Heroin addiction

[ThreeMenAndALAdy]

I just need to vent a bit. I live in Massachusetts and it seems like the Northeast is suffering from a heroin epedemic. I have lost 3 facebook friends in the last 26 days. The third happened to a long time friend in NY. I can't take this anymore. My nephew's father was just sent to prison...he is an addict...has been for about 2 years now. And he was the most amazing dad before drugs destroyed his life. I live in a nice suburb about 20 minutes from Boston. This demon has no face and doesn't care who it takes down. I have 4 children and I worry so much about them getting involved in things like this. It would DESTROY me. It's a tough world out there and I hope I give my kids the tools they need to tackle it. I pray for those who are struggling to find the strength to prevail. Drugs take too many good people. Thanks for listening.

[Hobbermittens]

My brother was a heroin addict for many years. I was not in contact with him much during that time, but the few times I did see him, he was a mess. He finally got help, and recovered by doing the methadone program. He is now doing really well and has his life on track. So it is possible to beat Heroin, but it takes a lot of motivation and a lot of hard work. I'm sorry you have had this touch your life; it is awful.

[TTC5]

I hate drugs

[ThreeMenAndALAdy]

Me to ttc5!!!

[auroara78]

I'm sorry this has happened threemen; that's one of my greatest fears actually for my kids is to fall prey for something stupid like drugs, because curiousity can really kill the cat; in high school, my long-time best friend, who I shared so much with, fell under the influence of drugs. She wanted me to join her. I just felt very strongly that I did not want to be like that; the idea of not having control over myself scared me enough to say no, but it wasn't easy, because we had been so close ever since we were five years old, and 10 years later, the drugs severed our friendship. That being said, I worry that my kids will be in a similar situation and I hope they will have the bravery to turn away as well.

On another note, not heroin, but my husband has battled alcoholism for years (he started drinking heavy when his grandparents who raised him died when he was in his early 20s) and earlier this year he had gotten diagnosed with pancreatitis, and if he kept drinking, it would have killed him, or potentially led to pancreatic cancer. I hate how downplayed sometimes alcoholism is; I know a lot of ppl can control it, but for some, like my husband, it is a tricky thing, and men like my husband either have to have it all (drink constantly) or never drink again. I am so proud of him for being somber, because I know even with his health crisis, addiction is TOUGH to battle.

[Yuzu]

Addiction is such a terrible thing! My husband is a recovering alcoholic; he really almost destroyed his life. I think many families struggle with addiction and are just so afraid of being shunned by friends and relatives that they say nothing.

[lisa3delta]

This is something ive always worried about, my way of trying to teach my kids how bad drugs can be is by telling them horror stories about what can go wrong or about how theyve ruined peoples lives. I try not to make it too heavy and i slip the stories into conversation, but when i see an opportunity i grab it, sometimes ill be reading an article and ill share it with them.

I often get shock horror looks from them when i tell these stories and they'llask things like "why would anyone use drugs!?" which is exactly the effect im after!

DH scowls at me when i tell them the stories, he thinks they dont need to hear about that stuff yet,but my older two are 11 and 13 and nows the time imho!