The phone call came in the afternoon, one of twenty or so that day. Marty, a former patient, had died of a heroin overdose. Reportedly, another person was with her when she injected the heroin but ran off when she crashed. A prompt call to 911 or access to a Narcotic Overdose Rescue Kit might have saved her life.
Marty was a rebellious teenager, having dropped out of school in the 11th grade. Her parents thought it was just a phase until she overdosed for the first time on heroin. They had been unaware she was using heroin, let alone injecting it.
After stabilization in the emergency room, she was transferred to a Residential Treatment Program for an additional month of treatment. She then entered my outpatient substance abuse clinic. I started …show more content…
However, she was a difficult patient. She was in denial about her addiction, a major roadblock to recovery. She said she could easily stop using heroin, but could not explain why she continued to relapse while in treatment.
Marty would not consistently follow my treatment recommendations. She always had an excuse for not going to Narcotics Anonymous or returning to school to obtain her GED. I explained to her the importance of moving forward in a positive way and dissociating from her drug-abusing friends, but to no avail. She had far too much idle time. Associating with drug abusers and having too much free time will almost certainly lead to a relapse.
She claimed on several occasions that her medications were either lost or stolen. Addicts always protect their medications and are unlikely to lose them or have them stolen.
Family sessions with Marty and her parents did not help. Her father voiced his anger and disappointment. He wanted Marty out of the home. Her mother was fearful that Marty might again overdose. She wanted to keep her home 24/7 so she could “watch her like a hawk.” Marty’s mother described what was happening to their family as “our worst
Marty was a rebellious teenager, having dropped out of school in the 11th grade. Her parents thought it was just a phase until she overdosed for the first time on heroin. They had been unaware she was using heroin, let alone injecting it.
After stabilization in the emergency room, she was transferred to a Residential Treatment Program for an additional month of treatment. She then entered my outpatient substance abuse clinic. I started …show more content…
However, she was a difficult patient. She was in denial about her addiction, a major roadblock to recovery. She said she could easily stop using heroin, but could not explain why she continued to relapse while in treatment.
Marty would not consistently follow my treatment recommendations. She always had an excuse for not going to Narcotics Anonymous or returning to school to obtain her GED. I explained to her the importance of moving forward in a positive way and dissociating from her drug-abusing friends, but to no avail. She had far too much idle time. Associating with drug abusers and having too much free time will almost certainly lead to a relapse.
She claimed on several occasions that her medications were either lost or stolen. Addicts always protect their medications and are unlikely to lose them or have them stolen.
Family sessions with Marty and her parents did not help. Her father voiced his anger and disappointment. He wanted Marty out of the home. Her mother was fearful that Marty might again overdose. She wanted to keep her home 24/7 so she could “watch her like a hawk.” Marty’s mother described what was happening to their family as “our worst