Question by Liliana: getting help for drug abuse?
A little background info: I’m an 18 year old girl and just graduated from high school. I’m working full time during the summer, but i don’t know what i’ll be doing this fall. Might keep working full time, move out, or go to community college, no idea what i want to do.
Here’s the problem.
I’ve been smoking weed for about two years, and at first it helped with my anxiety disorder, but lately it feel like it could be making my anxiety worse. I’ve been a heavy smoker (every single day, many times a day) for the past year. I’ve also been abusing various pills (klonopin, trazodone, darvon, xanax, tramadol, vicodin, seroquel, oxycontin, etc) at least a couple times a week for months. I know i have a drug problem but i doubt i have an addiction to any specific pill, and i wouldn’t have any real withrawal if i stopped cold turkey since i don’t take them every day. I’d just be cranky, completely stressed out and depressed for while. Weed isn’t a hard drug and is not physically addicting, so seeking help for a “weed addiction” just sounds pathetic. I used to have a prescription for klonopin but my doctor stopped prescribing it once he found out i had a history of substance abuse. So, once my current prescription runs out my anxiety is going to skyrocket unless i keep self-medicating. I believe that i could quit if I really wanted to, but i’m scared to actually try since i think i would fall apart. Recently i tried coke and lsd and it hit me that sometime or another, i have to stop. I can’t keep doing this forever. My question is, how do i get help for general substance abuse? Should i go see a therapist? Should i go see my doctor about trying a new anxiety treatment? Go narcotics anonymous meetings? How do i get help for this?

Best answer:

Answer by Carrie Henry
As we say in Narcotics Anonymous…”a drug is a drug is a drug.” Don’t feel “pathetic” for seeking help for ANY addiction.

The best thing for you to do is to seek treatment. An inpatient facility is best, because they will be able to keep you comfortable during your detox process (and you WILL detox, I guarantee it), and monitor you for any unsavory side effects of coming off the meds. You will be able to socialize with other addicts, and get information about Narcotics Anonymous…which is what has kept me sober for nearly ten years.

It sounds like your problem is self-medicating to “control” anxiety. News flash – you aren’t “controlling” anything. You’re just putting in on the back-burner for a while. You need to get to a point where you can handle your problems YOURSELF with the help of a support system, rather than self-medicate. It doesn’t do anything good for you. It really just prolongs the pain.

I’ve been where you are…I know how much it sucks. Please feel free to e-mail or IM me and let me know if you’d like to talk more – [email protected]

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