drug addiction

[BungalowJohn]

my 20 year old daughter suffers from BPD and is 5 weeks in to a privately funded course of DBT.

My wife and I feel confident that this talking therapy will really help our daughter to lead a happier, less emotional life but there is something preventing the treatment from working to its full effect.

Our daughter is 'addicted' to cannabis.

Even though she is being taught coping strategies, her first reaction when in despairing, emotional mind is to turn to the weed.

Thank goodness she has this week started attending meetings of Narcotics Anonymous and we are hopeful that this will help our daughter on all sorts of different levels.

I would love to hear from anyone who has experience of a BPD sufferer who also has addiction issues.

Very best wishes

Our objective is to better understand the struggles our child faces and to learn the skills to improve our relationship and provide a supportive environment and also improve on our own emotional responses, attitudes and effectiveness as a family leaders

[lbjnltx]

Hi BungalowJohn,

So good to have you here.

It sounds like your daughter is moving in a very positive direction... .that's great!

My daughter didn't have a narco addiction... .she was addicted to self injury.  Cutting was her copy strategy.  When our children learn higher level coping skills they can be reminded by those around them to implement them. 

Are you learning the same skills she is learning so you can speak to her and remind her of the skills she has learned and support her in their use... .model those skills for her?

Does she live with you?

Glad you are here! 

lbj

[CanICallYou]

hi BungalowJohn,

it's nice to hear that your daughter already attending NA.

i have a brother who also suffer from BPD and also a drug addict.

my parents convincing my brother to go to rehab. but he was to scared to go. maybe because he don't have any idea about rehab. one of our family member mention about Drug Rehabilitation Recovery he said it offers several treatment that may help to my brother's condition. then my brother was convinced to go to rehab and did some therapy. the result is good and he is doing great he can now manage his condition.

[Kate4queen]

I think its quite common for PWBPD to be addicted to 'something', that can be drugs (my son became addicted to pain killers and weed and other pharmaceuticals) Sometimes it can be self-harming, or alcohol, or anorexia. All these things are attempts to fill that void within the PWBPD to help them 'feel' to give them a 'high' to cover up their internal issues.

It's great that your DD is getting some help. Hopefully her new skill set with offer her the security not to depend on the cannabis.

[CanICallYou]

You're right Kate, my brother therapist at Substance Abuse Rehab Today Center say the same thing. I just really can't believe

why he got addicted to drugs. Hmm... If you don't mind, may I know what happen to your son?

[.cup.car]

First suggestion is to cut off the supply. Can't exactly get weed at Walmart so you gotta police who your daughter hangs out with for a bit.

Its good shes agreed to DBT so tell her part of the deal is she's gotta cut out the weed. Youre paying for the therapy so you make the rules.

[Thursday]

hi bungalow and welcome to the family

My BPDSD23 is a recovered addict. Her drug of choice was Xanax and before she got into recovery she was using it to great excess as well as smoking pot, drinking and using whatever drug she was offered.

Her first stab at an IOP (intensive outpatient program- geared towards drug and alcohol abuse) she made a very half-hearted effort- quit the Xanax but kept smoking pot- she claimed the same things your daughter claimed and she truly felt she could not give it up. She was also only 19 at the time and she was upset about her 21st birthday- If she stayed sober she would not be able to party on her 21st as she had always imagined.

The pot smoking escalated to drinking and marijuana and then to opiates (oxycontin etc). It think the numbers of pills she was ingesting struck a chord with her and she got scared and confessed and we offered to pay for another IOP. There she got serious and quit using and got fully invested in AA.

AA is not just for alcholics- if your DD doesn't like the NA group she has been connected to don't dismiss AA as an alternate program. 12 steps are 12 steps.

Now that my SD has been sober for 4 years she is getting benefit for her BPD by following the steps. She lacks insight and still has problems with relationships but she is doing really well, employed and paying for her own life. Recently she has been, on her own, researching going back to school. Wonders never cease!

Feel free to ask questions- I am happy to share.

thursday