Is it possible to quit heroin?

My brother has been addicted to heroin for the past 4 years. He has been to rehab 4 times. We even sent him out of the country, but it didn't work. I am totally confused about what to do. He wants to quit and he almost did, but just can't. It is very sad and my whole family is upset. Can someone please help me?
Thank you.

Having been there and done that let me tell you its a long, hard road. I took several attempts over several years before I finally gave all drugs away (11 years clean now). I had lost friends, fractured my family, attempted suicide, did some really truely terrible things and I basically saw myself standing on the edge of a huge black pit and knew that if I jumped further into my addiction it would only offer me death or insanity. I didn't want that life. After making the decision to live came the hard part - living without drugs and rebuilding my life. It was incredibly hard those first few years. The detoxing is one hurdle and then come a whole lot more. There is no magic potion or quick cure and its an individual journey for recovery. There is no formula. But I do know a few things about me changed to help my recovery. I stopped seeing myself as a victim. I stopped using my parents failures as an excuse. I took back the control of my life. I made choices. I dug deep and never gave in. I valued what I could lose if I ever took drugs again. I never let the shame and guilt win. Your brother may well be on the road to recovery because of his attempts - just be there for him but don't pander to his addiction.

It is possible but extremely hard to do, Him wanting to quit is the main part. There are methadone clinics for addicts, he might check into that.

They say that the feeling you get when shooting up is like no other, that's what he misses and what most people can't stay away from, on a permanent basis. He has to want to, more than anything in the world, it is a very, very hard thing to do. There are off course programmes like the Methadone program that are supposed to be very helpful, then again that stuff has other repercussions, particularly on your liver. Good luck!!

it is possibive but not impossible. when your brother try to take herion take it away from his hand and give some juice try to give ive him dome fruits and juices rather than drugs. take him away from that addicted place take him to some nice plce which represents love and relationship. make him aware that without you we cant live you are ouor life.

The answer is simple, someone he respects needs to take 8 weeks out of their life and be by his side 24-7
that way he can see that someone really cares not just pay lip service.
Can a member of his family afford this, does anyone care enough?

Yes,it is possible. Sounds as though he needs to be in a treatment facility from which he cant walk out.... Change playmates and playground. And dont use ...even if your butt's fallin' off!
Larry

Been there, done that. It will be hard to do. He will have to really want to stop in order to be able to do it. I had to hit rock bottom before I quit. I was jobless, didn't have any money, and was fixing to be evicted from my apartment. A dealer that I was buying from came over and gave me a Bible. We started going to a group at a church that was for addicts trying to quit. It was the only thing that saved my life. If your family is providing your brother a place to live, and buying his food then there is not much reason for him to quit. He needs to be on his own, where he will have to straighten up or be homeless. Sometimes this is the only way. As long as he has the safety net that your family provides for him he won't quit. It is just enabling him.

There is a number of ways to get off heroin: some people use marijuana for it, and it really works. Some use other drugs like extasy, and it works, too, i.e. in the way you do get off heroin.

But the key is, of course, self-discipline - the thing that a person lacks when they get addicted.

A friend of mine used to be a heroin addict for 7 years. He was fed up with it, but couldn't quit. In the end, he just quit going out for two weeks, just sat at home watching TV and forbidding himself to go out for a fix. Right, he couldn't sleep and he ached all over, but in the end it all worked out. He hasn't touched smack for 5 years now, and isn't going to. He really used his will power to make himself wuit.

Help your brother do the same, train his will. In order to quit, he MUST WANT to quit. If he doesn't want to, he'll never be able to get off the stuff.

I know a girl from primary school and her mother was (and still is) a herion addict. Her first daughter who is only 16 has been brought up so badly, she is now an addict herself, after her mum gave her a hit of heroin at only 14. She has run away from home over 10 times and has a criminal record, not to mention the numerous unwanted pregnancies. (Apparently, she is now living with her 34 year-old 'boyfriend') Her second daughter is currently in foster care, because her mother didnt care for her properly - heroin was always her first priority.

Heroin is so addictive, its highly likely you can be hooked after trying it only once.

...And to answer your question, yes, you can quit heroin, but apparently it is so unbelievely difficult, not many people succeed. Many ex-heroin addicts give in and become addicted all over again. Please ask him if he wants his family (or future family) to become like the one i wrote about.

x

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My brother was also very addicted to heroin and booze. He became a thief, a dealer, a total screw up in life. My sisters and I got real sick and tired of Mom and Dad enabling his sorry behind. (Oh, I'm not bitter, can you tell?) He stole my mother's meds, barely eked out a living by taking up residence in their basement and still used and drank and used and drank. My father would simply open his wallet and my brother would just take whatever he wanted. My parents both enabled my brother to the tune of $20,000!

The first thing you have to do is to realize that he is never going to clean up unless you all decide that you need to step back and stop enabling him. Let him lay in his own vomit. Don't clean up if he wets himself. If you do then he will have to wake up in all his mess and realize that he is a mess. If you clean up after him, he'll never realize that he did anything wrong.

Why should you, Mom and Dad accept all the responsibility for cleaning him up. It's his addiction. He has to want it for himself. When he realizes that, he will WANT to get well. You can't make him do something he doesn't want to do. It's a bitter pill for you to swallow, but take small bites. Meanwhile, even if he is not in a group you can be. Nar Anon is a great group for you and Mom and Dad. You can network and find ways in which you can help yourselves and your brother. Until he hits rock bottom, there is really nothing you can do.

Yes, it is possible, but its a *****. I went into rehab twice for alcohol, the last time in 2000. I have 4 years sober. Addiction sucks.