I deal with drug abusers all the time. ALL the time. And I've said this before, but it does bear repeating: just because someone is a drug abuser doesn't mean they're suicidal.
But.
Try telling that to the freaked out family in the waiting room. The family who's been put through the ringer with a young adult--a kid (and I do mean "kid") who's old enough to have discovered the delights of illicit mind altering substances but young enough to still have plenty of options in front of them. If they would just get off the drugs.
I have no easy answers for these parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles with whom I visit. A typical conversation goes like this:
Me: I'm sorry, but I can't force drug treatment on a legal adult. I know you're scared and I'm not trying to minimize the situation, but clinically my hands are tied. A person using has to want to stop and has to sign himself in voluntarily.
Them: Well, I guess I'm just going to send my son out on the streets to die, then. Because that's what's going to happen! He's either going to get clean or he's going to die!
(There's that crystal ball again. Anyone know where I can score one? )
And then I get the 30 minute diatribe of all the patient has done up to this point. Coupled with the tears and usually at some point the yelling as well.
At any rate, yes. Yes, it's a possibility that the drug abuse will eventually kill the person I evaluated.
I think a more likely, and grim case scenario however, is this: The person I saw will not die. Not immediately. He will be in and out of treatment for years. He will have moments of sobriety--days or weeks or months at a time. Little bits of light that shine on him and his family, just bright enough to offer a bit of timid optimism for all involved, and then he will fall off the wagon again. He will leech his family of money, patience, time, and hope. He will burn bridges with any and all non-using friends until his only support system exists via social workers and the drug culture. He will lie, cheat, steal, manipulate, and con as a way of life. He will have some close calls as a result of the abuse and somehow, miraculously, survive it. And keep using. Using until he hits the metaphorical "bottom."
Whatever that happens to be for that particular person. IF he hits it at all. When and where this will occur? Well, this is the crystal ball's job. And as I've noted, I'm short one.
I always refer these families to an organization in my town that works with drug abuser's families. I explain the cliched "enabling" to them--and they all enable, even if they don't realize it. I explain that I'm a mother and of course I understand the grief. I listen. I tell them I feel helpless (which I always do.)
Not that any of it does any good. But ultimately, they all go home. At least the family does. (Who knows where the drug abusers go--they're just relieved I didn't commit them.) They leave feeling under served, misunderstood, angry at the inept social worker, and frustrated at the lousy system in place.
Yeah. Good times. ->
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Posted
30 Apr 2009 10:34 PM
by
Trench Warfare
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