STRAIGHT TALK FOR TEENS

Boyfriend is hooked on meth

7/19/2012

Dear Straight Talk: I am 22 and have been with my boyfriend for two years. He was the greatest person -- until some personal problems led him to try meth. He was instantly addicted. He is such a different person today and I often think about leaving him. But then I remember who he used to be and try to have hope. He has tried to quit but keeps relapsing. What can I do for him and how I can keep my hopes up? -- Laurie, Auburn, Calif.

Kira, 20: My friend's boyfriend was the same way. It got to where my friends and I couldn't hang out with her. She wasn't oblivious to his problem, but he was always so high she couldn't reason with him. She finally got the courage to break up with him, which made him finally listen.

Brie, 20: From what I saw of a friend's meth addiction, the only way to get clean is rehab. My friend was 15, and though he wanted to be clean, he had to be forced because he never would go voluntarily. This is typical. He, like others, became a completely different person. He did more than a year in lockdown rehab where he wasn't allowed to contact anybody. He's been clean five years now. He has turned his life around and helps other people get clean. So, I know your boyfriend can do it, too, but it takes a lot of work.

Colin, 18: Meth isn't pot. It will destroy his life. I doubt an intervention will work, so unless you own a treatment facility and have the physical force to get him there, contact the police. Don't tell him you're going to call; he might get angry. Yes, calling the cops is extreme, but meth is extreme. He either gets caught now, or a year from now, when he looks 70 and is doing anything for his next hit. Your call.

Jaclyn, 25: Most important is to make sure you aren't enabling his behavior. I would tell him to check into a rehab facility, and then I would check myself out of the relationship until he proves his sobriety. Don't sacrifice your own potential for his bad choices.

Dear Laurie: You don't say if his parents know of his addiction. Parents can sometimes force an adult child into rehab using the power of their parental authority. If that route fails, consider an intervention with the help of a treatment center (see casacolumbia.org for a listing of centers -- or call 800-662-HELP if you have no money or insurance). If that fails, I'm totally with Colin. Report his use to police. He will thank you later for saving his life. For your hopes, if you don't already pray, now is the time to start. -- Lauren

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