help for addictions to pain meds......

rjflyn, ASN, RN · Mar 25, 2006

Sadly sometimes one can only help those who want to be helped. Often times you can only get a person to realize the need help after something bad occurs. One would think that your "close person" would after what has occured. Since your post doesnt provide much detail one would have to expect that at the least he was evaluated by a psychiatrist after his event.

With some research you might have some options. As an example here in Florida there is a law that could help - the Marchmant Act, it allows for the detainment and evaluation of substance abusers. This is probably where I would start.

Rj

PedsER-RN, BSN, RN · Mar 25, 2006

someone close to me is addicted to pain meds. he overdosed about two weeks ago and almost died. he still doesn't admit to it and is making all kinds of exuses.
any ideas on how to help this person?
i'm not getting help from his doctor in fact i think he's making it worse and the other dr who is prescribing the medication isn't going to stop.

i have a family member who is an alcoholic and addicted to prescription meds (percocet, valium, and oxycontin). he was originally put on the meds for a back injury/several failed repairative back surgeries. he's had many seizures due to overdosing and in the past has left hospitals ama. he lives far away from me so i can't see him, but he is finally admitting he has a problem. you might check out narcotics anonymous (they have a website). for my family member i ran a google search of treatment facilities in his area and sent it to him-he didn't even realize there were any near his home (i found dozens). we'll see if he makes use of any of them, but he has to be the one to decide to help himself. no matter how much we'd like to take over and fix the problems, drug addicts/alcoholics have to want to change.

good luck

:icon_hug:

palesarah · Mar 25, 2006

I don't know how much you can help someone who is not willing to help themselves. If this person's addiction is affecting YOU, there are support groups for family/friends of addicts; contacting your closest Narcotics Anonymous group might be a start (website is http://www.na.org) .

Best of luck to you.

TazziRN, RN · Mar 25, 2006

Are there others close to him who are as concerned? If yes, the group of you can stage an intervention. Someone from your local NA chapter will be willing to help you with that. Basically you all sit down and voice your concerns and what you see, and tell him "Either get help or else." The "or else" can be withdrawing from the friendship, or if he is a roommate telling him he has to move out. It's basically Tough Love. Tougher on you than him in the beginning and it will be the hardest thing you've ever done in your life, but it may save his life. If he refuses to get help in spite of the intervention, you have to be prepared to follow through.

Nurse Ratched, RN · Mar 25, 2006

Whatever you do, make sure you protect yourself. Ultimately, a person with an addiction will do whatever he/she has to to feed that addiction. No matter how close you are, that person will betray your trust if that's the only way to get what is needed to feed the addiction. The closer your relationship to this person, the more drastic the measures likely needed to protect yourself.

If the person is not responding to the near death as a wake-up call, that person is clearly not ready to do what needs to be done to get clean. Make sure you aren't hurt any more than you already have been by their choices.

thumperRN · Mar 25, 2006

Unfortunatly most of the time it takes someone to hit absolute rock bottom before an attempt to change will occur. Sounds like he was awfully close a couple of weeks ago, but obviously not enough to take that step. If you feel he is in serious trouble of hrting himself, you could possibly have him brought in for a 48 hour mandatory observation, then after that he could decide if he wanted to voluntarily stay for treatment or leave. Either way, you could have helped to do your part. I would just continue to encourage him (without any direct accusations) to seek some help and let him know that you are there for him. Aside from that, there is not much you can do for someone who is unwilling to help themselves. I feel for you, it is a very frustrating place to be to not be able to come up with the words to get through to a person. Unfortunately for some people, there are no words.

Hugs to you!