Discussion Blog

Latest Discussion Blog Post

Evidence From Oregon: Decriminalizing Drugs Can’t Solve Every Problem, but It’s an Important Step All the Same

Evidence From Oregon: Decriminalizing Drugs Can’t Solve Every Problem, but It’s an Important Step All the Same

Oregon has just rescinded Measure 110, the historic law that decriminalized possession of small amounts of hard drugs. But the reasoning behind the rollback is muddled. As guest author Christina Dent reveals, M110 took the blame for spikes in lethal overdoses, homelessness, and public drug use, none of which it likely caused. Rather, she argues that the law represented a small but important step forward. In the effort to end the drug crisis, its repeal is a loss.

Discussion Blog Posts

He Rarely Drinks in Front of Us

He Rarely Drinks in Front of Us

Your son is afflicted with Asperger’s, depression and anxiety, and a possible alcohol issue. He is 23, lives at home, and is planning to leave home to join Americorps in 6 months. You just discovered that he is drinking, probably late at night, alone.

She Wants to Borrow the Car…We’re Uneasy

She Wants to Borrow the Car…We’re Uneasy

She agreed to treatment for alcohol and will head home soon. She'll need transportation when she starts working again. Where does CRAFT stand on letting a Loved One borrow the car to get to work? What about installing a breathalyzer?

He’s Out of Treatment for Heroin, and Smoking Pot at Home

He’s Out of Treatment for Heroin, and Smoking Pot at Home

If you suspect he is high at home,  remove rewards. Things are clearly not normal. Don’t accuse him, or bring up the fact that he looks high. Simply step away. Rely on your gut to decide whether he is in fact high. Step away, remove rewards, and allow natural consequences to occur.

I Want to Trust Him Again, But…

I Want to Trust Him Again, But…

Your son has spent time being dishonest in his actions and his interactions. He will falter going forward. Can you let the little things slide? Let him stumble some. Walk away when you see it? Be sparing in the incidents that you choose to bring up with him.

Our Strategy Is No Longer Working

Our Strategy Is No Longer Working

It sounds as though he has now started taking advantage of your home. He is getting high in your house, stealing from you, probably enjoying a warm bed and food while high. He’s not really interested in going into treatment.

He’s Withdrawing from Suboxone at Home

He’s Withdrawing from Suboxone at Home

An opiate detox is difficult. Buprenorphine (the agonist in suboxone) has one of the longest half-lives—much longer than illicit opioids. Your boyfriend will experience withdrawals over a longer period than he would the heroin. It can be a nasty surprise. He’s going to have to hang on.

He’s just out of rehab and I think he’s drinking

He’s just out of rehab and I think he’s drinking

There are different kinds of relapse. There are relapses (some would call them lapses) that are short. The person scares themselves after one or several episodes of use and climbs quickly back onto the beam of recovery. There are also relapses where the episode of use (re)opens the floodgates to further use and the desire for sobriety ends for the time being.

Different Strokes…

Different Strokes…

He was on suboxone during a prior period of sobriety but relapsed in part because he didn't change friends, habits, and ways of thinking and admits he relied on the medication rather than do all of that hard work.

Can the Whole Family Get on the Same Page?

Can the Whole Family Get on the Same Page?

You wonder, after your brother's recent DUI and the evidence your parents hid, whether you should step in and contact the authorities. Your parents don’t need to know what you are doing behind the scenes. It is hard from a distance to create the environment conducive to your brother’s recovery. Addiction is a strong foe. This is not a fair fight.

He Got Around Section 35

He Got Around Section 35

People in recovery have developed skills to a fine edge during years of substance use that can serve them well. We make good salespeople.

If We Kick Him Out Will Drug Use Worsen?

If We Kick Him Out Will Drug Use Worsen?

Leaving the house is conditional on continued use. The Loved One is told they are loved and would be welcomed back once they commit to addressing their addiction. Taken to its extreme, we suggest a day bed and a locker in a common space, where the Loved One can come FOR EVEN ONE NIGHT when they are not using.

He Is Literally Breaking Me in Half

He Is Literally Breaking Me in Half

From what you write, it sounds like you need to start with you. You cannot be effective when you feel “codependent and ill.” Your responses and decisions will not come from a place of calm and careful strategy.

What Can We Do to Prevent Him from Spending His Earnings on Drugs?

What Can We Do to Prevent Him from Spending His Earnings on Drugs?

It is a vastly different reality to be parenting a child at high risk of addiction. Faced with this situation, parents often feel torn between wanting their Loved One to learn how to handle money and to feel the reinforcing effects of money as a reward for working, and the real possibility that they may use the money to buy drugs.