my abf entered mmt about a month ago. he became more focused, more loving, helpful around the house, than he had been in a long while – actually perhaps more than i’ve ever seen him. he didn’t have the “treatment high” syndrome, just paying attention to some of the nuts and bolts of life.
i wanted him to do inpatient treatment, then decided i would be “ok” with outpatient, but he has resisted both.
i sometimes wondered if he was doing the program as he was supposed to — nights when he would nod a bit for couple hours, sleeping patterns that weren’t normal for him, and sometimes just a gut feeling that something wasn’t right. but not knowing too much about mmt, and getting stable, i was never sure.
this morning i walked in unexpectedly and sure enough, he scrambled to hide something. it was a syringe.
he is just about to go into phase 2, where he gets an extra t.h. every week. so clean ua’s for 30 days. he said he is only shooting the methadone, i believe he is getting extra from somewhere (his many friends/connections out there) so he is abusing, right?
he said it’s really about a fixation he has with needles. i can buy that, but it’s still not working the program the way he’s supposed to. right? not sure what to do at this point. i feel betrayed and confused.
i need some time and distance to get clarity. where should he go (living with me now) and what should my response be? i have been extremely supportive for a long, long time and hoped that last year was his last relapse. i don’t think he’s using h, but of course how would i know. any feedback very welcome
The fixation with the needle is a real problem that i have seen many times over the 30+ yrs i have been involved in drug use and treatment. also he may not necasaraly be using additional methadone.being tired at the end of the day when on mmt is not unusual nor is some slight nodding after a busy day or lots of physical activity. It takes a while for people to fall in line on MMT and you should expect a few minor relapses. but dont give up on it. it took me several yrs before it took for me but since it has life has gotten much better as it will for you and him in time. but he should deff not be injecting methadone. if he is having trouble staying away from the needle my suggestion is get him to try smoking some good medical grade cannabis[ marijuana] most clinics dont test for this and it really helped me when i was having craving’s for the needle. good luck peace jim