Expert: Peter L. - 1/23/2010

Question
My boyfriend has been shooting heroin since he was 13 and now he is 22. We met about 6 month ago and I helped him become sober and start methadon treatments. Lately he has been telling me he has urges to use. I am in fear that he will fall back into drugs and I don't want that kind of life style. My boyfriend also has hep C from a dirty needle. He starts the interferon this week. I am so nervous. I love this man with all my heart but I don't know how to help him out with his urges. It will break my heart if i loose him.

Answer
Hi Alyssa,

Your boyfriend is lucky to have such a concerned and devoted girlfriend!  He has a long drug history, and opiate (heroin) dependence is, like most addictions, hard to overcome.  Obviously you both felt the need for opioid replacement therapy, one of the most common ways to treat this problem.  

I encourage your boyfriend to not simply rely on methadone, but to pursue addiction treatment in general. Addiction treatment deals with a lot more than just cravings management.  

I will let you know that relapse rates of opioid dependent individuals is quite high, maybe highest of all addictive substances other than tobacco, and therefore requires an extensive recovery effort and a lot of time.  He has very little clean time so far, so remains very vulnerable to relapse.

Again, you can do only so much for him, and beyond that he needs the assistance only addiction programs  and self-help groups can provide.  If his methadone program does not offer counseling, I urge him to find it elsewhere, either from a separate program, or individual drug/alcohol counselor.  The phone book or an internet search will provide some resources.

Be supportive, but realistic about the situation.  He may have difficulty maintaining sobriety, and it may take multiple treatment attempts for him to succeed.  I'm sorry, but that's just how it is.  Addiction recovery is a difficult process for most people.  

Thank you for your question.

Peter