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Helping A Friend
Small Time Crooked
Post Malone's Hairdresser Des Plaines, ILRegistered User regular
Post Malone's Hairdresser Des Plaines, ILRegistered User regular
This has been burning in the back of my brain for a good couple weeks. I've got this friend of mine, we haven't known each other too long, but we started off as mutual acquaintances back last fall. I consider him a pretty good friend by now since he's always had this wanting to back me up on any endeavor, good or bad, I might undergo. Well, fast-forward to the now. As much as I don't like admitting to it, he and I are both pretty avid heroin users, going through easily hundreds of dollars worth of the junk in a weeks time. Me, I'm focusing on getting better, though it's easy to slip up, I'm just going to deal with the withdrawal when it comes to me because I put myself in that position. I just don't know how I can get through to him with it. He quit for a week not too long ago then got back on it because he had an oral infection and claimed he was only going to use to "dull the pain". We're in the now and he's getting progressively worse, on top of him trying to get into the army, he needs to stop, ASAP.
I just need some advice, is there anything I can do to help him realize that this drug is quite literally destroying him? I mean, just seeing how he is is only one of MY motivators to stop, as well as the toll it's taking on my finances and the days of woe and sickness that follow usage. He's beginning to remind me of the addicts I'd encounter when I lived in the inner-city, desperate for another dose, seemingly hopeless and unkempt. I'm convinced that when he see's me showing initiative then he will too, but I understand that people only change for themselves. I just need to know, Penny Arcade, is my homie past the point of no return?
I just need some advice, is there anything I can do to help him realize that this drug is quite literally destroying him? I mean, just seeing how he is is only one of MY motivators to stop, as well as the toll it's taking on my finances and the days of woe and sickness that follow usage. He's beginning to remind me of the addicts I'd encounter when I lived in the inner-city, desperate for another dose, seemingly hopeless and unkempt. I'm convinced that when he see's me showing initiative then he will too, but I understand that people only change for themselves. I just need to know, Penny Arcade, is my homie past the point of no return?
Small Time Crooked on
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That said, you can definitely clean up and help your buddy clean up, and the sooner the better, because the alternative is to keep spiralling into use and more use. That's the thing about heroin - it never seems like a bad idea when you're actually using.
Focus on the positive things going on around you. Get as far away from any negative people as possible - just one suggestion that you might not have what it takes to stop using is sometimes all it takes to restart a habit. Go out and meet new people. It's amazing how many people you can hang out with and do stuff with when that stuff doesn't include doing heroin.
Here's a question: how many good looking guys/gals do you see shootin smack? Not a lot, man. Not a lot. I mean, it sounds like you're blowing over a grand a month. One grand a month is a huge amount of money. You can live on that much money, I mean travel well, stay in nice rooms, eat nice meals, the works.
Also: take it slow. Don't be forgiving, but don't be unnecessarily punitive on yourself or your buddy. If you're cutting down from 10 bags a week, maybe drop down to 6 bags; if that's too steep, try 8 ( I'm just guessing here, I have no idea how much H you can get for hundreds a week ).
i've yet to meet the first addict that kicks off without some genuine internal motivation.
just a little spark can be enough though, so i strongly suggest you involve him in your plans and see how he feels.