Weird. Three joint surgeries and a bunch of torn ligaments, as well as a major eye injury have subjected me to a ton of pain pills over the years. Maybe I wasn't does high enough, but I've never enjoyed any of them. I guess it's just like how something taste or smells, you'll never know how someone else experiences things.

Yep. And I seriously doubt it was the dosage, you just don't like it. When I get a bottle of Percocet, I'll take more than I need to just dull the pain. I love the high. 

And that's why I prefer not to be prescribed it. It's a cock tease I don't need. 

You could probably tie off right now and use heroin for the next 6 months, and put it right back down with little to no effort. I...wouldn't be able to. 

My bro has been a thieving substance abuser since high school in the 80's. I feel bad for my parents as they will almost certainly bury him.
I will go to his funeral if my parents are alive to save them a little bit of the embarrassment.
Otherwise, I can't say I really care.
He's high functioning alcoholic and pill head, but the physical toll if catching up to him very quickly from what I hear.

Who would disagree? It's irrelevant.  
I probably do not know one person socially who never smoked weed. I do not smoke and haven'r ever seen any of them smoke.
Drug abuse is a personality weakness.
More than likely, 95% of your surveyed sample drank a beer before smoking weed and 110% of them drank a beer after weed and before whatever they moved on to.

Has he been screened for bloodborne pathogens? Hep C is especially prevalent amongst iv drug users.

What you describe is how I am with oxys/percs/hydros. I'm a clumsy dipshit and end up with "the good stuff" at least once a year. I usually shit can the bottle after the first few days.

I feel absolutely euphoric, cloud 9 type feelings. I can easily see how someone with an addictive personality can go down that dark road. I feel for them.

That's not uncommon. I've had coworkers/subordinates who get violently ill from synthetic opioids while others just knock out because it makes them drowsy. I feel total bliss, euphoria.

I have no idea and honestly, if you're shooting dope your healthcare is a distant concern. He had it good too, a family member had gotten him into a carpenters union in NJ. A decent employee in a NJ construction Union could clear 60-90K a year, more if the person plays the game and moves up.

They eventually laid him off and never called him back. Now he does odd jobs, at one point he was selling shit door to door. I assume that appealed to his thievery as it's easier to case a home under a legal and non threatening pretense.

I'm convinced if he lived in a state with higher firearm ownership he'd likely be dead already. I know he's been booked for burglarizing at least 4 cars and stealing another. I can only imagine the shit he's done and gotten away with.

I bet 99% actually started with cigarettes and booze, I don't like marijuana either but drugs are drugs including nicotine and alcohol.

When I was a kid I hung out with some of the worst people imaginable. Drug users and drug dealers weren't the half of it.

Yet, I never used or got hooked on drugs, never became a dealer or a criminal of any kind.

I could give you all kinds of theories on why otherwise good kids get hooked on drugs.  But to me it's all about being weak willed and looking for easy answers to problems that require hard word and dedication.

But there are other issues at play too, like mental health issues.  I used to think "Being stoned is no way to go through life" but only recently have learned that for some people it's both a relief and an improvement to the hell that their mind puts them through every day.

Good luck with your Brother OP, I can only imagine the hell he's putting your family through.

I watched this a few weeks ago and thought it was pretty well done for a local piece.  Seattle is considering following Vancouver in opening injection sites...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Tli2hjw8nzU

I empathize with what you are experiencing.  My sister started using Xanax, then onto meth, then onto pain meds, and finally into heroin.  She had an addictive personality, as each drug (Xanax, etc.) was needed after the first time.  She was in and out of jail, and my parents and I wondered why they wouldn't lock her up for a long time.  She would violate her probation repeatedly with crimes such as drug possession, prostitution, and petty theft (<$50 each time).  She once told me she like being in jail, as she would get clean and felt she could function as a member of society.  She would last a few days once out, then slip back into the needle again.  Her location didn't matter.  Florida, Tennessee, Illinois - everywhere she would go, she would find "that" crowd.  I explained to my parents early on that this was a choice that she made, and my parents shouldn't feel responsible or guilty.  Her addiction lasted for for over 15 years.  This would include the many times that she stole from both my mom and dad (divorced and living in different cities).  My mom kept enabling her.

Lil Sister had a daughter who was raised by my mom, her daughter would end up turning her back on her mother.  Also, my dad finally turned his back on her.  She was on the street, homeless, addicted, selling her body for the next fix.  She got picked up in a Backpage.com sting, and with the multiple probation violations, new crimes, etc., finally went to prison.  My parents were ecstatic to say the least.  I was glad too, as all of us thought she'd have a better chance of kicking the habit.  She was in prison for almost 2 years.  She got out about a week before Christmas in 2015.  Christmas with the family was actually nice.  Sis was sober, Dad and I didn't argue, Mom and Dad got along, my wife and kids were enjoying everything too.  

Little did I know that would be the last family Christmas, as two days later, my little sister was found dead in a bathroom at a Dollar Tree in a not so good part of town.  OD'ed on heroin, needle still in her arm when the paramedics found her.  Coroner said she had a "hot" batch, and probably took 5 breaths before it was over.  Needless to say, I hope you don't experience what my family went through.  

I didn't have anything to do with my sister in the beginning of her addiction.  It pissed my family off to no end that I wasn't supportive and try to encourage her to get straight.  I didn't write her off, but she and my family knew my position.  Get clean, and all will be good.  But to get clean is a choice SHE had to make.  The hardest part of the ordeal was watching the pain my parents and her daughter went through while riding that roller coaster.

At the end, it was numbing for all - but more importantly, both of my parents have and never will be the same since Sis died.  Be there for your parents and other family members.  But as you know, that downward spiral your brother is on is fast and he'll either get thrown out once he hits bottom and get sober; or worse yet, he'll never hit bottom until your family gets the call from the coroner.  Good luck to you and your family.

In most places in the US it doesn't work like this.

Unfortunately there's really no hope for his brother.

His only options are:

- be incarcerated
- die
- find a rich benefactor to pay for rehab
- somehow qualify for Medicaid and have that pay for rehab

I work in a public hospital ER doing psych assessments. The only way he's getting admitted to an inpatient setting is if:

- suicidal w/ plan
- homicidal w/ credible plans
- psychotic to the point where he's a danger to himself/others
- medically unstable which he won't be

People come all the time like this thinking we'll help them in some way but there's basically nothing we can do other than telling them to follow up with a free outpatient option.

And anyone who pays for someone else's rehab should just give the addict the money to spend on drugs. It's a fucking waste.

Is he seeking help or not at that point?

I would think that you feel helpless to change him as it's not under your control.I lost my sister a long time ago and think about her every day.

Got a sister like him. Been that way since early high school. How some can live that long doing what she's done is beyond me. She's 29 now. Currently in rehab but I'm not holding my breath over it. Like you, I live with it.

My older brother almost killed me stealing $20 from for his meth habit when I was 15. I have no sympathy for junkies. I ended up stabbing my brother multiple times with a screw driver in self defence because of his drug habit. Barely fazed him while he was methed up.

nm, good luck

Hide yo stuff and yo computer and yo guns.


Your bro needs treatment and regulated heroin would help that whereas his dealer needs his businesss to keep the $$$$$ flowing and so does the system to keep the tax $$$$ from the war on drugs.


Regulate it, give it in small amounts for free after sitting through 6 hours of videos offering addiction treatment. The base heads will continue to do it but they will be in a safe environment that doesn't encourage its use and won't encourage them to steal to get a huge score to party with their friends. And hopefully the 6 hour videos discoruaging use and boring the shit out of people will prevent the party guys from getting into it casually by simply looking for the next big high and hanging out with sketchy guys.


All while destroying the market for drug gangs.

Sorry for your loss.....

Edit: disregard, don't want to derail the thread.

edit

edit

Condolences

I suppose any questions are OK, so here goes.

Is heroin addiction anything like the movies, where they're always just waiting for the next fix, and they don't really do anything else but shoot up?

I lost my sister to that shit last year. Battled it for about 5 years. She was 34. I mean it when i say hope he comes around and stays around.

has he ever offered to zuk yo diq for a hit

But seriously though, that sucks.  Had some friends that got addicted to poor people drugs and had to break contact.  Can't have that kind of shit in my life.

My little cousin ODd and died from heroin down in Denver two days before his birthday. He would have been 23. I remember holding him when he was a baby. Still can't believe he's gone. The devastation it caused in our family still lingers.  This happened right after Christmas last year.

I hope your brother fixes his shit OP.

Edit. Spelling

 You nailed it OP.  I hope it's sooner than later for you and your family. 

I know where you're at. My younger sister is 23 and has been addicted to heroin for a few years. Honestly, I'm not even sure she is alive.

Maybe I am completely out of touch with this type of thing but I have always thought most people that went down this road did so do to a poor upbringing. You seem to be a normal member of society. Assuming you and him were raised the same way in the same house how did you go right and he go wrong? Things like this always interest me as I have seen it before where one sibling becomes a doctor and the other one becomes homeless. Same upbringing, same genes, what happens to cause this?

He's been violated once but it was over MJ (I think) and it's been awhile. He's pretty slick at staying uncaught considering all the shit he actually does.

His criminal record is large but also a bit of a mystery. He rarely calls anymore unless he needs bail but we still talk via FB periodically. Even if I was allowed to run him through NCIC I'd be afraid to. The worst charges (that I know of) were for stealing a car and resisting arrest w/violence. AFAIK, he's never gotten hooked up for hard drugs but he's walked the razors edge of it.

A few weeks ago the cops stopped him for  "obstruction of drivers view" for something hanging from his mirror after they saw him leaving a house in a known drug area. It's a matter of time.

Dude... Thanks for sharing. I'm sorry.

Sucks OP, my brother died of it in 2000. His choice to get on it and not get off, no one else. Im pro legalization.

Pretty tame question.

I would say yes and no. So long as he's got enough of something more than MJ that will give him a "bump", he's somewhat functional. He could work a halfway decent job while still being addicted. When he's out of money and drugs he's an absolute fucking nightmare. When he went to visit my folks in eastern TN he ended up being thrown out after 3 days and my mom called me crying. He got there and went to the ER for some sort of pain but the Dr's there knew he was a fucking junky and left empty handed. Than my folks caught him pawning some of the things they had in the basement and one night heard him going through the medicine cabinet. When they tried to talk him into seeking treatment he became pissed and turned into Junky Dickhead.

They threw him out an hour or so after that conversation. Mom found a burnt spoon in the bottom of the trash can in the bathroom when cleaning up after he left.

I have a busy day but will answer this question. I need some time to formulate an answer... but I do have one for you.

You WAS a GOOD big brother?

Sheesh....yea, whatever makes you sleep well. If you WAS a GOOD big brother you wouldn't have already threw the towel in or raised the white flag until he was six feet under. You never cared did you...

Sorry..i can just relate to your brother and MY big sorry ass brother. He is kinda like you. Sitting up all polished and got the world by the balls, for now, while telling folk how bad his dad, brother , grandfather, etc was you know..kinda dishonoring them?

Your not helping folks dragging your hurting brother thru the mud here before he is dead. It would probably be better to keep these problems to yourself instead of making them public, no telling what YOU may have to battle (alcohol, etc.) before you are cremated or lowered your final time

Its friends, not upbringing.

If you spend your day hanging out with shitty people, you get exposed to more illicit stuff.  Sure, a poor upbringing will likely lead to more time spent with shitty people, but its not direct cause.  Plenty of people come from broken homes and want nothing to do with opioids.  Maybe there was some inane difference that made one child feel ostracized, but it still comes down to who they end up confiding in.

The only connection to weed is that sometimes the same guy who deals weed also deals pills, but there is usually a 'leap' to get to H.  Even among drug users, opioids and meth are on their own.  They are basically the cigarette of drugs, you need a 15min smoke break every hour or two.  It simply consumes your time and money trying to keep up with the need for the next hit.  Staying up all night trying to find a dealer, finally getting it and showing up to work with no sleep and half high.  Doesn't take long till you can't keep a legit job while still chasing the next hit, then the thieving.

You cant fix him.  He will not get better.

Best to completely cut offf all ties

I had to learn this the hard way with 2 siblings

I disagree.  This story is a cautionary tale.  Transparency is the best disinfectant.

Wow, that's some kind of fucked up to think that OP's brother's bad decisions are somehow his fault because he made better decisions than his brother.  It may be that your brother  "has the world by the balls" because he made better decisions than you and hasn't lived his life blaming his problems on everyone but himself.  Sucks that you don't get along with your brother but damn guy, how about a little personal responsibility.  

Sorry for the temporary derail OP.

A serious question:

Do you happen to know if his illegal drug activity started out with marijuana?

If not, was there a history of any alcohol or any other drug involved?

( Basically asking anecdotal evidence of what led to the heroin addiction...)

I hope things get better and work out well, in the end.

You sound like my sister's relatives, who were all upset at her for throwing in the towel on her brother.

They were very self righteous too, until the brother also burned them.

I wanted to thank those that have opened up about their struggle.
I usually hesitate to talk about my experiences because they are the opposite of what some here are going through and I don’t want to seem to be making light of that.
If there is a genetic predisposition for addiction, then my DNA is the opposed end of the scale.
I have been on the hard painkillers several times in my life. Heart surgeries, shattered leg, some others. Every time by the second day I was trying not to take the pain meds.
The best way I can describe it is that I can feel pain, or feel less pain and feel bad. Two or three days in I would rather just feel the pain. It is less uncomfortable than how bad the drugs make me feel. I just don’t want them. I am not sure if it is relevant but both my parents smoke and all my siblings as well, but I never picked it up.

They are incredibly devious.  I knew a guy who joined the army and became a medic specifically so he would have advance warning for drug tests, since the place he worked in was where they did the tests.  He had guys he paid to piss clean for him and would use an IV bag and tubing strapped to his waist so he could "piss" in the cup for drug tests.  

They guy is a life long drug user, incredibly bright guy who did absolutely nothing of value with his life, ever.  Have to give him credit though, for a 60 year old loser he doesn't still live in his parent's basement.  He lives in the attic.

Just curious, how old are you, OP?


I apologize if this has already been asked and answered.

These threads always bring out the addiction is a weakness of will vs addiction is brain wired wrong disease.

It does not matter.

There are Junkies who love getting high and don't care whether it is will or wiring.

There are Junkies who hate being Junkies and want to stop but can't, whether it is will or wiring.

Just like there are pedophiles who don't care, and self loathing pedophiles who hate the urges they have and wish they did not want to do those things.

Either way, the Junkies and the pedophiles still do horrible shit and ruin the lives of those around them and the victims of their crimes.

Overall, the world ends up being a better place when they die.

So, my question is,
You know things will be better for your family and the world when he dies,
Do you feel guilty about that or has he burnt that out of you yet?