“How to help 20 year old son with opioid addiction?”
My 18 year old son has an opioid addiction. He said he would seek help but never did. What can I do?
3 Answers
You are in a challenging spot. First is get your self with a supportive group for parents dealing with children addicted to drugs. From there, they will connect you to all the groups and support for your son, They will share their challenges and successes.
Hope that helps.
Hope that helps.
There are no simple answers to this. Learn a lot more: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35785382-overcoming-opioid-addiction
I'm sorry to hear about your nightmare situation, which as you know is unfortunately all too common in the U.S. You didn't provide enough information for me to guide you specifically, but here's a general approach when a parent is faced with this dilemma:
1. Your choices depend at least in part upon where you're located, your medical insurance, and your financial situation. If you have no insurance and no resources, your son's options include Medicaid programs in your state and community-based 12-step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. These vary greatly in quality.
2. If you live in a rural area, your choices are further restricted because of distance to treatment.
3. If you do have medical insurance and financial resources, remember that your son can use your insurance until he turns 26.
4. Your next steps depend upon how much treatment he's had. If he's been through rehab more than 1-2 times, you should contact the folks who've treated him for further advice. If you thought he received poor care, then on to the next step:
5. Many or most rehabs provide poor care that is ideologically based. This is definitely a "buyer beware" situation. You need to use all your resources to track down reputable and scientifically based treatment. Many of the more successful searches begin with you combing the Internet. Avoid programs that promise the world. Treatment is difficult. If possible, track down and hire an interventionist: a skilled and experienced chemical dependency counselor who can help you assess the situation, suggest a treatment approach, and help you and your family sit down with your son to explain his options. This is tough and emotionally painful but necessary.
6. Many of the 18-year-old men I've treated have little interest in getting sober. Their friends all think using is cool and their parents are stupid. If your son had a rough, abusive childhood, that makes treatment all the more challenging. Sometimes all you can do is set limits. Opiate dependence is frequently fatal, and you don't want your son to overdose in his bedroom at home.
7. Remember that at age 18, your son is an adult. You can't dictate to him or control him. You can set limits, like kicking him out of the house and cutting him off financially if he continues to use. If instead you're begging and pleading with him while he uses, you're part of the problem.
8. People who abuse painkillers often respond better to treatment than those on heroin, especially if they're homeless or are injecting their drugs. Sometimes young men are so recalcitrant that all I hope to accomplish while they're in rehab is to keep them alive until they grow up enough to respond to treatment. Age 25 seems to be a magical number, but everyone is different.
1. Your choices depend at least in part upon where you're located, your medical insurance, and your financial situation. If you have no insurance and no resources, your son's options include Medicaid programs in your state and community-based 12-step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. These vary greatly in quality.
2. If you live in a rural area, your choices are further restricted because of distance to treatment.
3. If you do have medical insurance and financial resources, remember that your son can use your insurance until he turns 26.
4. Your next steps depend upon how much treatment he's had. If he's been through rehab more than 1-2 times, you should contact the folks who've treated him for further advice. If you thought he received poor care, then on to the next step:
5. Many or most rehabs provide poor care that is ideologically based. This is definitely a "buyer beware" situation. You need to use all your resources to track down reputable and scientifically based treatment. Many of the more successful searches begin with you combing the Internet. Avoid programs that promise the world. Treatment is difficult. If possible, track down and hire an interventionist: a skilled and experienced chemical dependency counselor who can help you assess the situation, suggest a treatment approach, and help you and your family sit down with your son to explain his options. This is tough and emotionally painful but necessary.
6. Many of the 18-year-old men I've treated have little interest in getting sober. Their friends all think using is cool and their parents are stupid. If your son had a rough, abusive childhood, that makes treatment all the more challenging. Sometimes all you can do is set limits. Opiate dependence is frequently fatal, and you don't want your son to overdose in his bedroom at home.
7. Remember that at age 18, your son is an adult. You can't dictate to him or control him. You can set limits, like kicking him out of the house and cutting him off financially if he continues to use. If instead you're begging and pleading with him while he uses, you're part of the problem.
8. People who abuse painkillers often respond better to treatment than those on heroin, especially if they're homeless or are injecting their drugs. Sometimes young men are so recalcitrant that all I hope to accomplish while they're in rehab is to keep them alive until they grow up enough to respond to treatment. Age 25 seems to be a magical number, but everyone is different.
