I am just so sick and tired of all the drugs and the joke of a drug war.

It's bad enough that my brother-in-law is in jail right now due to drug related crimes. I just got off the phone with my mother and she told be that a friend of the family had OD'ed on heroine. His heart stopped but they did revive him.

I hadn't seen the guy in years but we were childhood friends. He was actually my 1st friend we were babies together.

I guess he's ok and in rehab where he's been before...

I am just so sad and pissed off by the whole drug thing.

When will the goverment realize that they need to do something else to prevent and end drug addiction?

What they are doing right now is NOT working.

I surly understand how you feel. My brother in law over dosed last year in july. That about killed us. Evne though we knew it was going to happen, but i dont think one can ever be prepared for that. Two days before we lost him, i was jsut telling him this was fixing to happen if he did not go back into rehab. Of course, you cant make someone get help. He honestly tried with all his mite to stop. In fact we sent him to rehab i cant count how many times. I watched him for years set on my couch crying cause this had a hold of him, and he did not know how to kick it. It tore me up to see him cry as he did. Him and i were close, we fought like we were the ones married, lol but he knew that there was not much i would not do for him, not to the point of enabling him. I dont think there is alot of people out there ( not people here) that understand the effect drugs can have on some one.

I feel the same way,drugs are the reason my sons are in prison.

I Know EXACTLY how you feel. Drugs have ruled my family for years. It is no wonder I fell in love with an addict. And now after 2 yrs of trying to help him he is in prison for this horrible addiction. And prison is NOT the place for him. He's never known how to get help. This has ripped our family to pieces. WAR? It's more like a war to lock them up and throw away the key. What about help, education, gudance, and simple love for the fellow on the street struggling to understand?! I too get very angry.

Stacy

I totally agree. I am a recovering addict with my husband in prison for drug related offenses. Jail is not where he needs to be. All they do is compare stories, plan ways to get away with it next time and even probably use in there. There needs to be another alternative to drug addiction than jail. They dont get clean there. Thanks for letting me share,

I too am a recovery addict with my husband in prison for drug related crime, hell this is his 4 time in prison for drug related things, this time around there was no new crime, he just couldn't pass a drug test and had his parole violated & he's back for that now. I am in recovery now, 19 months strong, but he is not, and God knows we have tried everything to get him into some type of treatment because just locking them up does not work. Louisiana says they have lock down treatment centers but I sure as hell don't know who gets into them because we tried and tried to get him sent to one to no avail. It's scary to me, as a recovering addict, I love him and I want him to come home, but on the other hand, I'm afraid for him to come home, what if he starts using again? It's hard to be around it and not pick up; so I'm just waiting and hoping that he'll get into recovery when he gets out; but I know that if he doesn't, and he starts getting hi again when he comes home, I have no choice but to leave him because I can't risk going into active addiction myself. So sometimes I wonder, am I just wasting my life away waiting for him? It may all be for nothing if he comes home and can't stay clean, it's hard to do sometimes. What pisses me off is that in there it would be a lot easier to get into recovery because even though you can get drugs in there it's not as easy as it is out here, out here there are triggers everywhere, money is easier for him to get, why can't they do more with drug treatment while they are locked up? The first year was the hardest for me, if he could do that in prison it would make it so much easier I think. It really makes me mad, prison doesn't teach them how to deal with life, how to deal with urges to get hi, and so they keep coming out and going back, over & over again.

I have been clean and sober for 11 years now. I remember that night when I finally got sick and tired of being sick and tired.

I was totally wasted. I rememer reaching over to the nightstand by my bed, to put down my cirgarette, and grab my beer. Somehow I missed the table, and down on the floor between the bed and nightstand I went; the ashtray, beer, dope, lamp and everything else was all over me and the carpet. At that moment I felt the pain and reality of my addition. I felt like the loneliest person on earth, and I cried like a baby.

Then I remember crying out to God asking Him to take away the drugs and alcohol. I was so desparate that I was willing to try anything and do whatever it took to get me loose from my addiction. I told God that I would do anything He wanted, if He would just take the booze and dope. The next day when I woke up, I knew something was different inside of me. I didn't stop using all at once, the way some people are set free, but that night marked my recovery. As I continued to surrender my life to God. Withing the following months, I was free from the bondage of drugs and alcohol. The first 5 years, I backslid a few times, but I couldn't stay in that mode like before. Each time I backslid, I was reminded why I wanted to quit, it wasn't good to me anymore and I knew that I couldn't remain there. So I got back on the horse, and continued on in my recovery. The backsliding became less and less, with me losing the desire.

Today, 11 years later, I have absolutely no desire to get high. God completely took away the desire. I tried many, many times on my own, as well as drug programs, but only by me surrendering my life to God and allowing HIM to cleaned me up has lasted.

If you or a loved one is an addict, try God. Prayer consist of you asking God for His devine intervention, and be willing to submit to His guidance. .

God Bless.

I agree. Prison is not the answer for drug addicts. My husbands crimes are all because of drugs and he doesn't get the right help in prison. Judges should be able to sentence them to rehabs or something else, not prison.

Susan

I was just let out in may. I did four years for drug charges. I have ben an addict sence I was 11 years old. when I went to prison that was when I had enough. I just told myself that its time to change,and did. Even with the access in there I staied straight. The first step is to realy want it! If support group or religion,rehab thats grate. Ican only say this you must realy want it. I am now 4years clean and have no desiere to go back to that life. I wish everyone the best of luck. And no prison is not the place for an addic.

Reading these posts are amazing! There is much people power here... I have to introduce some threads of thoughts on strategies, having a feeling that prisontalk has a lot of creative energy to listen to. Thanks for sharing your hearts.

I'm sick of too few results, and lead an organization, The November Coalition - here today to get some leadership from many of you.

These forums have potential to mass a lot of energy, synergy and get results. So, I'll be hanging around - likely a long while...

In Struggle,
Nora

Nice to have you here Nora! I will be looking forward to all of your thoughts on this so called drug "war".

It saddens me to read all of these posts... I dont understand how the government can be soo blind... Its refreshing to know that I am not the only person out here who has had to deal with my family being destroyed because of drugs.. My father has lost EVERYTHING.. Him and my mother divorced because his addiction got so horrible and his kids want nothing to do with them... If we can clearly see the problem how come the government cant?? It makes me not want to bring anymore children into a world that pretty much revolves around drugs :(

Wow, this one really hit home. My husband is on his 3rd prison term, not for drug related crimes, all for theft, but the theft was to get the money for cocaine. He's written me countless letters about how he don't know how to deal with it all. He says he can't understand how one substance can be so powerful to make you want it when you don't even want it. I totally agree that prison is not the place for people with addictions. My husband has just as much access to cocaine in there as he does on the streets. As a matter of fact he's told me that prison is the place he first shot cocain. The first and last place. He said it felt too good and he'd never be able to control it. But my question is.....Is he really controling it now? He's promised me that he is done for good. But that he will need tremondous amouts of help from me. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can help him stick to his decision to get AND STAY clean? He knows that I will not allow it to take place in our home, so does he need to get all new friends? He has absolutly NO real friends, everytime he's stopped using for any period of time, they've always lured him back. I realize that he is a grown man and needs to make his own decisions, but won't it be better for him if he's just not around the stuff he can't resist? Anyone with any advise, PLEASE send it my way, And thank you

Those are all really good questions. My boyfriend is a heroin addict, and has been probably for the last 10 years on and off. (He's been clean for 14 months now) I am scared to death for when he comes home in January. He says he is done, and I believe that HE believes that.
My boyfriend doesn't have any true friends either cuz all of his friends were dealers and other users. He doesn't want to be around anybody like that when he gets out. In fact, I don't think he wants to go near the area that he used to go to buy.
You can't pack up and run from the drugs cuz they are everywhere. So, I guess I am just going to let Robert know (which he already does) that I am here for him, period. I can't stop him from using if thats what he wants to do. All I can do is look out for myself.
I will do whatever I can to make him feel as good about himself as possible. To make sure that he knows that he is worth something. I can't stop him, I can't move the bad areas, and I can't destroy all the dealers. (I wish)
Just be there, and make sure that he knows that he doesn't need to use. I don't really know what else to say cuz I am pretty clueless in how to handle it myself.
I don't want to babysit, but I know that when he first comes home, I am going to be watching him like a hawk. That is so horrible to say, and I HATE that I feel that way, but I guess from all I have been through with him and drugs (as most people who love addicts) the trust is not really all there when it comes to that yet. So, I guess that will take time.
I am sure I haven't helped you much here. If I could, I definitely would. Good luck to you and don't be afraid to let us know how you are doing!!!
Good luck to you!