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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Partner on drugs. Advice please!

97 replies

advice34664 · 24/10/2022 20:41

Hi everyone. Just wanted to update on my situation, feel free to look at my page for what I’ve written previously. In short, my boyfriend and father to my baby is addicted to drugs, told him to quit a year ago but he still hasn’t. Baby is now almost 4 months old.

For a few months I gave him the benefit of the doubt, if he was ever going to get off the drugs he’d need my support.

He’s told me that he’s been cutting down slowly, so he said he was on £30, then £20, then £15, but on the week he said he’d cut down to £20 the next day he was telling me about how he’d cut down to £30, I sometimes feel like he’s just lying to me. As he lives at home I’ve obviously not got any way of knowing if he’s lying or not.
He used to be on about £100 a week but he’s said this amount has drastically reduced, I genuinely believe he’s cut down to maybe £70 a week but anything lower than that I am not 100% sure.

When he’s at home in the week he smokes joints all day, I’m worried that he just does more on the Friday, starves himself for the weekend and gets by on his nicotine vape, and then has loads on the Monday. He thinks that doing this is a cut down but surely it’s not. He wants to see baby in the week but how can I let him after smoking so much.

We’ve still had some other issues though, such as him not wanting to spend any money on me at all, not even £4 on a McDonald’s when he was getting his own meal. But really my focus for now has just been trying to get him off his drugs. He does give me £50 for the baby a week but absolutely nothing else, he does a have a full time job though.

The main reason I’m writing this today is for advice on something that happened.
About 3 weeks ago when he came to visit for the weekend I found some nerd edibles in his bag, he knows he isn’t aloud to bring drugs in my house and I was shocked to see that, but I decided to see if he’d take them whilst he was over for the weekend and not say anything.
He’d obviously thought that as he can’t smoke his weed and get away with it, he’d eat it instead sneakily instead.
On the Sunday morning we went swimming with baby, before we left the house he hadn’t taken any, I held baby the entire time in the pool to keep away from him to be on the side of caution, when we got home I checked his bag and he had taken some, I can only presume he had taken them in the changing room before we swam as he did take a long time, but I did not seriously think he’d do something so potentially dangerous.

The next day I left our baby at home with him whilst I nipped somewhere for no longer than 25 minutes, he hadn’t taken any more of the edibles when I checked his bag before I left. When I arrived home I checked his bag and the entirety of the edibles was gone. He had TAKEN DRUGS whilst watching our baby ALONE, I was mortified. The baby was on the bed with him so I can only presume he took them in bed right next to him. I don’t even want to think about what would happen if my baby accidentally ingested some.

I sent him home and made an excuse to why he had to leave early. I then messaged him and he denied everything, I then sent him a picture of them I took and he then decided to admit he did have them. He said that he took the edibles outside to take, I have cameras so I know this isn’t true. Why would anyone take drugs whilst watching a baby alone anyway!

I’ve spoken to a professional rehabilitator at his drug support place and she said he won’t come off his drugs and that he loves them more than his family. She said the edibles could have been laced with ecstasy, heroin and god knows what.
That sounds much worse than a joint. She said if baby had accidentally ingested some it would have been serious.

Another thing I was thinking about is that when I was in hospital giving birth to my son in June he stayed over at my house alone, the next day I found bits in my bed that looked like tobacco, he always only smokes tobacco with cannabis mixed together, on my security cameras it showed he opened my bedroom window and he doesn’t usually do that so I presume to let smoke get out. As usual he denied all and said they were twigs from the garden, and I’ve believed him since then. However, after lying to me about the edibles thinking back he probably lied about this too. This would mean that he smoked all over my newborn sons stuff hours before he came home.

I really don’t know what to do, I love him lots but he’s in a way risked babies life multiple times.
With the amount of drugs he’s taken from such a young age he could have induced something like drug psychosis whilst in the pool or watching baby alone.

He doesn’t see a problem with what he’s done which is probably the worst part, he says I’m the problem for keeping arguing about it, I wouldn’t have to argue if he didn’t do it.

I’ve only just started speaking to him again and as always I end up playing down the situation and forgiving him. But something about this time feels a bit different, but then a part of me just says to support him. I don’t know what to do, I’m worried for baby and myself.

Is he going to come off his drugs? Now that he knows I check his bag will he hide them elsewhere? Should I trust him again? Should I forgive him this time? Will he understand how dangerous the things he did where?

Advice is appreciated.

OP posts:
StripeyDeckchair · 24/10/2022 23:45

Hes a drug addiction

He won't come off the drugs for you, for the baby or for any of his family.

He has to want to give them up for himself, and even then it's tough.

You need to leave him.
You can NEVER leave your baby with him, it is not safe. Not even for 5 minutes.

EmeraldShamrock1 · 24/10/2022 23:56

No sure why you nipped out for 25 minutes.
That was not a good idea.

Starlightstarbright1 · 24/10/2022 23:58

You are not safeguarding your child by letting him stay with drugs inyour flat , leaving him unsupervised.

Your priority is your baby. He will be crawling in a few monthd and into everything.

You can help ds but not his Dad

Starlightstarbright1 · 24/10/2022 23:59

Oh i would also claim cms less money to spend on drugs

PutinIsAWarCriminal · 25/10/2022 00:00

Sorry you are going through this op. He has chosen drugs over you and your baby. You need to now make a choice as to whether you choose your baby or him, as you can't have both.

DdraigGoch · 25/10/2022 00:03

Just leave. He won't change.

BananaCocktails · 25/10/2022 00:05

I have been a drug and alcohol work for 15 years now it does sound like he is psychologically dependent -edibles do not cause physical dependency
why does he use drugs? Most people whom I work with who use drugs use them because of trauma or because they have mental health issues and they self medicate. He does need to go and see somebody from your local drug and alcohol service and he actually needs to go down there not just a few phone calls here and there. You are very lucky that social services haven’t got wind of this because they would be all over you and if you kept seeing him or allowing him in the house Whilst he uses in the house,they could take your child into care. explain that to him and see if that helps
I Usually works with a class a drug users those who use Heroin and crack however edibles are becoming much more common —-they aren’t usually laced with heroin crack or anything like that however they are psychedelics and can induce hallucinations definitely not very safe Somebody to be supervising a young baby on

BananaCocktails · 25/10/2022 00:15

Ask him to move out Whilst he sorts himself out make sure he is attending appointments at the local drug and alcohol service and that they know you both have a child. Most drug and alcohol services have a family and friend service who will be very supportive to you , Even if he doesn’t attend the drug and alcohol service you can still attend the family and friends service who will be supportive.
If he doesn’t want to attend a drug and alcohol service at least get him to the GP . I would Also discuss with your own GP what is happening . Don’t worry social services won’t march round to your front door and take your child away
In my experience most drug addicts get out by the police for something or other and if they get wind of a baby at home they will contact social services who have to do an investigation so sort it now

Worthyornot · 25/10/2022 00:20

You are failing your child by staying with him. That's the truth. You care about him more than you do your baby. No good mother would allow this or even be questioning what to do. Where is your motherly instinct to protect your child??

Longtimelurkerfinallyposts · 25/10/2022 00:59

Just to check...
you keep mentioning 'drugs' but do you mean just weed(& tobacco), or something else as well?
You seem to be making a lot of assumptions about the 'dangers' but someone who's built up their tolerance to weed isn't necessarily going to suffer from induced psychosis, edible cannabis products are unlikely to be 'laced' with crack or smack, your baby is not going to absorb cannabis through their skin after touching someone who's taken it...
Going against the tide here, I don't think cannabis is intrinsically worse than legal drugs (like alcohol, which causes a lot more unacceptable and violent behaviour), and using it doesn't necessarily prevent someone from being a decent parent. However it sounds like he could do with growing up, becoming a more independent, functional adult and less selfish. I'm left wondering why you decided to have a child with him while you disapproved so strongly of his habits?

KettrickenSmiled · 25/10/2022 01:10

if he was ever going to get off the drugs he’d need my support.

This is untrue.
Addicts can ONLY get off the drugs when a) they genuinely want to & b) they are doing it for themselves.

Stop mistaking 'support' for codependency.

Apologies if the has come over more tersely than intended - its late & I haven't caught up with your full thread yet.
But sticking around in the belief that your presence will help a drunk or a druggie reform is a dangerous path.

KettrickenSmiled · 25/10/2022 01:18

We’ve still had some other issues though, such as him not wanting to spend any money on me at all, not even £4 on a McDonald’s when he was getting his own meal. But really my focus for now has just been trying to get him off his drugs. He does give me £50 for the baby a week but absolutely nothing else, he does a have a full time job though.
Why are you throwing your life away running around after a man who prefers drugs to you, & who is too mean to buy you a burger when he gets one for himself?
Cut him loose, & go through formal CMS channels for maintenance.
None of this "he given me £50 a week" malarkey like its a personal favour. He chose to have a child, it;s his duty to pay toward raising it.

Is he going to come off his drugs? Now that he knows I check his bag will he hide them elsewhere? Should I trust him again? Should I forgive him this time? Will he understand how dangerous the things he did where?
We don't know. You don't know. The only person who knows is him. & as he's telling you ridiculous lies & hiding it from you, it doesn't look likely does it?

Stop obsessing about HIM & start wondering why YOU are allowing yourself to even think about trust or forgiveness to a man who has betrayed your trust, & you, & your child, time & time again.

KettrickenSmiled · 25/10/2022 01:20

He’s told me that he’s been cutting down slowly, so he said he was on £30, then £20, then £15, but on the week he said he’d cut down to £20 the next day he was telling me about how he’d cut down to £30, I sometimes feel like he’s just lying to me. As he lives at home I’ve obviously not got any way of knowing if he’s lying or not.
He used to be on about £100 a week but he’s said this amount has drastically reduced, I genuinely believe he’s cut down to maybe £70 a week but anything lower than that I am not 100% sure.

You are not a drug counsellor.
You are not his therapist.
It is not your job to monitor his consumption. It's your job to dump his sorry arse & make a formal application for child support.

KettrickenSmiled · 25/10/2022 01:24

is it possible to end an addiction ? Of course it is.

OP - look to your own addiction.
You have got yourself hooked on wanting to fix this man. To be his saviour.

HE DOES NOT WANT TO GIVE UP HIS DRUGS.
Please find some way of accepting that fact, & walk away from him.
You are doing yourself immense harm by flogging this dead horse.

KettrickenSmiled · 25/10/2022 01:29

if you continue to associate with him social services could well remove your baby from YOUR influence as they doubt your judgement.

If SS took children away from every cannabis addict parent, there would be millions of children in care. I suspect they are far more concerned about heavy drinkers. Hyperbole & threats aren't helpful to OP.

Having said that, she should ditch him for being a liar, a tightwad, & an arse who can't stay sober around his child.

TicTac80 · 25/10/2022 01:50

Finish this relationship for the sake of your baby (and yourself!). Your boyfriend won’t change and won’t quit the drugs, unless HE really truly wants to, and he makes the effort to seek help and quit. You can beg, cry, plead with him to quit. But if he doesn’t want to, he won’t. Oh, and you can put him in a private rehab unit too, to address his drug addiction. However, if he doesn’t really want to quit, he won’t. It doesn’t matter how much you want him to quit taking the drugs, he won’t quit unless he wants to. I promise you that one.

I really REALLY wanted my XH (guess why he’s an XH?) to quit alcohol (he was an alcoholic and as I later found out taking drugs too). But all the begging, pleading, and trying absolutely everything to “help and support him to get dry/clean” (AA, NA, local addiction services, enlisting support of friends/family, him going in to expensive private residential rehab) didn’t do a damned thing. He just got better a gaslighting and hiding stuff. He was a monster when he was drunk/high.

I’m in contact with him still because we have a child together. Who he sees under my supervision. He’s still drinking (though he is sober/straight if he comes to see DC - I won’t have him near me/kids if he isn’t). I don’t know if he still does drugs - he tells me he doesn’t.And he recently admitted to me how much he used to gaslight me, and how sorry he was for it. He also told me that an addict will prioritise feeding their addiction before anyone else, and will stop at nothing to do it. Of course, he says he is very sorry about it all and keeps asking to come back, but I won’t have him back, and even losing his family and getting divorced hasn’t been the wake up call for him to quit drinking/drugs.

run for the hills OP. IF I could turn back time, I would have ended things sooner with him, instead of enduring a nightmare marriage and running myself to the ground with trying everything to help.

Maggie178 · 25/10/2022 06:11

He took drugs while being solely responsible for your baby. He should only have supervised contact until he can prove he's no longer taking them.

Revolvingwhore · 25/10/2022 06:46

Raise the bar, love.

YaffleYaffle · 25/10/2022 07:10

Revolvingwhore · 25/10/2022 06:46

Raise the bar, love.

This. All things aside, why would you want to be with someone who begrudges you a few quid for a burger?

TinySaltLick · 25/10/2022 07:16

Not to dismiss any of the other points whatsoever, but the liklihood the edibles would be 'laced with heroin' is not true

Fluffyunicorn1 · 25/10/2022 07:19

Let me tell you from the perspective of someone who’s ex was and still is a drug addict.

I thought it was “just weed”. I begged him to stop he said he had - he hadn’t. I was oblivious to the drug world, I’ve never taken a drug in my life so I had no idea where he was getting it from or anything else.

over time he turned violent.

he also had a good job. Worked away Monday to Friday. On the week I threw him out I had a drug dealer turn up at my house on the Wednesday telling me he owed him £800 for coke. First I knew he was sniffing coke. That Friday when he came home he was in no uncertain terms told to leave. Do you know how he reacted? He beat the shit out of me on my kitchen floor. That was when the police were called he was arrested I had to move and my kids haven’t seen him since.

you know what he’s doing now? He has no job, no life, no family because nobody wants anything to do with him. He’s now a crack and heroin addict.

after leaving I found out all kinds of things. Other women, prostitutes, he was smoking crack before I kicked him out.

honestly, it’s not worth it. Since then I’m now in a relationship with a lovely man who my kids adore. He spends time with them and he’s kind to us. He has no qualms about spending money either. We both work good jobs and have a nice home. I now know what real happiness is. I now know what stability and calm is.

this is not what you want or need and it’s certainly not what your child wants or needs.

please sort this out now before your child is old enough to know what’s going on and their mental health is damaged

JessesMum777888 · 25/10/2022 07:24

Hi,
addicts need to want to change and only then do you stand a hope in hell of them changing.
your partner doesn’t want to change yet, YOU are the only person who can break the cycle.
it’s hard , it’s fucking hard but for your babies sake AND your mental well being NEVER leave this man alone with your kid if you want to keep him in your life put boundaries in place. Meet him out of your home , maybe a park, beach whatever but keep your home drug free and safe . Explain to him he won’t see his child alone , don’t even try and push him to recovery. It has to be his choice or it won’t work. I promise you this is going to get worse the longer you enable him. There is hope , addicts can recover … whether you have trust after is another matter. I wish you well loving and addict is hard.

LemonDrop22 · 25/10/2022 07:27

We’ve still had some other issues though, such as him not wanting to spend any money on me at all, not even £4 on a McDonald’s when he was getting his own meal.

He treats you like shit and won't even buy you a cheap (the cheapest of cheap) meal .... And he had a full-time job.

That statement above says everything you need to know about how he values of prioritises the relationship with you. He's selfish and thinks you're a doormat.He wouldn't even spend 4 quid on you. There are better men out there.

That's not even getting on the drug use and related behaviour.

Btw I don't know how old your baby is but when they become a toddler they'll specialise in going into and through absolutely everything In your home, and specialise in picking small things up off the ground and elsewhere and putting them in their mouth. His edibles etc are a massive risk, you could end up in A&E and then having v uncomfortable conversation with social services.

Sestriere · 25/10/2022 07:30

Stop trying to cure him.

end the relationship

allow supervised access one week

never leave him alone with your child

move on with your life

RampantIvy · 25/10/2022 07:31

The only advice you need is to cut him out of your life and focus on your baby.

If you were my daughter I would be seeking joint custody of your baby to ensure the drug addict was never allowed alone time with it, and if you had left the baby with him I would be on to social services straight away.

You need to step back to see with clarity (as we all are able to) why staying with a drug addict is such a bad idea.

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