Advice helping someone with addiction - Al-Anon Family Group

Sammy Sunday · Newbie

Advice helping someone with addiction

Ellie17 · Newbie

Perhaps contact her primary care physician. You can not expect them to acknowledge she is a patient or give details about her medical records without written consent, but just maybe say you are a concerned person who feels there is addiction and abuse that is causing further medical problems and making her a danger to herself that you wanted them to be aware of regarding her name.

I am no expert and I saw no one had answered you yet.

I suppose it would depend on how busy your social services department is, do you feel it constitutes elderly abuse or neglect her being under the care of her husband without nursing professionals checking in, as to if they will address it. There are always 800 hotline numbers to report suspected abuse.
All these things can be done anonymously as to not create further family dramas when you are just trying to help.

Just some thoughts....again, no expert.

YARNCRAZY · Senior Member

A doctor specializing gereatric [aged] medicine is always a good bet. Does she socialize? Can u encourage her to aprticipate in adult daycare or senior center acticities. alot of times taking meds is part of the schedule and seeing others coping might help as well as the distraction will ease pain. they often have relaxing activities

Mirandac · ~*Service Worker*~

One of my clients was on percoset 4 times a day. Now we do
2- 12 hr time release no tylenol in them. They work great stops
So much dependence or abuse. They sleep better because they
Do need to get up to take meds in middle of night.

A doctor is perscribing her meds they are monitored. Some states
More than others. You do not just a script forever for pain
Meds. The above client needs to go every two months
To doctor. My mother had to go every month to pickup
Her script and show her license in another state for
Morphene.

So i would think the 12 hour oxy would work good they
Need to be weened off tylenol dependence. Its probably
To late to change the druggie in her but the 12 do work
Great in the game of drug shopping.

-- Edited by Mirandac on Monday 30th of March 2015 03:00:54 PM

Sammy Sunday · Newbie

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I'm very much on the outside of this, but I guess someone in the family could try to talk to her PCP as Ellie suggested. Perhaps changes in type or time duration of medicine might help as Mirandac stated.

In the meantime, I was wondering if anyone actually had any practical advice as to how to deal with the situation of monitoring her pills in such a way as to keep her husband from being the "enemy", so to speak. Often she'll use too many and then start going through withdrawal at the end of the month before her prescription can be renewed. I know it sounds silly, but do they make a time-release safe?

ladybugnessa · Senior Member

they make time lock pill containers for elderly folks who can't remember to take their meds... they are locked between times the pills are allowed.

www.epill.com/28alarmpillbox.html

then she can be in charge herself and he's not the bad guy.

Mirandac · ~*Service Worker*~

There are pill machines. Also he needs to keep a sharp eye
That she does get it into her, They are small pills 12 hours
Oxy.

Clients can have a nurse come in to do pill pours into machine.
Little cups come out at certain times of day or other type of
Dispenser.

You could use a weekly pill box and take away the rest.

When they are addicted it makes life tough. I have one client
That takes her own from pill box and she plays With them
and mixes them around. It is scary but out of my control.

Dealing with people addicted is not much fun if there is
Not a good barrier in place. They think about their drug
Of choice a lot.

12 hour oxy really are good and maintain The pain.

Sammy Sunday · Newbie

The plastic pill box is the right idea, but I think even an elderly woman in poor health wouldn't have any trouble breaking into something like that in about 5 minutes. I think this goes beyond pain management as she is to some extent using them recreationally. Maybe at this point the best course of action is a family member talking to her physician and seeing where that leads. Even so, I don't see how that will solve anything if she doesn't want help.

Thank you.

Mattie · ~*Service Worker*~

I'm afraid that if she has an addiction, she's going to become belligerent when she can't get her supply, whether or not her husband or anyone else (nurse, etc.) is the supply person. That's just the nature of the disease. Take good care of yourself.

Mirandac · ~*Service Worker*~

Thats why the pill machine. It only comes out at certain times,
Or the weekly pills locked away.

The 12 hour does help they can not keep playing that i need
game. Its like night and day to pills every 4 hours then they
try for Three then two hours. Ask if its time yet?

The material presented here is not Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature. It is a method to exchange information, ideas, feelings, problems and solutions on a personal level.