Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

DD is taking drugs, don't know what to do.

57 replies

PowerlessNan · 04/01/2006 10:15

This is long and a bit complicated, so please bear with me. I split up with my dd?s father when she was 18mths old because he was a drug addict, he was smoking dope, injecting speed/cocaine etc, taking acid, infact anything he could get his hands on (I?m not 100% if he was taking heroin or not).

I fought access because he was violent and out of his head most of the time. Eventually when she was three and able to speak for herself a bit she started to tell exactly what was happening during access visits and how she came to have bruises on her. At last the social services believed me and access was stopped.

At last my beautiful daughter was safe, I brought her up single-handedly (my family had disowned me years before when I took up with her father, yes; I know I was young and stupid!) I thought I had done a very good job of bringing her up and when she had her first dd I was such a proud Nan. She is 24 yrs old and has since had another dd.

What I didn?t know was that while she was pregnant with her first she had got in touch with her father behind my back as she had learned that he had had other kids. I can?t blame her for it; I suppose it?s natural to want to know. I noticed she started to change, I thought it was pnd at first, but it was much worse, he had introduced her to drugs. I eventually found out when it was too late.

I have tried to talk to her, tried to make her see what drugs are doing to her. I pointed out to her that most of her father?s friends have died before the age of 45, some over-dosed, some died of cancer and some have committed suicide (I am convinced that all of the deaths were drug related). She won?t listen to me, she says she needs it, can?t cope without it, she says she is only taking puff.

Yesterday she turned up at my home crying, when I asked her what was wrong she replied that she hadn?t got any ?stuff? and she had to go to her fathers to get some. She told me that she was craving so badly that she nearly shook her 5mth old dd in frustration. She then left the kids with me and left. She came back 3 hours later smashed out of her skull to pick up the girls. I kept on making up reasons for her to stay so that I could gauge her ability to look after the girls. I fed the kids and kept them here until it was nearly their bed-time so all she had to do was put them to bed.

I?m at a loss to know what to do, my beautiful dd that I fought so hard to protect and that I was so proud of has changed into some-one I hardly recognise. I fear for my grand daughters. I feel totally powerless.

I hate to say it but why couldn?t her father have died a long time ago before she got in touch with him again?

OP posts:
gravity · 04/01/2006 10:19

i am unsure what to say, but i couldnt ignore your message. i am so so sorry powerless nan

spacedonkey · 04/01/2006 10:22

How awful for you powerlessnan

Can you get in contact with a drugs related charity that can offer you support in this situation? I'm not sure which one, but I know AA does a similar thing for relatives of alcoholics.

MascaraOHara · 04/01/2006 10:24

You don't 'crave' for puff. If she was craving/withdrawing as is implied then she isn't just smoking dope. Sorry.

You don't have to have dope like you absolutely have to have smack. It doesn't have the same effect.

How old is she and how old are her children? Does she wear short sleeves ever? has she track marks?

flutterbee · 04/01/2006 10:24

I know this will be really difficult but you need to take a step back from worrying about your daughter and just consentrate on the grandkids. If you think that they are seriously at risk you need to tell your daughter that if she doesn't sort herself out then you will inform social services, and then make sure you tell them if you feel you need to, it is no good making empty threats.

Once you feel that the kids are safe then and only then can you start trying to help your daughter, it is very very sad but she is now an adult and will only give up the drugs if she really wants to stop. Are you sure she is only using puff as the cravings you describe sound like much bigger cravings than just for puff.

MascaraOHara · 04/01/2006 10:25

Also speak to FRANK

Kelly1978 · 04/01/2006 10:27

I think you need to contact social services now, not threaten it. The children need to be put first and then you can help your dd get straightened out so that she is able to care for her children. I am sorry to hear abotu your awful situation.

IamBlossom · 04/01/2006 10:30

Agree with Mascaraohara this is more serious than smoking weed.

Carmenere · 04/01/2006 10:32

I'm really, really sorry for you but your daughter has a drug problem and it is very likely to be heroin. As Mascara says hash or grass (what would be considered to be 'puff')don't cause the effects you have mentioned but heroin does.
You need to be strong and act now to protect your grandchildren. You need to get professional help as soon as possible. I'm really sorry but I'm not sure exactly what you should do next but there are websites with info. Maybe try Narcotics anonomous. I feel for you

eefs · 04/01/2006 10:32

I'm sorry that I agree with others - she's on more than puff if her cravings are so strong.

Your daughter is the only one who can take responsibility for herself and decide she has a problem but her daughters are helpless in this. Your priority has got to be your granddaughters.

Can you take them in? Would she fight it? If so you'll have to do it officially and contact social services for help. Think of the damage that her father did to her at such a young age - are you willing to let that be done to your granddaughters?

I'm so sorry you are going through this after you struggled for so long to protect your DD.

PowerlessNan · 04/01/2006 10:34

I'm sure she isn't injecting (she has a phobia about needles) which is a relief! I've seen her arms and she doesn't have track marks. She is 24 her dd1 is 4 the youngest 5mths.

Are you sure you cannot get addicted to puff, maybe not physically but psychologically?

I think she takes the puff as a way of calming her down, but I think it is a never ending circle, she takes the puff to calm down, but I am sure that puff can create emotional/mental health problems, so when the effects of the puff wear off the emotional/mental health problems kick in, so she feels the need to take more puff.

I don?t know if that makes sense, but that is what I have observed in her and her father when I was with him.

OP posts:
Caligula · 04/01/2006 10:34

I agree with Flutterbee that you need to concentrate on the grandchildren.

I wouldn't get in touch with SS just yet, I would tell your DD that that is what I will do if she doesn't straighten up. Would you be able to look after your grandchildren? SS might be prepared to work with you to ensure that your grandchildren are kept within your family.

So sorry this is happening to you, your ex sounds evil.

anniemac · 04/01/2006 10:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

NotQuiteCockney · 04/01/2006 10:36

Very very few people ever really end up hooked on pot. I'd worry it was heroin (you can smoke it now, the purity is a lot better than it used to be), or maybe coke. But heroin is more relaxing, I think.

PowerlessNan · 04/01/2006 10:42

My dd would fight me if I tried to take her kids from her, I think that it is better that I am there for her and my grand-daughters as much as I possibly can. The kids are with me a lot of the time anyway and dd lives a 2 minute walk away from me. I know in my heart that dd would walk to my home and ask me to help if she ever felt that she would harm the kids (as she did yesterday).

I will get in touch with Narcotics anonomous and see what advice they can give me. I wish I could show her what she was like when she is straight and happy, then show her herself stoned or crying because she hasn't got any and see if that makes any difference.

OP posts:
kama · 04/01/2006 10:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

MascaraOHara · 04/01/2006 10:44

It's debateable whether or not weed can cause psychological addiction my opinion is that iot can but I've never seen anybody physically crave for puff to the point of having to have it that minute which is what I took from your original post.

Long term use of Cannabis can make users paranoid and again some link it to mental illnes but this is generally extensive heavy long term use, does your dd have mental health issues?

Can I suggest again that you talk to FRANK.

If she wasn't physically craving can you describe her 'craving' was she pale/shakey or was she just acting selfishly and wanting to get away from the kids?

What was her behaviour like when she got back? weed generally slows you down but generally doesn't make you incapable of looking after children imvho.

I guess we can't jump to conclusions about what she is using as you haven't provide enough information.

You don't have to inject to use crack, it can be smoked. Coke and Speed can be snorted or bombed. So it's possible that she is using something without injecting.

Do you know any of her friends?

Sorry hope my post doesn't sound patronising. Perhaps you could offer to take the kids if you really think she can't cope.

MascaraOHara · 04/01/2006 10:47

sorry posts crossed with others

hornbag · 04/01/2006 10:48

It definately sounds like she is on "hard" drugs eg. heroin, crack cocaine.
What you need to also consider is that someone (eg neighbour, school etc) may contact SS with their concerns so you need to do something asap to show that you have the childrens safety and well-being in hand. As others have suggested contact other agencies for advice.
Good luck

beejay · 04/01/2006 10:49

I agree Mascara. You can become psychologically dependent on cannabis, doesn't necessarily make you a bad mother.
Your experience with your ex is bound to make you jump to conclusions. But I wouldn't do anything drastic like call social services.

Also bear in mind that it is so widely available in the Uk nowadays taht if her father hadn't given it to her, someone else would.

macwoozy · 04/01/2006 10:50

From personal experience puff can be psychologically addictive, and can cause paranoia, especially when smoking heavily. But I've never known anyone to be affected to the extent of crying when they've ran out of it. I'm so sorry powerlessnan, but it certainly doesn't just sound like puff to me

anniemac · 04/01/2006 10:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

beejay · 04/01/2006 10:55

I remember being on the verge of tears when I was really into it! ( Long time ago now and rather embarrassing when I think about it. )
Also having babies can make you emotional ( as I think we all know...)

SackAche · 04/01/2006 10:56

Powerlessnan - Really you don't get painful withdrawal from hash. She doesn't have to be injecting heroin.... it sounds like she's smoking it. Just as addictive and destructive I'm afraid. I've known a few heroin addicts and TBH there isn't much you can get through to them. Agree with the others, take care of your Grandchildren if you can, until she's capable. She has to hit rockbottom before she peels herself back up and there isn't much more rockbottom than having your kids removed from your care.

PowerlessNan · 04/01/2006 10:56

MascaraOHara, she wasn't pale or shaking or anything just crying and stressed out and said that she needed it to calm down.

dd adores her kids and I'm sure that she wouldn't knowingly put them in danger but yesterday she just looked so out of it when she came back it frightened me and I had to be sure that she was ok to look after the girs.

DD has suffered from some mental health problems from what her father had done to her in the past and has suffered from depression in her teens when she was 'coming to terms' with what had happened to her. That is one reason why it was so much of a shock to find out that she had contacted her father again.

anniemac, your post made a lot of sense about why she maybe feels the need for it, to make her feel 'whole'.

Thank you everyone for your posts, I think you are right I need to talk to a professional advice service, I already knew that but I needed to talk about it this morning as I just felt as if I was in a 'flat spin' and didn't know which way to turn.

OP posts:
PowerlessNan · 04/01/2006 11:03

BTW I do worry that her father may be making up a joint for her and putting a 'little extra' something in it (I wouldn't put it past him as he is an evil )

I really don't think that dd would knowingly take anything else, I'll try to have another talk with her but she swears that she is only taking puff. But then again she has 'lied' to me a been secretive before...

OP posts: