View Full Version : Heroin
catherine
5-25-16, 12:31pm
Just brought my DH home from the hospital where he had his regular Barrett's Esophagus procedure. Have a deliverable to get out, and have to get on the plane to Chicago in 4 hours, and then comes a knock on the door. A sweet young girl we know who has battled heroin for several years. Is clean now. Came to the door to tell us that one of our friend's 25-year son died.. presumably heroin. Not 100% sure, but he also has had problems in the past.
I don't believe in the War on Drugs, but I sure feel like going to war with Somebody or Something over this. Last year my DS's best friends' nephew died of an accidental overdose. I cry for the youth lost, all that potential lost.
Had to get it out of my system so I can get back to work and pack.
Ultralight
5-25-16, 12:44pm
Just brought my DH home from the hospital where he had his regular Barrett's Esophagus procedure. Have a deliverable to get out, and have to get on the plane to Chicago in 4 hours, and then comes a knock on the door. A sweet young girl we know who has battled heroin for several years. Is clean now. Came to the door to tell us that one of our friend's 25-year son died.. presumably heroin. Not 100% sure, but he also has had problems in the past.
I don't believe in the War on Drugs, but I sure feel like going to war with Somebody or Something over this. Last year my DS's best friends' nephew died of an accidental overdose. I cry for the youth lost, all that potential lost.
Had to get it out of my system so I can get back to work and pack.
Sad stuff.
I saw in a newspaper near my hometown yesterday that an old friend of mine got busted for drugs -- for the bazillionth time. He looked so horrible in his mugshot, a different person than the kid I knew back in the day. Something was so wrong with the look in his eyes. I see people in that newspaper on the daily getting busted with a needle in their arm. They fall out and get Narcanned back to life. Or they get busted for possession. Or they get arrested for some crime to support their addiction.
It is a plague.
catherine
5-25-16, 12:47pm
It is a plague.
Yes, it is. Thanks, UA.
Ultralight
5-25-16, 12:48pm
Yes, it is. Thanks, UA.
It is going on all around us. And in a way it feels like it is closing in around us too, do you know what I mean?
Teacher Terry
5-25-16, 12:49pm
My husband lost his brother to meth about 5 years ago and he was only in his 20's. It is really sad.
iris lilies
5-25-16, 1:03pm
It seems like the popular street drugs are just so mch more powerful nw than back in the day.
But then, why does anyone even TRY meth or heroin? They are known to be so very addictive.
what happened to more mild street drugs? Just this week
I was thinking about amphetemines and how much fun they were. They clearly didnt kill me or get me addicted. A little speed now and then is not a bad thng. :~)
Teacher Terry
5-25-16, 1:06pm
People often start in their teens and get hooked. Also some people will use cocaine occasionally and never get hooked and others are from the first time they try it. We had a successful college president in a neighboring town that got hooked and lost everything: home, possessions, career and eventually went to prison.
Ultralight
5-25-16, 1:08pm
Iwhy does anyone even TRY meth or heroin? They are known to be so very addictive.
This is a choice they make.
Teacher Terry
5-25-16, 1:11pm
Teens don't have the best reasoning at that age so are easy targets.
Ultralight
5-25-16, 1:22pm
It seems like lots of people from my neck of the woods got into heroin later in life, not when we were in high school.
Prescription opioids are a huge gateway drug. They're expensive; heroin is not.
Police are starting to carry Naloxone now; that might help. Also Portland, I think. is considering safe places to shoot up under a nurse's supervision with clean equipment, etc.
I don't know why anyone tries it either. I took one amphetamine pill once-to stay up studying--and I didn't sleep for three days. Shudder. Never again.
But I'm living on the edge--I took an ibuprofen this morning. :~)
Ultralight
5-25-16, 1:34pm
I have resigned myself to the fact that the heroin/pill epidemic is just going to have to run its horrible course.
I did not give it too much thought since it did not affect my family but suddenly a good friend's son came back from serving in the military. He was addicted and lost his family, job, etc. My friend now has complicated custody of the grandkids and all are suffering. But it does appear the son is getting help and accepting it. He is working to get his family back.
I also know a couple where the husband is a doctor arrested for his prescribing of narcotics. He was not the owner of a pain clinic but was an employee of our biggest hospital and then went to the VA. His specialty was pain management and he might have been caught in poor recordkeeping. Who knows? His trial is this year.
Prescription opioids are a huge gateway drug. They're expensive; heroin is not.
Good point; I wonder how many people get hooked legally, then transition to street drugs.
On a positive note, I see opioid use is in some decline, apparently due to the legalization of cannabis.
http://www.hngn.com/articles/184965/20160304/where-marijuana-legal-deaths-opiate-overdose-drastically-reduce.htm
I'm sure Pharma will find some way to monetize that...
Both my MIL and FIL, in their 80s, are to my mind, hooked on Oxycontin. My MIL has started seeking out other doctors to see if she can get more. Now FIL's doctor is cutting him off and the replacement pain med is $300 a month so he is going crazy. We don't know what to do for them since it has gotten out of hand.
Ultralight
5-25-16, 5:33pm
Both my MIL and FIL, in their 80s, are to my mind, hooked on Oxycontin. My MIL has started seeking out other doctors to see if she can get more. Now FIL's doctor is cutting him off and the replacement pain med is $300 a month so he is going crazy. We don't know what to do for them since it has gotten out of hand.
In their 80s? Jeeeeeezus! I am really sorry to hear that. Can a person in their 80s be expected to kick? I mean, really?
iris lilies
5-25-16, 9:15pm
It seems like lots of people from my neck of the woods got into heroin later in life, not when we were in high school.
I know! Two men I knew, over age 40, died from drug abuse. They were vital humans active in this neighborhood.One of them was always on whatever, and as a flight attendant got caught a few times due to On the job drug testing.The other one died of f AIDS and drugs, not sure what finally got him.
Was stuck by how middle age does not save us from drug death.
I read recently that they are trying to come up with opiates that are non-addictive. You get the same pain relief but not the addiction part. I think that would be a huge boon to stopping this madness.
Or people could just use cannabis. (See article cited above.) Which you can grow yourself for a small up-front cost.
It is the worst thing going on in our country, imo. Sometimes it seems like we will loose an entire generation to drugs, I know this is not true, but it is how I feel. I have no answers even after all the family counseling, reading, thinking, Shame, Hopefulness, Love/Hate, Anger, Support and in the end the feeling of being Prouder than if my son had gotten his MBA because he is going on 5 years clean.
Ultralight
5-26-16, 7:22am
5 years clean.
Absolutely amazing!
I was reading something yesterday that said the leading source of organ donation these days is overdose victims. To the point that the demand isn't urgent.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2016/05/09/one-out-of-every-11-organ-donors-last-year-died-of-a-drug-overdose/
Teacher Terry
5-26-16, 1:03pm
On the West Coast if you need a liver the wait is 5-7 years. I know someone that had to go to the Midwest to get one where the wait is 3-5 months.
iris lilies
5-26-16, 1:07pm
How can livers not be affected by extreme drug use? Or are they using mostly other organs from drug addicts?
Teacher Terry
5-26-16, 1:16pm
I have no clue.
Simple little news story. The issue on transplants is "maybe" and "it depends". Depends on the quality of the organ and the severity of the need. Says some healthier and younger people who need transplants do not want organs from users. There are probably many organ donors who have only tried serious drugs a few times and got a really bad batch.
http://www.journal-news.com/news/news/local/heroin-overdoses-impact-organ-donations/ngjCB/
RoseQuartz
5-26-16, 6:13pm
.
Ultralight
5-26-16, 6:19pm
This seems like something that is going to have to run its course in our society. I have no idea how we can reasonably stop it.
ToomuchStuff
5-26-16, 7:26pm
It seems like the popular street drugs are just so mch more powerful nw than back in the day.
But then, why does anyone even TRY meth or heroin? They are known to be so very addictive.
what happened to more mild street drugs?
Why do they try the most popular legal drug out there? To feel something else. Alcohol is arguably the most used drug out there, and how many try it from peer pressure and how many go to it to feel different?
I knew a girl years back, that I had a crush on. Her version of fun was going to raves and taking whatever was being handed out. Other millennials I know are into surprise/what does this pill do, from anyone's (including families) medicine cabinets.
Ultralight
5-26-16, 7:47pm
Why do they try the most popular legal drug out there? To feel something else. Alcohol is arguably the most used drug out there, and how many try it from peer pressure and how many go to it to feel different?
I knew a girl years back, that I had a crush on. Her version of fun was going to raves and taking whatever was being handed out. Other millennials I know are into surprise/what does this pill do, from anyone's (including families) medicine cabinets.
It is called Pills in a Bowl. The game is that everyone brings some pills, they put them in a bowl, mix them up, and then pass the bowl around taking a pill here or a pill there.
ToomuchStuff
5-26-16, 7:54pm
It is called Pills in a Bowl. The game is that everyone brings some pills, they put them in a bowl, mix them up, and then pass the bowl around taking a pill here or a pill there.
What is called pills in a bowl?
That sounds like a drug game. If your referring to (not saying her name), she just took whatever she was handed, no bowl and high chance of ruffies.
If your referring to him, no bowl is involved, just searching through peoples medicine cabinets/exposed bottles.
Ultralight
5-26-16, 8:02pm
No, I am just pointing out the popular game among the youth today. Pills in a Bowl!
If anyone is interested in reading/watching good resources about this issue, I strongly recommend the book In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts by Gabor Mate and the recent Frontliine episode Chasing Heroin. They may really open your eyes/change your mind about how best to deal with this problem, which is devastating many families and communities, in addition to the individuals suffering directly.
I am scared to death to take anything with even a touch of opiates in it now -- the stuff is seriously addictive and many, many people start out on Percocet.....
I have no answers even after all the family counseling, reading, thinking, Shame, Hopefulness, Love/Hate, Anger, Support and in the end the feeling of being Prouder than if my son had gotten his MBA because he is going on 5 years clean.
I agree.
And I am so happy for your son!..you have every right to be very proud.
I read recently that they are trying to come up with opiates that are non-addictive. You get the same pain relief but not the addiction part. I think that would be a huge boon to stopping this madness.
Yes, I've done market research for two different companies developing abuse-deterrent formulations.
This topic comes up frequently on the news. The Attorney General in my state also brings this up routinely as a social public health concern. There's talk but I am not aware of action. The exception is the Gloucester Mass Police Dept. Here is a link to their home page. The captain doesn't arrest addicts, he gets them treatment. He treats it as not a crime but a social problem. http://gloucesterpd.com/addicts/
So this is an innovative way to cope with this.
Williamsmith
6-10-16, 8:11am
There have been consistent responses by Law Enforcement to illegal drug use in the form of task forces and crackdowns. Most of which results in large sums of taxpayer money being spent on police overtime pay including but not limited to wiretaps which are manpower intensive, special assault teams, and specific training for patrol officers.
Now some of this is necessary to deal with dangerous chemicals like in meth production or so called labs but much of it is wasted on ill conceived targeting of low level persons involved in mostly drug possession for personal use. The three strikes laws otherwise named persistant felon or some such has been the source of over crowding in jails whose funding and construction has not kept up with the pace of incarceration.
And as in most cases of law enforcement, the stupidest, least accomplished criminals are swept up and clog the system taking away the much needed capacity of law enforcement to deal with serious violent criminals.
So, the approach of the Gloucester Police seems to be reasonable and appropriate given the lessons we've learned about the effectiveness, or lack thereof , to zero tolerance policing when it comes to drugs. That response at least acknowledges the situation for what it is rather than assigning people to the scrap heap at extremely high cost to the taxpayer and for some inmates inhumane treatment in poorly run prisons.
If you want to be honest, looking a heroine addict in the eye is no different than looking in the mirror. They are either using because physically they are hurting or mentally they are hurting.....or both. They don't have the capacity to face the hurting without escaping. Now to me, that's no different than an alcoholic, or a pill popping grandma who needs ibuprofen or acetaminophen to get through the day and night. Look into your medicine cabinet and you will see your addictions. The only difference is, your pill is legal.
Ultralight
6-10-16, 11:46am
New York?
Heroin deaths in New York outpacing those in rest of nation, data suggest
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2016/06/10/heroin-deaths-in-new-york-outpacing-those-in-rest-nation-data-suggest.html
Look into your medicine cabinet and you will see your addictions.
What does it mean if I don't have any pills in the medicine cabinet? Now I do enjoy a glass or two of wine every weekend. Having been a smoker for 25 years and then quitting cold turkey, I came to realize that addiction as far as I can tell is quite a bit about habit. Our brains latch on to habits very quickly and don't let go of them easily.
Williamsmith
6-10-16, 1:49pm
Saying that addiction is quite a bit about habit seems like saying that drowning is quite a bit about inhaling water. Why did you have a cigarette addiction? What void did it fill? You drown because you can't swim. You are addicted because you can't cope without it. I don't see much difference between heroine addiction and cigarette smoking or chewing tobacco for that matter.
What does it mean if I don't have any pills in the medicine cabinet? Now I do enjoy a glass or two of wine every weekend. Having been a smoker for 25 years and then quitting cold turkey, I came to realize that addiction as far as I can tell is quite a bit about habit. Our brains latch on to habits very quickly and don't let go of them easily.
Quitting smoking was probably the hardest thing I ever did. Nicotine has antidepressant effect on the body. My blood chemistry was different after being a smoker for about 15 years. I quit because of long term health and wanting to avoid cancer, heart disease, etc.... It was tough to break that habit but I have been successful for 20+ years now.
I can see why some folks cannot quit, it's just hard to stop. I have never taken drugs that made me high. I understand heroin addicts love the high and don't want to give it up. So, if something makes you feel good, is relatively inexpensive and you want a way to escape reality every day, it's available. I understand addicts in treatment receive a different type of heroin and may be on it for life. This is powerful stuff. I guess the solution is don't start the habit. It is a habit for sure and blood chemistry is hard to change.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2025 vBulletin Solutions Inc. All rights reserved.