. Whatever, she could buy on the street is what she would take. She was always happy and I thought she was fine. After awhile she would use again. Somehow she thought she could just use once and it would make her feel good and she would stop. That’s not the case. She would use once…then use again…then again until she was again living for heroin. Her life is focused on heroin…you work around the need until you can get a bag or two and then your fine. She told me she actually started using January 2006. That was almost a year ago today. I didn’t know she was on heroin. I knew she had tried it a couple of times but when I talked to her about it she said she would never use it again. Heroin addicts lie. They turn into the best actors and actresses. They live in another life-heroin’s life. It is a horrible existence. Heroin is like a friend, a best friend. It never leaves your side…its always their waiting for you to finish work, waiting for you to wake up, waiting for you to finish watching a movie or visiting with friends. Its always there and you know its there. Its an attachment of your soul.

One of her friends called me last Friday (November 30, 2007) and told me that she was bad and that she needed help. To be quite honest, I was surprised. I had no idea. I immediately called her psychiatrist to get an appointment to talk to him about putting her on suboxone. Luckily, the counselor we had been seeing in December of last year worked for a psychiatrist who specializes in addiction medicine. (The appointment was scheduled for Tuesday (December 4, 2007). Her psychiatrist gave her ½ -4mg tablet in his office to make sure she didn’t have any type of reaction. It made her high. She went to bed and stayed in bed all day Wednesday. One Thursday (December 6, 2007) she decided she would only take a ¼ of a tablet instead of ½ tablet. This dosage seems to be better. She is less drowsy and is able to drive. We had an appointment with her psychiatrist on Friday (December 7, 2007)…She seems to be feeling pretty good being on the medicine. Her Doctor agreed that the lower dosage would probably work, if not to increase it back to ½ tablet. We have an appointment in a week to see how things are going. This is a relatively new drug that counteracts the effects of using heroin if you decide to use it. It turns off the receptors in the brain that cause the urge to use. She’s been on it for 7 days. She said the drug makes her look like she’s using heroin. I can now tell what you look like when you’re using heroin. When they first use I understand that they are very dopey and can’t really do anything except nod off. After awhile, they are usually very happy and have pinpoint pupils.

I’ve been looking around for information about heroin and the effects of it…I really didn’t find anything that might help me pinpoint what was going on with her. I tried to drug test her several times….She would use the test and throw it away so I wouldn’t see the results. She told me that she tested herself and that the tests really work. So, that ‘s why she wouldn’t take the test when I asked her too. …Because she knew I would find out. She said opiates, such as heroin will stay in your system 3-4 days.

So if anyone is wondering about those drugs tests you see in CVS. Well they obviously do work…and they work instantly you don’t have to wait a week for the results. So if you have any concerns at all…try to drug test your kids. Does this sound horrible? Maybe to some parents it does….but to me I think if you can at least let them know you think they are doing something their not supposed to do…maybe they will stop. If you suspect something is going on purchase a drug test and sit it on the kitchen counter. Then when they ask to use the car…tell them they need to take a drug test….If they refuse then something’s wrong. Talking to your kids doesn’t always work.