My friend is a cocaine addict and now in rehab, what to do?

[macker57]

OK, I have this friend and he is a cocaine addict since a couple months. I never noticed it cuz the last few months, we didn't have too much contact. We hang out about every 2nd weekend with all my friends and none of us noticed it. At his job(he got laid off without notice, he told us cuz he made a couple errors(he's a mechanic), but after all, we think it might have been cuz of his cocaine story), I know that there work people who are really into drugs and stuff, he told us before that he tried cocaine once. He was also a weed-head for about a year but in his last year during his apprenticeship, he really stopped with everything. He's in rehab since Monday and my friends told me today about it. First, I was shocked and I don't know if I should be angry with him, cuz he was so stupid to get into this or.... really, no clue how I should react when I see him the next time. The problem also is, he never talked about us with his problems, he only said "aaaaaa, cocaine(drugs in general) isn't THAT bad like everyone is saying" and I told him a couple times if he will start that crap again, I'd slap him silly.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[StageLeft]

What to do? Not cocaine

 

[macker57]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
What to do? Not cocaine

Well I want to help him somehow. I think me and my friends really need to take care of him cuz his childhood wasn't the best, etc.

 

[waylman]

treat him the same way you did before. there's no point getting mad at him.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: waylman
treat him the same way you did before. there's no point getting mad at him.

lol..

It's so funny how peoples' perceptions change when they learn certain things that are really insignificant when it comes down to their friendship.

 

[BCskunk]

he needs all the support he can get...emotional

 

[macker57]

Originally posted by: waylman
treat him the same way you did before. there's no point getting mad at him.

He spent all his salary on that crap and yeah, you get the point... his mother closed now all his bank accounts, etc.

 

[macker57]

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: waylman
treat him the same way you did before. there's no point getting mad at him.

lol..

It's so funny how peoples' perceptions change when they learn certain things that are really insignificant when it comes down to their friendship.

what do you exactly mean?

 

[notfred]

You came on the internet looking for advice about dealing with cocaine addiction, and you decided that the best messageboard to register for and post at was a computer hardware one?

 

[Marshallj]

Originally posted by: notfred
You came on the internet looking for advice about dealing with cocaine addiction, and you decided that the best messageboard to register for and post at was a computer hardware one?

Hahahaha

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: macker57

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: waylman
treat him the same way you did before. there's no point getting mad at him.

lol..

It's so funny how peoples' perceptions change when they learn certain things that are really insignificant when it comes down to their friendship.

what do you exactly mean?

I mean that the guy is still the same dude he was before, you just didn't know of his addiction. Now that you do, your perception of him has changed in a negative way.

It happens all the time. You can be talking to someone on AIM or wherever, and as soon as they mention that they're stoned.. your perception changes.

I wasn't flaming you or anything, though. Back on topic..

He needs support. Just be his friend, like you were before. He doesen't need to be treated any different, he's still the same person.

 

[Looney]

Originally posted by: notfred
You came on the internet looking for advice about dealing with cocaine addiction, and you decided that the best messageboard to register for and post at was a computer hardware one?

Not like he posted in the OS forum.

 

[macker57]

Originally posted by: notfred
You came on the internet looking for advice about dealing with cocaine addiction, and you decided that the best messageboard to register for and post at was a computer hardware one?

I'm a long time lurker, first time poster. GUTB, dennilfloss, Hardware(the 3dfx hater), etc. Been here for about 2.5 years.

 

[macker57]

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: macker57

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: waylman
treat him the same way you did before. there's no point getting mad at him.

lol..

It's so funny how peoples' perceptions change when they learn certain things that are really insignificant when it comes down to their friendship.

what do you exactly mean?

I mean that the guy is still the same dude he was before, you just didn't know of his addiction. Now that you do, your perception of him has changed in a negative way.

It happens all the time. You can be talking to someone on AIM or wherever, and as soon as they mention that they're stoned.. your perception changes.

I wasn't flaming you or anything, though. Back on topic..

He needs support. Just be his friend, like you were before. He doesen't need to be treated any different, he's still the same person.

I'm just kinda dissapointed that he never told us about his problems. And I don't want him to get a junkie. He also told us that he really stopped that crap and didn't touch anything.

 

[stormbv]

Originally posted by: macker57

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: macker57

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: waylman
treat him the same way you did before. there's no point getting mad at him.

lol..

It's so funny how peoples' perceptions change when they learn certain things that are really insignificant when it comes down to their friendship.

what do you exactly mean?

I mean that the guy is still the same dude he was before, you just didn't know of his addiction. Now that you do, your perception of him has changed in a negative way.

It happens all the time. You can be talking to someone on AIM or wherever, and as soon as they mention that they're stoned.. your perception changes.

I wasn't flaming you or anything, though. Back on topic..

He needs support. Just be his friend, like you were before. He doesen't need to be treated any different, he's still the same person.

I'm just kinda dissapointed that he never told us about his problems. And I don't want him to get a junkie. He also told us that he really stopped that crap and didn't touch anything.

He probably didn't tell anyone because he wanted to keep doing coke. Just try putting yourself in his mind, where doing cocaine supercedes everything else in your life.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: macker57

Originally posted by: notfred
You came on the internet looking for advice about dealing with cocaine addiction, and you decided that the best messageboard to register for and post at was a computer hardware one?

I'm a long time lurker, first time poster. GUTB, dennilfloss, Hardware(the 3dfx hater), etc. Been here for about 2.5 years.

Wow, that is a long time.

Congrats on your Posting Wings.

 

[macker57]

Originally posted by: stormbv

Originally posted by: macker57

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: macker57

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: waylman
treat him the same way you did before. there's no point getting mad at him.

lol..

It's so funny how peoples' perceptions change when they learn certain things that are really insignificant when it comes down to their friendship.

what do you exactly mean?

I mean that the guy is still the same dude he was before, you just didn't know of his addiction. Now that you do, your perception of him has changed in a negative way.

It happens all the time. You can be talking to someone on AIM or wherever, and as soon as they mention that they're stoned.. your perception changes.

I wasn't flaming you or anything, though. Back on topic..

He needs support. Just be his friend, like you were before. He doesen't need to be treated any different, he's still the same person.

I'm just kinda dissapointed that he never told us about his problems. And I don't want him to get a junkie. He also told us that he really stopped that crap and didn't touch anything.

He probably didn't tell anyone because he wanted to keep doing coke. Just try putting yourself in his mind, where doing cocaine supercedes everything else in your life.

Hm... really has to be fvcked up I guess.....

 

[Piano Man]

I have a friend who got addicted to crack-cocaine 6 months back. We finally forced him to go to rehab when it was apparent he wasn't going to help himself. He found God at rehab, which is just another addiction, but at least it won't kill you. I suggest you treat him like a normal human being when he gets out. We all make mistakes, its just that some peoples mistakes stay hidden while others are made public.

 

[Eli]

Bah, don't turn this into a religious thread.

Comparing religion to crack is hardly right.

 

[macker57]

Originally posted by: Piano Man
I have a friend who got addicted to crack-cocaine 6 months back. We finally forced him to go to rehab when it was apparent he wasn't going to help himself. He found God at rehab, which is just another addiction, but at least it won't kill you. I suggest you treat him like a normal human being when he gets out. We all make mistakes, its just that some peoples mistakes stay hidden while others are made public.

Well the problem is the people from his ex-company. He still hangs out with them(hopefully not after rehab). How long was your friend in rehab?

 

[Harvey]

Originally posted by: macker57
I don't know if I should be angry with him, cuz he was so stupid to get into this or.... really, no clue how I should react when I see him the next time.

I used to play music professionally, and I've been around musicians and other creative artists most of my life, and I've seen a number of them go through rehab. If he's really a friend, the best thing to do is gently let him know you know about his problem, you care about him, and you support his effort to get out of it through rehab.

Don't push it any more than he cares to open up. He has to get comfortable with his own perception of himself as a recovering addict before he'll be able to talk about it outside of his rehab group. In fact, he has plenty to deal with just opening up IN the group.

It could be worse. I've also seen some of them lose everything, including their lives, either because they failed at rehab, or they didn't get the help they needed in time.

 

[Encryptic]

Be supportive of him. At least he's in rehab and hopefully he'll clean up his act instead of throwing everything away for the sake of a few lines of coke. He's still your friend, addiction or no addiction.

 

[Mr N8]

Give him a hug.

<sing>What the world needs now....is love, sweet love...</singing>

 

[macker57]

Originally posted by: Encryptic
Be supportive of him. At least he's in rehab and hopefully he'll clean up his act instead of throwing everything away for the sake of a few lines of coke. He's still your friend, addiction or no addiction.

I still look at him as a friend, it's not like I don't wanna see him again and think that he is evil only cuz he's on cocaine. I just wanna help him, that's all. But with alcoholics, someone told me that you have to let them be until they're really on the ground, don't help them, only if they will promise they stop with alcohol.

Harvey: Thanks for your advice.