[RAXED]

I have a friend- who I have been friends with since I was almost 11 years. Let's call her JANE.

Jane, who was married with a child (and very unhappy in her marriage with an older man), got a job (her very first one at the age of 21), and left her husband and daughter for a man younger than her (2 years younger). About 4-6 months into their relationship, Jane found out her new boyfriend (let's call him ), did heroin on what called "a recreational basis". Jane was timid at first, but eventually came to find no problem with this situation.

Jane tried heroin for the first time with and Jane quickly became addicted. She admits to pushing into more frequent heroin use, eventually driving them both into the empty spiral of deep drug addiction... where they are now. Homeless & with nothing to their names.

MY QUESTION:
If there are absolutely no unused resources in our city (a city in which more than 1/2 of its population are addicts of some kind and mostly METH addicts and most available resources go to those meth addicts), how can I help them to get help? I'm more worried about Jane and really could hardly care if fell into a black abyss, being swallowed into the depths of the earth which have been unseen by any other, only to eventually hit the bottom and crack like an egg. But... I will help them both if I can. I just need to know HOW...

I've called 10 or so 800 numbers with NO LUCK. I've called around the community. I've tried word of mouth, complaining to the city, begging and pleading... :confused: What now?

[firmbeliever]

One of the first things to bear in mind in a situation like this,is that the user/s must want help.
If the addict does not want to be helped there is very little anyone could do except try to convince them that they need help.

You may want to check these links.
Intervention Center - Family Intervention for Addiction
Heroin Abuse Help

[N0help4u]

Firmbeliever is right I am surrounded by addicts (mostly crack). They HAVE to WANT help or you are wasting your time and breath. Often even when they hit rock bottom or go into a seizure they only go to the rehab to get cleaned out enough to go start the cycle all over again. So even if you did something like paid for them to go to rehab they could likely come out and start all over. My one friend was in a horrible wreck. The driver died instantly and my friend was thrown into the back seat and the car crushed around him. Had to be cut out with the jaws of life and life flighted to the hospital. He was there for three months and had to have a feeding tube put in his stomach. You would think after all that and three months to get cleaned out he would have wanted nothing to do with drugs any more. Three months after he was out he started pouring beer down the feeding tube. Then two months later he got a $10,000. Settlement and he blew almost half of it on crack and was broke within 6 weeks.

[doejohn1]

I know it sound cliché but alcoholics anonymous is free and in just about every city.

[DrBill100]

I recently interviewed 5 police departments about disposition of toxic persons who haven't violated the law (ex. Public intoxication). They have no resource for detoxification in 2 major metropolitan areas or 3 smaller communities in Missouri. Only when the individual is charged with another crime are they likely to eventually receive treatment through court referral.

I certainly understand your frustration in attempting to locate drug helpful resources for the indigent or low income.

Of course, as was pointed out above, first there must be motivation on the part of the user to want or be willing to accept help.

If your friend is eligible for Medicaid, State and Federal healthcare systems are mandated to cover addictions. But, once again, the affected individual must apply for the program and be willing to accept the treatment. It's nothing you can do on their behalf.