How to deal with son's detox

ddroberts
312

Help to deal with son's detox.

My son is 26 yrs. old, 6 days clean, having a lot of cravings to use again, agitated, anxious, angry, can't seem to help him, he is very angry at me. What can I do to help, is there anything that he can take that will help with the cravings?

Replies...

eyes
open83

Re: Help to deal with son's detox.

hello and welcome to the board...
there are plenty of people here who will be able to tell you what he can take to help with the cravings...
i did a home detox, i didn't use anything....no meds, no anything....well...chocolate and coke-a-cola hehe...
time is all he needs in my opinion....
as soon as he is ready get him to a support program such as na or cma (sfj will have link for that).....

what he needs is help with living on life's terms without using...detox is just the start....
good luck i look forward to hearing/seeing yours and your sons progress....

p.s. would your son be interested in coming and talking to us here?

danimal
55

Re: Help to deal with son's detox.

I agree with Shane...more than anything, it takes time.
In regards to time, it's the quality not the quantity.
Those who devote themselves to a working recovery have much greater odds than those who simply abstain....
the odds for those quitting "on their own" are dismal.
Have him come here, he'll soon realize that he's not unique at all, we ALL go through this.
And we DO recover.
Most of us agree that the only thing harder that quitting meth...is to keep using it.
You all have some rough days ahead, but you're not alone.
Welcome to the forum, it IS your forum...use it *DAILY*.

FWIW... many of us have never touched meth since showing up here.

We hope to see you AND your son...soon!

Sfj

Re: Help to deal with son's detox.

To ddroberts312,
First the good news:
No one ever died from meth detox.

Coming off of meth is not physically dangerous like heroin or alcohol.

Unless he has co-occurring physical health or medical problems, you need not be too concerned about his physical well-being. He needs to re-hydrate, drink plenty of water, and sleep. Many recovering meth addicts could easily require twelve, sixteen or even more hours of sleep daily. A general physical is always a good idea. If he goes to a doc for a medical exam, he needs to be honest about his addiction.

A sensible diet, avoiding junk food is also a good idea. Recovering meth addicts can benefit from protein, (amino acids) but be careful not to overdo it. Fish is a good source. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains are good foods for recovering addicts.

Next, he probably isn't as mad at you as it seems. Meth addicts in early stages of withdrawal are typically in extreme emotional pain and have difficulty dealing with reality. They will lash out at anyone and everyone in many cases.

If you are interested in finding out how to have conversations with him, I'd be glad to post more info on that topic also.
Sometimes it gets worse before it gets better.
That doesn't seem too encouraging does it?
But take heart, the good times will return eventually.

Family members who think that as soon as an addict quits using must realize this. It will get worse, not better, for quite awhile. The only thing that will get better right away is the consistency of the problems. The problems will be there all day everyday and they will be severe, all day every day. When your addict was using, there were alternating periods of good and bad, up and down, energy and lethargy. But in recovery you won't have to deal with the inconsistencies, it will be bad all the time. Constant chronic use of methamphetamine causes a biological change, a basic molecular change in the addict's central nervous system and brain such that it requires meth to be anywhere normal. The brain becomes absolutely dependent on the stimulation that meth provides in order to function. When withdrawal occurs, serious problems are guaranteed to follow for a considerable amount of time.

Some people are concerned about things getting better instantly. In recovery, that is virtually impossible. Quitting using is barely the beginning. Just because someone quits, doesn't mean things are suddenly going to improve. Often it is just the opposite.

Stopping meth often results in:
1. Being Excessively Tired
2. Big Time Depressed
3. Overwhelmingly Lonely
4. Becoming Fat
5. Total Lack of Ambition and Motivation
6. No Sex Drive
7. Severe Feelings of Despair
8. Possible Suicidal Thoughts
9. Panic and Anxiety Attacks
10. Nightmares About Drugs and Drug Situations
11. Bizarre Sleep Patterns
12. Many more problems too numerous to mention.

Now you wonder why it is so difficult to quit? Meth users avoid all those and so the irony exists in wondering why things don't get better right away. Nevertheless, in time, things DO improve, but it takes much more time than people usually realize.

My sponsor said to me, "Do you know why recovery is so difficult"?
"Why"? I said.
He replied, "Because if it was easy, we'd be going back out all the time thinking, I can go through withdrawal and recovery anytime I want. It's easy." NOT.

1. Get as much info as you can
2. Develop a plan
3. Seek professional help
4. Realize the truthful limitations
5. Most importantly - Trust God
6. Discard any notion that there is an easy magic answer that can be found by visiting an internet website, including this one and my site also.

My website:
Do's and Don'ts
How Meth Addicts Think and Feel

I'm not trying to overwhelm you, so if you have any more questions or need more help, please ask.