re: About to put my son in drug rehab. update page 20

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I disagree that outpatient for a Heroin user is the route to go

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If a heroin addict was a heroin addict was a heroin addict, I would agree. But he's a person and unique. I didn't say outpatient therapy was best. I said the best place to start was an outpatient appointment with someone who would get to know him, learn about him, and find the best fit for a program, should he deem it necessary, because these programs are far from equal and cater to different kinds of people, attitudes, outlooks, etc.

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personally think he needs to be inpatient especially in the beginning

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He probably does. But neither of us know him or his situation particularly well. Hell, maybe he's got a Bible-thumping cousin in Montana who he's always looked up to that wants to take him in and he moves up there with him. There are plenty of non-inpatient solutions, and a thorough evaluation of the situation by a trained specialist is worth much, much more than personal opinions gained from four sentences about a person, which is what everyone in the thread, myself included, the OP excluded, is basing their opinion on.

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He is at a fragile state right now IMO.

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The impression I'm getting is that the son has never considered the weight of his decisions and doesn't even realize he has a problem. I am not getting a "fragile state" mindset- there's no mention of arrest, hospitalization, overdose, etc. I would venture to say that he's in his usual state. Again, we are both operating off of very limited knowledge. You very well could be correct.

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Suboxone is retarded to me. Its designed to ween you off.

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A 20 year old kid who doesn't think he has a problem doesn't quit. It's possible to wean him. If it's my kid, I front the money for him to see a doctor monthly and pay for his suboxone. Why? Because he's safer that way. He gets counseling each month. He has a bug placed on his ear that reminds him that he needs to eventually make changes. One day he'll grow up and make them. Until then, he'll be under much better supervision and in much better company than with whoever he is currently buying heroin from. One day, he'll grow up and make the change. But even if he doesn't, he won't be risking physical harm or death at the hands of a guy he owes money to.

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But everyone is different.

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Absolutely. And that's why I think a trained professional should evaluate him before he gets checked in to a center against his will that he can quite easily leave or get kicked out of if he wants to.




And OP, I'm asking around for people in BR. I'll get back to you if/when I hear anything. I'm not someone he hears from frequently, but a buddy of mine is currently working with him, so hopefully he'll get back to me with a suggestion. If not, trying your luck with a any Addiction Medicine Psychiatrist in BR would definitely be worth your time. One drive to Uptown definitely would be, but I hope I can help you avoid it.

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The only staff member I had extensive dealings with was the guy in charge of the family program and who knows what else. I think it was 3-4 years ago. He may be the biggest tool I've ever met. His need to feel superior was stunning.

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Hmmm, older guy or younger guy?

Adam b are u orginally from Lafayette?

Sounds like Rick Jackson, who I know did the family program for awhile and fits that physical description. That does not sound like his personality or counseling style at all though. Maybe they had another counselor at that time that I'm not aware of.

Swore off the OT, but scan the topics for grins - had to jump in for this one - so many great rehab centers, none in La to compare - can help with the contacts I have made in my kid's rough times - nationwide centers & financial assistance available - bob@jbtaxandaccounting.com - it's a long road - reality is you can anticipate a relapse or two before they finally turn the corner & than they face a lifelong journey & battle - thoughts & prayers

It may be different now but there was a time when Insurance wouldn't pay for Inpatient Rehab until someone had tried outpatient.I always thought that was wrong.

Hopefully,if he goes to rehab,he will see a lot of grown men that's lives are still fricked up because they continue to use drugs.

He has to want to change.It may not take the 1st time.He may relapse.But hopefully,sooner rather than later,he'll realize that drug use is not worth loss of Family,loss of future,etc..

I hope things work out.

Palmetto in North Louisiana

From page 4 in case you didn't see it in the flood of nonsense:

There are just too many unknown factors for me to make a good recommendation here. Depending on your child's age the idea that they "are not ready" may or may not be a roadblock to recovery. And the drug of choice also plays a big role in what I would tell you.

If your kid has just been fricking up on a bad run for a couple of months you might just need to calm down and go speak with a couple of counselors. You can call Hidalgo Health Associates in Baton Rouge for a meeting and they will assess the situation and give some options.

I recommend against Townsend. It is pretty much a suboxone clinic. If you decide on treatment you want a 12 step based program.

As for inpatient, Woodlake in Ethel is owned by Randy Gomez, but Dr. Cataldie is the medical director and their addiction guru, Dr. Tommy Estis is brilliant. They are going through some major staffing changes though. It is primarily young patients with opiate addictions. They don't advertise this fact but it is essentially a 45 day program.

Palmetto is recognized as one of the best treatment centers in the country. It is a 90 day program and they have many older professionals as patients. From what I understand the medical board and state bar highly recommend it to their members that are in trouble.

As length of treatment goes up, so do success rates. A 30 day program has much less success than even a 45 day program. A 90 day program has more than double the success of 45.

Feel free to email me. artierometd@gmail. Been through it from a few sides.

Cliffs Notes: Call Hidialgo and Associates. This is what they do.

I've got a friend that is 39 years old that is battling drugs and has lost everything he ever had including wife, two kids, career, friends, etc. He hit rock bottom this year after our mutual friend, El Josey Wales, passed away from a quick bout with terminal cancer. I'm struggling with trying to help this guy or not. He has fricked up everything he ever had, but my last few conversations with EJW before he passed away keeps me wanting to help him.

This guy got kicked out of two different rehabs in the last two months and is well aware of his problem. He graduated college with EJW and I, and is not a dumbass by any stretch of the imagination. He legitimately has a drug problem and can't curb it, but refuses help. I told him several months ago that death or prison was his next step. He agreed and said he wanted to die after leaving the graveside services for our best friend. He claims he should've been the one to die and tried his damnest to do so besides putting a gun to his head. He told me he couldn't put a gun to his head because he had sold every gun he owned to fund his drug issues. This is a grown arse man that knows right from wrong. I can't help but feel sorry for the guy, but don't feel as if I can help him at this point in his life. He literally had three changes of clothes and a guitar to his name the last time I talked to him around Labor Day. Even if I was in a position to give him 100k to reboot his life, he would be in the same situation before a cat could lick its arse. This whole ordeal has weighed on me for some time now.

Prayers to the OP. I hope like hell I never have to deal with this sort of thing with my son. I hope his son gets the help he needs and can come out of his hole.

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maybe you should've done that in the first place and you wouldn't be in this situation......just saying

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Quite insensitive. There are times that kids are going to do what they are going to do no matter what you do as a parent.

To the originator of this thread, your son is indeed fortunate to have parents who care about him. I wish you the best of luck. I am not familiar with the programs in Baton Rouge. Brentwood in Shreveport is good, and there is one over in Rayville, LA that is well spoken of although its name slips me at the moment.