Drug use

[Anonymous]

I have two young children. Husband and I were planning to visit family this summer but I just found out that another family member who has been struggling with heroin addiction will be visiting at same time. Do we still go?

[Anonymous]

Nope.

Reschedule or don't go at all. You don't need your kids to be around that.

[Anonymous]

Depends on where your family member is in their struggle. Are they out of rehab and staying clean, or are they still using?

[Anonymous]

"Husband and I were planning on visitin family this summer but just found out that a family member with cancer will be visiting at the same time. Do we still go?"

Obviously, don't ask this person to babysit the kids while you and DH go out, but addiction is an illness almost completely out of this persons control. The seemingly selfish and stupid decisions are a symptom of the addiction, not the cause. I would be ashamed if I found out a friend or famil member chose to avoid someone who was struggling with addiction (unless they were openly hostile and violent, which you don't mention and is not the norm).

[Anonymous]

Addiction has been on and off for over 20 years. I think it had more or less gone away for a long time, then started up again about a year ago. My understanding is that he had gotten back on track but has started to slip again. Way back when this first started, there was theft (including from me and other family members) to support habit, but otherwise I've never been affected. I can't help but wonder if a big family gathering will only increase the pressure on him.

[Anonymous]

Haven't you answered your own question? It really depends on whether you can go but stay elsewhere, and it also depends - was part of the trip going to involve leaving your kids with the family you're staying with while you do other stuff?

Me, I'm too risk-averse to have my kids around someone who is right in the middle of this battle, and especially when they're slipping on and off. It's just not worth it for some unexpected aspect of your relative's addiction to affect your family, although events should be fine if you'd always be able to keep an eye on your kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Addiction has been on and off for over 20 years. I think it had more or less gone away for a long time, then started up again about a year ago. My understanding is that he had gotten back on track but has started to slip again. Way back when this first started, there was theft (including from me and other family members) to support habit, but otherwise I've never been affected. I can't help but wonder if a big family gathering will only increase the pressure on him.

This stuff drives me crazy. If he's been clean for a long time and has slipped up, he's probably is not happy himself that he has slipped. There is a really good medication available, Vivtrol, that requires an injection every 30 days, usually covered by insurance. It blocks all the opiod receptors so there is no point in using. It is nonaddictive.

But it is very hard to get for some reason because doctors seem unacquainted with it and would rather prescribe addictive harm reduction alternatives like suboxone and methadone. This person sounds like a very good candidate for Vivitrol.

Back to your point, depending on how dependent your family member is, the main risk of being around an addict is theft. Heroin users are almost never violent and even if they've just used the worst they'll do is nod off. Not too attractive but people who've pulled all nighters do the same. Obviously, you would not entrust your children to his care and wouldn't leave your valuables around for him to take. Other than that, I think it's fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This stuff drives me crazy. If he's been clean for a long time and has slipped up, he's probably is not happy himself that he has slipped. There is a really good medication available, Vivtrol, that requires an injection every 30 days, usually covered by insurance. It blocks all the opiod receptors so there is no point in using. It is nonaddictive.

But it is very hard to get for some reason because doctors seem unacquainted with it and would rather prescribe addictive harm reduction alternatives like suboxone and methadone. This person sounds like a very good candidate for Vivitrol.

Back to your point, depending on how dependent your family member is, the main risk of being around an addict is theft. Heroin users are almost never violent and even if they've just used the worst they'll do is nod off. Not too attractive but people who've pulled all nighters do the same. Obviously, you would not entrust your children to his care and wouldn't leave your valuables around for him to take. Other than that, I think it's fine.

Great post.