Posted by Kath on June 1, 2000, at 9:01:25
In reply to Re: Celexa helping already - I feel more hopeful., posted by Noa on May 31, 2000, at 12:33:52
> That sounds encouraging, Kath. But from your other post, I gather you have your hands full big time, so I can understand why you are so stressed!
..........
Hi Noa - I've actually healed quite a bit about all that putting-down etc. from my ex-husband & am now very happily re-married for almost 7 years. It's my 16-yr-old son who is the STRESSFUL factor in my life now. I love him & he's basically a nice person, but time & again I thank God that he wasn't twins!! He's addicted to using drugs (not the prescribed kind) & has been using on a daily basis (sometimes numerous times/day). He mostly uses marijuana, but drinks & does "magic mushrooms" also, and has done LSD & has tried crystal meth. He stopped going to school (Grade 10) late Sept., wouldn't get a job, was stoned & nasty & unpredictable. At times I didn't feel safe with him around. He was 15 & here in Canada, parents have to provide shelter until the kid is 16, no matter WHAT the kid does. If they're bad enough you can put them in the hands of a government agency, but he wasn't quite that bad. When he turned 16 in March we told him that while we perceived him to have a drug problem we were prepared to have him living in our home only if he was in a treatment program & we gave him 6 choices that we'd found. He chose one where he goes daily & there's a school component & a substance abuse component. He doesn't want to quit using...at times says he's addicted & can't quit. Lots of people say you can't get physically addicted to marijuana, but the centre where he's going says you can after a certain period of daily use. The half-life is apparently 48 hours. After 48 hrs you still have half the active ingredient in your body. Imagine the build-up with him using daily for almost a year & a half. For him it's an enormous achievement to go a day without smoking up. Apparently pot is vastly stronger than in my day as a teen (I'm 53).Anyway, I find it incredibly stressful & it's just worn me down so much. I frequently consider kicking him out, but he IS going to this program, and we're doing family therapy there now, so I don't like to give up on giving him this chance yet. I know it might help him "hit bottom" to get kicked out & then maybe realize where his drug use has landed him, but I'm afraid that if he's out on the streets he'll start doing worse drugs & it will be the beginning of the end. He's told his older sister (who lives on her own) that pot doesn't really "do it" much for him anymore & that he's afraid where this is leading him.
Anyway, even the first 3 days of 20 mg of Celexa helped me not ALWAYS have him on my mind & not ALMOST ALWAYS feel anxious. Then, after being so sick Monday, not taking it Tuesday, then taking 10 mg the last 2 nights, I realize this morning that 10 mg isn't working. Maybe I'll try 20 mg tonite again.
I'm delighted to have found this place to communicate with others. Thanks for caring.
Kath
poster:Kath
thread:35212
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000526/msgs/35492.html