Drug Addiction Stories & Info

Aged 17, Marcia lay in a hospital bed, in her second day of heroin detox, drugged, but clearly in pain, her parents standing helplessly by, wondering why this had happened to them, wishing that they could get the detox done with, get their daughter into recovery.

They’d wanted rapid detox, an induced coma with injections of opioid blockers and out in 24 hours – no pain, no suffering had seemed like the ideal thing. But the doctor had rejected any kind of rapid detox – people with intense withdrawal symptoms sometimes die in rapid detox, it is a specialist field said the doctor, that many do not agree with.

 So what are our options when Marcia recovers asked the haggard parents, only together after a recent, bitter divorce because of the state that their child was in.

 Well, so far shes been on clonidine, with a cocktail of promethazine, ioperamide and methocarbamol, but now is on a combination drug of buprenorphine and nalaxone that will get her through to discharge.

 You then need to find a maintenance program. People often go with methadone as a long term maintenance treatment when they have had a heavy habit like your daughter.

Best get her onto a methadone program, the big problem from now on is relapse – going back and hitting up on the heroin doses she’s been taking can of course be fatal. I’m not sure that the drugs she’s on now would be strong enough to hold her back from relapse and using again.

Yes, methadone’s addictive, some say harder that heroin to give up. But, most people are happy enough to stay with the methadone program, don’t ever try to detox – hm, liquid handcuffs they call it.

Once on methadone, heroin addicts might want to join up with a narcotics self help group that offers long term support, post acute heroin withdrawal symptoms can go on for years.

 Most people need help to deal with ongoing cravings, you can use CBT for that. In your daughter’s case the history suggests some testing for mental disorder. It might be that she will need some long term antidepressants, if not antipsychotics, a psychiatrist can give you better advice.

 Yes, the future looks good for your daughter – it’s only a matter of time and we will have everything under control.

Marcia’s parents were happy that the doctor had been so informative and explicit. They both felt like a massive burden had been lifted from their shoulders.

 Marcie was a different case, said he had used heroin as a powerball with cocaine, had committed an assault for which he would be charged, although he couldn’t remember anything about it.

He wanted a hospital discharge to get back on the street. Someone owed him money, he needed to go out, and get it.

 A visitor, shock, amazement – his father – WTF.  Saying, son I need to talk, I sure think it’s overdue – wish I could have found you sooner – I’ve got good news for you.

Look at me, and what do you see – same old deadbeat Dad – who used to give you a belting, if you didn’t get out of the way. Well, it’s not the same anymore - I’ve not used alcohol or drugs in over 2 years - don’t ever want to go back there. I want to say sorry, for what I did but most of all I want to get you in to where I’ve been – get you off drugs competely.

 Hope and fear filled Marcie’s mind – not another stunt to try and wheedle some money – was this genuine. The way he felt right now, anything looked good. His father sure looked well, relaxed, not mean and desperate, no cunning glint in his eye. Marcie took a chance – you got something to say – I’ll listen.

Marcie heard about comprehensive detox that uses low heat sauna ***to gently relax the mind and body, removing all alcohol, drugs and toxic residues, completely from the body.

There was also the Cal-Mag cocktail *** mainly calcium and magnesium, that helps the body to self regulate and does away with physical cravings – and the rehab course *** that you study to overcome emotional issues, improve understanding of what you need to really get on in life.

Marcie was keen - put that up to the judge, he said, should get me a suspended sentence. I will, said his Dad with a wink, if you promise me you’ll go in there.

The judge was interested, and polite – turned to Marcie and said – indeed, it sounds like the way to happiness – I’ll give you a suspended sentence and I don’t want to see you back.

 Eight months later and Marcie is clean, his Dad at the graduation is proud of his son, and what they both have done.

Arm in arm they walk from the room, and Dad says to Marcie – guess what, I’ ve got you an apprenticeship lined up – that’s if you are interested.

Harry is an old mate of mine – and he is more than happy to take you on board - a chip off the old block.

So often we read about  sporting and other “star” performers who have had to deal with the problem of drug addiction.

For boxing champion George Chuvalo drug use has been a major issue not because Chuvalo used drugs, but because of drug addiction in his family.

 We see in George Chuvalo a strength beyond what it takes to be unbeaten among champions in the boxing arena, the strength and courage that it takes to remain unbeaten by life, and the tragedy of drug addiction in the family.

Of five children born to George Chuvalo and his wife Lynne, only the eldest Mitch, and daughter Vanessa would survive, three sons lost to drug addiction, that indirectly also claimed his wife.

 George Chuvalo today is remarried to Joanne, stepfather to two, a proud grandparent.

Strong in the face of adversity, George is very much a supporter of strong family values. Both he and his wife are staunch anti-drug campaigners.

Three of George Chuvalo’s sons became addicted to heroin, and of the three, in 1985, son Jesse committed suicide followed in 1993 by the heroin death of his brother George Lee, and the death of Steven by drug overdose in 1996.

George’s wife Lynne, in 1993 committed suicide only two days after the death of George Lee, overcome with grief at the loss of two sons to drug addiction.

At the time of George Lee’s death, Steven was then in prison, serving time for another theft and armed robbery. Chuvalo visited him in prison – Steven’s 35th birthday, telling him that he still loved him and had not given up hope.

Steven was inspired as a result to do better, to make himself well for his father, for the family. Where drugs and addiction is involved, love is not enough. Not long after his release from prison, Steven died from drug overdose.

Living as they did, in the tough working class suburbs of Toronto, drugs were easy come by and used by many. It would be easy to dismiss the three drug using sons as just another example of how young people so easily fall prey to the temptation of drug use.

However, there is a story behind the story of drug use in George Chuvalo’s family, that has relevance today, as people continue to be concerned about young people who become addicted to prescription drugs, and issues of responsibility.

Jesse, Chuvalo’s youngest son had a motorcycle accident and for a painful knee injury was prescribed Demoral for a week, followed by a prescription for a narcotic painkiller, to which Jesse unwittingly became addicted. The painkiller was Tylenol3.

Jesse discovered and started to use street heroin for the pain. He rapidly became addicted to heroin, as being a more potent form of painkiller. It was only nine months after the motor cycle accident, due to his pain and unwanted heroin addiction, that Jesse shot himself, committed suicide – he was only 20 years old.

Lee and Steven, who did not become involved in sporting achievement, like their older brother Mitch, used drugs and had dropped out of school before Jesse’s motorbike accident. Both are said to have started to use heroin addictively, after Jesse died.

Both repeatedly overdosed, using all their money on heroin, their father out on the streets, trying to find them and bring them home.

From accounts of their determined use and abuse of  heroin it would seem that the main motivation of Jesse’s two brothers was to avoid the overwhelming grief that they were suffering as a result of Jesse’s untimely death.

Both got so heavily into heroin, that they committed a pharmacy robbery – and were both imprisoned for it.

Criminality comes easily to those who are desperately drug addicted. Crime becomes a necessity to meet the cost of drugs. Once a person has the stigma of being both a drug addict and a violent criminal it becomes increasingly harder to see that behind the facade of illicit drug use, is a person deep in pain and suffering.

The eldest son Mitch is a survivor, like his father. Mitch was able to avoid the lure and temptation of drug use by becoming involved through his school, in sport. He is today a school teacher and a coach, saying that working with young people is in some ways compensation for the loss of his brothers – that he feels joy every day in watching young people grow up and in seeing them achieve their goals.

see article :   

It took George Chuvalo much courage and personal strength to come back from the brink of his own despair at the loss of his sons and his wife.

People who see drug use and criminality as being a disease, or deliberate choice, a result of poor parental guidance need to understand that drug use is a response to feelings of pain and failure, issues of powerlessness over life events, lack of self esteem. People in families do not always see the extent of problems. The help that they offer when a person has become addicted to drugs is often rejected. Love is not always enough.

Young people who have got themselves into drug use, and who desperately want to get out need comprehensive support.

The support and effective help that they need can be found at Narconon drug addiction recovery centers.

 see article: 

Families and young people, addicted to narcotics, can achieve complete drug addiction recovery, get back control and regain happiness – at Narconon.

The ideal place for you to do your detox and addiction recovery is in a comprehensive, residential program. However for some people who want to end their drug abuse and begin detoxification, there are reasons why they are unable to complete a residential treatment program.

The Narconon Detox program: see article

You will need to have a very clear idea about what drug detoxification is, and how you intend to go about it if you are going to complete a drug detox at home.

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The main reason why drug programs prefer you in residence is that although the body is fully able to detox from drugs itself, the experience can be very painful, traumatic, and for various reasons the eventual detox can be incomplete.

Doing detox at home, you can find yourself distracted, not attending to the detail of your chosen detox plan, and leave yourself open, despite a lot of hard work, to the disappointment and frustration of relapse.

Also the elimination of drugs from the body after continual, perhaps heavy use will disturb the chemical balances that the drug affected body has become used to and now considers to be “normal”.

In some cases an abrupt weaning from drugs can cause serious disruption to the body, cause damage to vital organs and even result in death. Much will depend on the health of the addict, the type of drug used and how detoxification is managed.

When a person makes the choice to go it alone and detox at home, Narconon has a drug free, non-medical natural detox program to be used as a model for detox – a model for success.

 see article:

To begin detox at home you will ideally need a buddy – someone who is available to help you to make a new start. If a buddy cannot be found (and every effort should be made), you can call Narconon 24/7 to get you past any speedbumps that you might encounter along the way. However, arranging for someone to help you with the detox is also, in a holistic sense, part of the treatment. Drug use can set you apart from other people, trust and confidence in other people can be low. Therefore opening up and trusting another caring person can be a huge step to take in drug addiction recovery. If your determination is to go it alone that is fine but do consider the benefits of getting some help from a buddy.

You will also a need a doctor, sympathetic to drug free addiction recovery so that you can get urgent help if your home detox doesn’t go as planned. Doctors are not needed in routine drug free detox, but will give you a medical examination to make sure that there are no major health problems that could be intensified by detox.

Take time out from you usual chores. Doing effective drug detox requires that you give it, for most of every day, top priority over other needs and demands on your time. Set the date, get your house in order, and begin to complete the detox program.

 Drug detox is a complex issue, that experts can simplify, and set down for you as a booklet, the things that you must do. All the things might seem overwhelming, too hard to do in the right order, too hard to do at the time. You might not feel like doing the things you have to do if in extreme pain (that’s the best reason to have a buddy – to help you out if the going gets rough).

 Rules that you follow, things you must do are all according to “Principles” – it is easier to follow rules if you first understand basic principles that apply to drug detoxification.

Firstly, drug free detox is not a complex medical procedure. All you are doing, at any time, is enhancing the natural functions and processes of your body. If you follow and assist what you body is trying to do , you will not go far wrong.

The first thing is that you are trying to remove a toxin from the body, and that the route you are choosing is mainly through the skin, by the excretion of water. Anything that you do to open the pores, encourage the flow of perspiration is going to help the detox.

 Next is that you are helping the body to regain balance – if you are excreting a large amount of water, you need to keep hydrated, and not exercise so hard that you get exhausted and over heated.

Detox is helped by good food  because it helps to metabolize fats where drug residues might be stored – you will need lots of energy for drug free detox – it is an active process.

There is the issue of sleep – and if you can’t sleep when you want to – all that means is that the body and mind are not at that time ready – perhaps take a snack, some exercise if that is what your body seems to be needing at the time.

When we use drugs we really treat our body as if it was some kind of alien object – if we could listen to our body speaking when we inflict it with drugs – we would not like what we should hear. Drug free detox is a good time to reconnect with our body, and to get in touch with feelings. Most of the pain of detox is just the body springing back to normal after the “pressure” imposed by drug use.

Drug detox is not all that you need for complete addiction recovery but if you have done a drug detox, whether at home or with a program, that has been thorough and complete – you are very likely already more than half way towards complete addiction recovery.