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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:
Cosycover · 25/10/2022 07:34

He isn't ever going to stop. If he was going to stop he would have stopped already.

You have a baby to consider now.

I have someone in my family very similar. It did not end well for him and his kids were seriously affected.

You need to leave him. And I wouldn't let him see the baby.

Aishah231 · 25/10/2022 07:38

Your job OP is to look after your baby not this grown man.

gamerchick · 25/10/2022 07:39

OP, what advice do you want people to give you? You're going to ignore it.

fruitbrewhaha · 25/10/2022 07:41

He treats you and your baby like shit. He won’t even buy you a shitty McDonald’s burger.

I don’t have a problem with a bit of weed but this is not a “bit”. In the same way as I do t have a problem with some unwinding with a glass of wine or a beer at the end of the day, a joint can help distress. However when it becomes a crutch, when you can’t get through the day without a drink, when you start the day with a drink before breakfast, have to carry something in a hip flask to keep you topped up it’s a major ducking problem.

Your DP can’t function with it. But you will function better without him.

You leaving him may even be a catalyst for change for him.

Your focus is on you and your baby. He has to sort himself out.

And have a think about why you have chosen such a selfish shit to have kids with. Why is your self worth so low?

Parky04 · 25/10/2022 07:46

Only read the title but my advice is leave. My advice is always the same when it comes to drugs.

HoppingPavlova · 25/10/2022 07:50

I had the answer before you even got to the bit where you had a baby.
No, he will not come off drugs, they are more important to him than yourself and his son and pretty much anything else.
No, you should not trust him at all.
No, you should not forgive him, why would you?
No, you should not have him around the baby at all except in an independently supervised situation. Why you left him unsupervised with the baby beggars belief and seriously calls your judgement into question.
Yes, you should put in a claim so some of the money he spends on drugs must go to his child’s upkeep instead.

DeadSouth · 25/10/2022 07:50

My worry with cutting access would be that no judge is going to agree to no access If it’s only weed and there’s no other drugs in his system so he could end up having unsupervised access through the courts.

His use is extremely excessive and I don’t see how anyone taking that number of weed edibles is going to be lucid enough to be aware of a child’s safety and needs.

Keep a detailed record of everything you know he’s taking or has took around your little one and examples of him not being competent in their needs incase it is needed through a court battle.

Littlepaws18 · 25/10/2022 08:41

You have normalised an absolutely unacceptable and dangerous thing. He took drugs then went swimming with your child. The minute he was alone he took a full bag of drugs.

4 months ago the most life changing event happened in his life, and that didn't stop him.

Stop waiting for the absolute worst to happen and remove your child from his care.

You need to stop being a push over and be firm with him. Hand him details of a programme to quit drugs, say in order to see his child again he needs to complete the programme and be prepared to take random drugs tests after for the foreseeable future. If he argues say no court in the land will grant him access. Also I would consider reporting him to the police. You need a super trail for future child arrangement disputes.

This might sound incredibly serious, but your situation is far from normal. He is a danger to your child.

Don't let the worst happen.

Littlepaws18 · 25/10/2022 08:42

Paper not super

MariEllie · 25/10/2022 08:43

You need to get out and get free of him for the sake of your child. Period.

TicTac80 · 25/10/2022 09:18

FWIW, I've known just one person who addressed his addictions (alcohol and drugs), admitted everything, checked himself into rehab (ten years ago) and has remained sober and clean since. He said it was the hardest but best thing he ever did. He turned his life around and has never looked back. I'm so proud of him. He lives an amazing life now (something he never would have been able to do had he still been drinking and on the Class A's). The big thing here though, is that HE wanted to do it.

TicTac80 · 25/10/2022 09:41

Also, when I found out about the alcoholism, I contacted schools, SS and GP to try and put a plan together about getting XH the support he needed to get sober (and to make sure I was doing right by the DC). Meetings, counselling, medication, you name it. I tried to do everything I could to facilitate things so that his stress was minimal and he could focus purely on getting sober. However, he managed to gaslight and deceive me for ages about his drinking. I tried private residential rehab for him, he just learned better how to deceive me more. When I found out about his drug use (mainly cocaine but whatever he could get his hands on, and I found out he was taking drugs whilst looking after the children - so, a massive safeguarding issue), I realised at that point that it didn't matter what I did, he did not want to stop. So, we separated (even then, I thought it could be a time for him to get sober/clean and then we could maybe try again/work on our marriage). I updated schools/SS and put into place an arrangement where he only had supervised contact with the kids. He promised he'd get sober/clean, go to meetings etc, but he used that time away to drink more and score more drugs. Then I found out about OW, drew a line under everything and filed for divorce. Things got worse and I applied for (and got) a PSO which stopped him having unsupervised contact. At the same time, the Judge ordered a CAO be put in place - the kids were to live with me full time and permanently, and have no overnight stays with him.

At each stage of the above, at no point did he WANT to stop drinking or taking drugs. It meant more to him than being able to see DC and have them unsupervised. I'll say that again, the alcohol and drugs meant more to him than the DC, and he didn't want to stop drinking or taking drugs. With every bit of help and support I arranged and put into place, HE DID NOT WANT TO STOP TAKING ALCOHOL AND DRUGS. I'd not applied for the CAO (I was going to do that a bit later on), only the PSO, but during that Court Hearing, the Judge immediately ordered one to be put in then and there.

KettrickenSmiled · 25/10/2022 10:32

My worry with cutting access would be that no judge is going to agree to no access If it’s only weed and there’s no other drugs in his system so he could end up having unsupervised access through the courts.

He's far too busy scoring & doping to take anything to court.
The only time this guy is gonna see a court room is when he gets busted.
Don't let this worry YOU one jot OP.

Everydaywheniwakeup · 25/10/2022 10:35

If you don't leave and social services choose to start care proceedings because you are not capable of keeping your child safe, you will both have limited contact. Make better choices for yourself and your child before someone makes them for you.

MeridianB · 25/10/2022 10:42

GettingItOutThere · 24/10/2022 20:43

get your baby and yourself away from him. Be thankful you do not live together.

and never leave your child with him unattended again. He will never change, protect your child and make your own lives better

First post nailed it.

He's a lying stoner who can't even be bothered to try to make an effort to change for his newborn son. Ditch him until he's clean and sober and ready to be a grown-up.

mamabear715 · 25/10/2022 11:08

No update from OP. Must still be thinking about it? :-0

KettrickenSmiled · 25/10/2022 11:17

mamabear715 · 25/10/2022 11:08

No update from OP. Must still be thinking about it? :-0

I imagine she's still reeling from the judgemental pasting some PP decided to offer her instead of genuine support.

Shame never motivates people to learn & change. It tends to embed them in their original position.

Revolvingwhore · 25/10/2022 17:23

KettrickenSmiled · 25/10/2022 11:17

I imagine she's still reeling from the judgemental pasting some PP decided to offer her instead of genuine support.

Shame never motivates people to learn & change. It tends to embed them in their original position.

So we're victim blaming, right?

Snugglybutt · 25/10/2022 17:33

Both of you should be reported to social services. You allowed him to have edibles (you could have taken them and thrown them away) around your child. Are you thick or something? Leave him ffs

Familydilemmas · 25/10/2022 17:38

You need to leave him to protect your baby from him. The baby will soon be mobile and could easily get them out his bag etc. He needs to want to change for himself and unfortunately he isn’t there yet.

RampantIvy · 25/10/2022 17:50

So we're victim blaming, right?

When does not taking responsibility become victim blaming?

KimberleyClark · 25/10/2022 17:53

Get away from this man for god’s sake.

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