I Caught My Friend Snorting Suboxone to Get High; Now What Should I do?
Whether you walked in on it or your friend openly does it in front of you, seeing someone crushing and snorting Suboxone to get high is a shock. At this point, you should do a few things. The first of which is the hardest. You have to wait. It does no good to talk to your friend while they are high.
Look for the Other Signs of Addiction
Even though your friend snorted Suboxone, they might not have an addiction yet. It is a good idea to look for other signs of addiction. According to the University of Maryland, the most common way that people abuse Suboxone is by snorting it, but there are other ways, including:
- Crushing the pills and injecting
- Crushing the pills, adding liquid, and drinking it
- Taking several pills at once
Signs of addiction include:
- Spending money they do not have on the drug
- Prescription or doctor shopping
- Stealing to get the money for the drugs
- Filling multiple prescriptions at once
- Drug use interfering with everyday activities such as work, school, or home life
All of these signs will help you establish that your friend has a problem and snorting Suboxone was not a onetime thing.
Talk to Them About Their Drug Use
One of the things that you can do is talk to them about their drug use. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, you can:
- Ask them if they considered treatment
- See if you can get them to agree to a doctor’s evaluation
- Tell them to see their prescribing physician about tolerance and addiction
- Make sure that they know that you are asking because you care
Be prepared for this conversation by finding out where they can get treatment before you talk. One of the fastest ways to locate a treatment center is to call 888-959-0638.
Offer to Help
Whether they say they want treatment or not, offer to help them. You can
- Research treatment centers
- Research addiction treatment methods
- Help them find a doctor
- Help them talk to their loved ones about their drug use
Sometimes knowing that help is available is enough for them to seek help. Do not be upset if they refuse your help at first. Many people start by immediately refusing addiction treatment.
Stage an Intervention
If they are completely resistant to treatment, consider staging an intervention. Gather a group of family and friends together to talk to them about:
- How their addiction is affecting you
- Problems caused by the addiction
- How you feel about your friend’s addiction
- How much you want your friend to seek treatment
Sometimes interventions can help a person to seek treatment.
You can also find them a qualified treatment center for Suboxone addiction. There is a good chance if they are already snorting Suboxone to get high; they need treatment for opiate addiction. To find a treatment center all you have to do is call 888-959-0638.